Question What is this connector?

benroles

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Mar 29, 2021
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Hi all - I am working on a very old machine (Antec) for somebody. PSU has gone so looking to replace. However, the 24-pin Motherboard connector has another 3-wire connector coming out of it. From tracing it, I think it runs to an LED panel that is on the front (it's really odd... has like a chrome-brushed effect front with a big volume knob type thing, almost like the front of a music centre!).

But anyway (!) - if I am right, will I need to replace the PSU with exactly the same? I've not seen this before where wires come off the main board connection... Is there a converter I could get to power this part some other way?

Images here:

https://ibb.co/dfssmd5

https://ibb.co/bmMF28f
 

benroles

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Mar 29, 2021
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PSU: Antec EA-430. On checking with some sellers on ebay though they say their model of the PSU doesn't have that wire.

Board is: Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2H.

However, that power supply goes to this LCD type panel on the front of the device.
 

Jacozeelie

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Mar 1, 2019
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If the conector is necacery, you will have to splice the cables on a new psu but that will void the waranty. I think that is only for the case.

What is the make and model of the case?
Is it for fan display and voltage?
 

benroles

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Mar 29, 2021
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Thanks for the follow-up Dorsai... what do you mean by clip on connectors?
 

benroles

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Mar 29, 2021
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Ah... saw your edit.. Thanks. I've not used those before... how exactly do they work?

EDIT: Looking at the guide on some listings I found seems it grips tightly round the wire and has a pin that penetrates the copper. Then you do the same the other side and they connect together...

Will take a look! Thanks!

Assume though I'm not going to get a system with that kind of connector already on?
 

benroles

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Mar 29, 2021
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looking at it, could it not connect with a standard 3-pin connector to a 3-pin fan header instead?

Thanks for the reply.. I think the problem is it needs standby 5V so it has power even when the system is off. This enables then the InfraRed receiver to receive a 'turn on' command via remote control even when the machine is off. Powering when the machine is on is one thing, but it's that 'off but powered' state that I think is achieved by connecting the way it is...
 
Jun 18, 2021
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So this was a limited time case series that did not run long. It was like a poor man's Silverstone - yet still around $200+ at the time. I always wondered how I'd power the VFD/IR when my original power supply died (which it just did a couple weeks ago). It was just one blown cap, but I think I'm going to replace the bad cap it and use it as a bench power supply. Anyways here is my fix using a new power supply.

You need a 430W+ ATX power supply with a 24 or 20+4 power supply (that preferably still has multi coloured wires ).
You may need extra wire (I harvested from my old power supply.)
You need a 3 pin extension connector with the purple,red, and black leads with enough reach from the VFD wire clip to get close to the ATX power input on your Mobo. (I reused the original one)
Heat shrink tubing, Soldering Iron, Solder, Wire Strippers etc.

Ok.
  1. Cut the purple, a red and a black wire about 10cm up from the ATX clip. Do it in the right order or it may blow (joking - if you believed that, then here is a safety tip : make sure you have everything unplugged for at least 1h, the caps can keep a charge for a while.)
  2. Strip the wires on each side of those 3 wires (so 6 bare ends).
  3. Twist all the ends and tin them to your liking.
  4. Slide your heat shrink on the 3 wires (you can do them one at a time to prevent accidental shrinkage from soldering heat).
  5. Take the 3pin extension lead that will connect to the VFD and strip and tin those wire ends.
  6. Solder the 3pin extension to one end of the exposed ATX leads matching all the colours. (If you want you can pretwist these leads and then tin them at the same time).
  7. Solder both ATX leads together.
  8. Heat shrink.
  9. Make all connections and you are back in business.

Some sort of adapter must exist for this but I was wasting so much time looking this likely ended up being a much faster solution. It's all safe - but you will void your warranty probably if it's a new PSU (I used an old one).

These HTPC cases will be wanted once again. In my opinion the front screens are way doper than any modern plexiglass side with LEDs on all the fans type of unit. Also, the remote turn on is a killer feature.