ATX conversion kit for XPS 700 / 710 / 720

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ATX conversion kit for XPS 700 / 710 / 720

370 points posted to Desktops, XPS products by huggy_bear Mar 19

Apparently the upcoming XPS 730 is now using a standard ATX form factor for its motherboard (vs. BTX for the previous XPS generation(s), i.e. XPS 700, 710 and 720).
Since the XPS 700 was originally advertised as upgradeable at its introduction, it would be more than welcome from Dell to offer the option of an upgrade/conversion kit for XPS 700/710/720 owners to upgrade their system to the same ATX form factor (for a decent price). Kit would provide the following components:
1) ATX motherboard backplate mount
2) Power supply connectors/ATX converter
3) back panel
4) front panel I/O connector/ATX converter (power button, LED lights, I/O (USB/IEE1394), sound...).

aikiwolfie Mar 19	This is probably physically impossible. The expansion slots on BTX and ATX boards are in different locations. Opposite sides of the board in fact. The expansion slot openings at the back of the PC aren't part of the motherboard I/O back panel. They're an integral part of the chassis. Dell would have to produce a highly cumbersome seriously "Frankenstein" motherboard to implement this idea. It would likely be very expensive and just not worth it for Dell or the customer. Dell can't make a normal off the shelf ATX board fit into an XPS 700, 710, 720 or 720 H2C. BTX and ATX just aren't compatible. To get an idea of what I'm talking about get some internal pictures of an XPS 700 and XPS 630. This really isn't a reasonable upgrade request.
gdwrnch3 Mar 19	aikiwolfie, Look again bro, the ATX board in the 630 is a normal ATX board mounted upside down!!!
pointguard1122 Mar 19	You guys are wrong. The XPS 730 is built on the same chassis with an ATX mobo. The upgrade kit would have to include a new mobo tray and an entire new back panel. It is VERY possible, but improbable. Dell usually does not give prior customers upgrade paths.
huggy_bear Mar 19	gdwrcnh3 and PG are right! (N.B. I don't know about the 630 but I believe PG was actually talking about the 730...). The upcoming 730 case looks very much like the XPS 700-720 chassis. If you look carefully, it indeed opens on the right-hand side panel (like any BTX system) and looking carefully you should see that the ATX mobo inside is upside down! (i.e. PCI-e slots up, CPU socket and RAM slots down). So it'd seem that Dr. "FrankenDell" already created their monster. Now, all Dell needs to do is give its customers a choice to purchase their conversion kit which I don't believe is an unreasonable request.
rrf985 Mar 19	Another good idea. I think it wouldn't be too hard for Dell to create a replacement back panel for the 720 case. I happen to think the 720 case looks a heck of a lot better than the 730 case.
aikiwolfie Mar 19	Okay for all the people that think this is possible. How do you move the expansion slot openings to the right place? Please note on the 630 the expansion slots are positioned just under the PSU. On the 700 the expansion slots are at the bottom of the PC. On normal ATX systems the motherboard would be mounted on the opposite side which would put the expansion slots at the bottom! This idea is impossible.
aikiwolfie Mar 19	Never said the 630 had anything other than a normal ATX board gdwrnch.
steve_89 Mar 20	I just say make it possible for "us" to upgrade if we want to.Its a win win either way.
huggy_bear Mar 20	OK, I had a good look at the internals of my XPS 700 / 720 Hybrid case and unfortunately I believe aikiwolfie might be right :/... From seeing pictures of the XPS 730, it seemed at least feasible to fit an ATX mobo upside-down into our BTX-friendly XPS chassis. Also from the snapshots it was evident that the expansion slots would then be at the top (right under the PSU...) which most of us didn't believe would be a problem after simply getting a proper back-panel w/ new expansion slots openings at the top (i.e. item #3 listed in theoretical "conversion kit" above...). Now, I was about to flame aikiwolfie for his repeated/insisting negative/pessimistic comments ;} when I decided to get a good second/third/fourth look inside the XPS case just to be sure and sure enough he was right. Now, when I re-read his original post he did indeed mention "the expansion slot openings are an integral part of the chassis" which is where relies the problem (funny how the mind will simply disregard some obvious stated facts when convinced otherwise :}...). There is no way to relocate the expansion slot openings to a different location short of cutting thru the back-panel metal mesh which is welded/integral part of the entire chassis :/! In other words, the XPS 730 chassis might be loosely based on the same original XPS 700-720 one but has been slightly modified to provide new expansion slots openings at the top and there is no easy way to modify the existing XPS 700 chassis to do the same :/... I guess we'll have now to suggest Dell to sell us a barebone XPS 730 chassis for us to transfer all our existing components + ATX mobo or more simply give us the option to RMA our XPS 700/720 and upgrade to a XPS 730 ;}!
