dell optiplex gx1 motherboard

Okay everyone,

I purchased a dell optiplex gx1 motherboard and a p3 500mhz deal off ebay for $1.99.....and i was going to make a computer out of spare stuff from deep in my basement for my sister because shes in college majoring in graphic design and has no computer (can you imagine?)
Anyway,
she REALLY needs to do a powerpoint project asap,
but i have no case for the computer,
so i was just going to run it without a case as i have done before,
but im a little bit of a newbie when it comes to computers and on all of the computers ive worked on have been different than this (for one never dealt with a desktop before just towers)
But anyway,
the computers i have worked on have like the little plug things on the mobo and the wires that go to the case which go to the power button reset button internal speaker etc...(sorry im not good with words)
But the dell optiplex gx1 has none of that,
so my question basically is,
how do i turn the dell optiplex on with all the parts,
but no case?

Im sorry if this is a stupid question,
but by the time my father whos knows alot more about computers than i do gets off his lazy ass and just looks at it,
i could already be getting replies from here and be installing software on the optiplex............




Im sorry if you think im kinda an idiot for asking this,
but you would have found that out anyway................................





Tanner.

The GX1 had a proprietary control panel.

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...gx1/Sm5_06.gif

That connects to the pins labeled "control panel connector (PANEL)" in the pic below.

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...gx1/BanBrd.gif

Dell doesn't seem to provide detailed information about specific pin usage. You'll need to figure that part out yourself or try to find an old Optiplex case.


Do you really think a 500MHz PIII is sufficient for someone "in college majoring in graphic design"?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234

Do you really think a 500MHz PIII is sufficient for someone "in college majoring in graphic design"?

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It's a ten year program.
Nine and a half years waiting for the PC to boot up followed by an very intensive six months of classwork.

You Canuckistanians are sooo impatient.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234

Do you really think a 500MHz PIII is sufficient for someone "in college majoring in graphic design"?

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I think it's just to get by until she's finished her powerpoint presentation...:huh:

Ok,
now that we're all good and distracted haha,
The p3 is only until january or so then she gets a laptop.

Well,
i just had an 'oh sh*t' moment when i realized that i dont have the proprietary control panel thing ^^^,
but i do remember that piece off of my old dell optiplex gx1,
an annoying piece it was......
but stupidly,
something went wrong with it i dont remember what,
so i chucked all of it except the drives and ram,
which was stupid because if i would have saved it i wouldnt be having this problem.
Is there anywhere i can buy that specific part?



Oh,
and i cant view that document because i dont have adobe,
but im downloading an old version of adobe,
so now im just waiting for the 9.9mb version to download,
on dial up,

See you in an hour and a half.................ugh..................we need high speed...........................well i guess dial up is the best you can get living in the middle of nowhere.......

okay so that properierty control panel cant really be bought at stores like best buy...but i think you should give her your computer to get her work done atm...
priorities should be set in this instance...

35 minutes.......

I would look for a computer recycle center for the control panel or the whole case.

Well i would give her my computer,
But she could go buy the exact same computer for $30 at the thrift store.......................just so you can get a window of what kind of technology i use haha.

But we tried installing powerpoint 2003 on it,
but of course,
"catastrophic failure"
thats not new...