Acer Mini-Tower Rebuild...

[liversnatch]

Hello,

I tried to search for this, but came up with several thousand topics...

I own an Acer Aspire X1700, it is a mini-tower, or slim tower I don't know which is more correct to describe it. I would like to upgrade for
better graphics performance now, with an eye to upgrading more in the future. One of the major limitations of this PC is its size and its
pitiful power source (220 watts, and I don't think that is upgradeable). It also runs hot (burned up my first GPU five days after the warranty
expired, of course!).

My question is, can I take all of the guts of this PC and install them into a new case with a larger PSU?

This is the case and power supply that I have in mind: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.492932
I am not by any means adept at working on computers, so please keep that in mind if you answer, my BF keeps telling me "all you need is a
screwdriver, babe" ... so obviously I am worried.

And, cost is a major factor... or I wouldn't be hacking around with this thing LOL. But it would be nice to have something to upgrade on my tiny budget.
I also know that there are far better options than using my existing Acer guts, but that is something that for now can't be helped, but hopefully with my
choice of Case and larger PSU I can work with in the future...

Thanks

 

[cmcghee358]

Whats your budget?

 

[eloric]

Welcome Newcomer, and I applaud your intrepid spirit to come up with a solution utilizing the resources at hand, even if one of them is not your BF.

The single thing I would be concerned about is the fact that some companies use non-standard motherboards. You need to verify that you have an ATX board that will fit into the case. Here are the specs. I would not be too concerned about small differences in the overall board dimensions, but make sure the hole placement is correct for the standoffs. Good luck translating the dimensions to standard ruler measurements! Maybe convert to metric?

OK, if the board checks out, then everything else should be standard. The 750 watt power supply you selected is overkill, unless you are ready to upgrade to two video cards that cost over $300 each.

Instead, take a look at this OCZ 600 Watt PSU combo with the same case for $100 including shipping.. That is $21 less right off the top, and there is another $20 in a rebate too.

Let us know if the board will fit - if not, someone may know where to get a non-standard sized PSU.

 

[liversnatch]

Well, my budeget is about $100 - $150ish, and keeping it as low as possible is my goal for now. If I could just get the Acer's components into a larger case that would keep me happy for now and give me the chance to add more to it later.

Thanks for the responses, and thanks for pointing me toward the cheaper deal too! I may go ahead and buy that even if my current stuff won't work -- and just attempt a whole new build even though I don't feel all that confident doing it myself...

 

[eloric]

Ha Ha - you can do it! Even if the board does not fit, you should be able to buy this one to replace it, and use the cpu, memory and graphics card from the old machine!

JetWay JI31GM4-L-LF LGA 775 for $41.

That would leave you $9 for some Thermal Interface Material

Now, to get serious for a moment. Here is the definitive guide to build your own machine. All of the steps in here pretty much apply, except you won't have any documentation for the motherboard. So, if you can salvage the Acer board, before you take apart your old machine, you need to find out how the case cables are connected. This includes the on/off switch, reset switch, etc. Pay close attention, trace the wires back to their origin from the old case, and note where everything was connected to the board. Write it down and maybe take a picture of it. Read through the guide; I am referring to step 5, and you should be able to get an idea.

Once you are done with this exercise, you will be able to build every computer from here on in. Good Luck!

 

[liversnatch]

Ha Ha - you can do it! Even if the board does not fit, you should be able to buy this one to replace it, and use the cpu, memory and graphics card from the old machine!

JetWay JI31GM4-L-LF LGA 775 for $41.

That would leave you $9 for some Thermal Interface Material

Now, to get serious for a moment. Here is the definitive guide to build your own machine. All of the steps in here pretty much apply, except you won't have any documentation for the motherboard. So, if you can salvage the Acer board, before you take apart your old machine, you need to find out how the case cables are connected. This includes the on/off switch, reset switch, etc. Pay close attention, trace the wires back to their origin from the old case, and note where everything was connected to the board. Write it down and maybe take a picture of it. Read through the guide; I am referring to step 5, and you should be able to get an idea.

Once you are done with this exercise, you will be able to build every computer from here on in. Good Luck!

Thank you very much! I was wondering if I could use the parts with another motherboard as a last resort, so you just answered my next question.

 

[eloric]

You are quite welcome.