This is a Gateway mid tower MFATXPNT MDW 500X. Both side covers are easy to remove. What has me stumped and I quickly get frustrated with is, how is the front bezel/cover removed to access the front intake air inlet holes? It's like an expensive Berber carpet inside there. I have searched the Gateway site and enter the above model # but it shows a picture of a very different tower. The instructions do not apply to this tower.


The owner of this machine is a totally home bound handicapped lady who's virtually only contact with the outside world is thru this machine. What started as an easy replacement of a power supply revealed seriously diminished air flow restrictions caused by some 9ish years of heavy smoking and dust bunnies plugging the front air holes behind the front bezel. She's stressing seriously having her machine down but I can't in good conscious give it back until I clean and restore intake airflow. Intake air is passive, it was not designed for a fan. Yes the CPU fan and heat sink were equally as bad but that I could remove and clean.

Here's where I am at:

On the left side of the front cover there are the normal (At least what I am used to seeing on most front covers) bottom, middle and top plastic clips which are a part of the front bezel that clip to the front sheet metal. I can release with finger pressure the bottom and middle clips easily but the top one is a tight fit. I can not figure out how the right side of the bezel is attached and is released. I can see a bottom middle top plastic corresponding to the left side but they do not look like they are clip attaches like the left side. I wiggle and I jiggle but can not find the solution to this puzzle. If by chance you know how to remove the plastic top to the tower pass that on too.


Thanks