Are you wondering what the socket named AAFP on motherboard is for? In this piece, I am going to talk about the AAFP socket and its usage in the computer building process. Stay tuned.
As we all know, a motherboard is a primary hardware inside any computer machine that enables its components to communicate with each other and work in a streamlined manner.
If you’ve ever got a chance to look inside a computer (Desktop cabinet), you would find several different ports and cables connecting hardware devices to each other. Some examples are VGA ports, USB ports, 30/40-pin connectors, I/O ports, DIMM (RAM) ports, and much more. In this article, we are going to talk about one in particular – the AAFP port.
Let’s get started.
AAFP on Motherboard: An Overview
If you are a computer fanatic, you must be aware that there are a couple of audio I/O ports available on your computer. One is on the rear, located right on the motherboard and another one is mounted on the front part of the chassis. The front audio connector needs to be linked to the board using a cable.
The motherboard AAFP, short for Analog Audio Front Panel, refers to a 10-pin connector on the board which is used to connect the audio I/O module to the front-mounted audio panel.
The front I/O port usually consists of a couple of USB ports, probably an HDMI port, and audio ports for the speaker and microphone. This entire panel is physically attached to the CPU cabinet that you can connect to the AAFP port using the 10-pin connector.
In modern computers, you may see the AAFP port labeled as AUDIO and the cables as Audio/HD Audio, making it more convenient for ordinary users to find the right port for the connector cable.
What Does AAFP Port Do?
The primary function of the AAFP port is to power the front audio jacks and connect them to the audio I/O module. This enables you to listen to the standard AC97 or HD audio outputs on your computer.
With the help of AAFP, your computer detects whenever you plug in a set of headphones or microphone to the front panel and provides audio to those.
In modern computers, you can connect multiple audio outputs and the operating system lets you decide which one you want the audio to be transmitted to and which to keep on mute. You can modify the settings through the Sound Settings section of the OS.
How to Connect the Front Panel to AAFP Slot?
Nearly all the computer cabinets come with a pre-installed front audio panel that you can connect to the AAFP connector via cables. If somehow you don’t receive a front audio panel with your computer parts, you can purchase one separately. Make sure to check the chassis size before you buy one.
Here is how you can connect the front Panel to the AAFP connector:
- Locate the cable exiting from the front panel. You can easily identify them by labels. Traditionally they are named Audio/HD Audio.
- Check for the AAFP connector on the rear side of the motherboard. You should find it somewhere near USB connectors. Now, keep in mind that companies tend to label AAFP connectors differently.
➤ Asus – AAFP
➤ MSI – JAUD1
➤ Gigabyte – F_AUDIO
- Align the cable connector and AAFP port carefully. Make sure the one missing part on the connector is exactly in the same position on the AAFP on the motherboard.
- Push it gently inside. Make sure you are not applying too much pressure on the board. Work your way around and try not to damage the port.