Need help connecting front panel audio connections to external soundcard connections.

[jaypee68]

Hello all,

I'm building a new PC and purchased a Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 for the case, and a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty for the sound card. In previous builds, I have always bought a SoundBlaster Platinum line with the Drive bay front panel connection. For this build I decided to not go with the front panel since I realized I have no use for all of those different hookups and volume knobs etc...

I would still like to use the front panel connections on my case for a mic and headphones, but my soundcard doesn't have a header for these connectors, just the connectors for Creative's proprietary front panel. What I would like to do, and what seems to be a perfect solution, would be that I could somehow connect some kind of cable to the front panel connector plugs, run it to the back of the case, pop it out of the case through an expansion port cover, and then plug 3.5mm plugs into the jacks on the outside of the soundcard.

My problem is that I'm not sure what this cable might be called, and I'm not even sure if this kind of cable exists. If it does exist, what would it's proper name be? Also from the looks of the connectors on the back of the card there are the 3 jacks for my 5.1 speakers and only 1 jack that seems to be for both mic and headphone, so how would I connect 2 connectors to one jack and have the sound card differentiate between in coming mic signals and outgoing headphone signals?

If anyone understands my long drawn out issue maybe you can give me some insight. TIA :-)

[jaypee68]

I looked at the card a little closer and what I thought was a combo mic/headphone jack is just a 3-in-1 input jack supporting Microphone-in, Line-in and Digital I/O connections. So now I'm probably not going to be able to connect headphones anyway unless I give up surround audio.

[Luke122]

On most soundcards (5.1+ channels included), the front speakers (usually the green plug) will work as a standard 2 channel output.

You can get a 2 -> 1 splitter, which will allow you to plug 2 cords into one output on the back of the soundcard. You could then plug your regular 2 channel speakers into one, and run a cord from the other output to the front audio port (using a male-female 3.5mm adaptor cord).

Chances are that the soundcard itself has a set of audio header pins to connect the front audio panel stuff to. Check your manual for details.

*edit* Checking manuals for you now...

[Luke122]

Hmm.. there is a front panel audio connector on the card, but it's labeled as "for Proprietary Creative use".

I guess you are out of luck with that. Sorry man..

You can use headphones from audio output jack #1 on the back of the card though, for 2 channel audio.