Switching hp computer into an Antec 902 case

#1

Well since I got my 560 TI my card has no room to breathe inside my computer and it looks like the psu gave birth to an octopus. So I got an antec 902 case and I was hoping I could switch everything over.

I found the documentation for my computer (HP HPE H8 2010): http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02839589&cc=ad&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_r1002_caen

My motherboard is microATX, as with the psu (obviously, i’ve already replaced it)

CD and HDD are both SATA so all should go well… if I make it to them

While unplugging and taking constant pictures of the motherboard incase I forgot where something plugged in, I also read this guide on how to remove the motherboard from my exact PC: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02985726&tmp_task=useCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=5097968

Once everything was removed, I finally got to two pins that the guide did not explain how to remove, and im pretty sure one is in charge of my wifi (the chip matches the networking chip in my comps doc). Im hoping the wifi adapter that picks up signals isnt a feature of my case, because its hard to put the family router in my room.

The top wire I cannot tell how its attached and I do not want to pull it

The second wire wont budge, Ive pulled from as many angles as I can and it wont come out

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Im also concerned about the genral difficulty of swapping a case, It seems the motherboard is pretty much the most complex thing, and the rest of the components just need a psu cord and data cord.

Id really appreciate some help, im generally new to hardware and just a few months ago I was terrified of installing my graphics card and psu but thats the least of my worries right now.

Here is my case right now:

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Here is the inside of my new case:

#2

can you point out the wires you’re having trouble with? I’m having a little problem understanding what’s going on heh

#3

In the first picture, the one connecting to my network card and then the one connecting down in the bottom left, they wont come out. The white one looks like just a small pin plug and maybe im not pulling on it right, but the one above it im afraid to pull because I dont know if is soldered on or not (it can move 360 degrees though, so it may be a single pin)

#4

if the one that’s on your mini pcie wifi card (the black on with the gold end) is the one that you don’t know how to remove just pull it… it should come off no trouble… its just a round connector, single pin it will almost never be soldered all it is is the antennae as for the blue and black ones have a closer look see if there are any clips holing it in place if not it should just be a small ridge and groove.

#5

It could be an antenna and that makes sense, so that means switching cases will mean my computer can no longer pickup wifi?

This is what it is btw

And you’re right, it does look like its on a single pin

#6

there’s no could be it is
and if if does pick-up without it then it will be a bad signal you can trace the wire see where it goes to on your case and see how hard it would be to remove

#7

are they connected to anything on the other end? if you can remove them from the other end there’s no reason you need to remove it from the motherboard to remove the motherboard from the case

the first looks like it’s clipped onto a screw, you might be able to push or pull it off the screw and the second connector should be able to be pulled off easy if you grab it length wise and gently tug/pull side to side lengthways, the key here is to be gentle because you don’t want to yank the thing off but you should need some force

oh, and be weary of locking clips, I’ve broken a few sata connectors because the cables used a locking connector that I didn’t press hard enough, it’s nothing to worry about but you should keep it in mind

edit: if that is the antenna cable, you’ll still be able to use wifi even without the cable, but in the worse case scenario you’ll want to cut the cable where it connects to the case if you can’t remove it from the case

#8

Well im already shaken up for today because once I hit that roadblock I put it all back together in a hurry to post online with pictures that I forgot a cable and panicked when it wouldn’t turn on lol.

Ill see if I can remove the antenna from the case with a little tugging tomorrow, and you sure cutting it wont mess it up? I mean for simplicitys sake ill just buy a netgear ethernet external receiver and that should work fine if not better than my integrated antenna.

Either way, I want to be as prepared for tomorrow as I can be and im pretty sure I’ve already witnessed the most complex part of the process, but can anyone tell me how I will be able to get my hdd out of its vertical bay?

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I want to assume those two screws will let it slide out but id like to be reassured

#9

yep, undo those 2 screws should hold it in place, there may be 2 more on the other side

cutting the cable antenna will be fine if it’s only connecting to the case or similar, you just need to get the longest cut of cable you can

#10

cutting it shouldn’t make too much difference if you can still somehow attach it to the case like since it’s a micro atx mobo you should have a spare mounting thing (i forget the proper name well where you screw it in anyway) and you could affix it to one of them.
as for the hard drive yea those screws should do it if not check the other side of the caddy for extra screws

#11

On the other side… what? How would I get to those? (Or is the bay removable too?)

And also, these are the little cables that also go into the front panel that control my usb ports and my card readers and my power button, what am I to expect when swapping to a new case? Not everything is labeled

#12

Usually you can take the sides off of the case from both sides :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote=“Frell, post:11, topic:437830”]And also, these are the little cables that also go into the front panel that control my usb ports and my card readers and my power button, what am I to expect when swapping to a new case? Not everything is labeled
http://i.imgur.com/C2Rn5.jpg[/quote]The case should have cables for these.

#13

Well what do you mean by other side then lol? The back panel or the opposite side of the screws, because opposite of the screws is actually the front panel :s

#14

[quote=“Frell, post:13, topic:437830”]Well what do you mean by other side then lol? The back panel or the opposite side of the screws, because opposite of the screws is actually the front panel :s[/quote]Ahh, now I get it. The front panel should also come off.

#15

Thanks guys

Also, according to the docs my sound card is integrated, what exactly does this mean (where is it integrated?) I dont know how much may be in the case panel

#16

Integrated in your motherboard dumbdumb

#17

Lol thanks guys

Actually, hp made a guide on removing the antenna http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02880397&tmp_task=setupCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=5115724&sw_lang=17 . I’m really surprised how much hp documents this stuff, that was in fact the antenna and it also shows me how to remove the front panel and I don’t doubt that I will be able to fine one on how to remove the hdd also

#18

You guys are nerds. This shit is 9999 easier than you’re making it out to be.

#19

Change was successful after 4 hours LOL, went from running 83c on the heaven demo to 73c, and bf3 went down to 70c, and probably better once I get my room cooled off from sitting in here for so long with the door shut

:smiley:

I do have a question though, on the back of my computer where the gfx card bay plate/caps are they have holes in them, and my i/o back bracket I could not get out of the old case. Seeing as how I dont use any of the connectors on it and its a big open back hole on my case I wanted to put a piece of tape over it so dust doesnt get in, as with the back bay plates so I dont get any weird suction going on because my psu and gfx card fan both face eachother and suck and are pulling their own warm air back though the holes

Taped them up and idle temperatures dropped ~1-3C

#20

the 902 case will get dusty regardless if you tape the holes up, I wouldn’t worry about it

for reference, my old antec 900 would get ridiculously dusty within a few weeks (I posted pictures in a thread somewhere) but my current case has dust filters and it hasn’t got noticeably dusty since I built it in september