How to Connect Front Panel Switches and Lights

Step 7 of Building your Own PC

Gadget Specs PH September 27, 2018

0 692 1 minute read

This article will cover the connect front panel LEDs and switches tutorial.

First consult your motherboard manual before you connect front panel LEDS and switches. Each tiny connector is labeled as to its function.

The most common connectors are speaker, reset, power, hard drive LED, and power LED.

The power switch is what switches the motherboard and the computer on so If this switch is not hooked up your computer will not work.

Do not confuse the power switch with the Power LED. The first one switches of your computer on while the latter indicates the computer has power(usually a green LED). The LED stays on while there is power to the computer. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and it is a tiny low current light bulb.

After consulting the motherboard documentation (the pins are also labeled on the motherboard) line up the connector with the correct pin on the motherboard and slide it on.

Once you have connected the power and reset, it’s time for the lights and the speaker.

Which wire goes where doesn’t matter for the switches, but the LEDs are polarized. That means one is positive and the other is negative.

Your motherboard manual will tell you which pin is positive, but it’s usually the colored wire of the pair.

If you get it wrong you will know because the respective LED won’t work. If it doesn’t light up simply swap the wires around and that should you fix it.

Check to make sure that everything is working as it should and you are done.

Step 1- How to Buy the Computer Parts

Step 2- How to Prepare the Computer Case

Step 3- How to Prepare the Motherboard for Install

Step 4- How to Install CPU on the Motherboard

Step 5- How to Install Memory on the Motherboard

Step 6- How to Install Motherboard in Case

Step 8- How to Hook Up USB and Firewire

Step 9- How to Install Video Card

Step 10- First Boot

Step 11- How to Install Hard Drive

Step 12- How to Install DVD Burner