Question Trouble fitting mobo into case

[Duggernaut]

I have an ASUS M5A78L-Plus mobo, trying to fit it into a Linkworld Ninja 2 mid tower case. I thought it would fit fine, but the screw holes don't line up, except for 2 of them, but to make them line up exactly, it feels like it's putting too much pressure on the mobo. Needless to say, it feels wrong. I know I'm lining it up correctly, everything lines up fine with the i/o shield and pci ports, but the screw holes don't line up at all. Do I need a new case...?

 

[kanewolf]

If you can find a manual for that case on-line, we might be able to help. But I can't find one. It looks like most of the standoffs in that case can be moved around. It might be the case that you need to move some for your specific motherboard. From the pictures, it looks like that case comes with an I/O shield installed. Remember to remove it and replace it with your motherboard specific I/O shield.

 

[jay32267]

I have an ASUS M5A78L-Plus mobo, trying to fit it into a Linkworld Ninja 2 mid tower case. I thought it would fit fine, but the screw holes don't line up, except for 2 of them, but to make them line up exactly, it feels like it's putting too much pressure on the mobo. Needless to say, it feels wrong. I know I'm lining it up correctly, everything lines up fine with the i/o shield and pci ports, but the screw holes don't line up at all. Do I need a new case...?

When I run into things like this....I pretty much do what I need to do to make it work. If you need to drill holes....drill holes. If it feels like you have to put too much pressure on it you probably are. Also, a Dremel tool comes in very handy for things like this.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Temporarily remove the I/O shield and see if the motherboard lines up better. If it does, then make sure the motherboard is clear of any retaining clips on the I/O shield.

-Wolf sends

 

[Duggernaut]

If you can find a manual for that case on-line, we might be able to help. But I can't find one. It looks like most of the standoffs in that case can be moved around. It might be the case that you need to move some for your specific motherboard. From the pictures, it looks like that case comes with an I/O shield installed. Remember to remove it and replace it with your motherboard specific I/O shield.

I did replace the i/o shield with the mobo's shield, but it's still not quite right, and as far as the manual goes, it didn't come with one. The only thing that came with it was a small slip of paper, with a diagram showing where the screws go. Also speaking of standoffs, it didn't come with any of those either. Just a bag of different types of screws. The screw holes are slightly raised off the base so maybe that's why it didn't come with standoffs?

 

[Duggernaut]

Temporarily remove the I/O shield and see if the motherboard lines up better. If it does, then make sure the motherboard is clear of any retaining clips on the I/O shield.

-Wolf sends

I did try that, but even with the i/o shield removed it still doesn't line up quite right.

 

[Wolfshadw]

If it's off by just a millimeter or two, then you should be able to use some force to get it sitting properly. If it's more than that, then the case is likely mis-aligned and should be replaced... or if you're handy with tools, look at drilling new mounting holes into the motherboard tray and installing new standoffs.

-Wolf sends

 

[Duggernaut]

If it's off by just a millimeter or two, then you should be able to use some force to get it sitting properly. If it's more than that, then the case is likely mis-aligned and should be replaced... or if you're handy with tools, look at drilling new mounting holes into the motherboard tray and installing new standoffs.

-Wolf sends

Yeah it's not off by much I was just afraid of putting too much pressure on the mobo, and worried about the stability since only two screws would be securing it. I'm gonna have a more experienced buddy take a look and see if we can make it work, if not I suppose I'll spend a few bucks and order an actual micro atx case. I just loved the look and size of the linkworld ninja 2...

 

[jay32267]

Yeah it's not off by much I was just afraid of putting too much pressure on the mobo, and worried about the stability since only two screws would be securing it. I'm gonna have a more experienced buddy take a look and see if we can make it work, if not I suppose I'll spend a few bucks and order an actual micro atx case. I just loved the look and size of the linkworld ninja 2...

If it's just off by a little you can take a rat tail file (a round file with a small diameter) and make the hole oval.

Just make sure the metal particles don't get in the electronics.

I have used a magnet near where I'm filing to catch the particles.

You can also put a magnet right on the file and the particles will stick to the file.

You can also run a vacuum near where you are filing.

 

[Duggernaut]

If it's just off by a little you can take a rat tail file (a round file with a small diameter) and make the hole oval.

Oh I can actually do that to the holes in the motherboard? Hmmm....that might work then...

 

[jay32267]

Oh I can actually do that to the holes in the motherboard? Hmmm....that might work then...

Yes.

I expanded on that post.

Read up.