Dell Dimension 2300 project, first time mod.

[Silversierra]

Part 1:

Ok this will be my first case mod. It probably won't be too "special", but it hopefully will accomplish my needs. I have a Dell 2300 pc that I will be doing several things to.
1. I want 2 80mm fans in the back panel, currently it has 1 90mm.
2. I want to move the 90mm fan to the front for intake.
3. I will have to move the hd to mount the front fan.
4. I will replace the floppy with the hard drive, probably have to make new mount holes.
5. Replace floppy in back panel of computer(only place it fits), who uses it more than 1x a year anyway?

Sounds simple, but might be harder than it looks on a dell. I may also add a side panel fan. If I'd do this, any help on how to cut the case so I don't have to repaint, or is a repaint necessary?

Pics hopefully later to come.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellcasejpg.jpg
Ok, as you can see, the green guard has to go, and the hd is in the way of the fan for the front. I also have an antec psu installed(everyone says dells are proprietary).
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellbackpanel.jpg

EDIT: Since my pics stopped working, I will reload the pics here in the first post, it will be easier to see that way too. They are clickable thumnails, linked to 640x480 pics.
They probably aren't in chronological order anymore.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/867/16bj.th.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/my.php?image=16bj.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9931/25xd.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=25xd.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/7454/38jz.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=38jz.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9170/43zv.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=43zv.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/507/54fq.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=54fq.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2295/67rr.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=67rr.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3839/78ep.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=78ep.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4679/140ae.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=140ae.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/968/89xb.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=89xb.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6439/99rh.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=99rh.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/533/103si.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=103si.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6725/112gg.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=112gg.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8915/121oi.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=121oi.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9412/136pz.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=136pz.jpg)

Hope they work now. :)

[KrakenGuy]

1. I want 2 80mm fans in the rear

Hahahaha, is it me or does that sound really dirty?

[Zero82z]

It's you.

[SodaCose]

Hahahaha, is it me or does that sound really dirty?

bing bong

[Hinokagutsuchi]

It's you.

Hello, gentlemen.

[altec]

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

[Silversierra]

Ok, update. I got the back panel fans in.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fans.jpg
http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/725/fans0mz.th.jpg (http://img276.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fans0mz.jpg)
They push a lot of air. They're antec trispeed fans.
They fit in well, I wasn't sure before I started. Too bad they aren't led fans, that'd be cool.
I gained respect for serious dremelers today. It's harder than it looks, and I only cut 2 80mm fan holes.

Now I need some grills for the fans.

[Captain Colonoscopy]

One suggestion: Mount the HDD cage to the floor of the case. This would allow you to mount an intake fan at the front where the HDDs sit now. The easiest way to do this would be to drill mounting holes in the cage and the floor and then fasten them together with rivets. For the front fan you could cut and mount a "wind-tunnel" or make a grill with some modder's mesh.

Good work on the fans in the back.

Have fun. :)

[SpangeMonkee]

I may also add a side panel fan. If I'd do this, any help on how to cut the case so I don't have to repaint, or is a repaint necessary?


if you cover the area you are cutting with masking tape (wider the better) and give it a wide margin for error, you might be able to get away with not having to repaint it. You'd have the best results with a hole saw though.

[Silversierra]

One suggestion: Mount the HDD cage to the floor of the case. This would allow you to mount an intake fan at the front where the HDDs sit now. The easiest way to do this would be to drill mounting holes in the cage and the floor and then fasten them together with rivets. For the front fan you could cut and mount a "wind-tunnel" or make a grill with some modder's mesh.

Good work on the fans in the back.

Have fun. :)

I was just thinking the same thing and was going to ask about mounting the hd on the bottom of the case. It doesn't look too hard, and I can keep the floppy in place. Does the hd need airflow under it? If so I'll need some kind of spacer to keep it off the floor.

What do you mean by wind tunnel? I was just thinking of mounting the fan to the metal in the front of the case and either leaving the current holes, or cutting it all the way out like I did for the back. I wasn't planning to mod the front panel, for fear of making a horrible mistake and having to look at it all the time. It pulls a lot of air through now(and I don't have the front or side fans yet), it almost whistles going through.

I have the 90mm black fan and the 80mm blue led fan, which should I put where? I could put the 90 in the front and the 80 on the side panel, or the 80 in the front and the 90 in the side. Where would led light look best? On the side panel, or glowing out the front air intake?

Do they make metal cutting hole saws? I've seen wood holesaws. It seems a 3", or 75mm holesaw would be perfect. Man, I need better drill bits, mine are cheap and extremely dull, which makes drilling take forever.

I don't think I'll get fan grills 'till later, I can't find any in stores, so I'll order from the 'egg sometime.

[KodiakStar]

I gained respect for serious dremelers today. It's harder than it looks, and I only cut 2 80mm fan holes.

Fan Holes are one of the harder things to deal with cutting... and in the long run Jigsaws work really well for the larger cuts ;) Looking good man! Glad you got rid of that ugly green thing ;)



- Fold [H]ard - http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/285.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=285) - Or go [H]ome -

[Silversierra]

Ok, I decided to floor mount the hd. I took it out, analyzed the vertical mount and figured it would work on the floor ok. It already had several vent holes, so no drilling on the mount. I drilled four holes in the bottom of the case and ran 4 machine screws through the holes and mounted the hd mount. I then cut off the excess screw length(the case didn't sit level). Then, I realized the 6" hd cable it had was too short, so I exchanged it with my new computers(in sig) hd cable which is much longer. I also made a special screw that functions as a latch to hold the hd in. I couldn't get screws to the back of the hd mount, so I made my screw latch(sort of like a ball detent).
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/lockingscrew.jpg
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/24/lockingscrew6dw.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lockingscrew6dw.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/hdincase.jpg
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/1605/hdincase6mc.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hdincase6mc.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/hdmount.jpg

I also put my blue led fan in the front to test it(2nd pic,just 1 screw to test). I wanted to check if my volt mod actually worked(it did). It's now running on 7v and is quiet, much better.

[Silversierra]

I forgot to mention, this is part 1, part 2 will be me replacing the mobo with one with agp, adding an agp card, a cpu cooler, install fan grilles, maybe get antec cobra cables, and oc'ing it hopefully.

So, I have the back panel fans done, and the hd moved. The floppy doesn't need moved anymore, so what's left is installing the front fan, and intstalling a side panel fan(if I do this.) If I do a side panel fan I may have to paint. Hopefully I can find a 3" metal cutting hole saw, that would be great. Lowes or home depot, should have it, I guess.

[mohammedtaha]

Do they make metal cutting hole saws? I've seen wood holesaws. It seems a 3", or 75mm holesaw would be perfect. Man, I need better drill bits, mine are cheap and extremely dull, which makes drilling take forever.



Yep, they're called bi-metal

[KodiakStar]

Hole-saws are a great tool to use :)
As you mod more, you find your toolbox slowly getting filled up with specialty tools to make the job easier :)
- Fold [H]ard - http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/285.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=285) - Or go [H]ome -

[DR_K13]

deleted, I cant read :mad:

[KodiakStar]

I forgot to mention, this is part 1, part 2 will be me replacing the mobo with one with agp, adding an agp card, a cpu cooler, install fan grilles, maybe get antec cobra cables, and oc'ing it hopefully.

Read the thread DR ;)

EDIT: wow didnt realize there was no AGP on there.. had to go back and look.. was thinking but wait.. im sure it has one... :rolleyes:

- Fold [H]ard - http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/285.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=285) - Or go [H]ome -

[Silversierra]

are you going to put a new HSF on it? or at least a Fan? that Dell shroud was there for a reason.

Eventually I will. For now I'm hoping I have enough total airflow to keep it cool that I don't need a shroud. This is one reason I want to install a side panel fan aimed at the cpu. I turned it on, and it actually still works! I had the side panel off, and put my deskfan by it and turned it on to be safe. I slowed it down, and it was still cool, and then turned it off, and closed the case to check the temp. Mbm 5 says 45-50C idle, so it's safe, but not cool. It always did run at about 45C before though, so not much change. I'll replace the heatsink when I replace the mobo.

[DR_K13]

damn it , why do I always do that. :mad:

[DR_K13]

Eventually I will. For now I'm hoping I have enough total airflow to keep it cool that I don't need a shroud. This is one reason I want to install a side panel fan aimed at the cpu. I turned it on, and it actually still works! I had the side panel off, and put my deskfan by it and turned it on to be safe. I slowed it down, and it was still cool, and then turned it off, and closed the case to check the temp. Mbm 5 says 45-50C idle, so it's safe, but not cool. It always did run at about 45C before though, so not much change. I'll replace the heatsink when I replace the mobo.


