Does Dell make its own motherboards?

[Robert Hancock]

Are you sure of that? Or do they have custom OEM versions? If Dell wants a
product that costs a couple of dollars less but leaves out some minor
features they've got the volume.

Nick

The only part I'm aware of on current Dell systems that can't be
(easily) replaced with standard parts is the motherboard - the front
panel controls connector has a nonstandard pinout. It's been reverse
engineered and it's likely possible to figure out the right connections
or make up an adapter, but it wouldn't be "plug and play". Also I think
some of the systems have motherboards with a slightly nonstandard shape..

 

[Tx2]

I feel I do sometimes!

What are "mom and pop shops"?

 

[Leythos]

What are "mom and pop shops"?

Places that only have 1 or 2 stores to their name.

You could also consider a chain of stores that's only present in a
single city/town a mom and pop organization.

 

[Courseyauto]

Are you sure of that? Or do they have custom OEM versions? If Dell wants a

product that costs a couple of dollars less but leaves out some minor
features they've got the volume.

Nick

The only part I'm aware of on current Dell systems that can't be
(easily) replaced with standard parts is the motherboard - the front

panel controls connector has a nonstandard pinout. It's been reverse

engineered and it's likely possible to figure out the right connections

or make up an adapter, but it wouldn't be "plug and play". Also I think

some of the systems have motherboards with a slightly nonstandard >shape..

The motherboard was propriotary,it was attacthed with clips rather than
screws,but everything was std parts.

 

[Tx2]

Places that only have 1 or 2 stores to their name.

You could also consider a chain of stores that's only present in a
single city/town a mom and pop organization

OK, thanks.

 

[Ralph Wade Phillips]

Howdy!

Robert Hancock wrote:

Intel hasn't made a motherboard for about 6 years now !

*blink* Funny, this 3.2G Dell P4 with the Intel logo'ed board is a
bit newer than 6 years old. (Not the machine I'm on - the one with the
knackered 120G drive in it)

RwP

 

[Rob Stow]

Howdy!




*blink* Funny, this 3.2G Dell P4 with the Intel logo'ed board is a
bit newer than 6 years old. (Not the machine I'm on - the one with the
knackered 120G drive in it)

The logo says nothing about who manufactured it.
It is quite common for one company to rebadge a product
that they had contracted out to someone else.

See if you can find something on the board about where
it was made, then see if you can find an Intel plant
in that country.

 

[Jonathan Buzzard]

Dell kit is incredibly reliable mainly because you don't mess around with
it. The only Dell hardware we've had fail is a CD-ROM and video output from
one laptop. Compared to the Compaq iPAQ that litereraly blew up, the custom
built Gigabyte system that decided to stop working with WD hard disk and
won't run through the KVM, the 3 Toshiba laptops that have developed several
faults etc...

If one of the Dell base units failed, we wouldn't bother trying to fix it.
We'd simply buy a new base unit for ~£200. £200 doesn't buy you a lot of
"fixing" time and you'll have a nice new higher-spec box anyway.

Surely that would depend on what blew. If a hard drive, optical unit
etc. goes then you just order up random new hard disk and stick it in.
Fans might be more tricky as they use blowers on at least the small
desktop chassis, but the mini towers use normal fans. Generally speaking
motherboards are not something that go frequently.

You do have to be careful with the upgrades. Last time I checked (just
before Christmas) a dual layer DVD writer upgrade was something like
£99+VAT, and it only does +R disks, and a CDRW/DVD combo unit was
about £37+VAT. I always get my own separately and fit it myself, takes
about 5 minutes and saves a bundle.

JAB.

 

[Jonathan Buzzard]

I agree with this I'm at a loss why they use propriatary parts. Unless
it's for cost saving.

Because they offer something different. Tell me how you propose to
build a system like a small desktop chassis Optiplex with standard
parts, in a screwless chassis? You are not.

Dell are sufficiently large that they can do their own case/form
factors which allows them to do things not possible (or easy/cheap)
if you are trying to conform to the ATX specification.

JAB.

 

[Jonathan Buzzard]

2d graphics: The best PCI is up with average AGP.
3d graphics: AGP by leaps and bounds.

