hi
the following that ii want to achief
i've got an amd-350mhz with soltek motherboard
(with ps2,usb,printerport the usual)
and AT power-supply
but no tower
my questions is can i use an atX-tower and rip out the atx-power-supply and chand it with an at-power-supply
so i can use it as linux-box

can someone please helpl me

Affirmative.

I doubt it - the form factor for the AT boards is different from ATX. Your pci slots won't line up, as well as your keyboard/mouse. If you're pretty good with sheet metal and have a punch and brake press, maybe. I tried it by removing the entire backplane from a 4U AT rackmount rig. It worked, but it was butt-ugly

If its a good ATX case, it should have the motherboard mount screw holes necessary to mount an AT board. If it doesn't have them you can always mark it down, pop the back plate and dremmel some screw holes into the plate... yeah I did that once, it was a pain, I was bored and thought I was Bob Villa.

A cheap AT/ATX case, with both sets of screw holes and back plates is around $40, much easier.

As for the PSU differences, it doesn't matter, all the differences are in the mobo plug; if your worried about the board jumpers, don't they've been universal since... heck, the 386.

Cheers,

Finegan

Dremels rock! I got mine about 6 months ago, I love em.

You know you don't have to conform to a standard box right? You could build a plexi-glass box, or whatever you want. And if you have a dremel, it's all that much easier especially when making the holes.

Cool

I made a case from 6mm high density polyethylene once (was _very_ bored) for an old P166 overclocked board. However it was a bad idea as plastics are a thermal insulator compared to sheet metal. The motherboard was running about 15 degrees (C) hotter than in the metal case.

All that sheet metal in the box is a good heat sink - especially for things like hard drives. A good mechanical connection for hard drives can dissipate a lot of heat over all that exposed surface area in the box.

Cool! Custom built cases rock!

I built my truck box out of plexi wannabe (I can't remember the real material name ) and it too gets a little hotter. There are loads of options for heat displacement right now, up to and including water cooling through radiators.

You can also use sheet metal to wrap your drives in, and locate them inside the plastic box somewhere, attach a fan nearby, and go that route. Loads of ideas. Basically I am just saying, don't limit yourself to standard designed cases, there are always other options, and other ways to do things. You know from Fin that the PS is standard, so it will either work or not, and from there, it's your imagination stopping you, not much else

Cool

Screw plexi-glass

Try Lego. LOL. Or better yet, paper cartons.

I am not THAT bored. I always buy a cheap-o case and strip everything out. Put a decent PSU in. Get a rather compatible mobo that gives me the most band for the buck. But I do custom paint the case. I helped a friend turn her Dell desktop into skyblue. Perfect for Win98.

How do you paint em? Do you sand it down, and then just use spray paint, or is there a type of paint that is better for em?

Cool

MC, it doesn't matter what kind of paint. Just get the water-resistent (pretty much everything is) spray paints at your local hardware store. Home Depot. I get the cheapest ones. But I recommend you get a decent respirator regularly and get a clear paint. You can do it for an empty case or already-built one. If you're worried, you could cover the mobo and parts with newspaper cuts & tape. Especially the holes on the back panel.

1) using a new sponge to lightly wipe all sides of the case with mild detegent and lukewarm water
2) waste the sponge in lukewarm water and wipe the case gently
3) let dry for an hour or two, don't rush
4) go to an open space, like your garage
5) cover the workbench or stool with newspaper
6) turn the lights on
7) shake the spy can for a minute
8) put your respirator on
9) spray a little with the can upside down to clear any clog
10) spray just enough to cover the base color, let dry for an hour
11) spray another light coat, let dry for an hour
12) spray another medium coat, let dry for two days
14) spray the final protective, clear coat

You can always touch up color losses with an enamel(?) paint sold at hobby shops.

You should remove CD/DVD drives and put the original cover(s) on the openning. Roll some stick-it rubber and stick it to the led lights. Remove all 4/6 screws on back for both plates and cover the back with cut newspaper and tape. Put sides back on. No screws for both sides. Slide them in and leave a little space on the front for the paint to get into the gaps.

If you could get 2 case fans with LED lights, get 'em! They're very cool. They ain't expensive. One on the inside of the lower-bottom front panel and another right below the PSU on the inside. Drill some holes on the lower front panel. And you could get metallic thumb screws to replace the regular ones on the back. 4 will do.

Sounds like I can be very bored.

Hey thanks! That's a pretty damn good how-to.

I am thinkin about building another box for my house, along with another mobile box...

I might apply some of these ideas to my new boxes.

Thanks

Cool

thx for all the replies

i think i gonna go with plexi-thing

a few questions about that

how did you make your pci cuts

an are the any more stuff that i've got to know