3+ year old Alienware case + New Mobo = BAD?

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psychoace

[H]ard|Gawd
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I know I should upgrade my case but I like it because it's got a lot of space. So I tried installing my new motherboard (Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3) when while screwing it down I noticed that the middle right of the board there are two holes. I looked under the board at the case and see no where to put the damn thing. Since these are grounds I am assuming I only have two options to drill a hole or to get a new case. My question I guess is when did the standard change and is there any other way around this situation?
 
My old Alienware case, the Cheiftech Dragon Clone, had several extra holes already in the mobo tray. This happens a lot. Just tap in some new holes.
 
I can understand on how to drill one but how would I go about punching one? I might have a drill available to me but what bit size would I use? Otherwise how would I go about punching one in?
 
"Tapping" not punching. You drill a hole then use a tap to thread it for the mounting screw.
 
You can always get away with a plastic standoff.
 
You dont need to have all the holes anchored. I have an ASUS board (P5N-E SLi, I think) that has several holes that don't line up to anything on my MB tray and it works just fine.

If that was the case, if you had the MB out of the case on cardboard to test it, it would never run.

If you need the standoffs to support the MB in the case, then drill and tap as has been suggested.
 
psychoace said:
Even if they are used as grounds for the motherboard?
Click to expand...

I always thought that the motherboard was grounded via the ground wire on the psu 24 pin connector, why would the screw holes be separate from the rest of the traces on the mobo.
 
I thought they were grounds because of some metal layer that seems to surround the outer part of the whole ( http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/13-128-081-06.jpg ). The top middle of the picture shows the two holes inbetween the ram and the south bridge heatsink. If there was just pcb there I wouldn't worry but the tin or whatever it is seems to be positioned to touch the bottom edge of a screw.

(If picture isn't working check out the overhead view from newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128081 )
 
They're just supports, I ran all of my mobos outside of the case without problems on numerous occasions.
 
The metal traces around screw holes on the motherboard are for damage control, basically... to ensure the non-metalic layers don't sustain damage due to overtightening.
 
I think what he means by grounding is "preventing the motherboard from shorting out"

Because if the back of the motherboard is against metal, it can short out.

Not quite "grounding" just the method they use to prevent shorting it out.
 
Blazestorm said:
I think what he means by grounding is "preventing the motherboard from shorting out"

Because if the back of the motherboard is against metal, it can short out.

Not quite "grounding" just the method they use to prevent shorting it out.
Click to expand...

When I worked at a computer store, I had a guy bring in a computer he had assembled himself... and it wouldn't boot up. When I opened it, he had installed the motherboard with wood screws instead of standoffs... so the entire back side of the motherboard was shorted to the tray. Funny thing was, once I installed it properly it worked!
 
lmao wtf wood screws?

1173012_l.jpg
 
Actually it was confussion on my part. I remembered that when I was modding my original xbox that some screw holes had plates around them that were used as grounds. I got it working 100% now thnx.
 
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