Can you use an older ATX case with new motherboard

[eh936]

Hello.

Does anyone know whether its possible to install one the latest new motherboards in an older ATX case that was previously used to house a P4 Socket 478 motherboard. I just needed to know if the motherboard support pins of the case would line up with the pre-drilled holes of the new motherboard. Also will a new PSU be compatible with the older case or not ?

Oh yea last thing can someone recommend a PSU with power rating ? My plans are to go with a new motherboard (not decided the model yet) w/i3/i5/i7 CPU (not decided yet) a couple of SATA 3GB/s hard drives and a couple of SATA DVD-RW drives and about 2 x 4GB = 8GB DDR3 RAM and an average PCIe 2.0 x16 card (for surfing/email/development).

Thanks in advance

Victor

 

[C12Friedman]

Yes and yes. ATX is a standardization, been in use over 10 years, your motherboard will (more than likely) be same (or variations thereof) and most PSU's are also standardized as ATX anymore.
600W should easily take care of your power needs. This list has all highly rated PSU's
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007657%20600014022%20600037998&IsNodeId=1&name=80%20PLUS%20GOLD%20Certified
You don't have to go that expensive but you do want a good power supply.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

^ I agree that ATX is a standard size. Your old case may not have very good cooling compared to a modern case though and that is something to think about.

I have to disagree with the above power supply choices. ANY single graphics card including a $500 GTX 580 can run on a quality 550w power supply. That is an oddball collection and extremely overpriced unless you plan on running a server 24/7 where it's worth paying double for an 80+ Gold certification. I would choose a power supply from this list myself.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007657%20600014021&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=58%7C17%2D151%2D093%5E17%2D151%2D093%2DTS%2C17%2D371%2D016%5E17%2D371%2D016%2DTS%2C17%2D256%2D071%5E17%2D256%2D071%2DTS%2C17%2D341%2D047%5E17%2D341%2D047%2DTS%2C17%2D207%2D013%5E17%2D207%2D013%2DTS

 

[JKatwyopc]

You can most likely reuse the old case with a new motherboard, HOWEVER, you need to consider some important details first.

How many expansion slots are available on the back of the computer case ?

If you have four or five expansion slots then you will need to get a MICRO-ATX motherboard. Most Micro-ATX motherboards have only 4 expansion slots.

If you have six or seven slots then you should be able to use an ATX motherboard.

If you have eight or more slots then you could potentially use an Extended ATX motherboard.

Can you remove the back plate insert? This is an insert plate that is used to provide access to the video connectors, network sockets, USB sockets, Keyboard and Mouse PS2 connectors, Com port connectors, Printer port connectors, Audio connectors, etc. On a true ATX case the plate is removed and replaced with a new plate that is included with the motherboard. Note: the original insert is sometimes very difficult to pop out. Be careful not to cut your finger when it pops out.

There is usually no concern with the PSU because the ATX case specs for the PSU are pretty standard and most PSU manufacturers follow the standard. However, some OEM (HP, Compaq, Gateway, Dell) computer manufacturers haven't always followed the standards so you should verify that your case is compliant with standard PSU mounting requirements.

You didn't mention what you planned on using for Video. For onboard graphics or a low end discrete graphics card you could use a 350-450 watt supply. However, if you want a mid range card such as a Radeon HD 6850/6870 or a GTX 560ti then 500-550 watts is what you'll need. If you want to run a dual graphics card system, you may need to get 650 watts or more.

 

[photonboy]

USB3:
I strongly suggest that you make sure your motherboard has FRONT PANEL USB3 outputs.

You can buy an Antec ONE case which not only supports front USB3, but also comes with two fans and a cable hiding design.

At roughly $60 the Antec ONE is a good choice.

 

[eh936]

Many thanks to all replies. It much appreciated. I think I will invest a little more money for a good PSU and maybe a good case. Thanks for the links everyone.

@JKatwyopc: My plan is to get a low - mid end video card. I only plan on using the computer for surfing, emailing, programming/development and watching the odd movie (DVD or streaming). I really don't plan on playing many games. I also have several cases sitting around and all have 6 or more empty slots in the back which should be adequate for a new motherboard. That is what I thought that a 350W - 400W should suffice for my needs.

@photonboy: Thanks for the tip on the Antec case. I may buy one or maybe two since my older cases do not have very good cooling for these newer motherboards. They were designed to run P4 and P3 motherboards.

@anort3: Your point about having adequate cooling inside the case is well taken. I think will be an important deciding factor in the case that I will ultimately use. Thanks for the link.

Thanks again to all replies.

Victor

 

[eh936]

Best answer selected by eh936.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr