How can you tell if a case is ATX?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Al Smith
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A

Al Smith

I've got a couple of old computers around, and I wouldn't mind
building them up with new motherboards and other innards. How can
I tell if they are ATX cases, and will accept the new
motherboards? Is there a simple way?
 
Al Smith said:
I've got a couple of old computers around, and I wouldn't mind building
them up with new motherboards and other innards. How can I tell if they
are ATX cases, and will accept the new motherboards? Is there a simple
way?
Click to expand...

The PS/2 ports attached to the mainboard? The case had better have
corresponding holes to allow you to connect your keyboard and mouse. -Dave
 
Al said:
I've got a couple of old computers around, and I wouldn't mind
building them up with new motherboards and other innards. How can
I tell if they are ATX cases, and will accept the new
motherboards? Is there a simple way?
Click to expand...

A) An ATX case has only 7 (max) expansion card slots.
B) An ATX case has a ~2" x ~6" slot above the 7th expansion slot.
C) An ATX case has a low current, momentary SPST on/off switch on the
front panel, which connects to the motherboard (not to the PS.)
D) An ATX power supply will have one 20-pin (two rows of ten) connector
to the motherboard.
E) An ATX case will have its keyboard and mouse connectors as part of
the above described ~2" x ~6" slot in the case. No separate holes.
 
ric said:
Al Smith wrote:
Click to expand...

I don't know how simple it is, but www.formfactors.org defines ATX in
excruciating detail.
A) An ATX case has only 7 (max) expansion card slots.
B) An ATX case has a ~2" x ~6" slot above the 7th expansion slot.
Click to expand...

The hole is "above" all the card slots (as the case sets like a tower).
It is close to 44.9mm x 159.2mm. :-)
 
Matt said:
Yikes! The "I/O Aperture" is supposed to be 1.75" x 6.25".
Click to expand...

A) Is not a slot above the 7th expansion slot above *all* of the slots
on an ATX case?
B) Is ~2" x ~6" not close enough to identify that the case is ATX rather
than AT?
 
ric said:
Matt wrote:




A) Is not a slot above the 7th expansion slot above *all* of the slots
on an ATX case?
B) Is ~2" x ~6" not close enough to identify that the case is ATX rather
than AT?
Click to expand...

I won't get into a meta-argument with you unless you insist.
 
I've got a couple of old computers around, and I wouldn't mind
A) An ATX case has only 7 (max) expansion card slots.
B) An ATX case has a ~2" x ~6" slot above the 7th expansion slot.
C) An ATX case has a low current, momentary SPST on/off switch on the
front panel, which connects to the motherboard (not to the PS.)
D) An ATX power supply will have one 20-pin (two rows of ten) connector
to the motherboard.
E) An ATX case will have its keyboard and mouse connectors as part of
the above described ~2" x ~6" slot in the case. No separate holes.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks, that's the answer I was hoping for -- clear and
complete, I mean.

I'm not that thrilled with my new case. It's a no-name case that
came with a 420 Watt power supply, and only cost $35, but to some
extent, you get what you pay for. The sheet metal is very thin. My
five-year old Dell case is just about twice as heavy, which says a
lot about the difference in thickness of the metal used in the two
cases.

I had another case, even more solid than the Dell, from an old P2
computer, but it didn't occur to me that I might be able to use it
with a modern motherboard. But I'm guessing now that it is an ATX
case, and that I could have bought a new power supply and put all
my modern parts into it, and gotten a more solid (and quieter) box
as a result. I would have had to give up multimedia plugs on the
front panel, but I probably would have done this had I known the
new parts would fit.

Mind you, the case I'm using isn't a terrible case (I like the
buttons and the lights), it's just not as solid as the Dell or the
other box. I am going to stick with the flimsy case for a while,
and if it still bugs me after a few months, I will think about
transferring the guts of the computer to the older, more solid box.
 
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