Is a Dell Inspiron 546MT mobo mATX?

[azurehobo]

Trying to figure out if I can swap my current motherboard from my Inspiron 546MT in this case. Went onto the Dell support site, but I cannot find the motherboard under the parts list for my PC. Basically trying to figure out if Dell used a standard mATX form factor for the motherboard so that the screw holes and output jacks line up with the case.

 

[Raiddinn]

I am pretty sure that Inspiron 546 --> MT <-- means Mini Tower which means micro ATX.

That being said, there is no guarantee that it is a standard micro atx motherboard. As an OEM provider, DELL can do whatever they want as long as they stay within specifications, so they are able to make a motherboard with holes wherever they want or even no holes at all and use some other method to hold the motherboard in place.

Indeed DELL computers tend to be made so they can be installed with minimal tools required and the motherboards often slide right in and lock like their PSUs often do as well.

If they don't need to screw in, maybe they don't include the holes to screw it in with.

0F896N

That is probably the part number of the motherboard I am just guessing.

I would look it up online somewhere and verify that the board you see with that part number looks exactly like what is in your computer.

If so, then look at the holes in it if there are any and see if the holes line up with your regular every day motherboards from a company like Asus.

The motherboard from my signature is micro atx so you can look that up and compare the hole distribution if indeed your motherboard has holes.

My motherboard is pretty standard as far as micro boards go. If yours matches up with mine, it will probably match up pretty well with any case that is out there too.

 

[azurehobo]

Lol I don't know how you found it so fast but THANK YOU! I just opened my system up and the screw holes and everything are identical. The board has DRS780M02 printed on it and I know the 780 means the board model number. Now as for matching your board. My board has 7 screw points, 5 of which are identical to your board. Would that be ok to use? The two screw points that are missing would be the two closest in this picture, but right behind the RAM (looking from the pics angle) is a screw point and 2 more in a line going to the left of the RAM. microATX is 9.6 by 9.6 inches correct?

EDIT: Here is the diagram from Dell, the two missing screw points are the farthest to the right(All the others match yours) http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/insp535mt/en/sm/g33_rs78.jpg

 

[Raiddinn]

Whatever I can do to help.

I am a little worried that not all the points add up. Points that don't match up are potential points of failure. If I have one and yours has circuitry in that place, it could touch a case at that place potentially.

That being said, most cases use separators between the case and a motherboard and you don't have to connect all of them if you don't want to.

Some cases have separators you install yourself and some cases have separators that you can remove and some cases have separators built in that you can do nothing about.

Just do your research and you should be fine, tbh.

The board should hold fine with 5 out of 7 if if the other two just aren't present.

Yes, the micro boards are 9.6 inches square.

 

[azurehobo]

I think I'm going to get the case now that it seems that it'll all match up. I pulled up a diagram of the standard microATX layout and everything matches there too. And if i do have a point that touches I could in theory just cover it with electrical tape to ground it right?

 

[azurehobo]

Best answer selected by azurehobo.

 

[Raiddinn]

The electrical tape would work, but you would be insulating it, not grounding it.

Grounding power literally means causing it to flow into the ground as in planet Earth.

The ground as in the dirt outside is a conductor of electricity.

By having a connection to it, you can help ensure that there is not a catastrophic buildup of power in a piece of equipment.

The electrical tape would sit between two pieces of metal and impede current passing between the two not unlike when plastic sleeves are on wires in order to prevent the metal in one wire touching the metal in the other wire therefore preventing a short circuit.

Anyway, you have the right idea. By using electrical tape or something like it you can impede the flow of electricity from the motherboard to a separator.

I would, however, just hack off the separator if it were me, because even with electrical tape it could potentially cause the board to bend around it which could potentially have drawbacks. If you just hacked it off then the motherboard would not be forced to bend at that point to compensate for the separator pushing on it.

 

[delluser1]

Lol I don't know how you found it so fast

Lol, it's called Google.

" separators " ?
They're called standoffs, they'll come with the new case, and you won't need any electrical tape.

Here's an important tidbit;
The front panel on the Dell MB uses a single Intel connector ( with no Reset switch wired in, typically pins 5 and 9 are jumped )

The connectors in the new case will look like the one's shown on the bottom here


You'll need to do some minor connector modifications to hook up the front panel

 

[Raiddinn]

Lol, it's called Google.

" separators " ?
They're called standoffs, they'll come with the new case, and you won't need any electrical tape.

No need to read 1/10 of the thread and then start insulting everybody.

 

[delluser1]

I read the entire thread.
My apologies, I do try to avoid the noob on noob threads, sometimes just can't help myself.

 

[Raiddinn]

If you are trying to say "There will not be standoffs touching the DELL motherboard in an unintended way if you put the DELL motherboard in a generic micro atx case" then say it.

Otherwise, it helps nobody if you sit there and troll over and over.