Advice on converting Alienware x51 R2 (Early 2013) to a case/upgrading parts

[Trixter313]

Purchase Date: 8/15/14

Budget Range: None because it's more long term so I'm willing to wait and save as long as it takes to have the appropriate amount of money.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, surfing the internet

Are you buying a monitor: Already have a 1080p one but am looking to buy another, Acer XB280HK bprz 28-inch Display Ultra HD 4K2K NVIDIA G-SYNC (3840 x 2160) Widescreen Monitor

Parts to Upgrade: Motherboard, Case, Graphics Card, Processor? RAM?, Cooling System?, Power Supply?, anything else you suggest!

Do you need to buy OS: No, currently using Windows 10

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Whichever has the best deal but Amazon is what I've been using.

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211, USA

Parts Preferences: I don't really care about brands for most parts except I'm pretty sure I want to keep the processor Intel and graphics card Nvidia.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: Currently, 1080p. Looking to buy, 4K. This monitor is what I'll probably get and I'll dual monitor them.

Additional Comments: Don't care about how loud or quiet the system is, system is in the attic which can get hot during the summer but is air conditioned while I'm in the room. (Almost always) And is always running but haven't had any issues with overheating yet.

Why Are You Upgrading: Want to move the guts into a new case for easier upgrade down the line.

Parts you have already selected:
Monitor: Acer XB280HK bprz 28-inch Display Ultra HD 4K2K NVIDIA G-SYNC (3840 x 2160) Widescreen Monitor

Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 980 Ti

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So, I posted a few questions on the Alienware forum and got some answers but once I got into some detail they suggested posting here. Here is a link to the topic in case it helps: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19642676/20792423

Here are the detailed computer specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 @4GHz

Operating System: Windows 10 64-Bit

Monitor: Dell S2340M 23" 1080p

Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Ti OEM

Memory: 16 GB DDR3

SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 256 GB

Optical Drive: Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (9.5mm)

Wireless: DW 1550 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Wireless Combo

Keyboard: Logitech MK700/MK710

Mouse: Logitech M705

Memory Slots: 2x 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Slots

Chassis Dimensions & Weight
Front-Height: 13.504” (343mm)
Rear-Height: 12.54” (318.5mm)
Depth: 12.52” (318mm)
Width: 3.74” (95mm)
Starting Weight: 12.1lbs (5.49 Kg.)

External Chassis Connections
Front
(2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0
(1x) Microphone In
(1x) Headphone/Speaker Out

Rear
(1x) On-board HDMI 1.4 Output
(1x) RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
(2x) Hi-Speed USB 2.0
(4x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0
(1x) Front Left/Right Speakers
(1x) Center Speaker
(1x) Rear Left/Right Speakers
(1x) Side Left/Right Speakers
(1x) SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK) (1x) SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)

Internal Chassis Connections
(3x) SATA 6.0Gb/s Ports

Chipset: Intel® H87 Express Chipset (Standard)

Dimensions & Weight
Height: Front: 13.504" (343mm) Rear: 12.54" (318.5mm)
Depth: 12.52" (318mm)
Width: 3.74" (95mm)
Starting Weight: 12.1 lbs. (5.49 kg.)

Motherboard Class: Mini-ITX Motherboard

Processor Cooling: Alienware™ High-Performance Air Cooling

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To sum up the responses I got there, they said I should get a new ATX motherboard, a closed loop liquid cooler, and a new power supply to support the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti GPU.

I was also wondering if I should get new RAM and go from DDR3 to DDR4. There seems to be some controversy on whether DDR4 is better or not. I've found 165 motherboards that can support all my current components and DDR4 ram so finding a board for it isn't an issue.

Also, do you think I should upgrade my processor now so I won't have to get a whole new motherboard if I want to upgrade later but the socket types don't match up. If I were to upgrade it, the socket types would have to be LGA 1150, LGA 1155, LGA 1156, or LGA 2011.

Also, I can't decide what type of form factor to get for my motherboard. I'm stuck between ATX, Extended ATX, Ultra ATX, and XL ATX. Would it be too difficult to find a case that supports anything besides the plain ATX?

The graphics card and monitor would probably be the last things I'm going to upgrade since those are the priciest. With that said, does that also mean I should/could hold off upgrading the power supply and cooling system until then?

