![\"PreMadeCustomHeader\"](\"wp-content\/uploads\/Header\/PreMadeCustomHeader.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> There’s always that huge base decision to make for a new PC desktop: should it be bought pre-made from a well-known manufacturer, or should it be built from scratch? Let’s go with the basis of not wanting to mess around with constructing one from scratch due to either time constraints or just not wanting to and getting that nice shiny pre-made. Get it all up and running, looks nice and places like a champ for the foreseeable future with no end in sight.<\/p>\n Then that day happens when a part of it decides to just go out far past the warranty being expired. Now what? Only one part of the PC doesn’t work and the rest of the thing works just fine! Could go and replace the entire thing, go and see about repairing the part itself via a service, or could possibly repair it oneself. The first two options are pretty straightforward: replacing it entirely would resolve it, but be costly and take time to get all the old data onto the new system; the second option could be costly and lose the PC for a certain amount of days. As for self-repairing, that is where things get fun!<\/i><\/p>\n NOTE: I MUST emphasize that this is NOT a beginner’s project! Do this at user’s discretion and\/or comfort level! If one is just curious about the process, then by all means, read on!<\/u><\/i><\/p>\n I. Reasons for a Conversion<\/b><\/p>\n What would some of the reasons be for taking on such a task? Recycling old computers is one huge point, and I’m all into that especially for computers. Well before I ever remotely got into building my own computers, I would either take old pre-made systems and take them apart to be rebuilt again to give them life anew, or take apart broken ones to see about getting them running once again.<\/p>\n Another reason for such a task is to upgrade a part that would be impossible as a pre-made. One of the first systems that I used quite heavily was an old HP Pavilion that I needed to amp up the graphics card to play newer games. Unfortunately, the way it was constructed and the power wattage was far too low for such an accomplishment. That is when I decided to just transplant the entire innards into a whole new chassis with a much more beefy power supply.<\/p>\n Like the scenario previously told before, reason for doing such a task to go about replacing a failed part in a system that runs just fine. That one alone can merit the entire conversion process on its own to avoid the entire replacement, or service fees. For years people would donate parts or full computers to me, because I would recycle them with a new life or, if not, figure out how to utilize their parts for the better. One such computer I got was a far newer HP Media Center desktop computer that was only a few years old at the time. It served its purpose perfectly for a couple of years when all of the sudden, the power supply just up and quit one day. The only course of action to get it up and running again was to replace the power supply completely with a new one, but the way the chassis was designed, I couldn’t put any type of standard power supply back into its place. Yes, I could have just gone out and found any run-of-the-mill power supply that would fit in that spot just to be on my way, but that would just bandage the problem instead of fixing it. Eventually, I would more than likely be in this scenario a couple of years later.<\/p>\n One thing I have learned throughout the many years of working with computers: don’t skimp on the power supply. Make sure that it’s of good quality, wattage, and brand so it will eliminate these kinds of issues down the road. Obviously in a pre-made, that’s not a choice the purchaser has when acquiring it. I decided that if I wanted to put whatever power supply that I wanted into the system at this point, it would need to be converted over to a custom build. Let’s fix this PC up to be better than new!<\/p>\n Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> II. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!<\/b><\/p>\n I do get the fact that “Custom Build” really isn’t the correct term to use since it’s still using primarily manufacturer parts with what is more than likely a custom motherboard specifically used in that manufacturer’s system instead of snagging all of the parts off a shelf, but I can’t really think of a better less-clunky term (Custom Pre-Made? Sounds like an oxymoron). Before even considering a conversion, one needs to make sure this can be successfully done, and so there are a few items to examine before starting the process, aside from acquiring the replacement\/upgrade components that will be used in the new system.<\/p>\n For the most part, just about everything inside a pre-made are items that can be purchased very commonly online or at any local PC shop just off the shelf. In particular, sometimes the optical drives are modified to fit the fancy front faces of the desktops, but that really is the extreme of it. If that happens, then the optical drive would need to be replaced with a standard style kind that can be acquired from said tech\/online places as well.