Splitting internal USB 2.0 cables

[Lambofreak]

Ladies and gentlemen,

Currently in my system have 3 devices which need to connect to an internal USB header on the motherboard (AIO cooler, LED strips and front USB ports) but only 2 physical headers on the motherboard with which to connect them. Wondering what the best way of accomplishing this is. After much searching Google and eBay the best I could find is something like THIS.

However, I've read conflicting things, some say that a simple cable won't work as you need a hub to be able to properly split between the 2 devices connected to the single header.

I'm wondering what the best / tidiest way of handing this situation is.

Oh and before you suggest something like THIS, I need it be be all internal connections, i.e. 1 x female internal USB to 2 x male internal USB, not 1 x female internal USB to 2 x female internal USB.

 

[Multipack]

I'd say an internal pcie usb expansion card https://www.startech.com/uk/Cards-Adapters/USB-2/Card/4-Port-PCI-Express-Low-Profile-High-Speed-USB-Card~PEXUSB4DP would be your best bet. A header only supplies enough power for two ports. Splitting & adapting can lead to power issues if the devices plugged in are demanding.

 

[Lambofreak]

I'd say an internal pcie usb expansion card https://www.startech.com/uk/Cards-Adapters/USB-2/Card/4-Port-PCI-Express-Low-Profile-High-Speed-USB-Card~PEXUSB4DP would be your best bet. A header only supplies enough power for two ports. Splitting & adapting can lead to power issues if the devices plugged in are demanding.

Hmmm not the worst solution, only problems I can see is I only have a 4790k, so 16 lanes of PCIe and hoping to keep all those lanes for the video card haha. Was also hoping for a subtler solution if there is one 😛

But I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Lambofreak]

Ok guys so after a bit more research I may have found a solution, but I'd like to check if it will work.

So below I've pictured the pinouts for the header on the motherboard:

From what I understand, the top and bottom rows are for a USB port each equally. So 1 USB device will use 4 pins, 2 USB devices will use 8 pins, and the 9th pin has no connection.

Now, for the 2 devices I need to plug into the USB header, one only has a single row anyway, and the other has a connector that has 2 rows, but there is only 1 row of wires going into the connector, so the other row although the connector will take up that space, doesn't connect to anything.

My solution is that I pick up one of the splitter cables mentioned in the OP, and make sure that say the bottow row of pins on the connector has 1 row of wires coming out of one split, and the top row of pins coming out of the connector has the other row. So it'll be as if there's only 1 wire for each pin anyway.

Does my explanation make sense / will it work?

Thanks guys

 

[Lambofreak]

BUMP

Any thoughts? Anybody?

 

[Dragos Manea]

First of all any pcie x1 card doesnt use cpu lanes, motehrboard chipset also has 8-12 lanes so that the 16 lanes from the cpu to be used only by the videocard/videocards, so dont worry use any pcie x1 your cpu lanes will remain untouched.

 

[CountMike]

Just cut connectors off so each one fits one row of four pins with odd or even numbers.