I can't say for sure about what might fit in there, but one thing that MAY be a stickler in putting in a different motherboard is the Dell proprietary and undocumented front panel connector. There is no guarantee that the wiring is same in a different model. The rear I/O panel will probably be different and the location of the expansion card slots may be different. A different motherboard will most likely also require a different or higher wattage rated power supply.
Also, if you use a different motherboard, that is different hardware and Windows will probably not load on the new hardware and as the drivers on the hard drive are for the other hardware that will not work either. It will take a reinstall of Windows and all the device and motherboard chipset drivers.
Some of the other regulars on here have more experience canabalizing and rebuilding old PC's.
It's a "project" but one that may wind up costing your more $$ that it's worth. After you spend whatever $$ to upgrade at most you wil still have an "old" PC.
Thanks for the information. I'm a geek so I like to play around. This computer has no hard drive, so that's not an issue. I will keep your suggestions in mind, though. Thanks!
Would a motherboard from, say a Dimension 2400 series work? Any "gotchas" to worry about? I'm sure the layout of the screws, etc is somewhat proprietary, so I need a Dell motherboard.
The 2350 chassis has standard mATX mounting points; it's the front panel connector that's different. As the B110/1100/2400/3000/4600/4700 boards use standard mATX front panel and USB wiring (and Soundblaster-type wiring for the front audio), you can't use one in the 2350 chassis. That's the bad news.
The good news is that you can swap in parts from such machines, which will allow the use of any standard mATX mainboard (if you can do without the front audio port).
An alternative is to do what I did: replace the proprietary front panel, USB, and audio connectors with standard plugs. That entails snipping off the proprietary pins and replacing them with standard Molex ones, which you can mail-order from FrontX in Malaysia for a nominal sum. However, attaching the new pins is tricky; you might be able to solder them on, but it's almost impossible to do a neat job of attaching them with regular needle-nose pliars -- the Molex pins employ two crimps, one going around the wire insulation for strain relief, and another one around the conductor itself. I used two pairs of special criming pliars, one which I bought on eBay for $15, and another pair of Molex-brand crimping pliars mail-ordered from Digikey for $60. In addition, I had a pair of fine wire strippes ($15 from Home Depot) and a continuity tester ($3 from an auto parts store) for double-checking. If you go this route, I have posted the 2350 pinouts here: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/17191491/17314477.aspx#17314477
I'd like to rebuild it like the Steve Austin (the Million Dollar Man from the old TV show -- better, faster, more powerful than before!)
That, you can do ... even to the point of swapping in a Core i7!
fireberd
9 Legend
•
33.4K Posts
0
November 4th, 2011 08:00
I can't say for sure about what might fit in there, but one thing that MAY be a stickler in putting in a different motherboard is the Dell proprietary and undocumented front panel connector. There is no guarantee that the wiring is same in a different model. The rear I/O panel will probably be different and the location of the expansion card slots may be different. A different motherboard will most likely also require a different or higher wattage rated power supply.
Also, if you use a different motherboard, that is different hardware and Windows will probably not load on the new hardware and as the drivers on the hard drive are for the other hardware that will not work either. It will take a reinstall of Windows and all the device and motherboard chipset drivers.
Some of the other regulars on here have more experience canabalizing and rebuilding old PC's.
It's a "project" but one that may wind up costing your more $$ that it's worth. After you spend whatever $$ to upgrade at most you wil still have an "old" PC.
shesagordie
10 Elder
•
46K Posts
0
November 4th, 2011 09:00
Newsman2010
Either a Dimension 4600, or the 2400 motherboard should fit, as the 2350, 4600 and 2400 have the same chassis.
Before buying a motherboard, check out the used computer prices on eBay.
Bev.
shesagordie
10 Elder
•
46K Posts
0
November 4th, 2011 14:00
Newsman2010
Happy to have helped.
Bev.
Newsman2010
2 Posts
0
November 4th, 2011 14:00
Thanks for the information. I'm a geek so I like to play around. This computer has no hard drive, so that's not an issue. I will keep your suggestions in mind, though. Thanks!
rdunnill
6 Professor
•
8.8K Posts
0
November 4th, 2011 20:00
The 2350 chassis has standard mATX mounting points; it's the front panel connector that's different. As the B110/1100/2400/3000/4600/4700 boards use standard mATX front panel and USB wiring (and Soundblaster-type wiring for the front audio), you can't use one in the 2350 chassis. That's the bad news.
The good news is that you can swap in parts from such machines, which will allow the use of any standard mATX mainboard (if you can do without the front audio port).
An alternative is to do what I did: replace the proprietary front panel, USB, and audio connectors with standard plugs. That entails snipping off the proprietary pins and replacing them with standard Molex ones, which you can mail-order from FrontX in Malaysia for a nominal sum. However, attaching the new pins is tricky; you might be able to solder them on, but it's almost impossible to do a neat job of attaching them with regular needle-nose pliars -- the Molex pins employ two crimps, one going around the wire insulation for strain relief, and another one around the conductor itself. I used two pairs of special criming pliars, one which I bought on eBay for $15, and another pair of Molex-brand crimping pliars mail-ordered from Digikey for $60. In addition, I had a pair of fine wire strippes ($15 from Home Depot) and a continuity tester ($3 from an auto parts store) for double-checking. If you go this route, I have posted the 2350 pinouts here: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/17191491/17314477.aspx#17314477
That, you can do ... even to the point of swapping in a Core i7!