Computer Problem - Could I have an old Power Button?

Question

I bought all the components needed to upgrade my computer which is about 13 years old:

ABIT SG-95 INTEL 775 Motherboard
INTEL Celeron 3.2Ghz Processor
DDR2 512MB RAM
40GB HDD
450w x-power PSU (Power Unit)

When I connected up all the parts: - Screwed down the motherboard, put in my processor and fan, connected my CD/DVD Drive, Floppy Drive and Hard Drive and connected up the Audio Cables. (I've also connected all the cables aswell at this point.) Now For the question.
My old Power Button has two wires coming from it, One has a label with IR (Infra Red), the holes go like o-ooo the other brances out into two cables again, one with holes like o-o-oo-o and the other with holes like oooo. (o = Hole - =Blank Space). There is a picture of my motherboard on this site http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Abit_SG-95/12.JPG i've tried linking my power button up to this but its only the proc. fan that spins around, the computer will not turn on. What could be wrong? Help me.

Answer 1

Pictures of the connector on the power button and what you are trying to connect it too would help.

Answer 2

At 13 years old, it is possible your power button is not compatibile with your machine. If you have an AT case and an ATX powersupply and motherboard, then you have a problem.

With the old AT setup, the power button turned the power supply on and off. In the current ATX (and BTX) standards, the power button connects to 2 pins on the motherboard and is just a mementary switch. When those 2 pins are shorted on the motherboard, the motherboard essentially turns the machine on or shuts down and powers off.

If your old machine was AT, you'd shut down Windows, then power off the machine. If it was ATX, then you'd shut down windows and the machine would turn itself off.

Those pins in the picture you linked are 2 USB headers (I presume you know what they're for) and what appears to be your front panel connectors to plug in things like the hard drive activity LED, power LED, power switch, reset button, and that sort of thing.

If everything appears to be compatibile, you might have something as simple as a motherboard standoff in the wrong spot... Or possibly you didn't use any motherboard standoffs, but I hope that's not the case.

Answer 3

They are color coded. From what I make of it the 2 pinkish color ones are for power, the 2 green ones are reset, the three grey ones with a missing pin in the middle is Power LED, the 4 orange ones are speaker, the 2 blue ones are HDD LED. Now the cables from the front panel of your case are usually labeled. PW is power so connect that to the 2 pink, it doesn't matter which way. RST is usually reset and the rest should be somewhat similar. Good luck!

Answer 4

Hi. From the picture you can make out where the + voltage connectors go. Too unclear to read here but 12V and 5V and maybe 3.3V should be identified. The grounds ( - ) are usually black and are usually interchangeable. Do not guess! Applying 12V to a 5V input will cost you money! Figure out where each goes in order for the blanks in the switch connectors to line up with blanks on the board. Have fun!