Good idea, are you going to use a Duct? :)

[DarkMonkey]

I haven't worked with a Dell that was less than 2 years old, but back then, Dell still used their prorietary motherboard form, so you'll have to be doing some modding to the motherboard tray to make your board fit. Luckily though,t he whole motherboard tray is on a release mechanism that'll let you just pop it right out, so you don't have to fuss around with it being inside the case.

[Silversierra]

I'm not sure. On one hand the duct gives the cpu more cool air, but on the other hand, it is restrictive of airflow.

I have a question. Would this cpu hsf work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106606
I have a socket 478 northwood p4, this cooler says 478, and is cheap and quiet, but it says prescott, is prescott differently sized than northwood?

[Silversierra]

I haven't worked with a Dell that was less than 2 years old, but back then, Dell still used their prorietary motherboard form, so you'll have to be doing some modding to the motherboard tray to make your board fit. Luckily though,t he whole motherboard tray is on a release mechanism that'll let you just pop it right out, so you don't have to fuss around with it being inside the case.

It has a tray? How do I get it out? It doesn't seem like the plate is removable. It looks like standard matx to me. I'll have to check more.

[KodiakStar]

I would check to see what kind of mounting the current HS has on your mb, or if it is a custom one due to being a dell...

[Silversierra]

I would check to see what kind of mounting the current HS has on your mb, or if it is a custom one due to being a dell...

AFAIK, it's standard. It's the black plastic square design with 4 black holes that it attaches to.

[Silversierra]

Ok, here's the mobo I'm getting.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.asp?image=13-128-222-11.jpg,13-128-222-07.jpg,13-128-222-08.jpg,13-128-222-10.JPG&CurImage=13-128-222-07.jpg&Description=GIGABYTE%20GA-8IG1000MK%20Socket%20478%20Intel%20865G%20Micro%20ATX%20Inte l%20Motherboard%20-%20Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128222
The mobo has the same screw mounting pattern as my current board, with the exception of one screw hole, but I'm not sure, it could just be hidden.
My mobo has the same hsf mount as the board I list above.

Will the hsf I listed work with northwood?

[Silversierra]

Ok, another update, this time I'm almost done. I got the front panel 90mm fan in, and got everythink back together. I only have the side panel fan yet to do, and I need a holesaw to do it, so this is about done for part one for a little while. Here are some pix. I don't think I'll need to mod the front panel, it has enough air intake(the bottom of the front panel is open). Enjoy!
Silversierra.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/casealmostdone.jpg
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/5245/casealmostdone1lw.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=casealmostdone1lw.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/frontfan.jpg

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/backview.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/insidethecase.jpg

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/frontpanelview.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/caseoutside.jpg


Looks the same on the outside, except the back. Hope it works when I turn it on. :)
Any comments?

[KoZLop]

nice mod soo far!!!

buy a new heatsink though

[Silversierra]

nice mod soo far!!!

buy a new heatsink though
Thanks for the complement. Hmm. what else needs done?

"are you going to put a new HSF on it? or at least a Fan? that Dell shroud was there for a reason."

Why do you all think it needs a heatsink, it runs below the danger zone like it is?
I posted that when I replace the mobo, I'll get this(below) hopefully, but no one can tell me if it's compatible. It says it's for prescott, I have a northwood, will it still work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106606
I wan't cheap, compatible, and quiet, and it seems to fit the bill.

[Silversierra]

Comparison.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellcasejpg.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/casealmostdone.jpg

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellbackpanel.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/backview.jpg

I like it!

[Shakezilla]

I have the exact same comp! Glad you are putting yours to some use, if I wasnt building a ocmp for college I would be replaing the mobo on mine too(silly dell with there anti video cardness) :p

[Silversierra]

Would that be the comp. in your sig? Yeah, hopefully it can be useful and not Dellish(you know, non upgradeable and slow). I'm considering a 6200 agp card that can unlock to 8 pipes and oc some, it's a leadtek. Hopefully I can oc my 1.8ghz p4 to about 2.4ghz(from 400 fsb to 533) It seems the 1.8 northwoods are good ocers. The only problem is no socket 478 matx mobo has working vcore, so I'm hoping it can do it stock or use a "wire trick" to get more voltage.

Side note about volt modding a fan. If I have 5v to the 12 fan wire and -5v to the ground wire, would it be running at 10v or be 0v, or would it fry?

[Silversierra]

Ok, I did a little today. I put locktite on the screws that mount the hd, and on the screws on the front fan so the vibration doesn't loosen the screws. I also took out the dell logo on the front, put a grille in its place and put the dell logo on the fan since it was perfectly sized and looked cool. Pix.

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fanbling.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fpvent.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8271/fanbling5vu.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fanbling5vu.jpg)
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4249/fpvent9gi.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fpvent9gi.jpg)

[mohammedtaha]

nicely done

[pxc]

I haven't worked with a Dell that was less than 2 years old, but back then, Dell still used their prorietary motherboard form, so you'll have to be doing some modding to the motherboard tray to make your board fit. Most of the Dimension cases will fit microATX boards fine with no modifications. The only funky thing is the larger cases (8200/8250/8400) use a form factor that is between microATX (1 extra slot) and regular ATX.

The 2300/2350/2400/3000/4600/4700 cases mount standard microATX boards without any modification.

here's my old HTPC (2350) with an Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard and Athlon XP 2400+ (and Volcano 6 Cu minus fan):
http://www.notveryserio.us/pix/2350open1.jpg
http://www.notveryserio.us/pix/2350detail1.jpg

rewiring the front panel connector was the only part that required any custom work.

[tazman4]

I've got a Dell Dim 4550 & have been trying to find out if I can move it's guts to a better case, but have had little luck so far. Maybe I should try something like this instead.
What type Antec you have in that thing? Did you need an adapter for the mobo? Some people tell me Dell psu is proprietary & others say they're not.
Looks good so far & I'll bet the cooling is much better. Dell=crap for cooling... & upgrade...&psu... &... well you know. ;)

[Silversierra]

Great, it looks like it'll work. It looks like your fp wire was just barely long enough.
I don't think modding the fp connector will be hard. The power switch is most important and it doesn't matter which way the wires go as long as they can make contact.

Oh, the mobo you used, does it have oc'ing options? I guess it doesn't really matter though, I'm looking for a socket 478mobo. It says your mobo is agp 4x, can it use agp 8x cards?

It looks like you didn't use the front usb, It doens't look standard, is there any way to get it to work?

[Silversierra]

I've got a Dell Dim 4550 & have been trying to find out if I can move it's guts to a better case, but have had little luck so far. Maybe I should try something like this instead.
What type Antec you have in that thing? Did you need an adapter for the mobo? Some people tell me Dell psu is proprietary & others say they're not.
Looks good so far & I'll bet the cooling is much better. Dell=crap for cooling... & upgrade...&psu... &... well you know. ;)

I have an antec sl350 350w psu. It fit perfect. In researching to get a psu, everyone was like "oh, you'll need to mod the back panel, since the dell psu doesn't have an on off switch, it won't fit right." People also said "oh, it won't work dell psus are not atx psus." People also said "oh, it fits right but they mix the psu wires up so that if you replace it you'll fry the mobo and have to buy a replacement mobo from them or a new dell, just what they want."

Well let me tell you, It fit perfect, the switch fit in the back just right, it was atx sized compartment in the case, I checked all the wires on both psus and compared them and they were exactly the same, so my conclusion is modern dells(at least this model don't use proprietary psus. To get the psu to work, no modding of any type was required( bummer lol).

It has great cooling now. The case used to be hot and stuffy, up to about 40C I'd say, now it runs at 25C, which is about room temp(it can't really get cooler than the room :)).

[KodiakStar]

Great work...

Now you just have to make it look sexy... and less "Dell" ;)

[mohammedtaha]

it can't really get cooler than the room :)).


yeah it can .. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=902153&page=1 :p

[Spaceninja]

Those antec tri speed fans are nice. Got 2 of them that are going into a watercooled e-machine I am working on... Nothing in it is an e-machine other than the case.

[pxc]

Oh, the mobo you used, does it have oc'ing options? I guess it doesn't really matter though, I'm looking for a socket 478mobo. It says your mobo is agp 4x, can it use agp 8x cards?

It looks like you didn't use the front usb, It doens't look standard, is there any way to get it to work?Yeah, it had lame overclocking ability, but i used a fan-less heatsink with the original exhaust fan duct to keep it quiet. A 2GHz Athlon XP was overkill for a HTPC anyways.

