Vintage & Retro PC Case Finds Thread

[mnpctech]

Nostalgia's hot with restoring MS-DOS era PC's and building Sleeper's. I spoke with "PC Philantrophy" today and he's planning road trip to buy interesting 90's / early 2000's towers scouted on CL around the New England states. That's pretty hardcore while I prefer cruising FB & Ebay.

This came up on my Ebay today, remember the ZALMAN TNN-500AF Silent Case.

The aptly-named Totally No Noise 500AF (TNN 500AF) is the world’s first absolutely noiseless and fanless computer case, from the number one quiet cooling manufacturer, Zalman. With a constant desire to have the ultimate PC comes faster and therefore noisier fans. As PC’s become commonplace in a home environment, as well as in more specific fields such as audio and video production, so the benefit of a noiseless system is clear. When a high performance totally silent PC platform is required, this is the case of choice!

 

[Paladin]

I love it, typical ebay pricing. The pen used to write on the cables. They price it over $8. It goes for $4 retail on Amazon. 10 year old CPU, it's definitely worth it!

It's definitely interesting from a historical perspective but not at all for something I would actually buy.

I'd buy this before that.

 

[Astrallionheart]

This is something I always wanted to build in, but it wouldn't fit a modern GPU without some hardcore modding due to the metal hard drive cages.

Aerocool V-Touch Pro with a 400mm side fan

 

[zelmak]

Still hoping to find a good deal on an Antec Super Lanboy. Couldn't afford one when they were out...

 

[spiralscratch]

This is something I always wanted to build in, but it wouldn't fit a modern GPU without some hardcore modding due to the metal hard drive cages.

Aerocool V-Touch Pro with a 400mm side fan

View attachment 48599

That case has what, a single 120 mm exhaust fan at best, and maybe some slotted/drilled PCI slot covers and other minimal venting? Maybe some exhaust from the GPU, and the PSU depending on its position/orientation in the case? Most of the air that side fan is trying to force in has nowhere to go.

 

[kefkafloyd]

A while back I posted a thread about how I found an old Lian Li PC-6077, but I went and made a full Youtube video about it.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trviQR-lmKk

 

[Nauls]

That case has what, a single 120 mm exhaust fan at best, and maybe some slotted/drilled PCI slot covers and other minimal venting? Maybe some exhaust from the GPU, and the PSU depending on its position/orientation in the case? Most of the air that side fan is trying to force in has nowhere to go.

Looks like standard versions of that case forego the controller on the lower front panel and replace it with a vent; the inside of the case looks like it supports a front 120mm fan in that spot. But yeah, that case is begging for open vents everywhere to supplement that enormous fan.

All I can think of when I see that is the poor-man's version - a case with a side panel removed and a Wal-Mart floor fan propped against it.

 

[Jehos]

Still hoping to find a good deal on an Antec Super Lanboy. Couldn't afford one when they were out...

I wish I could remember what happened to mine, I used to run a gaming system in one. That was a really cool case, one of the first ones I had that was meant to be easy to work in rather than demanding blood sacrifice.

 

[mnpctech]

A while back I posted a thread about how I found an old Lian Li PC-6077, but I went and made a full Youtube video about it.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trviQR-lmKk

your video came up as suggested in my feed a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed it!

 

[mnpctech]

I love it, typical ebay pricing. The pen used to write on the cables. They price it over $8. It goes for $4 retail on Amazon. 10 year old CPU, it's definitely worth it!

It's definitely interesting from a historical perspective but not at all for something I would actually buy.

I'd buy this before that.

I have parts to make another Mk5 Tank PC. It killed me having to paint it Red to market AMD. Video Game Awards paid 29k for the job. It took 3.5 months to design and build with over 1000 laser cut pieces. I'd give the 2nd one a proper WWI paint scheme with weathering, maybe even with winter snow and prop the tank up like it's driving out of a ditch.

 

[kefkafloyd]

your video came up as suggested in my feed a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed it!

Thanks, that's a real vote of confidence given your amazing work over the years!

 

[Saros2014]

ahaha, i was sent this way. i will leave some goodies behind.

 

[Nauls]

ahaha, i was sent this way. i will leave some goodies behind.

Beautiful. I can't get over the foil around that fan. That can't be the only thing that's holding it in place, right?

