# ATX Cabinet - Newbie Qn



## vikrang (May 17, 2011)

I have an old PII machine purchased a very long time..I got it assembled at that time

My Qn is can I use the old cabinet for assembing a new configuration? Will the latest MOBOs /Sound cards/PCI /Fan etc fit in the ATX cabinet? ,,,

I am thinking of building a budget PC --- 

1. Buy AMD CPU which is really cheap
2. Buy an Okay MOBO not high end 
3. Sound card and Graphics - not required if MOBO has on board.
4. Purchase the new type of RAM - like DDR2 / 3 as per MOBO
5. HDD maybe purchase later.. I can use a USB to run a full fledged Linux Distro with persistence
6. Monitor - old CRT monitor which I have will do.
7. CD writer is there ...Enough as I may basically install an OS later.

The main idea is to use the piece of junk in the closet...I am not looking at a full fledged PC as I already have a couple of laptops and a good desktop! .

I need bare minimum resources to get it going ..Is this viable?


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

ATX originated in 1995, PII in 1997. As it has to be post-'97 chances are the case is compatible. I make no guarantees however, compare it to the internals of your current desktop if possible.

Take a look at this (scroll down to the *$500.00 AMD System*) - http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2011-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

Remove the HDD, Case, CD drive from that system and you have a total of around $425 US. You can always save more by chosing lower specification parts in places, for example the listed graphics card could be replaced by this one - Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-N210D2-1GI GeForce 210 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card which is $40 cheaper and will still give you good performance.

However that $500 system as laid out in the sticky is very good value for money, any savings will be marginal if you want a decent level of performance (able to run Windows 7 smoothly, can do home user tasks without noticeable performance issues).


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

To add to what reventon has said, you have to be careful using old enclosures with modern hardware. Modern CPUs and GPUs put out a lot more heat under load than the older ones did. This could turn your 90's box into an oven for the rest of your components.

With some thrifty shopping you could easily shave a few bucks off of the $500 AMD build. Companies like NewEgg, TigerDirect and MicroCenter usually have bundle deals where you could get a decent CPU and Motherboard together for less than the price of individual components. Just be wary and read the fine print, the CPU could be OEM and ship without a heatsink and fan.


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## vikrang (May 17, 2011)

Thanks ...I want to use it as an Internet Box for now....Due to heat problems, I have decided to invest in a new cabinet ..I have decided on the foll:

1. AMD CPU - Sempron 145
2. Gigabyte GA-M68MT-S2 (This offers upgradation options upto X6 Models) or ASUS M4N68T-MLE-V2 (similar to Gigabyte)
3. DDR3 - ( 2GB 1333Mhz FSB ) 
4. One ATX cabinet
5. One wireless USB Adapter to catch the signal from my existing router

HDD - I have 2 WD 320 GB External Drive ...I read u can unscrew the HDD out and use it as a normal HDD....But slightly reluctant:1angel: as they are brand new and I dont want to break or something!

For the time being I will use a USB to boot a linux distro

I can also access my shared folder for Music / files etc in my primary desktop /Laptops


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