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This is glorious, but is it safe?
0Replace4Displace
The best girls are ships and guns.Registered User regular
The best girls are ships and guns.Registered User regular
Alright, TL;DR if you don't want to read; Old hardware got old, bought a new machine, case was too small, got tired of it and just jerry-rigged it together.
Long story is, I originally had an Alienware Aurora. Thing was fantastic, still is, but the CPU was getting dated. My mom decided to buy me a new computer instead of going out to get a CPU, which would have been the smart thing to do. Anyways, we get an HP with a much better CPU and all-around hardware, but with a really shitty graphics card. The old machine had a GeForce 8800GTX, so I decided to just stick it in there.
But that's where the problems begin. The GeForce requires a relatively beefy power supply - the issue with that is the case on the HP is really, really cramped. As in, you can't get anything over the stock 300w power supply inside the case without using a hacksaw. So we buy a new PSU, which they told us would fit. But then it only had one 6-pin connector, and the 8800 needed two. Also, it didn't fit. So I decided, well, fuck it, if we're going to have to mount it outside, I'm going to grab the PSU I know is adequate - the one from my Alienware.
And this is the result.
Pictures in Spoiler.
Long story is, I originally had an Alienware Aurora. Thing was fantastic, still is, but the CPU was getting dated. My mom decided to buy me a new computer instead of going out to get a CPU, which would have been the smart thing to do. Anyways, we get an HP with a much better CPU and all-around hardware, but with a really shitty graphics card. The old machine had a GeForce 8800GTX, so I decided to just stick it in there.
But that's where the problems begin. The GeForce requires a relatively beefy power supply - the issue with that is the case on the HP is really, really cramped. As in, you can't get anything over the stock 300w power supply inside the case without using a hacksaw. So we buy a new PSU, which they told us would fit. But then it only had one 6-pin connector, and the 8800 needed two. Also, it didn't fit. So I decided, well, fuck it, if we're going to have to mount it outside, I'm going to grab the PSU I know is adequate - the one from my Alienware.
And this is the result.
Pictures in Spoiler.
0Replace4Displace on
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I think your primary concerns here are making sure the PSU is grounded to the case (probably already is through the mobo or some other connection, but I'd recommend also hooking up some sort of grounding strap directly from PSU frame to case), and making sure those molex connectors can't accidentally be shorted.
Aside from that...well...I guess it's safe. Crazy, but hey.
EDIT: Also, I'd obviously recommend that eventually you ditch the tape and go with something a little sturdier, like drilling holes on the top/side/back of the case to mount it to.
You can get a half decent case with no PSU, full atx, for 20 bucks.
It's gonna get dusty as shit in there if you don't have a powerful fan, though. There's where the most danger lies.
Bingo.
Or you could just use the Aurora case.
But, assuming the orientation and hole pattern is to the ATX standard on the mobo, I would recommend you start saving and just pick up a new case.
every HP motherboard I've delt with met the standards as far as mount hole placement.
So...
Holy crap
Electronic composer for hire.
Never had any trouble of any kind, although once I could afford it I built a new system (which is happily running in a nice, closed case).
From your description it sounds like you've actually got a single PSU with enough power to run your equipment, so it's just a matter of finding space. As others have said, it shouldn't be too hard to fit everything in your old case or, failling that, buy a new one.
Holy FU-
I guess it does fix everything...
actually this probably probably could have been fixed with precision explosive use, as well.
Frankenbox!
Screw the haters
Tofu wrote: Here be Littleboots, destroyer of threads and master of drunkposting.
Oh my god
that website.
This man speaks truth. You see, normally when you have two boxen of fruit, and you need to move a grapefruit from box A into box B to provide sufficient electricity, and it won't fit? But if you dumped out all the slower bananas/mangoes in box A and placed the contents of box B, plus the grapefruit, into box A? And auctioned off the aforementioned bananas on ebay for modest sums of money? And ate the obsolete, yet delicious mangoes?
That's normally how we roll.
Other than that, its fine.
Also, for future advice, they make 4-pin molex to 6-pin connectors for exactly the scenario you ran into, power supply not having enough 6 pin plugs.
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I ran my current computer for a week and a half without any case at all, because I, umm, forgot to order one and didn't want to wait.
That is glorious.
I did that once, well, not that exactly.
I nailed my motherboard to the wall, but otherwise yeah.
Thats electrical tape :P
I am sorely tempted to scrap together a crap system just to have it mounted like that.
I mean, jeez, just skipping the case.... lol. Must've had epic cooling when the ceiling fan was on.
Probably a lot of why I've wound up a techy motherfucker is that as a kid, whenever my dad would fuck up our 486 or whatever and have to fix it, he'd take it out of the case entirely because cases pissed him off, and just leave the PC spread out all over a couple of desks when he got it working. So eight-year-old me would get up in the morning to go play some worms and turn on the computer by shorting the jumper on the board.
Also, LaCabra I would be so pissed at my kids if they did that. Only dad turns on the pc with a screwdriver dammit.