Packard Bell upgrade piece by piece

[lucky13]

Hi, first post so be gentle!

I currently have a PB iMedia 1539 (Specs can be found at: http://www.packardbell.co.uk/produc.../imedia-1539/productsheet-PB34305801-46.html).

The modding bug has got me, but I am fairly happy at the moment with most of the internals.

I have a Thermaltake Armor VA8000 case coming soon to give me plenty of expansion and cooling, but obviously I can't stop there

I was just wondering if the standard PSU can cope with the extra fans and maybe a couple extra gadgets in the bays. If not, can anyone recommend a decent supply?

Also, are aftermarket components even compatible with the mobo? I certainly wouldn't rule out replacing it if I needed to.

The near future plan is to transplant my current system into the new case, and either add to or replace the standard 80GB HD. I also want to add an LCD into one of the bays, simply because I like having the seperate screen for certain info.

Sorry if I sound like an amateur, but I am just that! Hopefully some of you more knowledgable people can help

Thanks.

 

[mrapoc]

All psus that come with companies such as packardbell are not really fit for anything more than the bog standard pc they come with

Check the psu reviews here

You won't need much more than 400w (perhaps a good 600w for future proofing) - This will add stability and allow video card upgrades etc.

All components should be compatible with the board (unless they are physically the wrong type)...i dont think packard bell have reinvented their own motherboard system yet

sounds a good way to start though, just get used to moving the parts around

 

[FarFarAway]

Well the PSU will need upgrading as mrapoc just said.

As for parts:

My friend has the exact same PC as that...until I got my hands on it

The CPU will hold you back a bit

I'd start with a decent graphics card and 2gb RAM (and PSU as mentioned), then think about replacing the CPU and motherboard with something better

 

[lucky13]

I suspected as much with the PSU, as from a manufacturing POV, why go bigger than you need?

As I don't know much about choosing the the right PSU, the power rating suggestion helps a lot, so thanks

I'm planning to do the transplant on Friday, and to be honest I'm a little nervous as this is my first time doing such a job. I'm an engineering technician by trade, so hopefully that and plenty of patience should help!

I'll certainly be replacing the CPU and motherboard in time, but for now I just want to change it all over to the new case and add whatever else I need.

To be honest, I can see the limitations of the CPU, but it will do me for now until my bank balance is a little healthier again!

 

[FarFarAway]

Fair enough

But ye you'll be fine, just be patient and make sure you have everything in place and connected properly.

PC components (if they aren't faulty) are generally pretty hard to blow up unless you're careless, in my experience

 

[lucky13]

Well, I opted for a Hiper Type-R 580W PSU, as I may as well buy quality now instead of buying 2 or 3 times in the future.

It also makes me feel better about reliability and now I can be sure that it won't be underpowered!

Thanks Kempez, it's good to know that components aren't as delicate as some people make out. I have bought an anti-static wrist strap, but I'm sure that's more common sense than anything else!

 

[mrapoc]

Thats quite a sweet move mate.

TBH the thing your most likely to

up is the cpu.

For my first encounter with this stuff me and my mate transferred his stuff into a new case.

Just follow guides/manuals and you'll be dandy

 

[lucky13]

Thanks mrapoc

I'm assuming the CPU thing can happen only if you change it or otherwise mess with it?

I picked up a copy of PC Upgrade & Maintenance today which does a really good job of explaining the most common things to do. Suprisingly, it's something I've found to be difficult to find on the net, especially as it goes into so much detail with plenty of pictures.

I'm hoping that by doing this I'll become more familiar with the options I'll need to choose and compatibility in the future when upgrading other parts.

I've set myself a few hours aside to do it, and hopefully if I take my time I won't have any major problems!

 

[lucky13]

Well, finally I did it! 5 hours, a bucket of sweat, lots of beer and I'm just about where I want to be.

The case that got delivered wasn't the VA8000, but the VC3000 Armor Jr. I don't mind at all, as it's plenty big enough and is a million times better than my previous case.

I've got to admit, the stress got to me and now I'm very, very tired. First try, didn't work and was because I plugged in a bench psu instead of the pc

Second and umpteenth time didn't work because I had left out a couple of connections I didn't think I needed.

The connectors that came with the switches and sockets on the case are WAY different to the ones that the previous case used. This probably caused the most headaches as I just couldn't figure it out.

The only niggles I have left are as follows:

1: The power light isn't lit up, but the HDD light is pretending to be it. Obviously a wrong connection, easily solved.

2: The SATA cable on the HDD is pressed right up against the window, so I'll need to buy a 90 degree connector. Not a major problem, but it would have been nice to include that with the case when it's obvious it's going to be a problem with the location of the HDD.

3: The cables to my DVD drive and card reader were way too short to reach the motherboard in my preferred location, so both had to be moved down the tower. Hopefully any further additions will have longer cables.

4: The fan noise, while quiet is still too noticiable to me. Of course, having 5 fans spinning all the time isn't going to be silent. Water cooling is a definite option in the future.

Apart from that it's got to be one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had! There's something about sitting here peering through that window that makes me very smug

I'm definitely glad I purchased the 580W Hiper Type-R PSU. It looks fantastic, and as well as the small fan at the back, it has a big chrome one on the bottom. The blue light coming through the mesh body is also very sexy. I love the modular nature of this thing, as I only needed to plug in the cables I need! A stroke of simple genius if ever there was one.

The next things I want to do are to get some small tie-wraps to tidy up the cables, maybe get a couple of small cold cathode tubes and eventually a Raptor HDD, as I love that you can see it working through the window when it's put in the special vertical bay. I'm hoping to find a motherboard that can take the connections I've had to leave out, such as extra USB sockets and the case alarm micro-switch.

I'm very happy with the final result, and I'm also a lot more confident in my ability to upgrade the hardware. This forum has been a godsend in preparing for doing this, and for that I'm very, very grateful to the authors of all the posts I've read.

 

[mrapoc]

Glad to hear mate! What a good start

Any other problems dont fear to have a post

Hope to see you sticking around

Well done

 

[Pat123]

Get a few piccy's up and congrats

 

[lucky13]

Pics as requested I took them with my Nikon Coolpix L12 (7.1MP). I had to reduce the size by a massive amount due to the original quality. I'm amazed at how well the pictures came out considering the bad lighting in here!

Anyway, first and second pics are of the front and side, third one is of the PSU.

I have a lot of tidying up to do in there, and plan on replacing the IDE and SATA cables, as well as using spiral wrap to bundle the wires together. At the time, aesthetics were less of a priority than getting it running!

I'm looking forward to seeing the end result (if there ever is one), especially when I can compare it to the old dull grey and black case!

 

[mrapoc]

Tidy those cables at once

No excuse if u have a modular psu

Just try hiding the cables where theres space (above the psu, in the optical drive cages etc.)

Pretty good first build mind you

 

[lucky13]

The PSU cables aren't actually that bad, it's the rest that are the problem

I've ordered an AC Ryan Flexsleeve kit in UV blue, along with a blue rounded IDE cable (hate that standard ribbon) and a blue 90 degree SATA cable. I also got a couple of 12" AC Ryan blue cold cathode tubes to light it up once it's tidy.

I do like the idea of hiding the cables in those places though. I'll try that once they are all bundled together.

I'll post an updated pic once I've tidied it up