<\/p>\n Just a quick chart of the most common ATX Form Factors one will more than likely come across during a conversion process. At least with ATX form factors, the motherboard still fits the same way like ones that can be purchased retail as well. Just to lean on the side of precaution, this is something that I would recommend looking up to be certain of before purchasing a new replacement PC Chassis, and then taking the entire thing apart! Just about all PC Cases will say all of the form factors that they work with, and normally one chassis will work for multiple sizes. As of current experience with doing conversions or modifications to Pre-Mades, I’ve ran into the Micro-ATX form factor in just about all circumstances. I think once or twice I came across a full ATX.<\/p>\n Okay! So, here’s what else needs to be considered aside from the motherboard’s form factor:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’ve only done conversions on Intel-Based motherboards, so from just personal experience, those tend to be the only two makers of boards that I have encountered in pre-made systems. If it’s an AMD-based motherboard, then the maker of the board could vary to different makers. Regardless, once the model number is discovered, do a quick search with that number on the internet to make sure that a schematic or a manual can be found for that specific board. This is very important for connecting the front panel correctly once the new system is transferred over to the new chassis and the front panel pins need to be hooked up correctly. If a schematic or a manual cannot be found, it’s not necessarily a bust project because on some of the boards, the connections are mapped out at those pins for convenience sake. Worse case, trial and error can be used, but I would recommend either finding a manual\/schematic or making sure it’s labeled directly on the board before proceeding. Having this could also help for drivers if one is planning on updating the Operating System with a newer one, but since it’s more than likely a modified motherboard, one will have to revert to looking up the system at the manufacturer’s website for those drivers.<\/p>\n If the system is still bootable, and one is worried about losing data, it’s always a good idea to do a full back-up of personal files before proceeding as well. If it does not, then once all<\/u><\/b><\/i> of the information for the system is gathered and replacement parts are acquired, on to the conversion!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> III-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made<\/b><\/p>\n This is the pre-made system that I went about doing the conversion to. It’s an HP Media Center with a dead power supply. I wanted to replace the power supply with a standard sized one, but in this chassis that was practically impossible. This is my usual anti-static work space with wooden plank and clear work space. Just like I mentioned in my General ITX Guide, one still needs to make sure and not generate static electricity for this process.<\/p>\n Here’s the inside of the system just opened. Immediately the model number jumps out at the center of the photo with it’s super large blocky numbers. Sometimes they can be hard to make out (8’s and B’s look the same), but that is the model number for this board. The brackets used for mounting the optical drives and the hard drives are not the normal kind, and this is where the user’s manual comes into play quite helpfully to understand and navigate around removing all of the parts that are trapped in them. This is also very necessary to get the motherboard out of the chassis safely. Make a quick mental or written note(s) of how things are connected to and from the motherboard where they are not either being replaced or upgraded, especially the front connections if they’re all separate wires. If they’re a “quick-connect,” that is it’s all one piece with a bunch of wires coming out of it, ignore that as it won’t help after transferring it over to the new case.<\/p>\n There’s quite a bit of dust build up in this system, so I used a can of compressed air to clear all of that crud out. Dust build-up is never a good thing to have in a system, so I do recommend giving a PC a good compressed air blast out every once and a while. Just be sure if one is using CO2 can, that it does NOT get used upside down or it will leave a frozen residue on the board. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but try to avoid that.<\/p>\n I had to remove the front face paneling of the chassis to remove the optical drive. Removing the front paneling on PC cases to install or remove optical drives is a pretty common occurrence, even on custom built systems. The two lower things were not transferred as the item on the left was a drive tray, and the audio ports on the right were soldered directly to the frame.<\/p>\n Here I have completely removed all of the drives, cables, power supply, and disconnected everything from the motherboard. At this point, the motherboard is freely and safely capable of being removed completely from the chassis and moved over to the new one. Before yanking it out of the case, be sure that all of the top mounting screws have been removed from the motherboard that are holding it to the case. These are typically silver screws placed inside of a white ring in a grid-like fashion across the board (see Figure 4a).