I think he has upgraded that Dell already as far as he should go because, IMO, he does need a new case. But as Wrench noted, Dell (and other big factory makers) don't always comply with normal industry standards. I have not seen in recent years where the motherboard mounting holes are in the wrong place, but I have seen Dell use tines that are cut from the case sheet metal that then fold over to clamp the board to the case, instead of using screws. The problem there is the tines often break when straightening or when bending back to secure a replacement board. But the Dell OEM boards do typically fit in standard cases. The problem then becomes connecting the front panel buttons and LEDs to the board. If Dell bastardized the motherboard's front panel I/O header, you may have a problem. Note many Dells use Intel OEM boards and if look under Front Panel I/O in
this Intel doc, you can figure out the pin layout and maybe, with fingers crossed and strategic placement of tongue, sort out which connector goes where. But this can be a challenge.
Note that many new graphics cards come with HDMI that supports pass-through audio so he can pull the sound card. It does not appear that card does, however. Does he really need RAID? SSDs will mount in any free 5.25 or 3.5 inch drive bay, with the necessary mounting bracket/adapter.
Really, I wish everyone knew and understood that if they buy a factory built computer, their upgrade options will be very limited. After all, these factory computer makers would much rather sell you a new computer than provide the option to extend the usefulness of your old computer. These folks need to learn to assemble their own (all you need is a #2 Phillips screwdriver) and a little dexterity, and a little care to prevent ESD destruction. Alternatively, they need to find a local shop who will custom build for them. Yes, it will cost more than the factory built, but only initially if you can upgrade and allow your computer to
evolve through the years instead of complete replacement each time.
Because I cannot go to ASUS, Intel, Crucial, or WD and promise to buy 1,000,000 CPUs, drives or sticks of RAM over the next year, there is no way I can compete in prices with the big factory builders. But I always tell my clients I can build a better computer than the big guys that is suited to their specific needs that will carry them through
years of upgrades and ultimately, save them money in the long run. But that takes an initial "investment" in a quality PSU and case to create the "foundation" for a PC that is built to last
and support future upgrades.
But sadly, cases and PSUs is where the big makers (and un or mis-informed self-builders) frequently cut corners in the budget. :shame2:
:banghead: