BTX Mobo in ATX Case?

[Invaderslayer]

Hey guys I was just wondering If i can fit all my parts of a dell xps 420 wich is a BTX motherboard in an ATX Case. I will transfer everythign from my XPS 420 case into an ATX case, but im not sure if its possible.. Please let me know.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

An ATX case has mounting holes for micro ATX, standard ATX, and sometimes extended ATX motherboards. I do not know if it is possible to mount a BTX motherboard in an ATX case. A BTX motherboard is designed for BTX and small form factor (SFF) cases. Perhaps someone familiar with BTX motherboards will answer your question.

 

[Invaderslayer]

ok thanks, If i could i would by a btx case but they are mad expensive and atx cases are pretty cheap

 

[megamanx00]

Nope, you can't do it, at least not without some serious case modding. If you look at a BTX machine and an ATX machine you will see that the BTX board is mounted on the opposite wall. You'd also have to drill in your own screw mountings, but hey think of it as an adventure rather a chore, until you screw up anyway .

 

[Invaderslayer]

haha I rather not lol, But do u know of any places that sell BTX cases?

And also what does it mean when it says ATX/BTX compatible then it says BTX upgrade kit?

 

[marcellis22]

Why don't you just buy an ATX motherboard that will take your current CPU? At least you'll have overclocking capabilities you currently don't have with the Dell..Yeah, It'll cost you extra to do the job RIGHT, but is there any other way to do a job...

 

[Invaderslayer]

Bc then I cant use all my other hardware, like Hdd, gfx card, CPU and all that stuff, i would like have to buy a brand new computer..

 

[mike99]

Why do you think you cannot use your components with an ATX motherboard? If you do change the motherboard you may find a problem with reinstalling windows, as OEM OS is often 'tied' to the original motherboard. You can ring activation line (toll free) and tell them the original board died and this is a replacement, and they should activate.

Mike.

 

[Zecow]

*snip*

 

[o1die]

The btx format has been virtually abandoned by Intel and case builders. Try finding an amd btx board used in some gateway and dell systems; it's virtually impossible. Get yourself a new atx case and transfer the drives over to the new case. Use norton backup to save your old files; I usually just format and start over. The dell oem cd for vista or windows xp will work on any non dell motherboard; just activate windows using the original coa sticker number on the side of your old case. I wouldn't remove it; you might damage it, and have trouble reading those tiny numbers. When you activate windows, before hitting the enter key, write down those numbers on a separate piece of paper so you don't have to use the original coa, which fades with time or may get damaged, making the numbers impossible to read. Believe me, it happens. When I upgraded my compaq pc, I used an ecs g33 board ($19.99 closeout at Fry's electronics) and it works perfectly. All the compaq case connectors fit fine on the ecs board, and all front usb, sound, and card reader devices were recognized by vista and worked on the ecs board. That's much cheaper than buying another hp motherboard on ebay. Hp won't sell you one unless you send in the whole pc for them to do it; and that's more than what I originally paid for the whole pc.

 

[Invaderslayer]

So you are saying to buy an ATX case and then by a new ATX motherboard?
Alls i want to do is take everything out of my dell xps 420 case and put it in an atx case.. but my motherboard is BTX..

 

[o1die]

Yes. You can't use a btx motherboard in an atx case; don't even try it; too many case mods are necessary, if it's even possible. You might end up with an unusable case that wouldn't work with either type of motherboard. In short, if your current setup works fine, keep it until the board dies, or sell your whole dell intact on ebay and build your own. Pretty cases are a low priority.

 

[BeakerUK]

I know the Thermaltake BachVX Series are BTX Compatible if you can find the adaptor kit. I would assume the same goes for any of the other Thermaltake cases using the same basic chassis.

The big thing is IF you can find a BTX adaptor kit. I've seen them mentioned on the Thermaltake website, and in the literature that came with my case, but I've never seen them on sale anywhere.