I was too lazy to hook up the front USB ports. I wasn't using those anyways and would have just rewired it like the front panel connector.

[Silversierra]

Yeah, it had lame overclocking ability, but i used a fan-less heatsink with the original exhaust fan duct to keep it quiet. A 2GHz Athlon XP was overkill for a HTPC anyways.

I was too lazy to hook up the front USB ports. I wasn't using those anyways and would have just rewired it like the front panel connector.

I'd like to connect the usb if I can, it wouldn't be that hard if I had a wiring diagram for the case's cable. As is, I don't know which wires do what. I think the mobo manual will say what the usb pins are, but I need to know what the wires are coming from the usb ports.

I guess it can be cooler in the case than the room temp, as in ghetto ac ducts, lol, and liquid nitrogen coolign, phase change, watercooling, but with just case fans I don't think it could ever get much cooler than the room.

I'm getting this cpu cooler for part 2.
http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=ICC-L81&other_title=+ICC-L81+X%20Dream%20III
It's quiet, cheap, socket 478, and blue leds, cool.

[KodiakStar]

Try a google search for the mb if you cannot find it in the 3 pages of the dell book :rolleyes:

im sure someone out there might have a pic of what goes where.. - Fold [H]ard - http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/285.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=285) - Or go [H]ome -

[Silversierra]

I know the pinouts of the mobo, but I need the pinouts of the wire from the case's front usb. Any ideas on that?

[Silversierra]

I'm trying to figure out how to wire the front usb.
I don't know which wires are for the mic and which are usb, it's a mess.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellusbfront.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/topviewusb.jpg

[SpangeMonkee]

Ok more pictures. Here's the front usb pcb. Odd, recognize the name on the usb ports?
I don't know which wires are for the mic and which are usb, it's a mess.
[.IMG]http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/dellusbfront.jpg[/IMG]
[.IMG]http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/topviewusb.jpg[/IMG]

flip it over and follow the traces.

[Captain Colonoscopy]

great work so far, keep it up.

[Silversierra]

kflip it over and follow the traces.
I did, it doesn't have the traces on the bottom, they're on the top and they're hard to follow. It seems the color red it usb power, black is ground, yellow is data-, and orange is data+, but that's a guess, I could try it, but I don't want to fry my jumpdrive lol. There's only 1 red(assume power usb), which is odd, shouldn't there be 2 power(one for each port)?

[SpangeMonkee]

k
I did, it doesn't have the traces on the bottom, they're on the top and they're hard to follow. It seems the color red it usb power, black is ground, yellow is data-, and orange is data+, but that's a guess, I could try it, but I don't want to fry my jumpdrive lol. There's only 1 red(assume power usb), which is odd, shouldn't there be 2 power(one for each port)?

unsolder it :)

[Silversierra]

Ok, since my cpu did run a little hot, and I don' t have a decent hsf yet, I modded the green shroud to fit over the 80mms in the back. I also painted it a better color for some "bling" lol. Haven't tried it yet to see if it keeps it cooler.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/silverduct.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/silvercaseduct.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6426/silverduct0qd.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silverduct0qd.jpg)
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3271/silvercaseduct9sj.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silvercaseduct9sj.jpg)

That's just temporary I think. Once I get a side panel duct, then it shouldn't need it, the duct fan will blow on the cpu hs to keep it cool.

What do you mean unsolder it? The usb port, or the wires in the connector. I don't think I know enough about electronics to mess around with the front usb/headphone thing, but if someone else knows how to do it and could help me, I'd appreciate it, but I realize it might be almost impossible to do.

[DarkMonkey]

Why does that PCB have so many wires? A dual USB port header only requires 9 pins, and 3 for the speaker connection, add in an extra three so they can run the signal back and make the connector short the signal, and you're still only at 15 wires. I count 20 on the connector. What are the other 5 for?

[pxc]

Why does that PCB have so many wires? A dual USB port header only requires 9 pins, and 3 for the speaker connection, add in an extra three so they can run the signal back and make the connector short the signal, and you're still only at 15 wires. I count 20 on the connector. What are the other 5 for?
The other 5 are unused. Like you guessed, 6 wires are used for audio and 9 wires are used for the 2 USB ports. 3 would have been used for the microphone + loopback.

Silversierra: you need a multi-meter. :p

[Silversierra]

The other 5 are unused. Like you guessed, 6 wires are used for audio and 9 wires are used for the 2 USB ports. 3 would have been used for the microphone + loopback.

Silversierra: you need a multi-meter. :p
What would that help? Which 5 are unused, there are 19 wires, 6black, 2yellow, 2orange, blue, brown, lt. brown, red, 2green, pink, white, and gray. What colors are usb? I'm guessing red, black, yellow, and orange. What colors are headphones? Does dell even use standard wire colors?

[pxc]

What would that help? so you can trace a pin on the circuit board to a wire. :p That's how you figure out the wiring.

[Silversierra]

Ok, update. I installed a 80mm blue led side panel duct fan. It looks cool.
3" holesaws are cool. Much better than dremeling a hole.

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/sideduct.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8159/sideduct2tv.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sideduct2tv.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/yesthefanisrunning.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7449/yesthefanisrunning1ft.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=yesthefanisrunning1ft.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/blueled.jpg

[Silversierra]

Ok, I volt modded the side panel fan so it's quieter, and it works, but it doesn't put out much air now. Would it work to connect the fans ground to a -5v lead and the fans + lead to a 5v lead to get it to run on 10v(I have it at 7v now)? Any help appreciated.

[altec]

If you had the fan- on the 5- and the fan+ on the 5+ you get 5volts going to the fan. Anyway you should make your own fan cover thing that just covers the top fan so you still have the bottom one open for the case.

[Silversierra]

I have the cpu fan duct removed now, since the side panel fan is to blow on the cpu and keep it cool, seems to work. I think the fan shroud/cpu thing was only temporary. Now with the side blow hole, it keeps it cool without it, and once I get my cpu hsf I ordered(not passive like current setup) it should be even cooler.

So how does the volt modding work then? I have the 12v psu line to the 12+ on the fan, and the 5v psu line to the gnd fan line, as it said to do on an article here about volt modding. I figured the fan just got the difference between it's ground and power lines 12v-5v=7v, what the volt mod is supposed to yield (so the difference between -5 and 5 =10v?) Help on this?

[Silversierra]

Ok, I'm painting the side panel now. Primered up and sanded.

Can anyone please answer my question above?

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/primered.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8775/primered9if.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=primered9if.jpg)

[altec]

The only trick i know of is the 7v trick and that uses 5v+ and 12v+.

[Silversierra]

So 7v is the only trick? How does the 7v trick work then? Couldn't I hook a 3v to the gnd instead of the 5v for gnd and have 12v-3v=9v? I don't get it.

Also, on this (http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/yesthefanisrunning.jpg) pic, the fan is spinning, but it looks like it isn't. I was surprised my camera didn't blur the fan. You can see the one led is on though.

How would I use my multimeter to figure out the usb? What v does usb power use? How about the usb data+ and data-. Does the mic use voltage, is there any way to figure the mic out? Can anyone give me a little help sorting the usb thing out. I know at least some of you know about usb, I've seen usb mods here, so someone has to know some about it.

[altec]

Find out use a old psu and test it.

And the meter is to find out what wires goes to what plug.

[LunchboX3904]

i wonder how close this would fit in there...

http://www.xoxide.com/silverstone-nitrogen-nt-01-p4-cooler.html

i think that's the coolest heatsink ever, and it would rock in there!

**EDIT** it uses 60mm fans :(.....it would still pwn though :)

[Silversierra]

Wow, that is a cool cooler. After reading about it, I'm like, yeah sure it's good, but let me see the price(expecting about $70, which is way too high), but it's not too bad at $39. It looks huge though. It looks like it goes to the side of the cpu(or is it the top or bottom?),and my matx case might not accomodate it.

I already ordered a cooler from the 'egg so it should be here in a few days(side note what days does fedex ship? Do they work on saturdays? How 'bout mondays?). Here's the cooler I'm getting. It seems ok to me.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835103161

[altec]

You should of got one like this.
http://www.xoxide.com/zalman-7700-cu-cpu-cooler.html

[Silversierra]

Ok, the side panel is painted. It doesn't match the dell "midnight gray", but it actually kind of looks cool the way it contrasts IMO. I think the paintjob itself looks good. And the led fan is much bluer in person than in the photos, it looks great.

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/paintjob.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/paintjob2.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3197/paintjob27rc.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paintjob27rc.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/paintjob3.jpg

led pic.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/paintjob4.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2999/paintjob45yj.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paintjob45yj.jpg)

[Captain Colonoscopy]

Nice work.

