Topic: Upgrading a Medion 8383XL.

[mistybear]

Thanks Sandra, I might get some masking tape or little stickers and label the wiring.

I was going to get more fans, the optional ones, but a friend said that with all the extra fans this case has plus all the additional room, probably won't need any.

Michael mightn't be home much this weekend, but he has monday off. He could also take it into TAFE, a class project. But I really want to have a play, and then if I stuff it up, he can take it into TAFE. 

[Sandra]

It is easy enough to do it by yourself MB, just sometimes the springy bits on the rectangular plate make it easier if theres a spare pair of hands available.
Yours probably wont be as springy as a new mobo one would be as its been under pressure in the old case for a few years already 

[mistybear]

Everything is in, but having trouble with the front power and reset switches.



With the old case there were only two connections ATX SW and POWER LED which went into the PS-ON and PWR_LED.

Now the new case has three connections PWR_SW, HDD_LED and RESET_SW.

Michael first put them into RESET, HDD_LED and PWR_LED  no power?

So now he has moved the PWR_SW from PWR_LED to PS-ON, is this correct?

I'm a little nervous about blowing up the motherboard.

[Sandra]

Yes PWR_SW is the same as PS-ON.
Sorry that you have had to wait so long for a reply 

[mistybear]

Thanks Sandra, it powered up ok, then turned off, had a suspicion that it was the CPU heat sink not seated properly. Michael took it out and re-seated it, and it has been running for last 5 minutes without a hiccup so he's taking to his room to connect everything else.

Not sure about the USB connections and video and audio, do you still have the 8383 motherboard manual, makes it easier than me trying to post bits out of it.

[Sandra]

Not sure about the USB connections and video and audio, do you still have the 8383 motherboard manual, makes it easier than me trying to post bits out of it.

I think I have it somewhere MB but unfortunately I dont have much time to look for it at the moment and I have to go out soon 
It will be this evening by the time I get chance to look for it and read up on it.

[mistybear]

That's ok, everything else is working, it did turn off again when he took it to his room, it was the CPU again, it's very touchy. Michael will try and get some thermal paste tomorrow from TAFE as I'm sure it needs replacing with taking it off so many times.

The TV card and the other connections are going to be a challenge, I didn't really take much notice before we disconnected everything.   :embarassed:

[Sandra]

Just had a quick look through the mobo manuals on my pc MB but theyre listed by mobo number not pc type.
Can you tell me the number of your MB then I can read through it when I get back home this evening.

[mistybear]

Thanks Sandra, no hurry.

MS 7091, the copy I have you sent me ages ago. 

[mistybear]

One other thing while I remember, the case comes with four fans, two hard drive cage fans, one rear fan and a big 25cm fan at the top. Problem is the power supply Antec Trio 550 has only two fan only connections. So we connected one of the hard drive cage fans, which is at the bottom of the case and has the hard drive in it, and the back fan, which is at the back and near the top of the case. It is also right next to the CPU's fan, so it's sucking out the heat from the CPU and should create a flow through. What does concern me that the PSU is at the base of the case and the fan is facing straight up towards the GFX Card.
We have been watching the temps since it's been running, hard drive started at 19C dropped to 17C so that's very well cooled, but the CPU is about 58C and the GFX card at 51C. I'm thinking of unplugging the hard drive fan which has the hard drive in it and plugging in the other hard drive fan which is higher up, and has nothing in it, actually it's in the middle, it would then blow air through to the GFX Card and closer to the CPU which is very close to the top of the case.
But what I really need to know is how can I connect all four fans when I only have two fan only connections from the PSU, do I need a separate fan controller such as one of these, http://www.i-tech.com.au/products/2568_THERMALTAKE_HARDCANO_13.aspx  maybe not that one in particular, but along those lines.

[mistybear]

Oh, and Sandra and anyone else who thinks Australia is always warm and sunny......... it's 0.7C and snowing.

No wonder his hard drive is only 17C.

[Clive]

The myth is shattered!   

[Sandra]

Reading the info from your link on the PSU :

Note: Do not connect more than two external fans to the ?Fan Only?
connectors.

So you will need to use the spare molex connectors, the 4 pin ones.
You can get various types of splitters and converters to be able to connect different things to them, see here :

http://www.solentcables.co.uk/acatalog/Internal.html

Look at the 4th one down to the 11th on that page for the various combinations possible.

These will be the cheapest options but the fans connected to them will run at full speed.

If you want to vary the speed of the fans for quietness then you will need a fan controller as you have mentioned, they usually have one power feed in and 3 or more out via regulators.

Cant find your mobo manual MB so I will have to download it again if I can find it.

[mistybear]

Yes, I see what you mean.

The fans do come with a three speed switch, so he can adjust them depending on what he's doing. So using the existing spare molex connectors is certainly a lot cheaper.

And hopefully the motherboard manual arrived.

[Sandra]

It has thanks MB, will have a read through it later.

MSI really mess their motherboard IDs up when they make a board for a specific manufacturer.
I spent ages last night looking for 7091 and couldnt find any mention on the MSI site.

I did have a link to a site which had all the numbers that were used on MSI customer mobos cross referenced with the actual MSI retail number but I cant find it now