Slimline case to standard case

[limelight7784]

Hey guys, I currently have this Gateway POS slimline case, and I want to transfer it to a much nicer case I have from my old computer. I took everything out of the old case because it's all extremely outdated (prior to 2000 kinda outdated). I'm wondering if it's even possible to do the transfer w/o modding the back panel for the current video cards... the point is that I wanted to add in a new sound card that allows me to connect my pro singing mic to the computer. It won't fit into the slimline case, and it was ordered online as a gift.. can't return it.

My ex boyfriend was trying to help me but he's a wannabe know it all idiot and just flat out told me there's no way he'd even try... I'd like to think with a little imagination I can make this work, but I don't wanna eff up everything I've already got going on.

So, the question is should I bother, or should I try to get another sound card? HELP!

[erocker]

What kind of motherboard is it?

[limelight7784]

I'm not really sure what kind... I'm not even at home right now, lol I'm on my lunchbreak at work. This might seem like a stupid girl type question, but what kind of problems could I have basing this project on the type of motherboard? I know it will make a difference but would it be a drastic one?

[erocker]

You should be able to put it into a larger case without a problem.

[limelight7784]

Ok great. If I need help with any of the technicals I'm sure I can find it somewhere on here. You guys are insane with some of the mods. I'm super impressed! Glad I found the site, lol.

[Sasqui]

I'm not really sure what kind... I'm not even at home right now, lol I'm on my lunchbreak at work. This might seem like a stupid girl type question, but what kind of problems could I have basing this project on the type of motherboard? I know it will make a difference but would it be a drastic one?

Assuming you are putting it into a standard ATX case, if all the peripheral slots line up and the I/O backplate looks the same, you'll likely have no problem.

If it doesn't fit, then you are plrobably looking at a modding project that's totally not worth the effort unless you like to cause yourself lots of pain and like taking on senseless projects that defy logic ;) .

[limelight7784]

lol well I am female... we're all about complete lack of logic and taking on senseless projects.. apparently.

I was worried about the back slots not working out, since it's slim and it won't be as wide as the standard case.. I'm definitely not advanced enough to mess with computer guts if it doesn't go smoothly.. mess with the case, maybe... but not re-arranging guts if it's not gonna work.

[Sasqui]

lol well I am female... we're all about complete lack of logic and taking on senseless projects.. apparently.

I was worried about the back slots not working out, since it's slim and it won't be as wide as the standard case.. I'm definitely not advanced enough to mess with computer guts if it doesn't go smoothly.. mess with the case, maybe... but not re-arranging guts if it's not gonna work.

Good you have a sense of humor! :rolleyes: Now that you said that I wonder if I'm part female, lol.

I wasn't even thinking about modding the guts - making cutouts, drilling holes, etc. etc. in a case itself just to get things to fit wouldn't be worthwhile unless you really have nothign better to do... at least that's my take.

[limelight7784]

Oh if I were a rich chick I would just buy the parts and build my own new computer.. *drool* then I could fit the darn sound card in, lol but unfortunately I's poor. So I spose I can try to auction the soundcard on Ebay or something, then use that money to buy a USB interface that allows for microphone attachment... perhaps that would work... bleh.

[Sasqui]

I hear ya... the motherboard in the slim cases usually have standard moutning holes, but somtimes have weird card risers or slot locations that may not be compatible. Doesn't hurt to try!

[limelight7784]

When I get home from work tonight I'll give it a re-eval.. see if I can't give it one last shot... currently the card is in my roomies computer, but he's having trouble because he thinks it's competing with his other sound card or some crap like that. I wouldn't mind using his to record songs until I move in 2 weeks, but once I move I'm up the creek anyhow, lol. :banghead:

[kwchang007]

it should fit if it's a standard motherboard. most mid and full size cases can use mini-atx, just depends on what motherboard standard it is. oh and i think i know what gateways your talking about....we have really slow celeron gateways in these little cases. pos's and they installed xp on them...it really hurts to just log in and open ie

[limelight7784]

