I have three eMachine cases, models T2984, T2825 and T2888. All three came with bad motherboards. Even after replacing the power supply in each case I could not get a known operating motherboard to POST or even power up. Is anyone out there aware of eMachine cases having such a defect, such as a short, or bad on/off switch?

Have you checked the standoff positions on these cases to confirm they are not shorting out the motherboard?

I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.

are you sure you have on/offf switch wired correctly. Identify the 2 power switch pins on the mobo and bridge them momentarily with a screwdriver tip - which is in effect doing the same as pressing the on button

Richard - Pls explain "standoff positions"!
Cliffpage - yes I did try this but got no response. My real concern is why all these motherboards went bad in relatively new eMachine cases! On one occasion I got a motherboard to POST while outside the case, but when I put it back in an applied power, I heard a small "POP" and got a funny smell and now that motherboard is dead!

It is not some much the case, But there power supplys and switches.. I also do allot of custom PC's,and Gateway/eMachine cases are nice to use..Since emachine is owned by Gateway there cases are a like, but emachines are downgraded from gateway and made allot cheaper.
I have had about 3 emachines and all three
have had a problem with either power supply
or switch or motherboard...

'stand offs' this means the raised bits between the back of mobo and metal case to stop the back of the motherboard shorting out. Some cases do this by the metal being pressed so you can a kind of dome shape where the screws go in, others need a 'stand off' screwing into the screw holes to raise the mobo up from the sheet metal behind, they are often made of brass - like here:http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://biorobots.cwru.edu/server/howto/buildcomp/mountmobo/standoff2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://biorobots.cwru.edu/server/howto/buildcomp/mountmobo/&h=360&w=494&sz=16&hl=en&start=13&tbnid=4sCtT49u6VcotM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstand%2Boff%2Bmotherboard%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG