9600GT in my PC case

[LarukuRock]

Hello all, this is my first topic in Tom's Hardware. I have decided that I need to upgrade my computer. I have suffered with integrated graphics for over 6 years, and I'm sick of it. I have an Acer Aspire AMD Athlon X2 64 4800+ 2.4 GHz, 320 GB, and 3 GB RAM. The only thing that is bottlenecking my system for some gaming is my integrated video. I decided that I will buy a 9600GT, and the PSU is also not a problem because I will also purchase an Antec EarthWatts PSU. Both I will purchase from newegg. However, before making this purchase, I was wondering if the video card could fit in perfectly in my case. I heard that the 9600GT is around 9 inches in length (correct me if I'm wrong =D).
Anyways, my Acer Model number is AM3100-U3401A, or the link for my computer: http://tinyurl.com/65zxgp
The inside of my case pic: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=dg4baf&s=3
I read about some people fitting a 9600GT in a micro GTX Case (from GameFaqs PC Board) without a problem. I turned to this site however, because I was very unsure. So please help me, will it fit perfectly without a problem?[][/]

 

[sarwar_r87]

take a scale and measure ur case......make sure its atlest 10 to 11inch coz u hav 2 plug in the power connector and also if case is 2 small it might block air flow.9600 gt let its heat out inside the case, so air flow is imp

 

[LarukuRock]

I used a ruler and measured the length of my case. I should only measure the outside right? The length of my case is around 17-18 inches. So, should it be perfectly fine?

 

[andrewcc]

Actually you should measure the INSIDE length of the case, from the PCI slots in the rear to whatever is in front (Hard drive or optical drive mounting cages, I assume, I can't tell from your pic), because the inside distance is the actual space you have to mount the card and insert the power cable. But if your case is that large, you probably have plenty of room in there for the card.

 

[LarukuRock]

Thank you so much, anyways, I just checked the inside of my case and I measured it. From the rear of the pci-e x16 slot to the cages, there are still some space for the video card, since the 9600GT is 9 inches right? Plus, the hard drive cage next to it is empty, so there are still plenty of room. So it would fit perfectly right? Anyways, call me paranoid, but in this picture again of my mobo:
http://img389.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dg4bafgp2.jpg
Can anyone tell me what that black checkered-looking square is for, would that ever block my 9600GT? I was just wondering, cause I am a bit paranoid,

 

[Slobogob]

Can anyone tell me what that black checkered-looking square is for, would that ever block my 9600GT? I was just wondering, cause I am a bit paranoid,

It's a passive cooler. Beneath it is your Southbridge chipset. It takes care of your usb ports, your hard drive, network and other things. It usually doesn't get very hot and the cooler should be designed to fit under a video card.