Where Does Power SW Go? A Guide to Understanding Its Path

Whether you have replaced your motherboard or re-attached the front panel to the motherboard, where the pins from the front panel go on the motherboard is crucial. Without knowing these basics, especially connecting the power SW correctly, you can’t turn on your computer.

If you don’t know where the power SW goes on your motherboard the time has come to learn it now. The power SW wire comes from the power button on the front panel of your PC and it goes to the 3^rd and 4^th pins from the upper row on the front header panel on the motherboard.

Still confused? Don’t worry, in this article, we will explain in detail where the power SW goes and how can you find that location on your motherboard. We also have tried to guide you visually using images to make it easier to understand. Let’s explore them below!

Where to Connect the Power Switch?

The header named “Power SW” came from the front panel and is connected to the Power On Switch. All the cables from the front panel of your PC go to the section named “Front Panel Header” on the motherboard.

Front Panel Header is also known as F_Panel or Front Header. It is basically a section on a motherboard that contains 9 male pins. Again, the Power SW plug required 2 pins to get connected. So, which 2 out of 9 pins from the front panel header are for the Power SW?

You’ll notice the function of these pins is marked below the pins on the motherboard. Like the picture below, if you find “+PW-” on your motherboard, then you can blindly connect your Power SW cord there.

However, there is some motherboard that doesn’t provide any mark to connect the power SW. In that case, you can follow the picture below to connect your Power SW.

Here, you need to connect your power SW cable to the third and fourth pins from the left in the first row.

Does the Polarity (+/-) Matter Here?

Now, while connecting the power SW in the +PW- pins, you may wonder about which way you should plug the connector as +PW- indicating that the 3rd pin in the first row is positive and the 4th pin is negative.

But you don’t need to worry about that because the polarity doesn’t matter for a switch. This means you can connect the power SW facing any dimension you want.

How to Locate the Front Panel Header?

Now, the question is how can you find where the header panel is on your motherboard to connect the power SW. You can locate it in two effective ways –

1. By inspecting the motherboard physically
2. By checking the motherboard’s manual

Let’s see how:

1. By Inspecting the Motherboard Physically

You can locate the front panel header by inspecting the motherboard physically. In most cases, the header panel or F_panel label is marked on the motherboard.

If your motherboard doesn’t have any header panel or F_panel label, look for the “+PW-“, “PWR_BTN”, or “+PWR SW-” labels. If nothing is found, then you need to check your motherboard’s manual.

2. By Checking the Motherboard’s Manual

Checking the motherboard manual is the best option to locate the front panel header on your motherboard.

Just check t where the front panel Connectors are located on the motherboard from the manual book and connect the power SW as instructed there.

If you lost the manual for your motherboard, you can search for your motherboard’s model online to get the manual.

Final Words

Connecting the power button or power SW to the motherboard is quite a straightforward process. However, it may seem difficult if you don’t know where to plug it in on your motherboard. But as everything about connecting the power SW is explained here, hopefully, you won’t have to search further for where power SW goes after reading this guide. In case you need any assistance in finding connectors to connect your power SW, our comment box is always ready to help you. Thanks for reading.