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I'm in the midst of building a new desktop (first time building my own). I bought MSI NF750-G55 AM3 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI HDMI ATX motherboard, and HEC 6C28BS Black / Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower case. When they both arrived, I realized that the I/O panel on the case doesn't have the same holes that the motherboard needs.

So my two questions are:

  1. What should I have done? Both claim to be ATX. Do I just need to look more carefully at the pictures?

  2. What should I do now? Can I just remove the whole panel (leaving empty spaces between and around the different ports? Specifically, will it cause problems to do this?

(I'm looking for advice about question 1, but will accept based on question 2.)

3 Answers 3

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You should take the ATX panel that should have come with your motherboard and install it into the case.

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    And if your motherboard did not come with its own panel, you should contact the seller to see why you're missing a part. Or, um, at least make sure it doesn't say anywhere that the item you ordered doesn't include one for some obtuse reason.
    – Emory Bell
    May 2, 2010 at 4:25
  • Sure enough: I didn't know that. It did come with its own panel. Thanks! May 2, 2010 at 13:42
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ATX only says where the port assembly goes, it doesn't say how the ports are laid out. Boards normally come with plate that matches them. The one that's in there will pop out.

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  1. In most cases these days, the I/O panel pops out. The panel size is fairly standard; your motherboard package should include an I/O panel to pop into the case that includes holes in the proper places for your motherboard's ports. (The holes in the last panel I installed were pre-cut, so I had to punch them out before installing.)

  2. The I/O panel stabilizes the ports, acts as a ground for the I/O ports, and closes off that big hole in the case to assist with proper airflow. I don't consider it strictly necessary, but it's good to install it if you have it.

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