 

[Saros2014]

Ahahaha that and 4 zip ties. And it's tin tape

 

[Paladin]

I have parts to make another Mk5 Tank PC. It killed me having to paint it Red to market AMD. Video Game Awards paid 29k for the job. It took 3.5 months to design and build with over 1000 laser cut pieces. I'd give the 2nd one a proper WWI paint scheme with weathering, maybe even with winter snow and prop the tank up like it's driving out of a ditch.

Nice! That would be awesome with a more 'traditional' paint scheme and weathering, etc. Still, it is pretty darn cool as it is.

 

[continuum]

Over 1k parts? Daaamn.

 

[U-99]

This is something I always wanted to build in, but it wouldn't fit a modern GPU without some hardcore modding due to the metal hard drive cages.

Aerocool V-Touch Pro with a 400mm side fan

View attachment 48599

This raises an interesting question: why haven't we seen any cases with giant slow fans on each side?

 

[spiralscratch]

This raises an interesting question: why haven't we seen any cases with giant slow fans on each side?

Because there's a huge sheet of material directly in between through which no air can actually pass.

 

[U-99]

Because there's a huge sheet of material directly in between through which no air can actually pass.

Curse you, basic physics!

Clearly the solution is a Mobo design with a big air channel in the middle.

 

[Astrallionheart]

This raises an interesting question: why haven't we seen any cases with giant slow fans on each side?

Side panel fans are basically extinct anyway since tempered glass side panels became popular, but I imagine another major problem is power consumption is probably pretty high for a 400mm fan, I don't know if a single fan header is going to handle it. The other issue is a fan attached to the side panel is a pain to deal with when removing the side panel, and you would need some permanent slack in the fan cable.

 

[U-99]

Side panel fans are basically extinct anyway since tempered glass side panels became popular

Such as shame, as it really reduced the number of appropriate cases.

 

[m0nckywrench]

Replacing glass with other materials like laser cut aluminum inserts would be easy with no need for a sheet metal brake to make a whole door. Make the replacement insert easy to swap then it's a feature not a bug.

 

[Adreaver]

Side panel fans are basically extinct anyway since tempered glass side panels became popular, but I imagine another major problem is power consumption is probably pretty high for a 400mm fan, I don't know if a single fan header is going to handle it. The other issue is a fan attached to the side panel is a pain to deal with when removing the side panel, and you would need some permanent slack in the fan cable.

The cable thing doesn't have to be a problem. Put a PWM fan header at the edge of the side panel, near the front panel. Have that header terminate to pogo pins. Have the mate for the pogo pins on the case proper, running to a PWM cable, which you connect to a motherboard fan header or fan controller.

Lian Li Uni Fans come to mind.

 

[mnpctech]

Loving this thread. we're going to make it the most popular thread on the web for Vintage PC finds.

Kemner Surplus Business Closing in Pottstown, Pennsylvania has tons of Beige / MS-DOS era computers, monitors, and keyboards, books, and software. I spoke to owner, Beverly Kemner, kemnent@junoDOTCOM

She won't ship the PC's. Contact her about scheduling a day to see and buy in person

She's updating their FB page everyday with pics

If you make the trek or local and buy something, please share pics with everyone here!

 

[zelmak]

Loving this thread. we're going to make it the most popular thread on the web for Vintage PC finds.

Kemner Surplus Business Closing in Pottstown, Pennsylvania has tons of Beige / MS-DOS era computers, monitors, and keyboards, books, and software. I spoke to owner, Beverly Kemner, kemnent@junoDOTCOM

She won't ship the PC's. Contact her about scheduling a day to see and buy in person

She's updating their FB page everyday with pics

If you make the trek or local and buy something, please share pics with everyone here!

I'm completely stupid, but I always liked that Dell case layout (first picture, second from the left.)

Edit: Also, I always wanted to get one of those Packard Bell "cathedral cases", drill some holes or something in that flat base and project ethereal green light up the side to make it look like the Ring Wraith King's "lair" from the Lord of the Rings movies. (Awaiting Tolkien fans injecting the actual name of the place and the name of the Ring Wraith King...)

 

[mnpctech]

the beige boxes do produce warm and fuzzy nostalgia vibes

my next personal build, inwin q500 from 2001. It fits 480mm radiator with room to spare, but lots of CUTTING first to snuggle one in. My goal is to NOT modifiy the bezel, so it's a SLEEPER, but that requires a pre-game plan.

 

[Backstop]

Oh damn, I wish I'd have known, I just threw out one of these. I think it's from late 2002 maybe.