<\/p>\n On ATX boards, there are usually eight to nine screws holding it in place. I must emphasize here to utilize the best Ant-Static practices to keep the motherboard safe while transferring it from this case to the new one.<\/b> However, this cannot be accomplished quite yet. Ideally, the board needs to be placed onto an Anti-Static Bag or material and placed off to the side momentarily. I did not remove any chassis fans from this case, as I used new ones in the replacement chassis.<\/p>\n This is the motherboard’s panel piece, and they’re usually tailored specifically to the motherboard, but the size of them to fit within a PC case is universal. This has to be removed from the old case and installed into the new one before the motherboard can be put into place. Once the motherboard is removed and safely placed elsewhere, just firmly and evenly push onto the panel from the outside of the chassis and it will pop right out. Careful not to get cut in the process! I have done that numerous times.<\/p>\n Once it’s been removed, place it off to the side. Make sure there is nothing else to remove from the case, and then proceed with getting the new one out and ready.<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> III-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom<\/b><\/p>\n I think it’s pretty known from my ITX Build article, I am a huge fan of Corsair products. They’re of very high quality and this case is no exception. This is a Corsair Carbide 100R Mid-Tower Case, and it has plenty of space and then some for the new system. It comes with two sleeve bearing fans, all of the screws needed, and tool-less mounting racks for the internal and optical drives. The price was pretty reasonable to boot.<\/p>\n Here’s the chassis opened with it all cleared out as best as possible. It’s always good to clear it out to have a nice open working space to help keep things from getting in the way or messed up. The wires down the center are the new front panel wires that I moved off to the side after taking this photo. Notice all of those holes in the middle of the back panel; those are the bottom mounting holes for the motherboard. Sometimes the manufacturer of the PC case will fill in the most common holes with the bottom mounting screws (see Figure 7a) and one just has to fill in the remaining depending upon where they line up on the motherboard. <\/p>\n There’s a couple of ways to do this: one can reference the motherboard or the new cases’ manual, or can just lay the board down on top of these holes to see which ones align with what. I tend to just place the board into the case and make a mental note of which ones I need to install the mounting screws at. If there is a dome with a small hole in that, then those do not need a mounting screw. Those spots are ready for the top screw to be utilized for holding the motherboard in place. <\/p>\n Be sure to tighten those firmly! Sometimes the cases come with a tool that goes over them, and then a Phillips can be used to tighten them into place pretty easily. Once that’s done, install the motherboard’s back plate and then install the motherboard with either the screws provided or can use the previous case’s screws instead. If the new chassis came with screws, I normally use them.<\/p>\n Okay, this is a pretty extensive jump from the last Figure. I’ve installed the motherboard, and also installed three new case fans. Those are Cougar Hydraulic 120mm fans, but they’re not illuminated. I didn’t want ones like I used in the ITX Build that lit up like that here. They still have the near silent noise and 100,000 to 300,000 lifespan like the LED ones do. The one in the front is an intake fan, while the other two are exhaust fans. I didn’t go crazy with fans since this system doesn’t need the excessive fan usage. The motherboard mounting screws can also be seen since their color is very contrasting to the motherboard’s.<\/p>\n Another fairly big jump from the previous Figure. This is a test run to make sure that the transfer was successful or not. I have connected all of the drives, installed the new power supply, and hooked up the front panel connectors. The one thing that I was not successful was reconnecting the front panel’s USB ports as this board’s connectors for those were older than what the chassis had. I was okay with this, but if one wants those to work, make sure the new case has those connectors. Let’s start with the repair and then move on to the modifications, as those might not apply to all conversions.<\/p>\n The new power supply is a Corsair CX 750M, which is a 750 Watt Power Supply and is Semi Modular. Semi-Modular basically means that the primary cable from the Power Supply to the Motherboard (20+4 Pin) is not removable, but the rest are modular and can be added or removed as needed. Whereas a fully modular, all of the cables can be removed and inserted as needed or non-modular none of the cables can be removed.