# Upgrading an IBUYPOWER desktop



## waspman3372 (Dec 28, 2017)

My son wants to upgrade his but from my experience years ago this is not possible. Has anything changed?


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 28, 2017)

Too general a question. We would need to know the specific model and specifically what components you are looking to upgrade. 

That said, it is typical for factory made PCs to be less supportive of upgrades compared to custom/home built PCs. And less expensive models tend to support even less. You generally can still upgrade/add RAM. You might be able to upgrade the graphics solution. Maybe the CPU.  But upgrading the motherboard may not be possible. And if it uses a proprietary power supply, there may be greater issues.


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Dec 28, 2017)

Now to open a competing company called UHAVEPOWER and make everything not proprietary so ppl can do their own upgrades without hassle.


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## theFOoL (Dec 28, 2017)

I'm sure this is possible. Just need the Model of the computer to look at the case/specs


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## neatfeatguy (Dec 28, 2017)

My first gaming PC was from iBuypower. I had no issues upgrading parts in it....but that was back in 2004....maybe 2005. I swapped out PSU, GPU and even RAM without issues. In fact, I even had the tower from that system up until about 6 months ago when I finally started pitching unnecessary stuff. It was a RaidMax X-1






Thinking back, it's rather amazing how far technology has advanced since those days. I was rocking an AMD 64 X2 3800+ in that system. It was a Manchester (939 socket) dual core at 2.0GHz. With the cheap, yet very impressive AIO cooler on the CPU, I learned how to overclock on that system. I was able to get her running stable at 3.1GHz. System ran things well for me for about 2 years.....the memories.

Anyway, as long as it's not some custom, funky case, you shouldn't have any issues swapping hardware.


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## Jetster (Dec 28, 2017)

iBuyPower uses off the shelf parts except for the case.


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## BarbaricSoul (Dec 28, 2017)

IBUYPOWER desktops are not proprietary as far as I can tell. Yes, you can upgrade them just as much as I can upgrade my desktop which I bought every part for separately.


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 28, 2017)

Jetster said:


> iBuyPower uses off the shelf parts except for the case.


But even that can greatly limit upgrade options - depending on the case. I note some old Dell systems didn't use standoffs or motherboard mounting screws. Instead, there were metal "tines" or "prongs" that were punched out of the sheet metal where the motherboard mounting holes were. These prongs were then bent over to hold the motherboard in place. That worked until you wanted to remove the board. Then bending the prongs back straight again often resulted in them breaking off either then, or when bending back to secure the new board. Very frustrating. 

Note the ATX Form Factor standard was created specifically by a consortium of hardware makers who all agreed on various industry standards to include size, shape, connections, voltages, even mounting hole locations and screw types for the very purpose of allowing products from any manufacturer to be compatible (electronically and mechanically) with products from any other manufacturer. It ensured a Gigabyte motherboard, would support a MSI graphics card, Micron RAM, Western Digital hard drives, Sony DVD drive, and be powered by a Seasonic power supply and all fit inside a Fractal Design case - and run Windows, or Linux and compliant  software and displayed on a Samsung monitor.

Out of this ATX Form Factor standard the home built computer industry was born. But sadly, many big makers decided they did not have to comply. They used propriety designs and parts to ensure their customers must buy replacement parts only from them. In some cases, these designed did reduce manufacturing costs but typically it resulted in limitations for the consumer.

If only these manufacturers would come together again and create an ATX Form Factor standard for notebooks. That would be so great for us consumers.


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## jboydgolfer (Dec 28, 2017)

Bill_Bright said:


> But even that can greatly limit upgrade options - depending on the case. I note some old Dell systems didn't use standoffs or motherboard mounting screws. Instead, there were metal "tines" or "prongs" that were punched out of the sheet metal where the motherboard mounting holes were. These prongs were then bent over to hold the motherboard in place. That worked until you wanted to remove the board. Then bending the prongs back straight again often resulted in them breaking off either then, or when bending back to secure the new board. Very frustrating.
> 
> Note the ATX Form Factor standard was created specifically by a consortium of hardware makers who all agreed on various industry standards to include size, shape, connections, voltages, even mounting hole locations and screw types for the very purpose of allowing products from any manufacturer to be compatible (electronically and mechanically) with products from any other manufacturer. It ensured a Gigabyte motherboard, would support a MSI graphics card, Micron RAM, Western Digital hard drives, Sony DVD drive, and be powered by a Seasonic power supply and all fit inside a Fractal Design case - and run Windows, or Linux and compliant  software and displayed on a Samsung monitor.
> 
> ...