Also looking for any part upgrade suggestions I haven't already mentioned.

If you have ANY questions, even the smallest, just ask them below and I'll clarify anything as much as I can!

Thanks!

 

[datguy20]

The i7-4790 is a great CPU, no real reason to change that unless you "need" the 6+ cores offered by the newer i7-5xxx CPU's.

A liquid cooler is pointless if your not overclocking, and especially because it's a non-k CPU (which can't be overclocked).

You can't change to DDR4 without also changing the CPU & motherboard. i7-4790 only supports DDR3.

Honestly all I would do is get a good graphics card. You didn't mention what power supply you have, so you might also have to get one for the new GPU if it's too low wattage. Considering you'll be using 4k and the budget is unknown, I'd go with an R9 Fury X. Of course then the G-sync wouldn't work, but there are 4k Free-sync monitors as well.

 

[Trixter313]

The i7-4790 is a great CPU, no real reason to change that unless you "need" the 6+ cores offered by the newer i7-5xxx CPU's.

A liquid cooler is pointless if your not overclocking, and especially because it's a non-k CPU (which can't be overclocked).

You can't change to DDR4 without also changing the CPU & motherboard. i7-4790 only supports DDR3.

Honestly all I would do is get a good graphics card. You didn't mention what power supply you have, so you might also have to get one for the new GPU if it's too low wattage. Considering you'll be using 4k and the budget is unknown, I'd go with an R9 Fury X. Of course then the G-sync wouldn't work, but there are 4k Free-sync monitors as well.

Ok, I did some digging in my email and found that the power supply is a 330 Watt Power Supply.

So you're saying all I really need to upgrade is the motherboard, graphics card, monitor, and case? Great!

I was kinda thinking of upgrading to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti graphics card. I did a comparison of them and they seem to be pretty similar, only a dollar price difference too. What are your thoughts on this? Here's the site I used to compare: http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-FURY-X-vs-GeForce-GTX-980-Ti

Also, what should I do for the motherboard design? Amazon is showing 4 options that aren't mini's or micros. ATX, Extended ATX, Ultra ATX, and XL ATX. Would it be too hard to find a case for anything other than a regular ATX card or should I get one of the others?

Thanks!

 

[datguy20]

I didn't say to upgrade the motherboard. I would only change it if the motherboard didn't have some feature you absolutely needed.

As for the graphics card, to really simplify it, 980 ti is great under 4K resolution, but the Fury X beats it at 4K (and higher) resolutions. So monitor choice should dictate that decision.

No matter what graphics card you get, you'll need more than 330W. If you go 980 ti, I'd recommend 550W, and if you go Fury X then a 650W. Here's the PSU tier list so you don't buy a bad unit (get a tier 1 or 2) http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[Trixter313]

I didn't say to upgrade the motherboard. I would only change it if the motherboard didn't have some feature you absolutely needed.

As for the graphics card, to really simplify it, 980 ti is great under 4K resolution, but the Fury X beats it at 4K (and higher) resolutions. So monitor choice should dictate that decision.

No matter what graphics card you get, you'll need more than 330W. If you go 980 ti, I'd recommend 550W, and if you go Fury X then a 650W. Here's the PSU tier list so you don't buy a bad unit (get a tier 1 or 2) http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

I forgot to mention that the motherboard on it right now is the default one which is a custom "Mini-ITX Motherboard" so it doesn't follow the ATX standard and it's mini so more limited. Apparently people have had difficulties finding cases that support this custom board so that's why I believe I'll have to replace it. What do you think?

 

[datguy20]

A mini-ITX motherboard will be more compatible, as it's small enough to fit in basically any case. Now I don't know what's so "custom" about it, so that may or may not be a problem. Hard to say.

The only thing that you lose out on a mini-ITX motherboard is PCI slots and Sata ports. Not a big deal unless you have a need for extra PCI slots (sound/capture card, another GPU, etc).

If you want to avoid the hassle of a potential "custom" motherboard messing up the potential to move into a different case then I can understand that. Do you have a case in mind that you wanted to put everything into? There are plenty of high-quality small motherboards if you want to keep it small.