<\/p>\n I picked the CX over the more expensive HX, or AX is because this was in fact an older system nor could it SLI, and I didn’t need a overpowered power supply for it. The power supply that this replaced was only a 300 watt one, which is kind of how I guestimated what I needed to get for a replacement, especially since I knew I was going to add some upgrades to it also. Generally speaking, if one is considering heavy computing, GPU rendering\/usage, or SLI, then I would not use a CX and would pick the HX or AX with the needed wattage for whatever it is being used for.<\/p>\n As for modifications, the first more noticeable item that is new is the Graphic Processor Unit (GPU), or Graphics Card right above the new Power Supply. I had planned on upgrading the older GPU that this system came with well before the Power Supply decided to go out on me, so figured this was a good time to install that as well. Was a little tricky since it covered up the SATA connectors, so I ended up replacing a couple of the original stock SATA cables with new angled ones so they would work with the new behemoth GPU’s. This is an old GeForce GTX 275, and a few months later after I made sure it worked great, I replaced it with a GTX 580. Newer GPU’s require separate power cables from the Power Supply, so make sure they’re plugged in as well!<\/p>\n The final additional modification was installing an Solid State Hard Drive as the primary boot-up drive, with the original system’s hard drive being used as a secondary large storage drive. This allows for the system to boot-up far quicker and then to just have personal files stored on the slower mechanical drive instead. Indirectly, this was because I wanted to upgrade the Operating System from Windows Vista to Windows 7.<\/p>\n Side note about modifying a pre-made’s Operating System, check with the manufacturer’s website to make sure that it is supported before considering changing the Operating System. Sometimes they don’t support newer system drivers!<\/p>\n That’s it for the modifications. It’s kind of difficult to tell in this photo, but cable management is utilized here to the best ability. The wires come from the power supply, and then go through an opening at the bottom of the motherboard’s plate and travel up to another opening at the top near the optical drive bays to help airflow through the middle of the chassis. Sometimes cables don’t cooperate depending upon where they are on the board versus where the Power Supply is, so if there are ways to run wires behind the motherboard’s plate but they won’t reach, just run it on the front side.<\/p>\n With it successfully running, the problem has been resolved with the conversion, and the modifications seem to be working, it’s time to close it all up!<\/p>\n All closed up! Notice on the back the old motherboard’s panel that was transferred with the system.<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> IV. Closing and Aftermath<\/b><\/p>\n Now, unless one has planned on updating the Operating System, the PC should boot up like it did prior to the conversion process and\/or it breaking down. If upgrades, like new RAM or a GPU have been installed during the process, check to make sure they’ve been detected (normally the OS will have a notice pop-up), and then update and drivers to reflect the new modifications.<\/p>\n That’s all to it! Keep the documentation for the converted Pre-made safely somewhere just in case something goes awry or something needs to be upgraded\/replaced.<\/p>\n Doing a conversion to a pre-made can help extend the life of a system, or recycle it into having a secondary life if it was succeeded by something newer. They don’t tend to be as difficult as building one from scratch, but it does have its limits as well since it is built with manufacturer-specific parts that wouldn’t be present on a full custom build. Cost-wise it can vary widely depending upon the extreme of the conversion, but typically not as expensive as going out to build one from scratch. Don’t expect it to run with the top-of-the-line systems either even with it’s newly formed life, but it will definitely have far better longevity and upgrade options than it did as just a simple pre-made.<\/p>\n That’s it for the conversion guide; something to consider as an alternative solution to fixing a pre-made, or giving it new life! As always, comments, questions, corrections, are always welcome!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Table of Contents I. Reasons for a Conversion II. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows! III-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made III-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom IV. Closing and Aftermath There’s always that huge base decision to make for a … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":771,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1155","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1155\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI. Reasons for a Conversion
\nII. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!<\/a>
\nIII-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made<\/a>
\nIII-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom<\/a>
\nIV. Closing and Aftermath<\/a><\/p>\n![\"PreMadeCustomHeader\"](\"wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/PreMadeCustomHeader.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nI. Reasons for a Conversion<\/a>
\nII. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!