I always was bothered how Dell (and im sure others) use proprietary plugs, ports, sizes, motherboards, etc. However, even though they seem to have a reluctance to abide or conform to a standard size/Form factor in many situations, they ARE forced into using it to some degree. for example, unless they intend to become dGPU Manufacturers, or CPU Makers, etc, they are forced to abide in these cases to a standard. Hence, we are able to plug in a 3rd party GPU, or upgrade a CPU in a dell case (ofc, the case, and power limitations must be considered). But if you ever want out of that case, or away from that motherboard, Dell's refusal to follow a standard form factor forces buyers to use Dell components, or take an option not unlike Frankensteins monster (with a PC cobbled together , and looking not too safe)


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 28, 2017)

jboydgolfer said:


> I always was bothered how Dell (and im sure others) use proprietary plugs, ports, sizes, motherboards, etc.


Their use of propriety power supplies that then used a proprietary main power connector on the motherboard was most frustrating for me. Dell has gotten better in recent years, however. 

Still, if you don't want to worry about it, build your own or find a local shop that will custom build for you. Then you can use a case that will support you through many years of upgrades and you can have your computer continuously "evolve" to stay current. It is actually much less expensive in the long run. Another advantage to a self or custom build is you don't have to pay for all sorts of extras you don't want - many of which are, IMO, way more privacy invasive than anything Microsoft has done with W10.


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## Jetster (Dec 28, 2017)

They don't want you to work on it. Remember the old Compaq pcs?


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 28, 2017)

Jetster said:


> Remember the old Compaq pcs?


Yeah, they were horrible too. And HP buying them did not help.


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## NdMk2o1o (Dec 28, 2017)

neatfeatguy said:


>


OT I loved these old "gaming PC cases" back in the early 00's, reminds me a lot of some of the rigs I built in that period, this one is probably a tad newer than some of the ones I'm thinking of. I had a crazy idea a few months ago when I was feeling just as nostalgic and decided I wanted to put some cold cathodes into my case for that "old school" look, needless to say I know why they were replaced with RGB/LED's. They still dont stick to your case sides with the supplied crappy bits of velcro, one didnt work right out of the box and wouldnt light up properly, the 2nd one went the same way after a week or 2, I havent been feeling as nostalgic since 



Jetster said:


> They don't want you to work on it. Remember the old Compaq pcs?



Meh I upgraded a compaq deskpro desktop office unit with more RAM, a PCI ADSL modem when I first got a whopping 512kbps broadband connection and nothing was included to set it up and a gefore 4, granted I never needed to replace anything like the PSU or motherboard which would of been nigh on impossible..


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## Frag_Maniac (Dec 28, 2017)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> Now to open a competing company called UHAVEPOWER and make everything not proprietary so ppl can do their own upgrades without hassle.


The real UHAVEPOWER is customers having the freedom to circumvent build houses entirely, and just buy the parts and assemble it themselves though, isn't it?

I think if most people understood that assembling a PC is actually easier than operating and maintaining one, they'd not even consider a build house.


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## eidairaman1 (Dec 29, 2017)

waspman3 said:


> My son wants to upgrade his but from my experience years ago this is not possible. Has anything changed?



Take a picture of it if possible from front and back, get the model number snd post all info here

As Far as I know they are just a OEM ATX system that is modular as a custom built system and not proprietary like Dell or some HP/Conpaq or CRApple systems.

It should be upgradeable from motherboard, powrr supply, ram, graphics/sound cards, optical drives and storage drives.


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