 

[Karadjgne]

What you're looking at isn't and upgrade, as much as a custom built (by you) pc. It's understandable why the Aliens (heh) would send you here.

What you'll need is to ask some questions of yourself. Mini-itx is the smallest motherboard, so thats the case size you are used to. Just how big do you want to go? Micro-atx is a little larger, ATX being a standard middle size, and e-atx and others go big. For the big boards you need a full tower, and they don't sit on desks very well. M-atx/ATX fit in full towers or mid towers etc and so forth. It's decisions like this that start the direction needed in order to start narrowing options.

Once the size is set, you'll need a decent appropriate mobo, keep your cpu, hdd, probably ram, even the optical drive, kb, mouse etc, its all transferable.

For a 980ti, I'd suggest a quality 550w-620w-650w psu. ATX psus will fit any case more or less, as they are usually a standard fit. It's only on certain small form factor cases that that becomes an issue.

The rest is aesthetics. Window case, no window, usb3, cpu cooler upgrade for acoustics or keep stock cooler etc, all aesthetic choices.

Edit. Oh just remembered, the Mini-itx board Alienware uses has proprietary connectors on things like cpu header (5 pin!) etc, which is why it's better to just start over. Trying to mix and match is a royal pain. Some x51 Aurora already have liquid cooling setups, and are much quieter than standard stock air, but use a 5pin (ugh) connector

 

[Trixter313]

A mini-ITX motherboard will be more compatible, as it's small enough to fit in basically any case. Now I don't know what's so "custom" about it, so that may or may not be a problem. Hard to say.

The only thing that you lose out on a mini-ITX motherboard is PCI slots and Sata ports. Not a big deal unless you have a need for extra PCI slots (sound/capture card, another GPU, etc).

If you want to avoid the hassle of a potential "custom" motherboard messing up the potential to move into a different case then I can understand that. Do you have a case in mind that you wanted to put everything into? There are plenty of high-quality small motherboards if you want to keep it small.

I don't really mind a big computer case... It's just more room for other parts, right? The bigger the better!
I've tried refining my search terms but all I can get it down to is 84 "Full" sized ones and 2 "Ultra" sized ones. 1, 2.

 

[datguy20]

You can fit a lot in a small case if you want to. Not saying you have to, but it is an option.

Try looking through some of these and find something you like https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/case/#u=1&t=1,3,2,5,7,6,8,9,10

 

[Karadjgne]

You understand those full towers are @ 3 feet tall, 2 foot deep and over a foot wide? That's a huge case. This does present its own set of issues, like airflow, (needs lots of fans, there's lots of air space to move) all the components are far apart etc. Full towers are usually for those looking for huge tower cpu coolers or full open loop water cooling etc

 

[Trixter313]

You understand those full towers are @ 3 feet tall, 2 foot deep and over a foot wide? That's a huge case. This does present its own set of issues, like airflow, (needs lots of fans, there's lots of air space to move) all the components are far apart etc. Full towers are usually for those looking for huge tower cpu coolers or full open loop water cooling etc

Didn't notice that in the product dimensions... Thank you for pointing that out. Wish they would have had some kind of size comparison in the images.

Well, if I change it to "Mid" tower instead, it gives even MORE options! There are now 441 different cases to choose from... And nothing else to refine it by except for aesthetics, which I don't mind at all... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_keywords_1?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A%21493964%2Cn%3A541966%2Cn%3A193870011%2Cn%3A572238%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A2224371011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A6570760011%5Cc5652275011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_four_browse-bin%3A6570423011&bbn=572238&sort=featured-rank&ie=UTF8&qid=1438139947&rnid=6570421011

 

[Trixter313]

You can fit a lot in a small case if you want to. Not saying you have to, but it is an option.

Try looking through some of these and find something you like https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/case/#u=1&t=1,3,2,5,7,6,8,9,10

I've narrowed it down to 7 pages on that site... There are so many similar options. https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/case/#u=1&t=1,3&f=2

I just want the best one for my setup but they are VERY similar. This is where my indecisiveness puts a bottleneck in the operation...

 

[datguy20]

There are a ton of good mid-towers. NZXT S340, Corsair 450D, Fractal Design Define R5, etc etc etc.

