Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL front panel power connectors do not match the manual...

[Cirkustanz]

So, I am wrapping up finishing my new computer, and the manual doesn't match the actual connectors for the front panel connector. Normally we wouldn't even need to pull out the manual, but some of the connectors do not even specify which is the positive and negative. Normally this is done via putting a + or - sign on the connector, or by putting a stripe on the negative. But what I'm seeing here just doesn't make sense.

Here is the cable.

(there are no indicators on the other side of the cable)

From top to bottom, it would appear that it is:
power switch positive
power switch negative
reset switch unknown polarity
reset switch unknown polarity
hdd led positive
hdd led negative
power led positive
power led negative.

Ok...great, so I don't see how to tell which polarity the reset switches are. Sounds fun. Let's check the manual!

Wait...what? That's it? They are saying that on the power switch cable that black/white = power negative, and just black is positive? Ok.
The reset switch in the manual is negative on the top, and positive on the bottom. Ok.
But in the manual the next cable would be the power led with negative on top, and positive on the bottom. On the actual cable, it is the HDD positive, then HDD led negative.
And then it's HDD led negative and hdd led positive. On the actual cable, it is power led positive, then power led negative.

Obviously there's no real harm in having the power led and the hdd led plugged into the wrong pins, but what if the polarity was wrong? Not only is the order of the cables different, but even the order of the polarity is different. I am really not sure what to do here. It seems like the safe option would be to just not connect the power led and hdd led but....seriously, this is just stupid.

I am so fed up with Lian Li's documentation, I'm not even really sure my case fans are connected properly, but now this? Why do the manuals have to be so bad?

 

[Nobu]

Polarity doesn't matter for switches ("SW"). All that matters is both pins belong to the thing you want switched, the direction power travels through the switch isn't important.

 

[Nobu]

As far as the LEDs, putting them in reverse will just result in them not lighting up. They won't burn out as long as they aren't left that way for long. I'd go by what the connector indicates for polarity, first. And usually polarity is also indicated on the board somewhere nearby the header, though not always.

 

[Cirkustanz]

As far as the LEDs, putting them in reverse will just result in them not lighting up. They won't burn out as long as they aren't left that way for long. I'd go by what the connector indicates for polarity, first. And usually polarity is also indicated on the board somewhere nearby the header, though not always.

Helpful to know about the "switch" polarity not mattering. But it's still weird the manual doesn't have the same layout as the cable.

 

[Nobu]

Yeah, they might have had a different supplier for this batch, and/or maybe it was assembled wrong and QA missed it (these are mass produced parts that are usually assembled at another location and then shipped to the manufacturer for final assembly, after all).

I've put the LED wire on the power switch header before, didn't boot but no harm done. Took me a minute to figure out what I did wrong, though.

 

[Denpepe]

I can agree that Lian Li's documentation leaves a lot to be desired, though the front panel connectors I have never had much issue with, I just connect them with the text facing the outside (top for the top row, bottom for the bottom row) just the power LED one you need to watch in that case.

 

[Cirkustanz]

It was kinda hard to see it (and even harder to get a photo) but hidden behind one of the cables there is a cable layout on the front panel itself that matches the cable.

It seems the manual is out of date.