Asus P8Z68 Deluxe USB 3.0 Front Panel with Antec DF-85 Chassis?

[RikuoAmero]

Hey,

I have the Antec DF-85 Chassis

http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MjQwNA==

and the Asus P8Z68 Deluxe motherboard

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68_DELUXE/#specifications

My question is about installing the front panel USB 3.0 ports that come with the motherboard. If you go on the DF-85 link above and check the picture labeled "Top 2.5” hot-swap bay", is the USB 3.0 panel supposed to go where those four USB 2.0 ports are? Could the panel go anywhere else? Is there a way to fit it into one of the drive bays, seeing as how I'm only using one optical drive, and theres 3 bays? Just double-checking. Thanks.

[Cello]

No, it's not supposed to go where those four USB 2.0 ports are. You can connect those front USB 2.0 ports to the motherboard for easier access. The pin cords that plug into the motherboard should be tucked somewhere within the chassis.

As for the USB 3.0 panel, i'm sure you could put it else where such as a drive bay. My only concern is the size of it. It looks like it may not fully fit a drive bay, leaving it open for dust to enter the computer and potentially harm the hardware inside. Choose a good resting place for it wisely! I would suggest have it go through the back somewhere, but that cord would be getting in the way of other things, i'm sure.

EDIT: Yeah, you're supposed to put it in a drive bay. Just checked the sizes. That picture is very deceiving!

[RikuoAmero]

No, it's not supposed to go where those four USB 2.0 ports are. You can connect those front USB 2.0 ports to the motherboard for easier access. The pin cords that plug into the motherboard should be tucked somewhere within the chassis.

As for the USB 3.0 panel, i'm sure you could put it else where such as a drive bay. My only concern is the size of it. It looks like it may not fully fit a drive bay, leaving it open for dust to enter the computer and potentially harm the hardware inside. Choose a good resting place for it wisely! I would suggest have it go through the back somewhere, but that cord would be getting in the way of other things, i'm sure.

EDIT: Yeah, you're supposed to put it in a drive bay. Just checked the sizes. That picture is very deceiving!

I don't think its supposed to go in a drive bay. I'm messing with the chassis as I type this (even though I still don't have the PSU or graphics cards) and the USB 3.0 panel is maybe half the size of my blu-ray drive. It doesn't slide in easily and there's nothing holding it in place. Is there maybe a bracket or something? I have heard that there are 2.5 to 3.5 brackets for hard drives. As for your edit, can you say where you got that from? Thanks.

[Cello]

I don't think its supposed to go in a drive bay. I'm messing with the chassis as I type this (even though I still don't have the PSU or graphics cards) and the USB 3.0 panel is maybe half the size of my blu-ray drive. It doesn't slide in easily and there's nothing holding it in place. Is there maybe a bracket or something? I have heard that there are 2.5 to 3.5 brackets for hard drives. As for your edit, can you say where you got that from? Thanks.

Ah, so I was wrong on the dimensions. I was mainly going by the demonstration they show about 3/4 of the way down the Asus link you posted, stating that it's "built to fit any case" which not unless that panel's made of some form of spandex I don't see that happening.

You may need an expansion slot for that, much like in this case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133188&cm_sp=Cat_Computer_Cases-_-Spotlight-_-11-133-188

EDIT:

Or check out this one which has it pre-built in the picture:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

[† An IP BreAKDoWN]

Personally I would take out the USB 3.0 ports that came with the motherboard and use the pass through that came with the computer. Unless you absolutely need all the USB 3.0 ports.

[RikuoAmero]

Personally I would take out the USB 3.0 ports that came with the motherboard and use the pass through that came with the computer. Unless you absolutely need all the USB 3.0 ports.

As of the time of writing, I don't have anything that uses 3.0. But I plan to in the future. The chassis has one 3.0 port on the front, which connects to a 3.0 port on the back. That leaves one other 3.0 on the back, giving me a grand total of...2 USB 3.0 ports. I'll see about getting a bracket tomorrow.

[† An IP BreAKDoWN]

...giving me a grand total of...2 USB 3.0 ports.

You just said you don't have any need for it yet. Why not get a bracket when you need it? All you can really use USB 3.0 for is capture cards, USB drives and card readers. Do you have to have four?

[† L4ugh]

I believe the panel is designed to fit a 3.5 external slot and not the 5.25 slots your case only seems to have come with. You can get a bracket like this to use with your case, but you'll have to be careful on matching the color. Different companies have different opinions on what shade the color black should have. This is one of the reasons I try to get cases that have a door on the front. This way I only see the ugly when I'm loading a disk or SD card.