Are the cases for the Compaq Presario 5204 proprietary like the ones for Dell used to be. I have a motherboard that I want to install in a friends system and I need to know if it will fit. The mobo is based off the Intel 845G ATX chipset.

I have that computer.

Take a look at http://h18000.www1.hp.com/athome/support/msgs/5000/index.html

The case is not standard. The connection cutouts on the back of the case are not lined up in the established ATX fashion. Unless you're going to go for some serious case modding, you're not going to be able to get a standard ATX board in there.

However, the cooling system is a little interesting. The 5204's processor does not have a fan atop the heatsink. Instead, there is just a large heatsink (for the time), situated directly below the PSU. The heat coming off the processor is sucked into the PSU and then blown out the back of the case.

The PSU is not of standard shape, and latches in to a piece of the case above the motherboard. This makes for an extraordinarily cramped case.

I'm not sure what sort of PSU this thing has. It uses the dual P8/P9 AT-style power connectors to the motherboard, but behaves like an ATX powersupply. This means you _probably_ won't be able to use an ATX board, because of the oddness of the connections, and you probably won't be able to use an AT board either, as the PSU does not have the AT-style power switch (the case's power switch is connected to the motherboard, the ATX way).

I think you're going to have to get a new case/PSU. Sorry...

~psi42

When I turn on compaq computer the moniter says check input signal or connection
Is it the moniter or some other problem?

Are the cases for the Compaq Presario 5204 proprietary like the ones for Dell used to be. I have a motherboard that I want to install in a friends system and I need to know if it will fit. The mobo is based off of the Intel 845G ATX chipset.

You can get an ATX clone chassis with a power supply for about $50 at any decent computer shop...