Dell XE2 low cost gamification 1080p Apex rig

Gromit83 · March 5, 2019

Hi there.

Thought I would share a really low cost build that I did with some spare parts and a free Dell Core i7-4770s I got.

Turned it into a gamer for my kid. A decent high 1080p gaming rig. If anyone has a good tip for an aftermarket CPU cooler I'm all ears. the XE2 sounds like a fighterjet under load.

Part list: (with free I mean lying around the house not used)

Dell XE2 MT with 16GB RAM and I7-4770s - Price Free

Corsair RM650X modular PSU - ($ 90)

1 PWM 140mm fan (roughly $20)

Diverse Dell adapters for PSU and fans ($30)

RGB lighting from Ali Express ($ 15) - Just for shit and giggles. not necessary (I have no photos yet)

AMD R9 290X Windforce - Free (Pensioned from my gaming rig)

120 GB SSD drive - Free

240 GB SSD drive - Free

Part 1: The glorius machine itself.

Part 2.

Well. Guess something doesn't fit. Time to start up the tools.

Part 3. - Inside view before the destruction begins

Part 4 - Fit check - I took out 2 rivets in the back that was not necessary. So lesson learned. The HDD cage is riveted to a backplate, not the bottom back.

GPU fits nicely, but what about storage.. hmm. more about that later.

Part 5. R9 290x runs hot like hell. Time to take out the big guns.

Part 6 - Airflow secured

Part 7 - SSD Storage placement - I took a cheapo 3.5" to 2,5" converter and chopped it down. Drilled a hole in the bracket below 5,25" and used a screw. Worked like a charm

Part 8 - Done. Just some cablemanagement left and the RGB I added later. Notice the insane clearance for the PSU and the latch for the sidepanel. Not 1 mm to spare. Due note that the PSU needs to go in without the motherboard inside. I was barely able to squeeze it inside.