Now you have to paint the other side panel to match. :)

[Silversierra]

Nice work.

Now you have to paint the other side panel to match. :)

I don't think I will. It would be a major hassle to do it. Who sees both sides at once anyway?:) It doesn't contrast as badly as in the third pic, it looks more like the 4th one in in use. It isn't very noticeable. I could paint the whole thing, but I don't have enough paint. It was cheapo flat black spray paint, no name brand from Walmart.

[Silversierra]

"what days does fedex ship? Do they work on saturdays? How 'bout mondays?"

Anyone know?

[Captain Colonoscopy]

"what days does fedex ship? Do they work on saturdays? How 'bout mondays?"

Anyone know?

I'm pretty sure they only ship mon-fri, but I could be wrong.

[mohammedtaha]

"what days does fedex ship? Do they work on saturdays? How 'bout mondays?"

Anyone know?

They don't ship on the weekends. The parcels move on the weekends .. So anything shipped on Friday or the week before can still get in on Monday. You can't ship something out on the Weekends though, nor should you expect anything on the weekends. :p Although I'm sure there are some services that allow that.

[Archer1212]

They don't ship on the weekends. The parcels move on the weekends .. So anything shipped on Friday or the week before can still get in on Monday. You can't ship something out on the Weekends though, nor should you expect anything on the weekends. :p Although I'm sure there are some services that allow that.


USPS ships on saturdays, they are also cheaper, and have delivery conformation and tracking.


btw that walmart paint, I use it also for less than a buck a can it does well.

[Silversierra]

Ok, Part 2 has started. I will now install a new mobo, video card, cpu cooler, fan grilles, filters, round cables, etc. Here's the stuff.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/thestuff.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1995/thestuff3jb.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thestuff3jb.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/themobo.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/thecooler.jpg
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7416/thecooler4my.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=thecooler4my.jpg)

[KodiakStar]

mmm good looking parts :D

Looks like you are still doing a great job, keep up the good work!

http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/285.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=285)

[mohammedtaha]

Your mod would look a LOT better if you actually alternated that black colour through-out the case ...

[Silversierra]

Ok, the parts are all in now. Everything seemed to fit ok (except the front usb, I just removed it.) I did have to reroute the front panel pins, but that's expected, got 'em right the first time. So now it has a gigabyte 8IG1000MK matx mobo, my 1.8a ghz p4, 512mb of kingmax dual channel ram, leadtek 6200 agp 128mb, and the coolermaster xdream 3 p4 cooler. This was my first attempt to use thermal paste(always used thermal pad on stock cooling before). I just spread it out in a thin layer and put the hsf on. Seems to have worked, my temps are much lower now after the upgrade. I was able to reuse my oem dell restore cd with the new mobo, which is great, I saved $90. It seemed like everywhere I looked, it said, it's really bad to change a mobo with a full copy of xp and keep it installed, but it's impossible to do it with a oem(dell) restore cd. Well, I just did it, and it seems to work. I just uninstalled a lot of stuff before the install, like my ide controller, integrated video, sound drivers, lan card drivers, etc. At first it had issues with the 6200, but now after installing the 76.41 drivers it's good. Hehe, I also got rivatuner, and my 6200 unlocked to a 6600, awesome. I also got my 1.8ghz oc'ed to 2.4 now, and it seems stable, haven't tried higher(I went from 400 fsb to 533). I got 35,000 in aquamark3, which isn't too bad for a backup machine, and I still could oc' the video to probably about 500 core(300 stock). I accomplished my goal, everyone seemed to think(not on this forum, elsewhere), that I'd be stupid to upgrade a dell. They said Dells use proprietary psus(wrong, my sys. is standard), that the mobos are odd shaped/the case mobo stand offs are different (my matx fits fine), that the front panel can't be connected(wrong, just needs some modding), but the big one I was hearing was, "You'll never get the dell xp cd installed on the new mobo, it's "keyed/tattooed" to the dell mobo and can never work on another board," well I just did it. So Dell's are much more upgrade friendly nowadays, they seem almost standard(except front usb).
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/theinstall.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/thelighting.jpg

[altec]

I think you should put a wire sleeving kit on your PSU but other then that nice work.

[Silversierra]

Wouldn't sleeving take forever? Anyway, I'm happy, It worked and is fast.

[Silversierra]

Ok Update on the final case mods.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fangrille.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fangrille2.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8350/fangrille2ig.th.jpg (http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fangrille2ig.jpg)
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/fanbackpanel.jpg

Installed grilles and a filter on the side panel fan. I almost want a window on the case, but It'd take too long, and I already have it painted and a fan installed.

[mohammedtaha]

This is lookin' soo good ..

I wish you'd go ahead and mod the hell out of that case.

You can't stop now :p

[-UrbanAssassin-]

Not bad, for a Dell. :D

[atom]

Dude! You got a dell!

Ok, I had to do it. Your pc looks like its coming along rather nicely. And BTW, that one guy that said -5v and 5v makes 5v is nuts. It makes 10v as you suspected. I would reccommend getting a fan controller for your floppy bay. Are your side panels blowing air out of the case? Don't do that, have it blow into the case, and have the rear suck it out! And also foxconn pretty much makes every usb connector ever used in the world, including the ones on Compaq mobos, MSI mobos, Foxconn mobos (well duh) ,USB Hubs, etc.

[Silversierra]

Dude! You got a dell!

Ok, I had to do it. Your pc looks like its coming along rather nicely. And BTW, that one guy that said -5v and 5v makes 5v is nuts. It makes 10v as you suspected. I would reccommend getting a fan controller for your floppy bay. Are your side panels blowing air out of the case? Don't do that, have it blow into the case, and have the rear suck it out! And also foxconn pretty much makes every usb connector ever used in the world, including the ones on Compaq mobos, MSI mobos, Foxconn mobos (well duh) ,USB Hubs, etc.

I've thought about a fan controller, maybe sometime... My side fan is blowing in, at the cpu, so it's ok. The back fans are blowing out, and the front fan is pulling in. I think that's all right.

Thanks for all the complements everyone. It runs cool now. It used to idle at 40-44C, now it idles at 25-30C OC'ed. And about 40C load. I'm running at 2.4ghz now(133fsb), was at 2.61, but I kept getting bsods even though it'd pass p95 for hours. Maybe since I repair installed my oem windows(dell), it's screwed up and the bsods are from windows being messed up.

[Silversierra]

Well part 2 is basically finished. Here's the final product.
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/finished.jpg

I may eventually paint the whole thing black, so check back in a few months.

[Silversierra]

Well, now I've started phase 3, which is painting the whole case. It didn't look too bad with the side panel slightly mismatched, but I did get quite a few scrates on the other side while working on it, so I decided to paint the whole thing flat black. I've sanded and primed the top and the rest of the side that has the side panel in. Hopefully the end result looks good. Any suggestions?

[mohammedtaha]

don't over paint the edges on the panels .... they might not fit back on the case .. :p

[Silversierra]

Ok, I did a little work.

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/tapedupforpainting.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/primedup.jpg

[altec]

You didn't take the parts out. :eek:

[Silversierra]

You didn't take the parts out. :eek:

Did I break the unofficial modders code by doing that. lol
Well, it's done, and it still works. The only thing is the paint still doesn't match the side panel exactly, even though it's the same brand and color of paint(same color code too). The case itself is more flat, while the side it semi-glossy. Should I just gloss coat the rest of the case, or gloss coat everything, or let it alone. Any thoughts?

[mohammedtaha]

Did I break the unofficial modders code by doing that. lol
Well, it's done, and it still works. The only thing is the paint still doesn't match the side panel exactly, even though it's the same brand and color of paint(same color code too). The case itself is more flat, while the side it semi-glossy. Should I just gloss coat the rest of the case, or gloss coat everything, or let it alone. Any thoughts?

Wait for it to cure and then make your decision. That's probably why it looks glossy.

[Daemia]

I would have worried about overspray, but I guess you have balls kid. My parents have that same model and I've sleeved up the wires and it is very clean looking inside.

[mohammedtaha]

What you should do after it cures is paint it ... get metalcast ground coat .. it's sparkly silver .. gut out nice shapes out of paper .. stick on the case .. paint it silver .. and then clear coat it with like 10 light coats .. That thing should make anyone love it ..

A nice design would be either the Dell sign or a spiral ...

[Silversierra]

Ok, here's the dried final product. Sorry about the blurry pics. As you can see, the case it self still doesn't match the side panel. Why can't paint be the same when it says it's the same thing? :(

http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/sideview.jpg
http://www.alienhax.us/uploads/finishedpainting.jpg

What did you mean by a dell sign or spiral, I'm not understanding what you're saying. Do you want me to paint dell signs on it in silver paint? Ugh! I'm trying to de-dellify it, so that's out. Now it doesn't say dell anywhere, except the win xp sticker code thing.