w-tiger Mar 20	This could be done, but very well may end up as one of those dreams. Support the idea.
kcobley Mar 20	Another problem has just occurred, Nvidia have electric drilled us again, the Nvidia 9800 GTX is unlikely to run in an unmodified XPS 720 as the only connectors are the 2 x 6 pin instead of the required 6 pin and 8 pin connectors I don't know if there is any sort of adapter for aonther connector to be used but I've had a good look and I'm not to sure it's going to run in an XPS 720 but gdwrch may have a better idea on this subject!
aikiwolfie Mar 20	Okay w-tiger. How could this be done? Clearly some people here have a serious case of denial or they just don't understand the difference between ATX and BTX system boards. I'm off to go draw a diagram. I'll need The GIMP. A XPS 630 internal shot. An XPS 700 internal shot and and a normal ATX system internal shot. I'll be back in a bit.
pointguard1122 Mar 20	Aiki, I do not think you are understanding our proposal. In order to use the XPS 700/720 chassis, it would require a new mobo tray and an entire new back panel. This would involve not onlu the plastic, but the metal as well. It might even require cutting rivits. Perhaps this would not be something possible for Dell to offer in an upgrade kit, but it is not impossible. Perhaps this is over the head of the average computer owner, but many highend users are very capable of breaking out a dremel or cutting a new rear panel from plexiglass. I do not believe the very Obvious difference between ATX and BTX has ANYTHING to do with this discussion. Please look here and you can clearly see that this is an ATX mobo in the XPS700 series chassis. Were there modifications done to accomidate the ATX mobo? obviously. But that only proves it is possible. If I had not sold my XPS case, I would do this just to chronicle the steps needed to make the conversion. I do not expect Dell to even visit the possibility of making this upgrade. But to say it impossible to do is incorrect. Give me time to locate another XPS chassis and I will make this work.
pointguard1122 Mar 20	Also, please stop refering to the 630. Look at the pictures from engadget. http://forums.rampantspeculation.com/viewtopic.php?t=848&start=0
aikiwolfie Mar 20	Look where? Where am I looking? I understand the proposal perfectly well pointguard1122. If you are prepaired to break out a dremel cutter and chop up a 700 chassi then why do you need Dell to offer you anything? Go down to your local PC store, buy an ATX board and fit it yourself. You'll probably get a cheaper deal too. If you guys need an explanation feel free to ask. Now this I assume is the XPS 730 H2C. That isn't the same chassi we've had on the 700, 710, 720 and 720 H2C. It's the chassi from the XPS 630 with a few dimples, a window and a maybe a few extra drive bays added. Which is why I keep referring to the XPS 630. And here's a picture to prove it!
pointguard1122 Mar 20	Aiki, I think we are talking past each other. Nobody is asking Dell for an upgrade kit like they did for the 700-720. We are NOT looking for a mobo, only the ability to add a retail mobo. We are talking about the hardware needed to make the chassis work with a retail ATX mobo. Mobo tray and rear panels. That is it. I am sorry, but the 630 is NOT the same chassis as the 730. The 730 is virtually identical to the 720 except for the front and back panels and the mobo tray. The form factor between the 630 and 730 IS the same. I no longer have my 700 case, so I cannot tell if this thing is welded or screwed together. If it is screwed, then it would be possible NOT probable, for Dell to sell a kit allowing 700/720 owners with the desire and knowhow to replace the entire rear panel(both metal and plastic) and the mobo tray without touching a dremel. If it is in fact welded, then the only possibility will be for each of us to tackle this ourselves. Regardless, it IS possible. By the way, the side panel on the 730 will fit on the 720. That is why you see the dimples. Dell is using the same basic chassis. it is only the front and rear panels that are new. The 630 is a completely new redesign. This is not built on the same chassis.
