What is the H-Series Breakout Cable?

Depending on the model and time of when your case was purchased, your case may have included the H-series Breakout Cable.  This cable allows any NZXT H-series case to adapt its front panel connector to a series of individual connections for use with non-standardized F_PANEL connections found on your motherboard.  For most motherboards manufactured since 2017 as well as some released before this time, this breakout cable will not be necessary as the board may be designed to accept the Standard F_PANEL connector.

The manual for these particular cases may refer to the Standard F_PANEL connector specifically as the “Intel Standard F_PANEL Header”, however this layout is not exclusive to Intel motherboards and has been seen on most AMD based motherboards as well.

What is the Intel Standard F_PANEL Header?

The Intel Standard F_PANEL Header is a pin arrangement separated into a row of 4 pins and a row of 5 pins located in a 2x5 pin block.  On some motherboards, this arrangement may be located as part of a larger array that includes connections for additional Power LED, a Debug Speaker, Chassis Intrusion Switch, etc.

In situations where it is part of a larger header, the pins you will need to identify will have the Power LED and Power Switch connections together on the 4-pin row, with the HDD Activity LED and Reset Switch located on the 5-pin row.

In the case of the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master motherboard shown above, the Standard F_PANEL header is a part of the F_PANEL header found at the bottom right corner of the motherboard and will align with the left-most side of the header with the 4-pin segment being the top row relative to the motherboard.

Do I need the H-Series Breakout Cable?

For most modern motherboards, the answer to this question is “no” as most manufacturers have adopted the F_PANEL layout even as part of larger header connections.  If you have an older motherboard or a motherboard that has a non-standard array, then you will need this cable.

In this example, the ASUS Z97-A motherboard uses a non-standard Front Panel header that will not line up with the F_PANEL connector on the H-series cases.  Because of this, you will need to use an H-Series Breakout Cable to adapt the motherboard.
Please note: Most newer NZXT cases will not include the H-series breakout cable.  If you have a motherboard that is not compatible with the F_Panel cable, please reach out to our Customer Support team for further assistance.  When reaching out, please provide the following:

• Your NZXT Case Model
• Proof of Purchase for the NZXT Case
• Your Motherboard Model
• A picture of the Front Panel header(s) on your motherboard

If our team is able to confirm that the cable is required, we may be able to provide the breakout cable.

Do you have any questions not covered by this guide or need further assistance?  Please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team and one of our friendly support agents will be there to assist you.

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