Replacing Dell mobo?

[wetdevil]

Is it possible to put a better motherboard and toss out dells crap one? and salvage the proc to maybe over clock its a 2.8

 

[Demonfire]

Yes, but youll have to buy a new case, and psu and Heatsink If you buy a mobo.

Why, u ask?

1) Dell uses propritary psu wireing and if you pluged it into a non dell mobo----ZZZZZZZZZZZZZaaaaaaaaaPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!---------Trust me, ive done it before (oh and the same goes backwards , Ie: New psu int dell mobo also = zap)

2) Dell uses propritary atx mounting holes, a new mobo will not fit in a dell case.

3) Dell uses a propritary heatsink retention mechinism, so a new hsf will be required.

 

[Wixard]

The only thing i can ad to the generally correct above statement is that you can rewire the new PSU to match the new motherboard. (i say generally because i think theres still a few models that use standard connecters. I can be flat out wrong on this though. )

They just switched up the connecters on the psu and motherboard. So with some effort and patience it can be done rather than pay 100 dollars for a new psu. The joys of Dells.

Why did they do this? To piss off the end user.

 

[qdemn7]

Originally posted by wetdevil
Is it possible to put a better motherboard and toss out dells crap one? and salvage the proc to maybe over clock its a 2.8

Depends on the Dell model. What model is it?

Dimension 4300, 4400, 8200 all use ATX Form Factor PS. Earlier models, and newer models use a propreitary PS pinout.

 

[MemoryInAGarden]

You COULD get an ATX board into a Dell case, but it would take some modding and effort.

 

[Zlash]

All the newer dells have regular atx stuff in them. Hell you might even be throwing away a 875P mobo.

 

[wetdevil]

yea..but its crap cause I cant overclock it. I woulda done newegg but im out of state and didnt wanna send parts to this motel. If anyone has any tips so I can overclock (even the properties on the 5200fx vidcard seem locked after I did coolbits I cant slide the bar over anymore) plz help out. specs: 2.8 533fsb dell 4600

 

[Monkey34]

SOME dell psu's have just re-wired the atx connector and have the 3.3v lines on a seperate harness. SOME have NO 3.3v lines , and look like atx. SOME are atx standard. SOME look atx, with no second harness, and NO 3.3v lines.

SOME companies should be shot for making their own standards.

Be VERY carefull about the psu!

BY THE WAY:
After you try replacing the mobo, if windows survives the transfer, you will now notice that your restore/dell cd's are now crap, because they are set up for a very specific hardware signature. If windows crashes during your upgrade............you are now the proud owner of a new windows xp cd(bought in frustration)

 

[henesseynalert]

im doing the same thing which is swapping mobo.......the psu is a standard atx.....i just replace the 250w PSU that came from dell with an enermax noisetaker and it works.........even the compaq that everyone thought has a propreity connections works great on an atx psu..............

 

[Demonfire]

Originally posted by Monkey34
BY THE WAY:
After you try replacing the mobo, if windows survives the transfer, you will now notice that your restore/dell cd's are now crap, because they are set up for a very specific hardware signature. If windows crashes during your upgrade............you are now the proud owner of a new windows xp cd(bought in frustration)

Well, you could ask Senior Juarez for a copy if Windows xp corprate edition, which dosent suffer from that little registration key problem

 

[IceTeaBag]

Señor Juarez saves you money! Of course, some people don't like him very much . . .

 

[henesseynalert]

The new dells dont have quickrestore cds with an OS all crampled up with the drivers like my crappy old compaq ........ they are a full copy of winxp without any dell crap in them....the dell drivers are on a separated cds.........did a fresh install recently....

 

[IceTeaBag]

My Dell from late 2002 came with a purple-and-white XP CD that has Dell written all over it. The drivers are on a separate CD, but same look and color scheme. I've used it on a non-Dell machine as a temporary fix and it seemed to work just fine.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by Monkey34
SOME dell psu's have just re-wired the atx connector and have the 3.3v lines on a seperate harness. SOME have NO 3.3v lines , and look like atx. SOME are atx standard. SOME look atx, with no second harness, and NO 3.3v lines.

SOME companies should be shot for making their own standards.

no kidding...it's one thing if they use a different connector, but one does NOT use a standard ATX connector with a different pinout!

/smacks Dell across the room

 

[Monkey34]

no kidding...it's one thing if they use a different connector, but one does NOT use a standard ATX connector with a different pinout!

I honestly think they want the uneducated to blow thier machines(for spite)....simply for wanting more than thier Dell/or an upgrade for thier Dell(other than Dell parts).

 

[henesseynalert]

Originally posted by IceTeaBag
My Dell from late 2002 came with a purple-and-white XP CD that has Dell written all over it. The drivers are on a separate CD, but same look and color scheme. I've used it on a non-Dell machine as a temporary fix and it seemed to work just fine.

Dude i hope u aint joking on this one.....i'll be doing a mobo swap this week with my new ASUS P4C800-E MOBO ........i'll give it a shot and see it works.........I have to scavange an old power button so i can power up my asus once i made the swap...........

this just made my day.....