[Zero82z]

Looking good, but IMO you should do something to the front, and then maybe paint the whole thing at the same time to make sure you get the right colour.

[mohammedtaha]

Ok, here's the dried final product. Sorry about the blurry pics. As you can see, the case it self still doesn't match the side panel. Why can't paint be the same when it says it's the same thing? :(

What did you mean by a dell sign or spiral, I'm not understanding what you're saying. Do you want me to paint dell signs on it in silver paint? Ugh! I'm trying to de-dellify it, so that's out. Now it doesn't say dell anywhere, except the win xp sticker code thing.

I meant just using a silver paint paint over it ... doesn't matter what you paint just some type of design .. or just leave it black ..

Looks good though. Don't know about the different blacks though .. did you shake the can well ?

[Silversierra]

Lol, yeah, I shook the can for a long time. I think gloss coating it will help it match. I guess I'll paint it sometime with the gloss.

[aquaragia]

Fantastic job! I love it.Looks beutiful!
I've been trying to get my buddy to mod his 2300 for 2 years.Best I could do was get him to install a pci slot blower lol.

[Silversierra]

Fantastic job! I love it.Looks beutiful!
I've been trying to get my buddy to mod his 2300 for 2 years.Best I could do was get him to install a pci slot blower lol.

Maybe you can refer him to the thread and show him the results. :)

[aquaragia]

Surely I will! :)

[beginnermodder213]

you did a really good job modding this dell, props for moving getting a motherboard into a propietory case which can be hard. we've got pretty much have the same cases except some differences in the side panel. nice mod man.

[Bepunk]

Dude, you got a modded Dell.

[Silversierra]

The system has been running well so far. I had to disconnect the front fan because I think it's internal fan controller went haywire. It will speed up/slow down whenever, and it makes a lot of noise on high speed. I guess I'll replace it, I can't tell if it's 90mm or 92mm.(2mm isn't much difference).

I have a 2.4ghz prescott 533fsb no ht cpu coming today for this rig. I'm hoping it's a good oc'er.
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjAz
The 533fsb gives my pc3200 ram oc'ing headroom.

[Scarceas]

Hello, gentlemen.
What a worthless post. Was that just to increase your postcount?

Anyway... on to the real stuff...

Only some Dell mobos/PSU's are proprietary. Most of their systems I've seen in the last 1-2 years have been standard. I know for sure some of the socket 370 systems used PSUs with different pinouts for their "ATX" mobo power connectors.

I like how you moved the hdd. Your cuts looks pretty clean. The airflow is surely improved with your mods.

Your silver duct looked pretty sweet. Did you get to keep it after installing the new HSF?

It's overall a nice mod, perhaps a bit understated though. I think you go for the side window, put that duct in there, and hide/tidy any cabling.

Overall, good clean looking results.

[EXreaction]

Nice mod, I also modded my Dimension 4600, here is a link! :D
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=922769

[swatX]

i got a few questions for Silversierra

i myself have a dell 4600 and i pretty sure that the case is simillar so i was wondering if you had any problems installing the gigabyte motherboard. and did you also change the PSU?

because myself i want to replace the mobo so i saw this thread and i wanted to know if i can

thanks

[EXreaction]

i got a few questions for Silversierra

i myself have a dell 4600 and i pretty sure that the case is simillar so i was wondering if you had any problems installing the gigabyte motherboard. and did you also change the PSU?

because myself i want to replace the mobo so i saw this thread and i wanted to know if i can

thanks
The psu is easy to change, I put in a Thermaltake PurePower 420w in my 4600. I don't know about the mobo though.

[beginnermodder213]

the mobo is really tricky on any Dell system because all their mounting positions etc are propietory are irregular to mobo standards.

[swatX]

the mobo is really tricky on any Dell system because all their mounting positions etc are propietory are irregular to mobo standards.


yea but i wonder how Silversierra did it. any info would be appreciated

[EXreaction]

Wow, I did not know that he put in a new mobo! From the way it sounds, a micro atx board was exactly the same as the dell mobo! :D I will have to look at this myself!

[swatX]

Wow, I did not know that he put in a new mobo! From the way it sounds, a micro atx board was exactly the same as the dell mobo! :D I will have to look at this myself!


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131476

do u think that mobo would fit seeing thats a micro ATX and provided that i get a new PSU. also whats the model $ of your psu in your dell 4600?

[EXreaction]

Ya, the way it sounds, you can put any Micro Atx mobo in there.

The psu I put in my Dimension 4600, was this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153006

[Silversierra]

Hello all again.

Yeah, I just got a standard matx board and replaced the dell board, it fit perfect. I replaced the psu(but you wouldn't have to) with an antec sl350 psu.
The only problem was the front usb connector was proprietary, so I removed it, put mesh in it's place and made the case have more airflow:).

The asus p4s800mx would work, I got the gigabyte 8IG1000MK, because it has oc'ing options(the board has pci/agp lock, fsb adjustment, ram adjustment, but no voltage adjustment)(I wasn't sure about the asus), and it has 4 memory slots(nice for expansion).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128222

I no longer have the "duct" it didn't fit over the aftermarket cooler.

Man, I see why people say prescott is hot, the new cpu I got runs hot. It's at 55C load, and 45C idle, that's about 5-10C hotter than my northwood oc'ed. I got my 2.4 prescott to 2.7ghz stable, too bad, I was hoping for 3ghz, but still it's an ok cpu.

[sabrewolf732]

The system has been running well so far. I had to disconnect the front fan because I think it's internal fan controller went haywire. It will speed up/slow down whenever, and it makes a lot of noise on high speed. I guess I'll replace it, I can't tell if it's 90mm or 92mm.(2mm isn't much difference).

I have a 2.4ghz prescott 533fsb no ht cpu coming today for this rig. I'm hoping it's a good oc'er.
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjAz
The 533fsb gives my pc3200 ram oc'ing headroom.


all 90/92mm fans are the same. IDK why the hell people refer to them differantly though.

[swatX]

Hello all again.

Yeah, I just got a standard matx board and replaced the dell board, it fit perfect. I replaced the psu(but you wouldn't have to) with an antec sl350 psu.
The only problem was the front usb connector was proprietary, so I removed it, put mesh in it's place and made the case have more airflow:).

The asus p4s800mx would work, I got the gigabyte 8IG1000MK, because it has oc'ing options(the board has pci/agp lock, fsb adjustment, ram adjustment, but no voltage adjustment)(I wasn't sure about the asus), and it has 4 memory slots(nice for expansion).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128222

I no longer have the "duct" it didn't fit over the aftermarket cooler.

Man, I see why people say prescott is hot, the new cpu I got runs hot. It's at 55C load, and 45C idle, that's about 5-10C hotter than my northwood oc'ed. I got my 2.4 prescott to 2.7ghz stable, too bad, I was hoping for 3ghz, but still it's an ok cpu.

how much did it cost you for the parts excluding the CPU

[Silversierra]

Hmm. Price?
Ok I got the gigabyte mobo, about $85
I got 3 $8 fans, so $24
I got 3 round cables, $20
Leadtek a6200td card, $105

Total $234

I also had previously replaced the psu with an antec sl350($50 list), that came with my 1650b case.
I had the 2x256mb of ram already (list $45)
I got the new cpu for $120.

Total + previous $449
Shew, didn't realize I'd spent that much. Oh well, it's a decent computer now.

Here's a pic for you of my new cpu oc'ed, my 6200 unlocked, and it passing prime 95.
http://img346.imageshack.us/img346/3615/24prescott6vu.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[sabrewolf732]

Make sure you oc your 6200, they oc like banshees.

[Silversierra]

Speaking of the 6200, I'm having issues with it. It suddenly has started running very hot(ever since the new cpu install). It idles at 70C and load temps go above 100C, which is scary.

What can I do? I must have dislodged the heatsink while working on installing the cpu, I don't know what else could have caused it. It formerly ran hot, but only about 55C load, which is reasonable, but still a little hot.

I have already tried "relocking" it to a 6200(instead of 8 pipes, 4 pipes), and running the clocks back to stock but it still idles really hot. I noticed it also gets artifacts when it gets above 100C, which I'm hoping to not do again. :(.

Do I need a new cooler, or just reapply the hsf?

Also, my 6200 wouldn't oc much, only to about 350 core, and 600 memory(550 stock mem. on leadtek). A real "banshee" huh?

