3.5" and 5.25" USB-C front panels
3.5" and 5.25" USB-C front panels
There's nothing wrong with my old PC case, except I'd like some USB-Cs in the front panel.
The panel itself is unfortunately integrated, but it's possible to get additional front panels to 3.5" and 5.25" slots (the ones traditionally used for CDs etc). Here's one example from akasa with at least one USB-C: https://akasa.co.uk/search.php?seed=AK-ICR-36
It's perfectly fine if I have to just disconnect the integrated USB-A ports due to lack of motherboard connectors. They suck anyway.
So, please share recommendations for such devices. Let's not let those old cases go to waste!
A panel with only USB-Cs would be classy, but they don't seem to be around..
There are panel/bracket mounted Type-E to USB-C connectors, so it shouldn't be hard to attach some to a 3D printed 3.5" panel. The hard part is getting enough internal Type-E ports, ideally with USB-PD.
A clever solution! But yeah, the board connectors don't seem to be too numerous..
Edit. I'm really leaning towards just ordering a couple of these Type-E to USB-C cables and just drilling them into the 5.25 cover panel.
Do you have internal usb 3 ports, header? Where do you want to connect it to?
internal usb connectors look like these, you can see the cables on the akasa one you linked.
If you have a port inside, all of these things just a plastic box and some wires inside. Choose the cheapest one, or the one looks nice. If you don't have a port, the interesting part is the pcie-usb3 extension card
Yeah I do have the usb header. Connected to the case ports atm, but it’s fine to replace that for the upcoming panel. I suppose that the standard header poses some limitations on what ports one can expect from these things.
Images are not showing up for some reason. What header you have, there are 3 kind of usb headers: 2, 3 and C. You need 3 or C if you want to use a front panel like that.
This is the C header: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/USB_3.1_GEN2_Key-A_front_panel_connector_IMGP3038_smial_wp.jpg
This is the 3 header: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/USB_30_pinheader_WP_20140221_023.jpg
Do you have these?
After some research, the akasa seems to be as good as it gets today. I did find one Graugear with identical ports: https://graugear.de/en/portfolio-item/g-mp01/
All the ones with more USB-Cs seem to achieve this by splitting the 20G connector into multiple slower ones, which is not worth it IMO.
I didn’t quite follow what the problem is. In my case, for example, I can remove a front panel cover to reveal an empty bay, and install a new device into that bay
immediate edit Is the question ive asked literally what you are saying - “Instead of wasting an old case, you can get devices to add new functionality instead” ?
The bolded part. Recommendations for good front panels.
Gotcha, thanks!
Do you have internal usb 3 ports, header? Where do you want to connect it to?
internal usb connectors look like these, you can see the cables on the akasa one you linked.
If you have a port inside, all of these things just a plastic box and some wires inside. Choose the cheapest one, or the one looks nice. If you don't have a port, the interesting part is the pcie-usb3 extension card
Yeah I do have the usb header. Connected to the case ports atm, but it's fine to replace that for the upcoming panel. I suppose that the standard header poses some limitations on what ports one can expect from these things.
