Hey everyone! I've got a couple of these awesome old Alienware Area 51 Predator 2 cases and I'm finally taking the plunge to upgrade them. I've already set one up with a Ryzen 5 7600x, RTX 4060, and a nice AM5 board thanks to some great advice from Reddit. For the second case, I've got an AM4 board (still need a good CPU for it) and a 1080 ti that I was gifted, which is a step up from my old 2nd gen i7 2600 and 750 ti. I know the setups aren't exactly equal, but hey, I always wanted a 1080 ti!
Now here's my question: can I install the AM4 motherboard in the older ATX setup? We're already running the RTX 4060 in one build with an old motherboard and a 700w power supply. Luckily, I've got a fairly new 750w power supply in the second case, so that should be fine, but what about the power switch connectors and other compatibility issues? I used to be on top of all this stuff but I feel a bit out of the loop these days.
1 Answer
Yes, you can definitely put an AM4 motherboard in your Area 51 case, as long as the motherboard is the right size. You should double-check whether you're using an ATX or microATX board, and measure the screw holes to ensure they line up. It's all about the fit!
Thanks! It’s a full ATX mid tower, so it should fit without any issues. Good point about the standoffs—I hadn't thought of that. Appreciate the helpful tip!