Any way to add USB-C header?

[manicottimuffin]

I'm rebuilding my system and am planning on moving to the H210 from NZXT. This case has a front panel USB-C port, but none of the mini ITX boards I can afford have a header for front panel USB-C. Is there a way to adapt either my extra m.2 slot or a USB 3.1 port on the back of my mobo into the front panel header? I've been looking around and can't find anything.

 

Thanks

[XAIXER]

PCI-E card?

[manicottimuffin]

1 minute ago, XAIXER said:

PCI-E card?

I only have one PCI-E slot and I'll have a dedicated GPU, so that wouldn't work

[Bombastinator]

...so MacGuyver something... I’ve seen it done though not with USBC.  I even did something like it to an old 3.5” SD card slot bay to get some USB2 onto the front of my case (usb2 was new then)  It generally involves taking an unused port from inside the case and running a cable to the case. And some Dremel and epoxy putty work.  Results can be ugly.  Youbwould be plugging in a USB 3.1 cable into the back, snaking it back through the case, and then using an adaptor(?) to connect it to the front panel mount.  Might be more money and trouble than buying a better mobo.

 

this is why expensive motherboards are expensive.

 The cheapass solution would be to buy a USB 3.1 male to USBC female cable, plugging it in the back, and snaking it around the side of the computer so you can use it in front.  Wouldn’t activate the port, but it would get you the connection.

[manicottimuffin]

29 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

...so MacGuyver something... I’ve seen it done though not with USBC.  I even did something like it to an old 3.5” SD card slot bay to get some USB2 onto the front of my case (usb2 was new then)  It generally involves taking an unused port from inside the case and running a cable to the case. And some Dremel and epoxy putty work.  Results can be ugly.  Youbwould be plugging in a USB 3.1 cable into the back, snaking it back through the case, and then using an adaptor(?) to connect it to the front panel mount.  Might be more money and trouble than buying a better mobo.

 

this is why expensive motherboards are expensive.

 The cheapass solution would be to buy a USB 3.1 male to USBC female cable, plugging it in the back, and snaking it around the side of the computer so you can use it in front.  Wouldn’t activate the port, but it would get you the connection.

I gotcha... I was considering this, but honestly I would rather just have an adapter that works on its own. Was hoping I could find a card for my m.2 slot or maybe a cable that adapted on its own and I could run it behind the motherboard tray with the CPU power... Do you know of any mini itx board with USB-C headers that are under $220? Cheapest I can find are x570 boards and I definitely don't need anything like that

 

[XAIXER]

1 hour ago, manicottimuffin said:

I only have one PCI-E slot and I'll have a dedicated GPU, so that wouldn't work

You're saying you don't have a single x1 slot?

[Bombastinator]

12 minutes ago, XAIXER said:

You're saying you don't have a single x1 slot?

Its itx.  Extremely cheap itx apparently.  There might still be a 1x slot above the x16 slot.  Using it will reduce the x16 to x8 probably.

[manicottimuffin]

17 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Its itx.  Extremely cheap itx apparently.  There might still be a 1x slot above the x16 slot.  Using it will reduce the x16 to x8 probably.

not quite "extremely cheap" but here are the two boards I'm considering (unless someone has a better suggestion) This ASUS board and this ASRock board... I don't think either are bad, but they are definitely more budget friendly. And I don't see any other PCI-E slots on there but if I'm missing something please let me know.

 

As far as I can tell, the only other PCI-E slots any mini itx boards have are m.2 form factor...

[Bombastinator]

5 minutes ago, manicottimuffin said:

not quite "extremely cheap" but here are the two boards I'm considering (unless someone has a better suggestion) This ASUS board and this ASRock board... I don't think either are bad, but they are definitely more budget friendly. And I don't see any other PCI-E slots on there but if I'm missing something please let me know.

 

As far as I can tell, the only other PCI-E slots any mini itx boards have are m.2 form factor...

