I'm on the hunt for an affordable refurbished desktop to transfer my GPU and RAM into. However, I've noticed that most options available are these small, slim towers, which definitely won't accommodate my GPU.
Is it straightforward to transfer the components to my standard Dell XPS 8500 tower? I'm looking for a simple process since I struggle with problem-solving due to brain fog. Are the parts from these tiny desktops similar to standard ones, just packed differently? My GPU is the Powercolor Red Devil RX 570 and it won't fit in the smaller cases I'm finding. Any insights would be super helpful!
3 Answers
Nope, the tiny form factors often don't follow standard ATX sizes, so they won't work in a regular case. You might be limited in what you can transfer.
Generally, it's tricky to do a straight swap. Many small desktops, like those from Dell or Lenovo, come with custom motherboards and power supplies that won't fit into a standard tower. It's not just a matter of moving things around; the parts often won’t mesh together easily.
Thanks! That’s what I suspected, I appreciate the clarification!
If your Dell XPS 8500 is using a micro ATX motherboard, you should be okay to switch cases. Just keep in mind, you may need a new heatsink since the existing one might be attached to the case instead of the motherboard, which complicates things a bit.
Just to clarify, are you saying that the motherboard and power supply from those tiny desktops will definitely swap out? I'm really looking for a straightforward swap—something I can just plug and play.
Exactly! It really depends on the model, but even if you find a few parts that might transfer, they're usually the cheapest components the manufacturer sourced.