 

[cogwheel]

my next personal build, inwin q500 from 2001. It fits 480mm radiator with room to spare, but lots of CUTTING first to snuggle one in. My goal is to NOT modifiy the bezel, so it's a SLEEPER, but that requires a pre-game plan.

I dunno. I think sleepers should be something you don't notice at all, instead of something that yells "I'm old and slow" at you: an eight year old Optiplex tower with new guts, stealth watercooling and hidden lighting, and the DVD drive partially gutted and modified to become a retractable touchscreen monitor, instead of that ancient beige monster.

 

[Paladin]

I mean... does anyone look at an oldish computer then see it running Windows 10 or 11 and go:



I guess I get it if you are going to a LAN party or something and you get some side glances as you cart in your 60 lbs steel tower from 1998 or whatever and then start up cinebench and Cyberpunk 2077 at the same time... but you only get to do that trick once, right? After that people are like, 'Oh, it's that guy with the new PC parts in a old case.'

I mean, you folks don't 'benchmark for pink slips' or something right?

 

[Jehos]

I mean, you folks don't 'benchmark for pink slips' or something right?

No, no we...uh...totally don't do that.

 

[kibbler]

It's plain fun though. If I had more time/space/money/all of the above, I'd love to play around with some old iconic cases, especially the primo ones that were way out of a student's budget at the time.

 

[Paladin]

I do like the aesthetic of the old ones, nostalgia I guess. I am pretty sure I had a machine in that q500 or one very like it. I was just weirded out by the idea of a 'sleeper PC' since you know what's in it and pretty much no one else knows or cares unless you make an effort to tell them or make it known so... not a sleeper anymore.

 

[zelmak]

DVD drive partially gutted and modified to become a retractable touchscreen monitor

That sounds awesome... I need pics and/or links!

 

[mnpctech]

Appearing "old and slow" is the aesthetic of Building a SLEEPER PC and Optiplexes, Gateways, Compacs can all qualify, but modding a Server tower from 2001 makes it even more fun for me and interesting for yt subscribers. Dazmode is sending a darkside 480mm radiator as xmas gift after catching my tweet about the build. That helps me commit to making it fit.

@zelmak Thermaltake sponsered me with retractable 5.25 bay LCD in 2008.

It protruded from the bezel too much though. It would be much easier today, to fabricate small LCD with HDMI and touchscreen. They're affordable these days under $90

This one was VGA and retailed for $349

 

[Ildatch]

Side panel fans are basically extinct anyway since tempered glass side panels became popular, but I imagine another major problem is power consumption is probably pretty high for a 400mm fan, I don't know if a single fan header is going to handle it. The other issue is a fan attached to the side panel is a pain to deal with when removing the side panel, and you would need some permanent slack in the fan cable.

Curse the person who first put tempered glass in a PC case.

 

[kefkafloyd]

Tempered glass is the logical endpoint of what we were all doing with our acrylic side panels 20 years ago.

 

[continuum]

The in-bay LCD would be waaaay OTT from what I was thinking for a sleeper PC... very curious where your new build goes, @mnpctech!

 

[mnpctech]

My goal is not change anything on the exterior of the case, except milling more vents in the right panel for the raditor. I predict the casual eye wont notice the difference. I got some hate from the Vintage PC crowd when I shared first mod to the Inwin tower. It's not increasing in value like the Chieftec towers. I'm giving an old case a new life versus it going to the Recycler. It's like reviving a rusty old '32 ford from somebody's barn and bringing it to SEMA. Relax. It's not your case and you might learn a new skill or be entertained while watching.

Speaking of Sleeper PC builds, who was first case manufacturer to make case with PSU shroud???????

 

[kefkafloyd]

Apple. But I think the first PC case where I saw a shroud was the Fractal Define R5. But I think Corsair might have done it first. Sounds like a good research project.

 

[mnpctech]

Did some Googling.

In 2005, Antec released the P180. The first "consumer" level case with midsection "floor" above PSU. Designed with help from Mike Chin at silentpcreview.com

In 2009 Corsair 800D releases with midsection "floor" above PSU.

In 2014 NZXT and Fractal Design introduced fully enclosed PSU shrouds, but we'll never know who's Engineer designed it first. I do know Fractal and NZXT shared the same OEM plant in Tawain at the time.

Jan 14th 2014, 1st review of NZXT H440. First case to have midsection shrouded (PSU shroud)
Nov 25th, 2014, Fractal Design announces R5 with their first PSU shroud.