Any help greatly appreciated. I'm glad I had a high temp alarm, or I mightn't have noticed the high temps.

[EXreaction]

Does your 6200 have a fan on it?

[Silversierra]

Yes, my 6200 has a fan. And yes the fan is spinning to answer your next question.

I took the card out, looked at the hsf, and don't see anything wrong. It's on very tight, and appears to have a thermal pad under it, definitely no air space from what I can see. The heatsink it springloaded with strong springs and seems to have a good bit of pressure, I don't think anything else could make a gpu heat problem besides the hsf, could it?

I haven't checked the gpu temp since I got it, which was when it was cooler outside, maybe it just runs hot?

[EXreaction]

Try running it without the side on, and if you can have a fan blow in there to see if it helps. Mabey you have to get the air circulating better...

[DR_K13]

In the pictures, it looks like the fan on the side panel is sucking air out of the case , should be blowing in , Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, if I am correct, flip the fan around
and see if that helps with the temps. :confused:

[sabrewolf732]

Yes, my 6200 has a fan. And yes the fan is spinning to answer your next question.

I took the card out, looked at the hsf, and don't see anything wrong. It's on very tight, and appears to have a thermal pad under it, definitely no air space from what I can see. The heatsink it springloaded with strong springs and seems to have a good bit of pressure, I don't think anything else could make a gpu heat problem besides the hsf, could it?

I haven't checked the gpu temp since I got it, which was when it was cooler outside, maybe it just runs hot?

well obviously, the prescott is what made it run hot, I am guessing since the presscott is running so hot it is heating up the ambient to the point where the 6200 cant cool itself well :( I would try buying a new hsf for it. Also, duct the cpu and put the cpu fan so it pulls air through the hs so the hot air gets exhausted.Every 6200 I have seen hits about 550MHz core, so heat must be your problem

[Silversierra]

With the side off, it runs a little cooler (1-2C). The side fan is blowing in, but I volt modded it and it blows almost no air now.

The front case fan is blowing right on the card, and a lot of air(it's noisy too).

It wouldn't oc over 350, 579 without artifacts when I used the northwood.

I don't know what's up.

Edit: My case temp is 25C, so I don't think it's the cpu heating up the case. The 6200's heatsink is so hot it can burn the skin after it's turned off. How can it suddenly be running so hot? The heatsink is hot, so it must be making contact with the gpu. Odd.

[EXreaction]

I bet that the air is not circulating around it from the way the case looks. Do you have anouther case fan, because you could mabey just set it right below the gfx card, and have it blow the hot air away.

[Silversierra]

Ok, I'll try having a fan blowing on it.

Edit: Tried the fan, no difference. I put a 80mm fan right beside it and it still is running at 66C with or without the fan close to it. I can turn off the front panel fan, and it goes up to 68-69, but not much difference. It's getting plenty of air, the case has good airflow(at least it seems cool all around), Could the gpu overheating once make it constantly overheat itself due to damage? I did notice it was overclocked (mysteriously, I didn't do it), on the memory to about 671, which it won't do without artifacts. I don't know how it got like that, maybe rivatuner's possessed. :confused:

[EXreaction]

Try putting it back to the standard clock rate for the mem, and core, and see if it any cooler.

[swatX]

you can try taking out the 6200 heatsink and reapply some AS5

[EXreaction]

Did you try taking the side off, and blowing a 12" fan at the side?

[Silversierra]

The core is 300, the memory is 550, the stock settings, so I already have it at stock.
I don't have any as5, I have some stuff called shin etsu(thermal compound), or something, would that work?

[sabrewolf732]

The core is 300, the memory is 550, the stock settings, so I already have it at stock.
I don't have any as5, I have some stuff called shin etsu(thermal compound), or something, would that work?

yea it should work, it is a pita to put on though

[swatX]

can you rehost the pics.. please

also what tools did u use for the mod?

[Silversierra]

What happened to my pics?

Oh well, I'll rehost some at imageshack, don't expect them all though.

I used a dremel(of course), drill, sandpaper, paint, hole saw(bimetal 3"), and lots of duct tape.
:)

Here's one pic of the case after the mod.(paint + fan).
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5615/67050150ff.th.jpg (http://img258.imageshack.us/my.php?image=67050150ff.jpg)

[Silversierra]

Ok, I rehosted most of the pics at imageshack, they're clickable for a larger view. Here they are, they also are reposted in my first post.
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/867/16bj.th.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/my.php?image=16bj.jpg)http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9931/25xd.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=25xd.jpg)http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/7454/38jz.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=38jz.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9170/43zv.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=43zv.jpg)http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/507/54fq.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=54fq.jpg)http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2295/67rr.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=67rr.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3839/78ep.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=78ep.jpg)http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4679/140ae.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=140ae.jpg)http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/968/89xb.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=89xb.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6439/99rh.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=99rh.jpg)http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/533/103si.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=103si.jpg)http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6725/112gg.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=112gg.jpg)
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8915/121oi.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=121oi.jpg)http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9412/136pz.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=136pz.jpg)

[Captain Colonoscopy]

Good job! :)

[swatX]

nice.. thanks

[swatX]

what are the case fans you are sing? and also the model name of the heatsink for the p4?

thanks

[Silversierra]

The two back case fans are antec ball bearing "trispeed" fans, which have a 3 speed controller built in. The side fan is antec ball bearing blue led fan. Both models are similar, just one has leds, the other has a controller.

My heatsink was a coolermaster x dream III, it works, is cheap, and looks nice.
http://www.newegg.com/OldVersion/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=35-103-161&DEPA=0

Now, since I got a 2.4 prescott(retail), I have the intel boxed heatsink on it.

[swatX]

the PSU is a ATX type right? also do u think a AMD64 s939 mATX mobo would fit in a del 4600?

[Silversierra]

Ok, I reapplied thermal compound to my overheating 6200, and it helped some, about 5-10C, so maybe it won't commit suicide now. NEway, here're the pics of the core.
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/4269/6200core2nq.th.jpg (http://img308.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6200core2nq.jpg)
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/6881/6200hsf6nz.th.jpg (http://img308.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6200hsf6nz.jpg)
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/3172/6200cleancore0ac.th.jpg (http://img308.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6200cleancore0ac.jpg)

Swatx:
Yes the psu is atx, I used an antec sl350 to replace it and it worked perfect.
I know an amd 939 matx(like msi rs480 board) would fit in my 2300 case, how similar is a 4600 to a 2300?

[swatX]

well i believe a 4600mobo can fit in the 2300 case..

[Silversierra]

Then I guess a 939 matx board would fit if they're about the same. I think all matx boards are the same size (9.6x9.6 or smaller), so if my gigabyte matx board fits in the dell, then any matx should.

[EXreaction]

The only real difference between a 4600, and 2300, is that the 4600 has a agp slot.

[swatX]

allright heres what i am thinking of getting.


AMD 64 3000+ Venice
ECS/JETway RS-480 mATX motherboard s939
6800gt PCI-e

sounds good? i might need to sell my 6800gt AGP. anyone interested in buying it for 250$? lol

[Silversierra]

That's cool, it will be way faster than a stock dell(well, maybe not all...).

It's too bad they still don't have any good matx boards that can oc. Some have limited features, but none are really oc'ers.

It's too bad someone like chaintech doesn't make a vnf4ultra micro board. It'd be cheap and oc great. The vnf4 is practically matx anyway it's missing about 2" or more off atx.
Or maybe a dfi ultra micro d. :) That'd make a few people smile in delight. Hehe, Oh the possibilities. Then you could have a sff that was lan party worthy if it could oc well.
And still no nforce 4 ultra matx boards? I think foxconn has a nforce 4, but no ultras yet.
What'd be awesome would be a matx nforce 4 sli, that could oc too. I guess you could have the top and bottom slot be pci-e, and the middle slots be pci? I dunno, just a thought.
Here's one.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6009/matxsli6tw.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=matxsli6tw.jpg)
The only problem is I made it in photoshop. :). It could be done though right?


Ok, enough matx rant.

[Silversierra]

Of current 939 matx boards, I think the jetway is the best.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813153027
It seems like it may be able to oc well if there's a bios update.

[EXreaction]

I dont think that a microatx SLI board would be any good, since you could only have the 2 gfx cards in there, what do you do with the audigy 2 card? And what if you want that physics card that is coming out in a few months?

[swatX]

actually DFI is releasing a mATX board based on ATI xpress 200 i think

[swatX]

That's cool, it will be way faster than a stock dell(well, maybe not all...).

It's too bad they still don't have any good matx boards that can oc. Some have limited features, but none are really oc'ers.

