ROG_EXT port work as a USB 2.0 header?

[MattO]

Hey everyone!

 

TL:DR   Will the "ROG_EXT" header on my Maximus Hero VIII work as an additional USB 2.0 header? 

 

So I have an Asus Maximus Hero VIII and I just recently purchased a Corsair H100i v2 and the NZXT Hue+. Before placing these orders I failed to check compatibility. My motherboard has 2x USB 3.0 headers and 1x USB 2.0 header. Both the H100i and the Hue+ require a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard. Now you see the issue, I'm short 1 USB 2.0 header.  Asus says that the "ROG_EXT" headers on the board will act as USB 2.0 headers. By careful examination I can see that one of these ROG_Ext headers does indeed have 10 pins (technically 9 pins with the bottom right missing) in the same configuration of a normal USB 2.0 header, but the other header only has 8 pins. Now as long as the one ROG_EXT port acts as a USB 2.0 header I will be ok. I just wanted to confirm that this will indeed work for the NZXT Hue+ or the Corsair H100i v2. So if anyone else has been in a similar situation as myself, I'd really appreciate the peace of mind of knowing this header will work. 

 

I've looked into USB 2.0 header splitters, but I do not believe these will work for this situation since I will have 2 completely different devices in 1 header and the motherboard wont be able to recognize both simultaneously. 

 

Link for motherboard info: https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/MAXIMUS-VIII-HERO/specifications/

Link for SS of ROG_EXT header: 
https://gyazo.com/4ccbec6f4f192b274c573b1e5568d9b9

 

EDIT: USB 2.0 headers are actually 9 pins, the ROG_EXT header is also 9 pins, not 10 pins like I said above. 

 

[bugzbugbee]

Cracking up at this!!!

 

I'm in the exact same position!!!!

 

Z170 Pro Gaming MOBO, 

 

Used up my USB 2 headers for front IO and a HUE+

 

just got the H115i and i'm like, shit... where can it go!!

 

from what i have read, the ROG_EXT is for a front panel where the drive bays go, see below

 

http://www.overclock3d.net/news/misc_hardware/asus_rog_base_system_controller_review/1

 

from what i gather, it can be used as per normal, but to be on the safe side, i'm going to use the ROG one for the front IO ports and run my cooler into the one i know ill work

 

ill try it myself and let you know in the next couple of days if successful

[Tech Inquisition]

The USB header in the ROG_EXT is a single port header, not dual port header like the rest.

[bugzbugbee]

19 hours ago, Tech Inquisition said:

The USB header in the ROG_EXT is a single port header, not dual port header like the rest.

meaning this can only be used as a single output?

 

for example, it cant be used for a front IO port that has 2 usb?

[Tech Inquisition]

3 hours ago, bugzbugbee said:

meaning this can only be used as a single output?

 

for example, it cant be used for a front IO port that has 2 usb?

Yes, only one of the two USB ports might work, or connecting 2 devices will cause interference...

[airdeano]

yes, it can be used as a USB 2.0 port.

[sdmf74]

On 9/19/2016 at 6:54 PM, bugzbugbee said:

Cracking up at this!!!

 

I'm in the exact same position!!!!

 

Z170 Pro Gaming MOBO, 

 

Used up my USB 2 headers for front IO and a HUE+

 

just got the H115i and i'm like, shit... where can it go!!

 

from what i have read, the ROG_EXT is for a front panel where the drive bays go, see below

 

http://www.overclock3d.net/news/misc_hardware/asus_rog_base_system_controller_review/1

 

from what i gather, it can be used as per normal, but to be on the safe side, i'm going to use the ROG one for the front IO ports and run my cooler into the one i know ill work

 

ill try it myself and let you know in the next couple of days if successful

So are you guys saying that you have used the ROG EXT left part of the 2 part connection that has only 8 pins (in red) as a standalone usb header for things like front panel case usb 2.0 ports? The blue one is of course a usb 2.0 header but I am only referring to the red one.

Does it work without issue? I mean cause wouldnt you be missing the 9th pin ground wire in that case?

 

I have only used both connectors simultaneously for connecting the rog front base

 

[Kankle]

On 4/22/2017 at 11:57 PM, sdmf74 said:

So are you guys saying that you have used the ROG EXT left part of the 2 part connection that has only 8 pins (in red) as a standalone usb header for things like front panel case usb 2.0 ports? The blue one is of course a usb 2.0 header but I am only referring to the red one.

Does it work without issue? I mean cause wouldnt you be missing the 9th pin ground wire in that case?

 

I have only used both connectors simultaneously for connecting the rog front base

 

No!  The two USB 2.0 ports are the one you have circled in blue, and the one you covered with black.   They are the same 9 PIN layouts.  The part you circled in red is only for the ASUS ROG_EXT devices.  From further comments above it looks like the USB 2.0 port for the ROG_EXT (you circled it in blue) only supports single USB.   This would be fine to use for CorsairLink device.    

 

Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

 

Cheers,

[Suveck]

Hey guys so I know this is old but I also have one of these boards and this same problem. I recently have been doing some system tinkering and was reminded of this issue from when I built my system around my new asus Hero 9; What do I do to use both my h100i and front usb 2.0 ports? The board only had one internal USB 2.0 header, so I had to choose. I could have run the cable for the h100i through a water grommit and plugged it in externally(other end was just mini usb) or i could just give up usb 2.0 on front IO(had some 3.0 so it was no big deal). Well I took the lazy route of no front USB because I didn't want my shiny new build tarnished by a derppy internal cable routed externally for the water pump.

today I was looking up a picture of the mobo online to check to see if I had a header for something else and was surprised to see 2 USB 2.0 headers on the board. I remembered giving up the front IO. Turns out I was looking at the hero 10 by mistake. I hadn't realized that I was looking at the 10 since the layout of the pcb was almost identical. The ONLY difference I could see was the second usb 2.0 header on the hero 10 was right where a port marked "ROG-EXT" was on the hero 9. ROG-EXT upon futher investigation was Republic of gamers external, and that ASUS markets gamer-y case faceplates that have system sensor readouts and a usb 2.0 port. I figured that is was probably one usb pass through and a usb device(screen and sensor readout).

 

looking up the USB 2.0 pin out I found that the 9th pin is basically only for connecting the cables insulating EMI shield connection. EMI being electro magnetic interference, its a metal insulation layer that runs through alot of usb cables to insure signal integrity. The shield acts like a Faraday cage essentially for background noise. Looking back at the cable my h100i was connected through I noticed it didn't even use this EMI shield connection(so it was 4 connections). The pin-out for MOBO USB ports is |+| |D-| |D+| |-| |none/EMI shield| for each row of the connector. per usb spec, mobo should be able to handle a short if we plugged the h100i connection in backwards on the ROG-EXT port.

 

Lo and behold the ROG-EXT port on the mobo was just a usb 2 port hiding in plain site, only difference is no EMI protection, which shouldn't be a big deal for just about anything(maybe you couldn't run a usb extension as far? Maybe a USB DAC would have interference?). Why would asus hide putting a USB 2 header on the board and never documented it? Maybe they were just trying to make their expansion bay seem proprietary? Anyways, my AIO is now connected via the ROG-Ext port with the 9th pin hanging free and usb front works again.