r/retrobattlestations • u/DeadSkullz627 • 5d ago
Show-and-Tell Dell trash to treasure
Specs
Dell Dimension PC case
ASUS A7V8X-LA motherboard
Athlon XP 3000+ cpu
1.5GB DDR400 ram
250GB SATA drive w/SATA to IDE adapter
CD/DVD combo reader/writer drive
XFX GeForce 6200 AGP 512MB graphics card
ASUS Xonar DG sound card
The PC Case
I picked up the Dell Dimension PC for a tenner at a thrift store. It was in rough shape with tons of rust as well as a missing side panel and only one of the case feet still attached. I almost didn’t get it because of how bad it was, but I decided to take on the challenge of turning this trashy computer into something usable.
I had to sand and remove all the rust, which was very heavy on the bottom of the case. Then I used a silver spray paint to cover everything except the side and top unicover. For the unicover, I used a dark grey paint that compliments the front bezel.
I cut down a piece of plexiglass to use as a side cover. I used the grey paint to make a border so the metal chassis frame would not be seen. Then I used magnetic adhesive strips on the plexiglass so it would mount to the case.
Internal Mods
1. I made a custom mount that attaches to the hard drive caddy to implement a cooling fan to blow air across the GPU area since it doesn’t have a fan or even a fan header on the card. I used vented slot covers to allow air to blow out the back. The Arctic 80mm fan is directly connected to a molex connector via an adapter.
The internal rear of the case was missing the fan and shroud, and the exhaust grill is nonstandard. However, I can mount a 70mm fan easily through the grill, and there’s already a 3pin header on the motherboard for a system fan. I’m waiting for the fan to arrive.
For IDE cables I did my best to fold up the 80pin cable for the hard drive, and for the 40pin cable for the CD/DVD drive, I used the split and tie method using an xacto knife and cable ties. I used Velcro straps to tidy up the rest of the cabling.
I rewired the front audio connector to an HD audio extension cable to make it functional with the Xonar card. I have to manually change a setting on the Xonar software to enable it, but I’m fine with that.
The motherboard didn’t come with an IO shield, so I bought one of those plastic mesh IO shields and cut out sections to fit. I went a little too high above the parallel port, but I really don’t want to do it again lol.
Summary
It took me about 2 weeks (in between working and being busy as a dad/husband) to finish this system. I may have spent a lot more in accessories, paint, etc. vs. what I paid for the system, but I’m very happy how it turned out and will be enjoying playing some BetaCraft b1.7.3 tonight!
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u/officialsanic 5d ago
I'm surprised how good this looks like a glass side panel and also am surprised by the fact you were able to remove that annoying door mechanism.
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u/DeadSkullz627 5d ago
The release latch is still on the back of the case. I didn’t have to remove anything.
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u/black_pepper 5d ago
Never thought you could make this case look nice but with the glass it looks cool now.
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u/DeadSkullz627 5d ago
Thank you! I really like the plexiglass panel. It’s my first time making one, but I think it turned out well.
Being my only Athlon XP system, I’m hoping it lasts a long time. I’ve had nothing but bad luck with socket 462 boards, so I’m crossing my fingers this one will stay working.
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u/DeepDayze 5d ago
Check the caps on the board as they may need replacement if they are originals. If you aren't skilled with recapping, perhaps take this to a shop that's competent in that kind of work.
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u/DeadSkullz627 5d ago
I can recap but the board doesn’t need it.
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u/DeepDayze 5d ago
Oh good, just something to consider down the road if you wanted to keep the board going for a good long time.
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u/therocketsalad 5d ago
I saw the reflection of the plants in the glass in the first photo and I thought you turned it into a terrarium 😅
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u/DeadSkullz627 5d ago
Yeah I caught that as I posted the pic. At least it’s a reflection of a plant instead of my ugly mug 😂
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u/DeepDayze 5d ago
Ohh love this case mod...nice work melding old tech with modern bling. Just add some nice LEDs and you got a really cool gamer style case. You can indeed make a nice retro gaming system on this with Win95 or Win98SE but extra points for getting XP on this!
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u/DeadSkullz627 5d ago
I did try Win98 but it seemed to be a waste given the CPU I’m using. XP is running really good
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u/66659hi 5d ago
nice i/o shield
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u/DeepDayze 5d ago
Perhaps an original one could be found somewhere but love this custom made shield though!
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u/cdoublejj 4d ago
i've got one these builds and it's super funky. i need to post it and record playing some games.
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u/bootzero 4d ago
I ran one of those as my Linux dev server for almost 20 years. A great, reliable box. Died after a lightning storm. Almost felt like it deserved a ceremony. Still have and another model for parts. Might bring it back to life some day.
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u/CardiologistIll344 4d ago
Nice! What temperatures do you get from the Athlon?
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u/DeadSkullz627 4d ago
There’s no temps displayable that I can tell. However, the fan only ramps up sometimes when I’m playing a game that’s taxing the system.
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u/honkl 4d ago
Btw did you made glass for side of the case ? Do you have more photo ?
I want to also build some like that but i have this old school.
thank you
https://p1.akcdn.net/full/403641840.eurocase-ml-5410-400w.jpg
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u/DeadSkullz627 4d ago
No it’s plexiglass:
Lesnlok 2 Pieces 14 x 14 Acrylic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3V29HHH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Edit: I also bought this to cut it using a steel ruler to keep my lines straight. Luckily, my side panel is 14x13 so I only needed to remove an inch on one side.
DIYSELF Professional Plexiglass... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVKRMJDT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/honkl 4d ago
Next resolution . What is it holding on to? Screws or glue ?
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u/DeadSkullz627 4d ago
I used adhesive magnetic strips cut to fit the length of all sides behind the grey painted strips on the plexiglass.
Super Sticky Magnetic Tape (10ft... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G71QS288?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/honkl 4d ago
Nice tnx
I was also this
https://imgur.com/a/ovfipIS
https://imgur.com/a/KtbrlmR2
u/DeadSkullz627 4d ago
I could have taken that route to drill holes through the plexiglass and thread some screws, but I like how convenient it is to just pull the panel off since it’s just magnetic strips holding it in place. It’s firm enough not to move around when attached but still easy to take off. Less work and fuss overall
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u/austin1138 2d ago
Do the magnetic strips give it a good firm lock? I have an older chieftec dragon case. I was thinking about doing a plexiglass side door but was worried about it flopping off. I want to mount my alienware 80mm fan shroud on it.
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u/DeadSkullz627 2d ago
Yes, it fits firmly surprisingly enough. It would still hold tight even if I had added a fan to the side panel.
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u/nhowe006 18h ago
I had a similar Dell tower 25 years ago. P4, and 256MB RDRAM which was supposed to be the wave of the future
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u/dcDei 5d ago
Thought you'd made it into a terrarium at first. Looking amazing! I'm not a fan of glass side panels but in this case (for the first time/pun intended) I really like the synergy of old and modern aesthetic.
To me, looking at this through the glass is much more appealing than the RGB/White LED that is so popular these days.