It's too bad someone like chaintech doesn't make a vnf4ultra micro board. It'd be cheap and oc great. The vnf4 is practically matx anyway it's missing about 2" or more off atx.
Or maybe a dfi ultra micro d. :) That'd make a few people smile in delight. Hehe, Oh the possibilities. Then you could have a sff that was lan party worthy if it could oc well.
And still no nforce 4 ultra matx boards? I think foxconn has a nforce 4, but no ultras yet.
What'd be awesome would be a matx nforce 4 sli, that could oc too. I guess you could have the top and bottom slot be pci-e, and the middle slots be pci? I dunno, just a thought.
Here's one.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6009/matxsli6tw.th.jpg (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=matxsli6tw.jpg)
The only problem is I made it in photoshop. :). It could be done though right?


Ok, enough matx rant.


well actually it will be way faster than what i have right now. a 2..6ghz <<< AMD64 3000+. and i heard venice cores are good ocers.

[Silversierra]

I dont think that a microatx SLI board would be any good, since you could only have the 2 gfx cards in there, what do you do with the audigy 2 card? And what if you want that physics card that is coming out in a few months?

On my "prototype" I put one pci and one pcie. So you could still fit your audigy 2 in there, but I would think the board could be made with acceptable 7.1 audio built in. Maybe the physics card is pci-e x1? If so, you're covered, you got one pci-e x1. Also, some might say that the video cards would take two slots each, well that's true in some cases, but aren't 7800gtx's single slot cards, along with some 6800gts, 6600gts, etc.

Also, there are exteral sound cards right? Usb 2.0?
Many pci items can be external.

I'd think it was great if they'd make a matx, sli supporting(digitally switched sli too, no switch cards), 939 socket, with 4memory dimms, oc'ing options, sata2 support, quiet cooling, great performance, reliability, and that has the power connectors on the top edge of the board(top right preferably). Oh, yeah, and that can fit an xp120 and not have caps in the way. That mostly covers it.

:p

[swatX]

hi so you are sure a 9.6 / 9.6 matx AMD mobo will fit right...

anways can you take a picture of just the mobo.. i want to see the space between the cpu hsf and the PSU.

[Silversierra]

Ok, I took some pics. I'll upload soon.

I measured, my board is 9.6x9.6. The case has room to fit 10 3/4" high(case floor to psu), and 10" wide(front to back).

Edit:

I have slightly over 3/4" inch betwen my psu and my retail prescott cpu cooler, 3.5"x 3.75"(which looks larger than my stock 939 3000+'s cooler,which I'd guess to be about 3.25"x3.25").

Pics as requested, and my messy wiring job.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/841/cpuclearance4bl.th.jpg (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cpuclearance4bl.jpg)
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2787/mydellmatx0lv.th.jpg (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mydellmatx0lv.jpg)

[swatX]

another question:

where is the white wire going to from the two case fans(white/blue) in the back

[Silversierra]

I think you mean the fan's speed controller. It has 3 speeds, I have the switches in holes in the back of the case so I can adjust the speed without opening the case.

[swatX]

oh interesting. are the fans lound on full speed.

when did u buy your dell dimension?

[Silversierra]

The fans are each rated at 30db when on high, but they also move a ton of air. I think that the other settings are 20, and 25(or in that range)db. By having two, it makes it louder than one fan. I usually keep them on medium.

I got the dell in Nov 2002, from dell obviously.
Getting the dell was a good learning experience. It forced me to learn more about pcs. Due to it's pathetic graphics, I wanted to upgrade. A friend said, get an agp card, and your graphics will improve, and so I was looking at agp cards(about in 2003), I was looking at radeon 9000 series cards. Then a friend told me that it couldn't take agp cards in my model. I was like what do you mean, aren't all pc's upgradeable, then I learned of how cheap oem's are, and have liked custom building since. I don't even think my 2300 could take pci graphics, I looked around, and was going to get a 5700le or a 5500 probably, but it's bios doesn't have an option to disable the onboard, so it didn't seem like it'd work. I think some people have gotten it to work though. So since that, I've been learning more and more about pc's, and I can't believe that in less than 2yrs, I went from knowing only a few basic computer parts to building my first pc this year, to modding my pc's, and trying to help others with their computer problems.

[EXreaction]

The fans are each rated at 30db when on high, but they also move a ton of air. I think that the other settings are 20, and 25(or in that range)db. By having two, it makes it louder than one fan. I usually keep them on medium.

I got the dell in Nov 2002, from dell obviously.
Getting the dell was a good learning experience. It forced me to learn more about pcs. Due to it's pathetic graphics, I wanted to upgrade. A friend said, get an agp card, and your graphics will improve, and so I was looking at agp cards(about in 2003), I was looking at radeon 9000 series cards. Then a friend told me that it couldn't take agp cards in my model. I was like what do you mean, aren't all pc's upgradeable, then I learned of how cheap oem's are, and have liked custom building since. I don't even think my 2300 could take pci graphics, I looked around, and was going to get a 5700le or a 5500 probably, but it's bios doesn't have an option to disable the onboard, so it didn't seem like it'd work. I think some people have gotten it to work though. So since that, I've been learning more and more about pc's, and I can't believe that in less than 2yrs, I went from knowing only a few basic computer parts to building my first pc this year, to modding my pc's, and trying to help others with their computer problems.
Hey, that is basically what happened to me...except I got a 4600 instead of the 2300. I never really used a comp before this one, and I didn't know a thing about them at all before I had my 4600! :D

[swatX]

hahah its from dell i learned basics about video card, motherboards , basically everything about pcs.. hah this is weird.

allright i ordered all the parts

AMD64 3000+
2x 1gig OCZ Plat PC-3200
ECS RS480-M (will change when DFI releases theirs)
Aspire 500W ATX PSU

EDIT:got my dell4600 nov of 2002 tooo!

[Mahachippy]

That kinda happened to me as well. Three years ago I got my pc from gateway, because I had no idea about pcs. However, after a few upgrades, etc. I now know a ton more than I did three years ago. I mean I am by no means an expert, but I can troubleshoot most of my own problems and my family's problems or I can find the answer online and know how to implement the solution. I am not venturing into linux and possibly a server.

[Silversierra]

That's neat, several of us learned the hard way by buying oem the first time.

I'm thinking of adding a case window to my case now, can I use a saber saw with a metal blade to cut it out?

[swatX]

this is soo cool.. i just good a really nice deal on the ram

OCZ 2x 1gb Plat 2-3-2-5 PC3200 performence RAM for 120$

[Silversierra]

Ok, I guess this begins "Phase Three: the window mod."
If you don't want to/don't have time to read the rest of my log, here's a recap.
Phase 1 was modding the dell case to have better airflow, and phase 2 was getting new hardware for the system(board, video, etc).

OK, I'll be installing a window on my dell! I think I will have one of the most modded dells ever once this is done(cue the "some guy modded a dell so much.... comments"), not that it'll be crazy looking, but I've done so much to mine.

My plan is to have a window that follows the case side panel's contours. The window will have 2" of "edge" around it all the way around. My corners will (hopefully) be square, instead of rounded, I hate rounded case windows, they look awful IMO.

I'm using a sheet of "lucite" acylic (the good type, 100x stronger than glass), it seems sturdy.

I'm planning on using machine screws to bolt the window to the panel, I'm still unsure of how the screw heads(chrome) will look against the case's black, it might look nice or it might look stupid, I don't know, I guess I'll try it and see. I could just use superglue :).

I cut two pilot holes in the corners, and marked out the lines. I will cut(hopefully) the window out with a metal cutting saber saw, and if all else fails, resort the the dremel.

I think it'll look good, here're some prelim. pics.


http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/3720/2300window19bt.th.jpg (http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2300window19bt.jpg)
http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/3538/2300window26qi.th.jpg (http://img308.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2300window26qi.jpg)

[xrdotimcr]

I think what you're doing could turn out to be cool and all, but this is a Dell mod right here.

http://xoxideforums.com/showthread.php?t=49394

[Silversierra]

Ok, I cut out the panel. It wasn't too bad using a saber saw. I then sanded the rough edges, cut out plexi, drilled the plexi, put fan holes in the plexi and temporarily mounted the fans for a pic.
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9776/2300sidepaneltemp2st.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2300sidepaneltemp2st.jpg)
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6760/2300sidepanelsidetemp7qz.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2300sidepanelsidetemp7qz.jpg)
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8153/2300sidepanelsidetemp25jd.th.jpg (http://img23.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2300sidepanelsidetemp25jd.jpg)

My one drive bay is empty now, since my dvd-rw died in my "gaming" rig, I stole the cd drive out of the dell to use as a temp.

