interesting, dell mobo fits in Antec p180!

[ghsrocketman]

Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know the Dell motherboards (atleast the Dimension 2400) that everyone says will NOT fit in an aftermarket case infact DOES! I have pictures to prove it (will post when I get the chance). The only problem is I'll need to create a custom "fan duct" for the passive heat sink .

Matthew

[blue60007]

I imagine some can and some can't...

Yeah, and I don't think you can install an aftermarket sink on the CPU either. Say, you could glue a fan to the heatsink?

[barch 88]

Originally Posted by blue60007 Say, you could glue a fan to the heatsink?

Now thats HOOD RICH!

[faulkner132]

Actually older Dell Computers don't have all the proprietary parts they use now. I have a machine I bought back in 1999 and both the MB and PS is 100% ATX compatible.

Older Dell's, (i.e. <= 2001), in my opinion, are extremely high quality, while the ones they make now are only a step above eMachines, HP, and the like.

[ghsrocketman]

Originally Posted by faulkner132 Actually older Dell Computers don't have all the proprietary parts they use now. I have a machine I bought back in 1999 and both the MB and PS is 100% ATX compatible.

How old are you talking about? I bought this Dimension summer of 2004.

[Kiwi]

Originally Posted by ghsrocketman Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know the Dell motherboards (atleast the Dimension 2400) that everyone says will NOT fit in an aftermarket case infact DOES! I have pictures to prove it (will post when I get the chance). The only problem is I'll need to create a custom "fan duct" for the passive heat sink .

Dell has made a great many "odd" architecture PC's since they stopped assembling them in Austin from ATX standard parts; among the more common oddities are the ones with no actual backplane on the MB. Those have a separate board in the bottom of the case for the add-on slots, which are perpendicular to the usual.

The power supply and its wiring may or may not differ from standard; many of them differ. The front panel wiring is most likely in an "enbloc" connector that might or might not be labelled to easily connect to an ATX case's front panel. The unusual arrangement of the heat sink and ducting is both a less expensive cooling arrangement, and a quieter arrangement, than the more usual HSF's in ATX machines.

I'm not sure you will be fully successful adapting that part to the replacement case, but I am interested in how you handle it.

[ghsrocketman]

Attached are two pictures. The first of the mobo in the case before I realized the back panel also fits, and second of the case with the custom fan duct installed.

[blue60007]

So how well does the duct work? Personally I think I'd hook it to the top fan, since it's closer and heat rises.

[ghsrocketman]

Well, it would be difficult to use the top fan because of the way the fins on the heatsink are orientated. The duct works pretty well; the heatsink is only warm to the touch after about an hour of photoshop.

[blue60007]

Oh that's true. What temperature is it running at (unless Dell's don't have a thermal probe in place)? What CPU is in there?

[MaxRat]

Is that duct a chinese food take out box.....?..

That looks nice...good job

[ghsrocketman]

Originally Posted by blue60007 Oh that's true. What temperature is it running at (unless Dell's don't have a thermal probe in place)? What CPU is in there?

Not sure of the temperature, but my friend is giving me a fan controller with temperature probes tomorrow, so I guess I'll find out soon. Where on the heatsink should the probes go? It's a 2.6ghz Celeron

Originally Posted by gsrat Is that duct a chinese food take out box.....?.. That looks nice...good job

Thanks!

[Dell-2400]

Originally Posted by ghsrocketman Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know the Dell motherboards (atleast the Dimension 2400) that everyone says will NOT fit in an aftermarket case infact DOES! I have pictures to prove it (will post when I get the chance). The only problem is I'll need to create a custom "fan duct" for the passive heat sink . Matthew

did you ever get it because i want to do the same thing

why cant you just get a fan on the heatsink

[not important]

Most Dells that I have seen have a "scoop" mounted to the rear of the case and extending over the Heatsink. A fan is located at the top of the "scoop" onto the rear inside of the case. I would think that "scoop" could be fitted to a differnt case pretty easily?

[Dell-2400]

Originally Posted by not important Most Dells that I have seen have a "scoop" mounted to the rear of the case and extending over the Heatsink. A fan is located at the top of the "scoop" onto the rear inside of the case. I would think that "scoop" could be fitted to a differnt case pretty easily?

but it would look like **** the scoop is green and looks bad through a windo2

[RazorDX]

Is it just me, or does it look like the PCI slots and the expansion slots on the case don't line up how they should?

[Cricket]

The PCI slots are slightly off set to the openings in the case because of the way the PCI cards mount to the case...the slot cover is to one side of the card, not directly in the middle.

Cricket

[MaxRat]

Originally Posted by Dell-2400 did you ever get it because i want to do the same thing why cant you just get a fan on the heatsink

I am sure you can....But may take a little inginuity on your part to either super-glue, hot-glue or mod a fan to the heat sink....I have made a fan-shroud so to speak and modded fans to heatsinks...sometimes you can bend the fins on the outside in ever so slightly and use the fan screws to attach the fan to the heatsink....

where theres a will there is always a way....I asked that very question long ago...and Tin said ...super-glue...I don't know why but it had never crossed my mind....actually works pretty good...