I need help figuring out how the NZXT internal usb hub works?

[carlo_alcausin]

Ok so I'm gonna build my new pc soon but I dont know if I will have enough usb ports on motherboard and enough molex cables to connect to on psu. So Im getting the nzxt hue+ with the nzxt aer rgb fans connected to the nzxt grid + v3. So if I connect the hue and the grid to the USB
internal hub will I also need to use the molex on the HUE and grid to connect to the psu or will
the Usb hub power the HUE and the grid with only one molex? AND WILL MY SYSTEM BE BE ABLE TO POWER ALL OF THESE WITHOUT RUNNING OUT OF CONNECTIONS?

SIDENOTE: I will not be connecting kraken x62 aio to the usb internal hub.

ALSO I WILL BE GETTING A MAXIMUS X HERO MOTHERBOARD
AND MY PSU ONLY HAS ONE DUAL MOLEX

 

[BFG-9000]

How it works is you plug the motherboard header you want to multiply into the white jack. And because it's a powered hub, connect a molex for 5v power. If you don't plug in the molex then the 8 USB ports on the hub will be limited to only the power supplied by the two ports of the motherboard header.

You will then have three motherboard headers plus two USB-A ports to use inside the case on the hub, plus any other headers you still have on the motherboard. As it cost you one header to install it, you end up with a net of two headers and two ports.

 

[carlo_alcausin]

How it works is you plug the motherboard header you want to multiply into the white jack. And because it's a powered hub, connect a molex for 5v power. If you don't plug in the molex then the 8 USB ports on the hub will be limited to only the power supplied by the two ports of the motherboard header.

You will then have three motherboard headers plus two USB-A ports to use inside the case on the hub, plus any other headers you still have on the motherboard. As it cost you one header to install it, you end up with a net of two headers and two ports.

So if I connect my hue+ and grid to the hub I dont need to connect the molex on the hue or grid and instead just connect the molex from the hub?

Im really confused about all of this? So do you think you can explain to me how Im gonna connect the hue and grid to the usb and how to connect them to the motherboard and power supply? Also if I do connect them to the hub can I just throw out the molex from the hue and the grid because the hub will be powering them?

 

[BFG-9000]

Both the hue+ and grid+ require their own molex connections because they don't actually pull power from USB. The USB is only used to program and control the lighting and fan speeds.

The grid+ can use up to 30w and while the hue+ only uses a few watts itself, it can power two strings of 40 LEDs. The NZXT hub will supply 36w if all ports are used simultaneously for "high power" USB devices but not battery charging, to 60w if all are. Meanwhile a single molex string is probably safe for 10A or 50w on 5v. Unless you are using some ridiculously high-powered fans and LEDs though, it should be perfectly safe to use one molex splitter. Or a SATA to molex adapter.

 

[carlo_alcausin]

Both the hue+ and grid+ require their own molex connections because they don't actually pull power from USB. The USB is only used to program and control the lighting and fan speeds.

The grid+ can use up to 30w and while the hue+ only uses a few watts itself, it can power two strings of 40 LEDs. The NZXT hub will supply 36w if all ports are used simultaneously for "high power" USB devices but not battery charging, to 60w if all are. Meanwhile a single molex string is probably safe for 10A or 50w on 5v. Unless you are using some ridiculously high-powered fans and LEDs though, it should be perfectly safe to use one molex splitter. Or a SATA to molex adapter.

My psu only has a dual molex cable. So I won't have enough space to plug in one of them because I will need 3 molex connections right? So what will I have to get and do to get enough space.

 

[BFG-9000]

The answer is in the text you quoted. If that doesn't look clean enough for you, then you could either replace the PSU or add on another 90-degree molex connector inline somewhere:

The wires simply pass through the blade which cuts into the insulation just like in a RJ45 keystone, so no soldering or crimping is required. You could even pull such a connector off an old PSU you may already have, just be aware there are two different endcaps for them so you may need to trim it for use in the middle of the wires:

It's not rocket science, but take care not to put it on upside down because that would swap +5v and +12v.