pointguard1122 Mar 20	http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/06/dell-xps-730-h2c-spotted-in-the-wild/ It clearly shows the 730 is an ATX on the same chassis with a new front and back panel and mobo tray. The rest of the case, which is the reason I love the case, is the same.
aikiwolfie Mar 20	Yes the 730 is an ATX. I never said it wasn't. How the expansion slot openings are fixed to the case is what matters most here. Looking at my own XPS 700 case I can't see how they could easily be removed and replaced. There are screws, welds and rivets. They seem to be an integral part of the case and are not designed to be removed. Having already upgraded this system with the 720 motherboard I can testify just replacing the motherboard was a nightmare. Getting the tin pan back in place and seated properly took me several attempts and I'm not a novice at this. Basically you guys are talking about dismantling the entire system and rebuilding it from scratch. You be better off putting some cash aside and buying a 730 or asking Dell to sell you a bare bones system. I don't think this is a reasonable upgrade request.
pointguard1122 Mar 20	At least we understand what is being talked about. I would agree that to ask this of Dell would be in vain and a bit unreasonable. I will take your word on it that it involves rivets and welds. I agree that for most people that would be a nightmare. The problem with buying a 730 is, well, it is pretty ugly. I prefer the look of the XPS700 front. What I would like to see is the option to buy the mobo tray and the back panel (at least the plastic peice from Dell Spare Parts. Sometimes they can be pretty tough if you don't own a 730 to buy 730 parts. I ran into this after the 720 mobo swap. It is too bad this requires breaking rivets and welds. Had it only been screws, it would be a pretty simple operation (for some of us).
aikiwolfie Mar 20	The front is an entirely different matter. The plastic bezel is held in place with screws so far as I can remember. Assuming the 730 and 700 are the same size and the drive bays line up, it should be possible to swap them over. The front I/O and power switch still presents a challenge though. The front I/O module which also houses the actual power button for the XPS 700 and 720 was custom designed for those systems. There were differences between the 700 and 720 with the cables and abilities of these modules. So it's likely there will be differences with the 730 as well. Other than the obvious physical layout. The silver and black version doesn't look too bad. The red one though? Why does Dell keep doing that? It might be worth petitioning Dell to restore the old 700s face to the 730 before the 730 hits the market.
kcobley Mar 21	Had I had known that motherboard makers were going to discontinue making BTX boards I probably would not have bought my XPS 720 system and would have resusitated may dimension 8300 waited until an atx was availiable!
aikiwolfie Mar 21	BTX has been dieing a long slow painful death for some time now. I think Intel, the BTX standard inventors, even dropped it. It's a system board standard that's only ever proven popular with the 1st tear PC manufacturers and Apple. We really should have seen this coming. Especially as there are a few ideas on IdeaStorm calling on Dell to stop using BTX boards. Any Dell XPS from the 700 onwards should still hold it's own for at least the next 2 to 3 years in the games market. If you upgrade anything it'll be your graphics cards.
kcobley May 4	It may be just as easy to produce a short run of BTX Boards for Dell XPS 700-720 machines when the new Nehalem sockets are introduced in March 2009 Dell should first do a survey to ascertain the numbers interested in an upgrade board. The kit could invove board, tray, Nehalem CPU, 4G 1800mhz DDR 3 and a new Graphics Card/Cards. This would give XPS700 series machines another 3 years of life and save the environmental cost of both the disposal of older machines and the construction of new ones, we don't want just envrionmentally responsible packaging. Make the whole product enviroinmentally responsible.
aikiwolfie May 4	Producing short runs of hardware is expensive. If you have a 720 or 720 H2C your best upgrade option is a quad core CPU, more RAM, a fast hard drive and new graphics cards. I don't know if the 720 system board will support triple SLI, but it does have 3 PCIe x 16 slots. It's worth finding out.
saint613 Jun 12	This would be a good start on a mod.... http://www.mountainmods.com/atx-brushed-aluminum-removable-motherboard-tray-p...

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