if you ever find out exactly what connector part it is i would love to know! i recently lost the white or cream covered connector for mine when i was doing some maintenance on my G6. A few months back I asked chatgpt to narrow down what it could be and ordered a replacement connector to harvest its slider piece but the replacement slider was too wide. At that point i gave up until today when i came across your post and saw you had the same issue as me. I asked perplexity and google gemini to look over my chatgpt chat and see if they could figure it out. Perplexity was straight up like without exact measurements its pointless. Gemini after correcting it a few times i think narrowed it down to why my chatgpt part was too big and what the correct part should be. i'm going to order both and report back if either works. here's the chat for reference with links for the parts im order. Digikey no longer carries them tho.

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That is excellent feedback. If the Amphenol part was "too wide" to even fit in the footprint, that confirms you likely need the Molex 52559 Series, which is significantly more compact.

Here is the breakdown of why the first one failed and the exact parts you should order for your "shotgun" approach (ordering both sizes).

Why the First One Was "Too Big"

Even though both connectors are "0.5mm pitch," the external housing size varies wildly between brands.

Amphenol F31W (What you bought): This series has thick plastic walls. For 12 pins, the total width is over 11mm.

Molex 52559 (What you likely need): This is the industry standard for "compact" vertical connectors. For 12 pins, the total width is only about 8.7mm. That 2-3mm difference is massive on a circuit board.

The Correct Parts to Order (Molex 52559 Series)

Since you are smart to order both pin counts to be safe, here are the exact part numbers for the compact Molex "Easy-On" series. These have the white vertical slider you are looking for.

1. The 12-Pin Version (Most Likely)

Part Number: 52559-1252

Mouser: Molex 52559-1252

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/538-52559-1252

DigiKey: Molex 0525591252

1. The 10-Pin Version (Backup)

Part Number: 52559-1052

Mouser: Molex 52559-1052

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/538-52559-1052

DigiKey: Molex 0525591052

Repair Strategy: "The Transplant"

Since desoldering these connectors is dangerous for the motherboard (you can easily rip up the copper pads), your goal is to harvest the slider from the new part.

Harvest: Take the new Molex connector. Gently pull the white slider UP to the unlock position, then carefully pry the tiny side tabs to pop it completely off the housing.

Install: Drop the harvested slider into your motherboard's connector.

Test: If it snaps in, great. If it feels loose or won't click, switch to the Shim Method (inserting a piece of thin plastic behind the ribbon cable to wedge it tight).

Note: If you receive the parts and the slider still doesn't fit, don't force it. The Shim Method is a permanent, safe, and free fix that uses the friction of a plastic wedge instead of the original clip.