DIY Wiring

[phindawg]

I am not new to custom cabling and wiring when it comes to the main cables to the PSU. But, I am new to the small bits like the Power switch, Reset switch, HDD light and what not.
I was wondering if anyone knew what gauge wire those are and if it is even doable? I don't have a spare power switch to tinker with and I don't want to just plug something I created real quick into my mobos.

I purchased a couple front panel wires, obviously from China, but they've been stuck in California for weeks now.

[akio123008]

8 minutes ago, phindawg said:

I was wondering if anyone knew what gauge wire those are and if it is even doable?

Gauge 5 million usually.

 

Any gauge will do though, but thick wires aren't practical with those tiny connectors.

[phindawg]

I think WalMart only has 4 million gauge wire. dang.

[DJ46]

Gotta love how useless this forum can be sometimes.

 

I dug through my bin of case parts and the gauge marked on this type of wire is 26AWG.

I don't think I've ever seen a case use a different gauge of wires for these cables so I am willing to say they are all this size.

 

As far as I know, most people who sleeve them just use the same sleeve they would put on other PSU cables (which tend to be 18AWG) and just cover both wires with one sleeve.

 

(IMO, it is easier to just bend these thin wires so that they hug the connector and the edge of the motherboard and then pull them through the space between the motherboard PCB and the motherboard tray. Makes them almost invisible and sleeving would just pull more attention, but that's a different discussion.)

[phindawg]

awesome. Thanks! 

[akio123008]

15 minutes ago, DJ46 said:

Gotta love how useless this forum can be sometimes.

Just needed to point out my frustration with these afwul tiny wires and connectors.

 

The point stands though; anything (you can find in whatever random bin you might have) will do.

[DJ46]

1 minute ago, akio123008 said:

Just needed to point out my frustration with these afwul tiny wires and connectors.

 

The point stands though; anything (you can find in whatever random bin you might have) will do.

The current through these wires is quite low, but I would stick to 26AWG or higher, since that's what the manufacturers are using.

And using thicker wires seems pointless when you can just hide the thin ones.

 

I wasn't going specifically after you, but everytime I open up a thread I can provide a useful answer to, there's already 3 responses that provide no actual information.

While it's nice that LTT can say that their forum offers quick answers, it is often misleading when you consider what those answers are like - a joke, a generic fact from someone who only read the title and a stackoverflow style "why would you want to do that".

And when the person who started the thread repeats the information already stated in the first post, nobody answers it ever again.

 

A bit of OT - am I the only one who doesn't hate these connectors? Split ones can be a pain but other than that they are quite durable and as I said, the wires are easy to hide.

Compared to front panel USB 3.0 they are a piece of cake. That connector can go right to hell though - everytime I plug it in I wonder if I broke a pin until I can test the ports themselves and the pressure applied to it by those thick cables when you try to manage them is ridiculous. I always consider giving up the tranfer speeds and using a 3.0 to 2.0 internal header adapter.

[akio123008]

2 minutes ago, DJ46 said:

am I the only one who doesn't hate these connectors?

I don't specifically hate these, I don't really like anything else below (well, above you know what I mean) 20 gauge either. (which is unfortunately a lot in computers haha)

[phindawg]

It is the same with any forum. Just gotta sift through and find what's useful.
I understood his comedic response. And he followed up with a helpful tidbit.
 

And yes. those tiny connectors are the worst. I don't have the smallest of fingers, but I wish I had a child's fingers when working with those.

[DJ46]

1 minute ago, akio123008 said:

I don't specifically hate these, I don't really like anything else below (well, above you know what I mean) 20 gauge either. (which is unfortunately a lot in computers haha)

I'm with you on that when it comes to DIY projects

I often use oversize wires and just trim the copper strands on the end to solder them to something because stripping these thin wires feels like trying to cut a hair into pieces of string.

[phindawg]

pluggin my USB cable to the mobo was sketchy as hell. The whole connector on the mobo was about to pop off.

[DJ46]

1 minute ago, phindawg said:

And yes. those tiny connectors are the worst. I don't have the smallest of fingers, but I wish I had a child's fingers when working with those.

Linus-size hands gang assemble!

I feel like we were born to work on this stuff.

[DJ46]

Just now, phindawg said:

pluggin my USB cable to the mobo was sketchy as hell. The whole connector on the mobo was about to pop off.

One of my ports is dead thanks to a pin that bent completely flat. AND the connector housing came off when I unplugged it.

Without the housing I can actually have 2 fully usable USB 3.0 ports but it feels like the pins will get torn off of the motherboard while I am asleep

[DJ46]

59 minutes ago, phindawg said:

But, I am new to the small bits like the Power switch, Reset switch, HDD light and what not.
I was wondering if anyone knew what gauge wire those are and if it is even doable?

 

1 minute ago, James Evens said:

One problem is when there is no definitiv answer. 

For example in your case: The same connector can accept different range of AWG depending on which exact terminal you have bought. There is a range which will always/nearly guaranteed work but not a definitiv answer.

I would say that in this case there is a definitive answer - those wires are 26AWG from the factory in all computer cases.

I don't have much experience with crimps and terminals so I'm not sure if you can get something that will fit a front panel switch/LED connector and use a different gauge, especially when everything in the industry is set on one gauge. It might be possible, but I don't think that was the question.

 

Anything thicker than 26AWG will be able to handle the current all day long, but that is a different thread in my opinion.

[SansVarnic]

@phindawg Please start using the quote function so those whom you reply to know you are replying to them.

[thrasher_565]

there stander DuPont connectors