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Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Power Supplies, Cases & Mods > New PSU and Case for SX2800 ...suggestions?

New PSU and Case for SX2800 ...suggestions?

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, Cases & Mods New PSU and Case for SX2800 ...suggestions?

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Hello All,
This is my first post here but I regularly read your forums and have found them very informative. I have owned the Gateway SX2800-01 for about a year now. Most of the games I play are older (BF1942, Age of Empires 2, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Nascar Racing 2003) but I have started coming back to my PC for some newer games and I noticed my SX2800 having some troubles with The Sims 3 (for my wife) and Sim City 4. I also want to be able to play a few newer games on my PC, mostly Mass Effect 2. So, I came here to TomsHardware.com and researched some decent video cards that would work with my slim profile case. After reading many threads and user experiences, I have purchased the Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 (512mb) and I'm currently waiting to receive it in the mail. Due to the low wattage factory power supply (220w) and the many heat issues with the SX2800 and dedicated video cards, I plan on upgrading my case and PSU soon. Most people here seem to recommend the Antec 300 but I don't like the looks of it too well. It looks kinda cheap from the front to me and it only has 2 front USB ports. I see it gets great reviews and people seem to really like it because of its strong construction and such. Also, I would prefer to buy a case that already has a power supply in it and I really didn't want to spend more than $100 between the psu and case (but I'm learning that's gonna be hard to do). So my questions are:

1. How hard is it to transfer all my pc components from one case to another and add a new psu?
2. There only seems to be 1 very small fan in the back on the bottom of the SX2800s factory case. Is it possible to somehow add a new fan to help the cooling so that I don't have to get rid of this case? (I actually really like this case).
3. If I do get a new case and psu, what tools am I going to need? As in, am I going to be crimping or soldering wires or is must of it just "plug and play" or screwed/bolted in?
4. What other cases and psu's would you recommend?
Thanks for all your help, in this thread and in the many other threads on this site!

Reply to Rook21
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Depends on your vender and budget. Seasonic has a 300w SX300 TFX for $37.99 at newegg that may fit. Do some measuring before ordering.

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Message edited by o1die on 12-02-2010 at 01:16:35 AM
Reply to o1die

picture of the pc please? it sound lik your currect pc is not a standard atx form factor, so the mobo, etc, may not fit in a standard case

Reply to shovenose
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o1die wrote :

Depends on your vender and budget. Seasonic has a 300w SX300 TFX for $37.99 at newegg that may fit. Do some measuring before ordering.



Yeah I read [url=[/url]]here in the forums where they recommended that PSU but after the guy measured his SX2800, it was like .5" too tall. I'm mainly worried about keeping the whole unit cool in this small case so I figured that if I have to upgrade the case, then I might as well upgrade the PSU while I'm at it. What would you recommend for a good case that comes with a PSU? Or any ideas on how to keep my existing slim case cool without taking the sides off and placing a room fan (like 8" fan) beside it?

Reply to Rook21
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shovenose wrote :

picture of the pc please? it sound lik your currect pc is not a standard atx form factor, so the mobo, etc, may not fit in a standard case



Here's a link with a pic and the SX2800 specs...
Link to CNet

From what I've read here on Tom's, it is a micro-atx. Also, the SX2800 has a multitude of USB inputs (9 to be exact) and I'm currently using 7. How does that work when you get a new case? I can't find any case on Tigerdirect or Newegg that says how many USB ports they have on the back. They only list how many they have in the front. Is this because you have to buy something extra to put USB ports in the back or what? I'm sorry if that's a stupid question but so far, the only "modding" I have done is plug in a stick of RAM and plugged a couple video cards in other computers. I've certainly never built a pc or even saw a custom case in person. Thanks again for your help!

Reply to Rook21
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Looks like your motherboard is proprietary and may not fit in a standard case; will attempt to find the ps measurements and get back to you later.


Message edited by o1die on 12-02-2010 at 11:15:41 PM
Reply to o1die
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Found a vender that sells the power supply for the antec minuet 350 case. The vender name is provantage and the price is around $51. But I couldn't find any measurements for this power supply. Antec makes good ps, and this 350w is the most powerful for your case if it fits.

Reply to o1die
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If you still want to try a different case, newegg has the antec 300 with antec 430w ps already installed for $89.95 with free shipping. Problem is your motherboard may not come with a removable backplate, and I've never installed a mini-itx motherboard in a regular atx case. I would write down the measurements of your current power supply, and email antec for the measurements of the minuet 350 power supply. I have contacted them before; they were most helpful. This power supply looks like it should fit your case if the mounting holes line up.

Reply to o1die
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