\nIII-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made<\/a>
\nIII-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom<\/a>
\nIV. Closing and Aftermath<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Commonly](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/I-ATXChart600.png\")
<\/a>
\nFigure I:<\/b> Most Common ATX Form Factors – Click for Larger Image!<\/div>\n\n
![\"ASUS](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/IIa-ASUSMoboNum.jpg\")
\nFigure IIa:<\/b> Example of ASUS’s Motherboard Model Number.
ASUS Motherboard Model Numbers Support Page<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Intel](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/IIb-IntelMoboNum.png\")
\nFigure IIb:<\/b> Example of Intel’s Motherboard Model Number.
Intel Motherboard Model Numbers Support Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Reasons for a Conversion<\/a>
\nII. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!<\/a>
\nIII-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made
\nIII-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom<\/a>
\nIV. Closing and Aftermath<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/01-ThePreFab.jpg\")
\nFigure 1:<\/b> The Pre-Made System in its Original Form.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/02-PreFabInside.jpg\")
\nFigure 2:<\/b> The Pre-Made System Opened.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/03-PreFabFrontRemoved.jpg\")
\nFigure 3:<\/b> The Pre-Made System with Front Face Panel Removed.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/04-PreFabDownToFrame.jpg\")
\nFigure 4:<\/b> The Pre-Made System Stripped Down to the Framework.<\/div>\n![\"Mounting](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/04a-MountScrewHole.jpg\")
\nFigure 4a:<\/b> Example of a Top Mounting Screw Hole on a Motherboard.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/05-PreFabMoBoPanel.jpg\")
\nFigure 5:<\/b> The Motherboard’s Back Panel.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Reasons for a Conversion<\/a>
\nII. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!<\/a>
\nIII-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made<\/a>
\nIII-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom
\nIV. Closing and Aftermath<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/06-NewCase.jpg\")
\nFigure 6:<\/b> The New Replacement PC Case.<\/div>\n![\"Cleared](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/07-NewCaseClearedOut.jpg\")
\nFigure 7:<\/b> New Case all Cleared Out.<\/div>\n![\"Motherboard](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/07a-BottomMountScrew.jpg\")
\nFigure 7a:<\/b> Standard Motherboard Bottom Mounting Screw.<\/div>\n![\"Motherboard](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/08-NewCaseMoBowithFans.jpg\")
\nFigure 8:<\/b> Motherboard and new Case Fans Installed.<\/div>\n![\"Inside](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/09-NewCaseInsideComplete.jpg\")
\nFigure 9:<\/b> All Components Installed and Test Running.<\/div>\n![\"New](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/10-NewCaseClosedFront.jpg\")
\nFigure 10:<\/b> Front Shot of the Newly Completed System.<\/div>\n![\"New](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/11-NewCaseClosedBack.jpg\")
\nFigure 11:<\/b> Back Shot of the Newly Completed System.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Reasons for a Conversion<\/a>
\nII. Before Beginning – Get all of the Knows!<\/a>
\nIII-1. The Procedure \u2022 Section 1 – Breaking Down the Pre-Made<\/a>
\nIII-2. The Procedure \u2022 Section 2 – Rebuilding the Pre-Made into a Custom<\/a>
\nIV. Closing and Aftermath<\/p>\n![\"Running](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/02PreFabConv\/12-NewCaseOperating.jpg\")
\nFigure 12:<\/b> Running Smoothly at its Spot!<\/div>\n