Front USB Ports Mod

The Situation:
When I got my ABIT VP6 motherboard, it came with an extra dual USB port header on the front of the board. Unlike other brands, they actually included the extra ports to plug into the board. Well, strangely enough, they came attached to a rear slot panel, and had a cable that reached just far enough to make it to the back of the case.

The Hack:
I wanted the extra USB ports where they could be more accessible for transient usage. So I get this great idea to start hacking my case to have some USB ports up front. Here's a quick tour through the process, mostly pictures:


First remove the ports from the rear panel. Use the rear panel as a template to cut the case. Mount the ports to the front of the case. Test the fit..oh it's perfect..amazing how the connector-port gap is exactly the same as the thickness of the case's front panel.


Modify the stress relievers so the wires don't stick out so far. Tuck the cabling into the empty space. I recommend that you use a dremel instead of a tiny drill bit for sideways cutting, or this will happen. Make a cool 8-wire extension cable so it reaches from motherboard to front panel with plenty of slack. If your black wires are 3" shorter than the rest of the colors, just make a loop that doubles as a handle for easy disconnection. This way you don't loose those nice factory pre-stripped pre-tinned ends.


Plug extension cable into motherboard. Run through the front of the case (which needs to be filed to make the hole large enough for the connector to squeeze through. Plug everything back in, put the panel back on, and check out the cool looking results!

Final Thoughts:
Another really cool, and useful, case mod. The USB ports DO WORK very well, despite my extension cable that probably violates some USB specifications. When I finally get around to painting/sheeting my case black (or some other color or colors) then those nasty nuts next to the ports won't be so visible.

Go back to Dr. Cheap's House of Hacks!