OT: How to take Packard Bell X2424 case apart ?

[RJK]

Tearing my hair out trying to find case disassembly instructions for
Packard Bell iMedia X2424 AIO
....have to replace dead motherboard, and also replace small PCB that carries
2xUSB+audio/mic 3.5mm jacks,
I have the replacement pcb and tail leads, but can't fathom out how to get
the top / right hand case side, and/or front panel off !!!
....as usual can't find anything on PB's website, ...been trawling through
their ftp site.

anyhooo any poitners hugely appreciated,

regards, Richard

 

[Char Jackson]

Tearing my hair out trying to find case disassembly instructions for
Packard Bell iMedia X2424 AIO
...have to replace dead motherboard, and also replace small PCB that carries
2xUSB+audio/mic 3.5mm jacks,
I have the replacement pcb and tail leads, but can't fathom out how to get
the top / right hand case side, and/or front panel off !!!
...as usual can't find anything on PB's website, ...been trawling through
their ftp site.

anyhooo any poitners hugely appreciated,

Sometimes instructions are hard to come by because the steps are self
evident. Do you already have the left side off? If so, you should be
able to see how the front and the right side are attached. I wouldn't
think the top comes off at all, but I'm not familiar with your model.

I did a quick search and found things like "opening the case was easy
enough" or a simple "I opened it up and removed the old drive", making
me think it really is that simple.

 

[Paul]

Tearing my hair out trying to find case disassembly instructions for
Packard Bell iMedia X2424 AIO
...have to replace dead motherboard, and also replace small PCB that carries
2xUSB+audio/mic 3.5mm jacks,
I have the replacement pcb and tail leads, but can't fathom out how to get
the top / right hand case side, and/or front panel off !!!
...as usual can't find anything on PB's website, ...been trawling through
their ftp site.

anyhooo any poitners hugely appreciated,

regards, Richard

The closest I could get, is some pictures here. I see brushed aluminum and
plastic. The plastic could use tabs that fit through holes in the chassis,
but the pictures here don't focus on the area that might be hiding it.

http://microdream.co.uk/packard-bel...q6600-4gb-ram-1000gb-hd-dvdrw-gf7050-vhp.html

Do you have to replace the small PCB ?

There are some defacto standards for 2x5 USB connector and 2x5 FP_Audio headers.
Did the original motherboard break those rules ? Usually, it's details like
the LED wiring, where the connector doesn't fit (due to more than one way
to do it).

For LED wiring or audio, you could chop off the wire ends and rewire it.
I wouldn't do that for USB though, as the signal speeds involved are higher,
and wire dress is more important.

The pins can be backed out of the plastic shell on the end of the wire
bundle, if the thing needs to be rewired.

As for the packardbell web site, it's pretty weak. Almost like someone
bought the trade name, and the web site was an afterthought.

Paul

 

[RJK]

The closest I could get, is some pictures here. I see brushed aluminum and
plastic. The plastic could use tabs that fit through holes in the chassis,
but the pictures here don't focus on the area that might be hiding it.

http://microdream.co.uk/packard-bel...q6600-4gb-ram-1000gb-hd-dvdrw-gf7050-vhp.html

Do you have to replace the small PCB ?

There are some defacto standards for 2x5 USB connector and 2x5 FP_Audio
headers.
Did the original motherboard break those rules ? Usually, it's details
like
the LED wiring, where the connector doesn't fit (due to more than one way
to do it).

For LED wiring or audio, you could chop off the wire ends and rewire it.
I wouldn't do that for USB though, as the signal speeds involved are
higher,
and wire dress is more important.

The pins can be backed out of the plastic shell on the end of the wire
bundle, if the thing needs to be rewired.

As for the packardbell web site, it's pretty weak. Almost like someone
bought the trade name, and the web site was an afterthought.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Many thanks,

I did find that microdream site, and that was the best I could find as well
!

After working out how to get the darned thing apart, (mostly because I
wouldn't be beaten !!!!), here's how to do it.

(All references / viewing system box from the front!)

Remove left-side panel. (Self evident / rear locking slider).

Remove two small +head screws that travel through metal case chassis into
two small plastic pillars, mouldings/part of the right side panel.
One is located near mobo 24 pin ATX pwr connector, the other is sited near
cpu mounting. (both about half an inch away from edge of motherboard - if in
situ).
All accessible without removing motherboard, I think ! (I removed
motherboard first - seeing as a new one will be going in).
A couple of inches away from the first screw, (near ATX pwr connector on
mobo) is a
plastic lug (part of right side panel), that sort of "spring" locates itself
into a rectangular hole in
the thin metal case chassis.
(hideous design!)
This lug has to be pushed away / through rect. hole, enough to slide the
panel in the opposite direction of its' several L shaped mouldings, that
hook through/onto thin metal case chassis / cut-outs / holes.

Now why did I remove case top plastic trim/panel ? ...just to see if I
could do it I think ! Similar design to right side case panel but, no
screws.
Several L shaped locating plastic lugs, I x rectangular one that
spring/locks into rectangular metal case hole, and two similar ones near
rear. Takes a bit of struggling to get it off, then when it's off, one
wonders why one took it off !!

Worth noting, that it is possible to remove case front trim, (after
removing left panel),
and after releasing 5 1/4" drives/screws - and sliding them back as far as
they'll go,
then releasing three plastic latches on case front trim - with a little
gentle manouevering, one can disengage case front trim !

....what a heap of rubbish, .....with an ECS board in it as well !!!!
....I'm glad I bought an Antec Solo case for my main PC

best regards, Richard

 

[RJK]

Sometimes instructions are hard to come by because the steps are self
evident. Do you already have the left side off? If so, you should be
able to see how the front and the right side are attached. I wouldn't
think the top comes off at all, but I'm not familiar with your model.

I did a quick search and found things like "opening the case was easy
enough" or a simple "I opened it up and removed the old drive", making
me think it really is that simple.

Many thanks,

I was looking for the easy, (less time consuming), way !!

It's very time consuming, when working on fancy, but, extraordinarily
cheaply made, nasty, NASTY designs like Packard Bell (re: more recent
models), to get them apart, and discover how to get them apart without
snapping bits off.

i.e. Similar to most Laptops, one simply HAS to have dissembly
instructions, ....if they exist !!!

Recently I had to replace the "palmrest" (top part of the case), and kb, on
a Toshiba Satellite, and found a web-site where a chap had taken the time
and to give a photo-by-photo account of how to dissemble, the darned thing.
It was so very helpful, and covered several items ridiculously omitted in
Toshiba's own "Dissembly and Repair" manual, that I PayPal donated 10
dollars
....meant to donate 10 UK pounds and got it wrong somewhere !!!

Who designs a Laptop where, in order to get the hinge covers off, one has to
dissemble and remove the LCD panel ??????????
....TOSHIBA ....RIDICULOUS !!!!!

best regards, Richard

 

[Paul]

...what a heap of rubbish, .....with an ECS board in it as well !!!!
...I'm glad I bought an Antec Solo case for my main PC

best regards, Richard

Yes, I noticed on one site, they were speccing an ECS board as a
replacement for that thing.

And there were a number of reports of failures on that model,
just out of warranty. That's "engineering perfection", when you
can get a product to have a failure cluster, just after the
warranty is gone Bravo, to the folks at PB. I'm sure somebody
in engineering will get a free tee shirt or a coupon for Burger
King, for arranging them to fail that way.

Paul