The first pic doesn't look too good, but the panel isn't really on right, so it has an outline of non painted metal. I think I'll repaint the side to match the case, finally.

The graphics runs much cooler with the new gpu fan. I'm happy.

Dude, that dell is totally modded at xoxide, I knew someone(somewhere) had done something like that, but hadn't actually seen any done. The pathetic part is that it's still a dell mobo(at least the one pic says dell on the board), what's the point, it's still a dell, no oc' options. Oh, well, whatever "floats your boat". That's a neat project anyway.

[swatX]

okay.. today i took out all my dell guts except the motherboard. i took out all the screws on the mobo except the ones that are on the socket/the black heatsink support plastic.

how do u remove those tight screws.

[EXreaction]

Dude, that dell is totally modded at xoxide, I knew someone(somewhere) had done something like that, but hadn't actually seen any done. The pathetic part is that it's still a dell mobo(at least the one pic says dell on the board), what's the point, it's still a dell, no oc' options. Oh, well, whatever "floats your boat". That's a neat project anyway. What mod on xoxide? Got a link?

okay.. today i took out all my dell guts except the motherboard. i took out all the screws on the mobo except the ones that are on the socket/the black heatsink support plastic.

how do u remove those tight screws.
Push hard, and turn! :D Just don't slip, if you do, you could destroy the mobo.

[swatX]

i think i will test the mobo again see if u really destroyed it lol...


i tried it for 1 hour non stop.. still no go.

[Silversierra]

Hey swatx: do you mean the screws that hold the plastic heatsink mount on the motherboard, or the studs behind the board that the screws do into. I didn't have any issue removing the screws, I just unscrewed them with a regular philips screwdriver. I had to remove the brass studs that they screw into too, since my gigabyte mobo had the shroud built into the board, and not screwed into standoffs. I think I used my leatherman to unscrew the standoffs, so they mustn't have been too tight. Does the screwdriver slip in the screw head or just won't move. If it slips you probably need a different size philips bit(I usually use a #2 philips), or if it won't move, maybe you can use a ratchet with a philips socket on an extension, that'd give you some leverage.

Exreaction: The link is in swatx's post above, at xoxideforums.com.
Here it is
http://xoxideforums.com/showthread.php?t=49394
Crazy mod I'll admit.

I still need to paint my side panel, and get another led fan, but otherwise, not too much to do.

My 6200 doesn't go over 80C with the new "gpu" fan on the window, before it reached 100C and over. It really helped, as did replacing the thermal paste on it's core. Although 80C is still very hot, I love it compared to 100C, at least I don't get artifacts anymore.

[swatX]

Hey swatx: do you mean the screws that hold the plastic heatsink mount on the motherboard, or the studs behind the board that the screws do into. I didn't have any issue removing the screws, I just unscrewed them with a regular philips screwdriver. I had to remove the brass studs that they screw into too, since my gigabyte mobo had the shroud built into the board, and not screwed into standoffs. I think I used my leatherman to unscrew the standoffs, so they mustn't have been too tight. Does the screwdriver slip in the screw head or just won't move. If it slips you probably need a different size philips bit(I usually use a #2 philips), or if it won't move, maybe you can use a ratchet with a philips socket on an extension, that'd give you some leverage.

Exreaction: The link is in swatx's post above, at xoxideforums.com.
Here it is
http://xoxideforums.com/showthread.php?t=49394
Crazy mod I'll admit.

I still need to paint my side panel, and get another led fan, but otherwise, not too much to do.

My 6200 doesn't go over 80C with the new "gpu" fan on the window, before it reached 100C and over. It really helped, as did replacing the thermal paste on it's core. Although 80C is still very hot, I love it compared to 100C, at least I don't get artifacts anymore.


so what exactly did you use to move the those small studs that hold the black case to the frame?

[Silversierra]

I think I used my leatherman to unscrew the standoffs, so they mustn't have been too tight.

I'm not sure, but my guess is my leatherman multitool(which has needlenose/regular pliers).
I know I didn't use a socket, but I would have if they were tight. Did you get the black hsf holder off the board(the square black thing with the tabs that hold the heatsink on?)

[swatX]

I'm not sure, but my guess is my leatherman multitool(which has needlenose/regular pliers).
I know I didn't use a socket, but I would have if they were tight. Did you get the black hsf holder off the board(the square black thing with the tabs that hold the heatsink on?)


nope. i could only remove two of the four screws that are holding the black hsf holder. the other two are shut tight. i dont know what i should do now.

i got all the parts i ordered which includes AMD64 3000 and the motherboard. so the leatherman tool can remove those small thing like screws that hold the back of the case. because i think i need to move the whole black case to get access to the frame so i can attach the black holder that i got with the AMD mobo. just like what you did.

i will post pics in a bit

[Silversierra]

I'm a bit confused by the last sentence you wrote. I think since there aren't any "real" names for the parts were talking about, it gets confusing.

I used my leatherman to get the brass standoffs removed from the case's motherboard mounting plate, these standoffs are hexagonal(like a bolt head), and thread into the metal of the case. I just unscrewed them. I used a screwdriver to remove the screws that hold the cpu's heatsink mount(black thing) off. Maybe the dell assembers had a little fun with locktite on your system? ;)

My new cpu heatsink mount was integrated with my new board, so I had to remove the old standoffs that corresponded to their position, since they were in the way.

[swatX]

do u know any tool(or is it leatherman) that can be used to remove these things


http://www.supload.com/thumbs/default/studs.jpg (http://www.supload.com/free/studs.jpg/view/)


and i cant remove these flatheaed screws even with a regular screwdriver. it taking forever. i took out 2 of those 4 screws but as you can see there are still 2 more that are not coming out
http://www.supload.com/thumbs/default/blackscrews.jpg (http://www.supload.com/free/blackscrews.jpg/view/)

[Silversierra]

The "studs" in your pic are the rivets that hold your case(sidepanel to frame) together. To remove them, you could use a dremel with a cutoff wheel, or you could use a drill with a bit that's slightly bigger than the center of the rivet. I'd guess about a 1/8"+ bit would work. Why do you want to remove the case rivets?
If you remove the rivets and the case's top and side this is all you'll see.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6012/mobostudsback9ol.th.jpg (http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mobostudsback9ol.jpg)
I think the sidepanel(opposite the removable sidepanel) is a false side, the frame itself has a side attached to it that the mobo is attached to, the side that you can see, just covers the
screws, and makes it look pretty.

Here's what the studs that hold the board in place look like, they're what the mobo screws screw into.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7241/mobostuds4vb.th.jpg (http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mobostuds4vb.jpg)

Ok, I see that you can't get the two screws out.
Not sure what to tell you besides "Righty tighty, lefty loosey", but I doubt that's any help. :p Umm, if you really can't get them, you might have to cut the heads off with a dremel, it shouldn't hurt the board, it may ruin the black shroud though. It may be possible to also use a drill with a bit that's larger than the screw's shaft,but smaller than the head(if it's a phillips screw. If you drill out the center of the head, nothing will be holding it to the rest of the screw. This might cause less damage than a dremel, but may not be easy to do. Other ideas would be to maybe superglue a small bolt on the screw head and then try to unscrew it using the bolt glued to it once the glue's dry, but it needs to be very strong superglue.

Hope this helps, I'd hate to have your project stopped by something like this.
Best wishes.

[EXreaction]

Exreaction: The link is in swatx's post above, at xoxideforums.com.
Here it is
http://xoxideforums.com/showthread.php?t=49394
Crazy mod I'll admit.
Haha, silly me...I just noticed that! :D
Ya, crazy mod, but I don't really like it either.

[swatX]

okay so you are telling me the the side the motherboard screws into can be removed? :confused:

[Silversierra]

What the motherboard screws into isn't the black shell of the case, it's a metal part of the chassis behind the "shell". If you remove the case's shell by removing the rivets(in the back and front), you'll still have the motherboard mounted to the chassis, and you'll see the backside of the motherboard mouting plate, with the tips of the mouting screws protruding through it.

I'd assume that the motherboard mouting plate that's part of the chassis can be removed if you remove the rivets that hold it to the front and back of the case(or where ever the rivets are, I've never dissassembled the whole case into it's parts, so I can't be sure.

Here's a diagram to possibly help.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8035/dellmount5mz.th.jpg (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dellmount5mz.jpg)

[swatX]

hahahah wow i got one of the two screws with ease when applied with some WD40 and while removing the otherscrew i destroyed my motherboard. oh well 55$ down the drain.

well now to putting AMD in

[swatX]

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=937640

the first Dell AMD64 PC ever!!!