It might just be old peopleness . There was a time when itx was 2 slots.  A lot of itx boards had a 16x and an 8x or a 4xor a 1x above it.  No one ever used them though.  I’m not surprised they’re gone.

a board that doesn’t have any front header connections is a mighty cheap board though.

 

Hmm.. a thought occurs to me:  what kind of cable connector does the case have for that front header?  There are a lot of things that have the USBC form factor.  Thunderbolt is one of them, but there are several.  If all you want is usb 3.1 there may be a 3.1 on the header I. Which case the USBC might show up simply as usb 3.1  what on board port connectors does the board have?  If there’s a USB3.1 it might just fit the connector on the other side of that port, in which case you need nothing.

[manicottimuffin]

6 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

It might just be old peopleness . There was a time when itx was 2 slots.  A lot of itx boards had a 16x and an 8x or a 4xor a 1x above it.  No one ever used them though.  I’m not surprised they’re gone.

a board that doesn’t have any front header connections is a mighty cheap board though.

 

Hmm.. a thought occurs to me:  what kind of cable connector does the case have for that front header?  There are a lot of things that have the USBC form factor.  Thunderbolt is one of them, but there are several.  If all you want is usb 3.1 there may be a 3.1 on the header I. Which case the USBC might show up simply as usb 3.1  what on board port connectors does the board have?  If there’s a USB3.1 it might just fit the connector on the other side of that port, in which case you need nothing.

It does have front panel usb 3.1, but It has the 20-pin type A header, not the 3.1 type C header. 

[Bombastinator]

16 minutes ago, manicottimuffin said:

It does have front panel usb 3.1, but It has the 20-pin type A header, not the 3.1 type C header. 

The case does? Or the board?  What does the case have?  If the case has the 20 pin type but no usb 3.1 type the case has that problem solved internally.  If the case has a 3.1 C header is there also one on the board ANYWHERE? If it doesn’t does it have another 3.1 header anywhere and can you just buy an adaptor?

[manicottimuffin]

1 minute ago, Bombastinator said:

The case does? Or the board?  What does the case have?  If the case has the 20 pin type but no usb 3.1 type the case has that problem solved internally.  If the case has a 3.1 C header is there also one on the board ANYWHERE? If it doesn’t does it have another 3.1 header anywhere and can you just buy an adaptor?

both of the boards I linked have front panel USB 3.1 type A. Neither have front panel USB-C. The case, as initial post says, has front panel USB-C port.

[Bombastinator]

5 minutes ago, manicottimuffin said:

both of the boards I linked have front panel USB 3.1 type A. Neither have front panel USB-C. The case, as initial post says, has front panel USB-C port.

Yes. The port.  But what about the cable coming out of the case? Manufacturers sometimes do odd things.  If the case doesn’t have a 3.1 type C internal cable coming out the back it doesn’t need one.  If it does of course you’re horked.  
https://www.velocitymicro.com/blog/usb-3-1-vs-usb-type-c-vs-usb-3-0-whats-the-difference/

[manicottimuffin]

4 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Yes. The port.  But what about the cable coming out of the case? Manufacturers sometimes do odd things.  If the case doesn’t have a 3.1 type C internal cable coming out the back it doesn’t need one.  If it does of course you’re horked.  
https://www.velocitymicro.com/blog/usb-3-1-vs-usb-type-c-vs-usb-3-0-whats-the-difference/

Yes, it's 3.1 type c.

[manicottimuffin]

I'll just look for a board that's not "mighty cheap"

[Bombastinator]

Then you’re dead flat boned.

 Type c and 3.1a aren’t actually the same thing.  People often run something as cheap as type b through a USBC port though.  The case manufacturers might have been doing that.  IF there is such an animal as a 3.1a external to typeC internal adaptor of the right gender you could loop back a 3.1a cable into the case and use the adaptor.  It still wouldn’t be real type c though.  Just 3.1a (have fun on alibaba) 

[DaleRoss]

https://diarts-tech.com/product/1-port-internal-usb-c-usb-3-1-gen-2-10g-m-2-card/