I think we are definitely talking about the same computer. Mine only came with 256 ram in it, so I added another 512 and that helped a little... before my online gameplay blew chunks. I still think a better processor would do wonders for it. I might think about upgrading that in the future too, I already planned to buy another gig of memory this summer. Just because I started with a crappy PC doesn't mean I have to keep it that way, lol. :roll:

[kwchang007]

I think we are definitely talking about the same computer. Mine only came with 256 ram in it, so I added another 512 and that helped a little... before my online gameplay blew chunks. I still think a better processor would do wonders for it. I might think about upgrading that in the future too, I already planned to buy another gig of memory this summer. Just because I started with a crappy PC doesn't mean I have to keep it that way, lol. :roll:

lol, we have a comp from 2000 in our house. i think it's like 533 mhz amd (w/e it was back then) umm some ram that wasn't even ddr....integrated graphics (can only run 1024x768 at 32 bit color) integrated sound, crap dvd player/cd burner (i think it died), and a small hdd (i think 40 gb) oh and 64 mb of ram :eek: we added, one more hdd, one more cd burner, one stick of 256 mb ram still sucks with xp, if we used that comp i would tell my parents we need to roll it back to 98 or even 95. as for our gateways at school, not as bad as the comp i just discribed, but they are slow. not only slow, but we stick 25 of them in a classroom, it gets hot in there. i bet we're talking about the same comp also, is your slimline case supposed to lay flat, so the gateway sign is facing the right way?

[limelight7784]

haha yeah. It is... My moms had a gateway she bought back in 98 and went throught the trade in program they used to have to get another... thank goodness because even on Windows 98 the thing was a total nightmare. It could barely run any of the games I wanted to play (non-online because where my parents live they still haven't run cable out there) and it froze, it took a million years to turn on, even after I tweaked the Startup and all kinds of other things. We never bothered upgrading anything on it b/c it was the computer I learned about computers on, and we knew it was a POS, lol. I like my current computer because if it was too much better I'd be on it a lot more and I'd NEVER leave my room, lol.

I decided after looking at it again last night not to do the case transfer since I don't think anything would line up w/o severe mods, and I'm handy but I'm not crazy, lol.

I'm sure I'll figure something out. As a last resort I can always put the sound card into my mom's computer once I move back home.


Does anyone know if it's possible to have 2 soundcards competing against eachother, and if that IS possible, how would you go about fixing it. I always thought that to put in a soundcard you'd have to remove the primary and replace it. My friend's computer was ovely expensive and custom built by one of those gamer-computer sites.. so maybe his teched up stuff is too much for my soundcard, lol.

[kwchang007]

idk, i thought you could only have one sound card per system? i mean if you want to use yours see if he'll let you put in yours only, i've just never heard of a system with 2 sound cards

[Mediocre]

If you go into the sound properties, you can change which card is playback and which one is record. There are two tabs to set it in.

I use a USB headset/mic and it actually shows up as another sound card. I just set the record device to USB and it works.

Never actually tried with two complete cards though

[tkpenalty]

Hmm... a photo would help great :D

[ex_reven]

Hmm... a photo would help great :D

Photo of what ;)
Kidding :p lol...
I loved this part :D
My ex boyfriend was trying to help me but he's a wannabe know it all idiot

[Carcenomy]

Yes you can run two soundcards - back in the good old days where the Soundblaster 16 ran supreme, there were a few integrated boards with a ViBRA16C that was not able to be disabled. You'd simply kill it from within Windows 95 and slot in your shiny new Soundblaster AWE32...

Same applies now, disable the onboard blech AC97 and slot in an Audigy or whatever you desire.

Now the first question really should be, "Why doesn't the soundcard fit as the machine sits?". Is it a physical room issue or is it a lack of expansion slots? If it's the latter you're boned even if you DO move it to another machine. The former, well, you may be limited by a custom form factor which doesn't include any expansion slots and simply a riser, and the riser may not have the appropriate available slots and likely lays flat versus the vertical slot arrangement of most cases.

Need more info - photos of the Gateway's insides, the old case, the soundcard.