Because you don't plan on crossfire/sli, here's two ATX motherboards you could grab https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/compare/asrock-motherboard-h97anniversary%2Cgigabyte-motherboard-gaz97hd3/

 

[Karadjgne]

Something like this would be a good start. There's also a difference in motherboards. Z mobo's have more bells and whistles than H or B counterparts, it may not mean much more than better audio or better lan, more USB etc. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($56.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $235.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-28 23:57 EDT-0400

 

[Trixter313]

What is the difference in chipsets for the motherboards? Does it have to match with something on my current system?
My options left after my refining on pcpartpicker are:
Intel B85
Intel C222
Intel C224
Intel C226
Intel H81
Intel H87
Intel H97
Intel Q87
Intel Z87
Intel Z97

Is one specifically better than the rest? How do I pick one? Is the Z97 the best option?

 

[Trixter313]

If Z97 is the best option for me, I've narrowed the motherboard down to one page! https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#R=5,4&s=24&u=1&a=1,3&J=0&K=1,10&f=2&sort=d6&c=99&N=2,16

 

[datguy20]

Z97 is for overclocking & people who want to run multiple graphics cards. If you are do neither then H97 is the best pick. A good budget board with decent features is the AsRock H97 Pro4 (H97M Pro4 also).

 

[Trixter313]

Z97 is for overclocking & people who want to run multiple graphics cards. If you are do neither then H97 is the best pick. A good budget board with decent features is the AsRock H97 Pro4 (H97M Pro4 also).

I think the ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX is what I'll go with! I narrowed one down finally on the pcpartpicker site and went to get your opinion of it here, and you already suggested it! As an added bonus, it's Blue! Hopefully after adding that motherboard it will decrease the amount of cases I have to choose from. Thanks!

 

[datguy20]

Not likely. The most common cases support ATX motherboards. Just find something you like, with good reviews, and don't worry too much. Any good case has USB 3 & fan filters.

 

[Trixter313]

Not likely. The most common cases support ATX motherboards. Just find something you like, with good reviews, and don't worry too much. Any good case has USB 3 & fan filters.

Do you think this one is appropriate? http://www.corsair.com/en/carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-case
It goes for $119.99 on newegg.

 

[datguy20]

Corsair makes some good cases. Although I personally like their 450D more.

There are so many ATX cases it's hard to give a solid recommendation though.

 

[Trixter313]

Ok, I'm pretty sure I've decided on the ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard and Corsair Carbide Series 500R Case. Do you think I'll have to upgrade my power supply with just these 2 changes to my system? It's currently the default 330 Watt Power Supply that came with the computer but the case does come with some more fans.

Also, I just noticed after adding a ram to pcpartpicker it says, "Dell 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory is 204-pin SODIMM form factor, but the ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard only accepts 240-pin DIMM form factor RAM."
So will I have to upgrade my ram after all? D= I don't think thats the exact ram the system uses but that's all I could find online for replacement ram.

 

[Trixter313]

Corsair makes some good cases. Although I personally like their 450D more.

There are so many ATX cases it's hard to give a solid recommendation though.

Ok, opened up the computer and got the ram out but it didn't say how many pins it has... It's definitely not the Dell replacement ram on their website though, the brand is Kingston.
When I go to Kingston's website and search for my computer it shows 240 pin ram, so does that mean the ram is indeed 240 pin? http://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?DeviceType=2&Mfr=ALW&Line=x51%20R2&Model=88199

Here's a picture in case that helps:

 

[datguy20]

Your i7-4790 only uses DDR3. There's no way it would be running something else.

And yes you can use the same power supply if you aren't changing the graphics card.

 

[Karadjgne]

204 pin SODIMM DDR3 is used in laptops. Desktops use 240 pin UDIMM DDR3. They wont swap unless you get 1 of an extremely rare desktop motherboard that uses laptop memory.

Personally I'd just go ahead and upgrade the psu. Even though Alienware uses better grade psus, usually Seasonic or Delta OEM, its still a proprietary Dell psu, its still just 330w and that limits you excessively as far as gpu goes. You are pretty much stuck with a GTX 750ti or AMD R7-260 (much worse choice). With all you are doing with this build, you may as well put on a tux, with flip-flops