[SOLVED] Replacing Broken USB 3.0 Header on Asus Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi)

[stevenk]

Hello. I had posted this question on the buildapc subreddit, where I had not received responses. I'm going to paste the contents of that post below:

Many of the pins on the USB 3 header on my Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi) motherboard are mangled. I tried to repair them with tweezers and a screwdriver essentially doing computer endoscopy magnifying the image with my camera and using my phone's flashlight while reaching into my PC case. I gave up after I heard a pin fall out. I can live without front panel USB 3 ports as things are. I wish to preserve my hardware, though. I have PC hardware from decades ago that's fully functional. I don't really care about cosmetic damage to anything, but I care about functional damage.

While I don't currently have soldering skills, I plan to gain them. I hope to one day replace the header on my motherboard. Would anyone know the proper USB 3.0 header on Mouser or Digi-Key? I would like to buy some for safekeeping. Thank you in advance. In the future, I will use an extension of some sort to relieve cable tension on such a header.

 

[CountMike]

Hello. I had posted this question on the buildapc subreddit, where I had not received responses. I'm going to paste the contents of that post below:

Many of the pins on the USB 3 header on my Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi) motherboard are mangled. I tried to repair them with tweezers and a screwdriver essentially doing computer endoscopy magnifying the image with my camera and using my phone's flashlight while reaching into my PC case. I gave up after I heard a pin fall out. I can live without front panel USB 3 ports as things are. I wish to preserve my hardware, though. I have PC hardware from decades ago that's fully functional. I don't really care about cosmetic damage to anything, but I care about functional damage.

While I don't currently have soldering skills, I plan to gain them. I hope to one day replace the header on my motherboard. Would anyone know the proper USB 3.0 header on Mouser or Digi-Key? I would like to buy some for safekeeping. Thank you in advance. In the future, I will use an extension of some sort to relieve cable tension on such a header.

Those are just individual pins that can be soldered one by one, will have to remove plastic shield to do that but requires little soldering skills.

 

[stevenk]

Those are just individual pins that can be soldered one by one, will have to remove plastic shield to do that but requires little soldering skills.

Thank you. I cannot find where to buy the individual pins; however, I see this eBay listing of "2x USB 3 Internal Header 19 / 20 Pin Socket Repair Broken Motherboard Connector": https://www.ebay.com/itm/224239111717?hash=item3435b14e25:g:6wgAAOSwwz1ftOT0

I'm going to buy from that listing. Would you know where I would be able to buy the individual pins? Thank you again.

 

[CountMike]

Thank you. I cannot find where to buy the individual pins; however, I see this eBay listing of "2x USB 3 Internal Header 19 / 20 Pin Socket Repair Broken Motherboard Connector": https://www.ebay.com/itm/224239111717?hash=item3435b14e25:g:6wgAAOSwwz1ftOT0

I'm going to buy from that listing. Would you know where I would be able to buy the individual pins? Thank you again.

Do-it- yourself electronic store should have them. There's also cheaper option I used several times for similar projects. Thin MIG welding wire which is steel covered in copper and solders very well. I happened to have such welder but if you walk in any welding shop they should give you a foot or two because so much is wasted anyway.

 

[stevenk]

Do-it- yourself electronic store should have them. There's also cheaper option I used several times for similar projects. Thin MIG welding wire which is steel covered in copper and solders very well. I happened to have such welder but if you walk in any welding shop they should give you a foot or two because so much is wasted anyway.

Thank you so much.

 

[natcha12]

The pins are pretty generic, obviously they are square, not round like mig wire would be though, but for a bodge it would work.

Make sure to remove any pieces of the snapped off pin before soldering the new one in of course, and don't accidentally solder 2 pins on the underside of the board together shorting them out lol.