Dell Dimension C521 Front-Panel

What heat sink are you referring to? If it's the CPU heat sink, then I would not recommend against starting the system up without one. You may fry the CPU otherwise! That's the only heat sink on my system.

The one that goes on the CPU. I have a heatsink that I bought thinking that it would work but, realized shortly after that it wouldnt work. So I should order one then try again?

Slade, do you have a standard Dell motherboard? If you do, I believe I still have my original C521 heatsink and fan in the loft. If you are interested in it, I am happy to put on photos on ebay, and then you can bid on it if your need it and you are interested. I would only be concerned with covering my postage costs, since I have no need for it and would be happy to see it go to a useful home, rather than the recycling centre.

I have the Dell Dimension E521, if its compadiable I would really appeariate it. However, there wouldnt be a gaurntee that someone else would get it. Also, depending where some what cost an its has to be complete.

This my I/O Panel pinouts

I looked at the post by BDRichardson along with the diagram he provided. It looks that pins identified as ground (in particular connector pins 29,30 and 31) are not ground but are Vcc. A few things didn't fit, namely that USB Pin1 was identified as ground (connector pins 39, 33). A quick search on Google shows that Pin 1 of a USB connector (or cable) is Vcc. A further examination shows that an electrolytic capacitor in between the two USB ports on the front panel board has the (+) lead soldered to the traces that connect to connector pins 29, 30 and 31. This was confirmed using an ohmmeter. The negative marking on the electrolytic is not connected to the large trace coming from those 3 pins. This confirms that connector pins 29, 30 and 31 as well as the USB connector pin 1 are Vcc.

Hello,

I know I’m replying 14 (!!) years later, but am currently building a sleeper PC using an ATX board with my old E521 case. Going slightly crazy here as the diagrams above don’t seem to quite match my 40 (technically 39 with the blank) ribbon cable. I’m trying to use DuPont wires to connect the ribbon cable to the motherboard and get the USB, power button, LEDs and jacks working.

I’m wondering if anyone has done this conversion for an E521? Any help massively appreciated!

I see that Caoz has done this but my power button doesn’t seem to match the diagram…

Thanks,

Ted