Good PCI graphics is hard to come by.
Gosh I remember the day of ISA graphics cards and you could watch windows
draw the drop list of a combo box so sloooowly.

Chances are the onboard graphic would be good for 2d and it would be
expensive to find a PCI card better at 2d. 3d dunno.

It is only now that these flash 3D graphics cards have the
performance of the old Matrox Millenium II on a PCI card
for 2D stuff. The performance of WRAM was still is amazing.
You also get a much better picture with those old Matrox
cards than you do with these modern 3D cards. The RAMDAC
quality is really outstanding. A really good 2D card is a
Millenium II in it's ultra rare AGP configuration.


JAB.

 

[Rob Stow]

It is only now that these flash 3D graphics cards have the
performance of the old Matrox Millenium II on a PCI card
for 2D stuff. The performance of WRAM was still is amazing.
You also get a much better picture with those old Matrox
cards than you do with these modern 3D cards. The RAMDAC
quality is really outstanding. A really good 2D card is a
Millenium II in it's ultra rare AGP configuration.

I second that. I have solved headache and eye strain
problems for a lot of people by switching them over
from an nVidia or ATI card or integrated video to a
Matrox card. Even a PCI version is more than good
enough when you don't need 3D.

In addition to the Millenium II, I would also recommend
the G400, G450, G550, P650, P750, and Parhelia.

I find the quality improvement is impossible to see if
your current video card is providing DVI output to a
DVI LCD, but if your monitor needs an analog input then
Matrox is the only way to go when quality 2D is needed.

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

Dell, Compac, e-machines all DO NOT allow you to change Motherboards in
their machines... They want you to buy DELL etc. Parts. If you want, go to
a computer show in your area and buy case, PS, MoBo, etc and put your own
together.

kk

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

Dell, Compac, e-machines all DO NOT allow you to change Motherboards
in their machines...

How exactly do they prevent you from doing that?
*some* dells use non standard motherboards but they can still be replaced if
you swap the psu at the same time.
Others are standard boards
--
Alex

Hermes: "We can't afford that! Especially not Zoidberg!"
Zoidberg: "They took away my credit cards!"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.ebayfaq.co.uk

 

[Clive]

How exactly do they prevent you from doing that?
*some* dells use non standard motherboards but they can still be replaced
if you swap the psu at the same time.
Others are standard boards

The cases are designed so 'stadard' size Motherboards will not fit.

Elonex used to do the same.
Clive

 

[Hans Wankle]

My wife bought a CompUSA system at a yard sale that had a case exactly like
a Dell that I bought about 4 years ago. When it booted it showed a CompUSA
Logo on the boot screen. I was going to remove all the parts for use on
other systems that I play with but when I got into it I was able to reflash
the bios with the original Intel bios for that board and cleaned it up and
it works like a charm for my grandaughter in college. I took my old Dell
case and installed an ABit KR7A-133R in it and it works like a charm. I did
have to upgrade the Power supply with a little modification to the case.

 

[Dave]

I have an old Dell L600r, the WORST of the non standard Dells. The only
proprietary thing in it was the PSU and the PSU connectors on the mobo. $159
later for mobo, cpu, ram and PSU had an Athlon XP 2000+ machine. Dell, IBM,
Compaq, etc only assemble machines anymore, they make not a single one.

--

 

[Gama Chameleon]

I have an old Dell L600r, the WORST of the non standard Dells. The only
proprietary thing in it was the PSU and the PSU connectors on the mobo. $159
later for mobo, cpu, ram and PSU had an Athlon XP 2000+ machine. Dell, IBM,
Compaq, etc only assemble machines anymore, they make not a single one.

Yes, but they do have mobos made externally to their specs, hence the
non standard PSU connector.

 

[Tx2]

[...]

*some* dells use non standard motherboards but they can still be replaced if
you swap the psu at the same time.

And the front USB connectors et al?
I've found they use very specific connectors overall, not just the PSU.

If you have any intention of re-building/re-configuring a PC, do not buy
one of the multi-nationals like Dell, HP, Compaq etc.

IMHO, YMMV