Nobody made cases like this until the iMac was a success, and the first iMac was from late 1998. The first style copies started to appear about a year later, but didn't go mainstream until 2000. Then in 2002 Apple changed the styling of the iMac from colourful to mono white, and cases like this disappeared overnight. So this is 2000-2002, which means AthlonXP and P4 territory.

Edit:
It's not just bad treatment that led to most cases from that era to disappear, the build quality took a nosedive too as PCs went truly mass-market and cheap. You seem to have a prime example here. Prepare for wafer-thin, razor-sharp edges and geometry that deforms whenever you fasten a screw. Also, treat the PSU in here with extreme suspicion. If it's as bad as the rest of the case looks, don't use it. Either get a good period PSU (FSP/Seasonic or similar) or find a new one with decent 5V line (if you want the AthlonXP, if you go P4 a heavy 12V line is fine).

That case screams 2000 to 2003 hardware.

dionb wrote:

Nobody made cases like this until the iMac was a success, and the first iMac was from late 1998. The first style copies started to appear about a year later, but didn't go mainstream until 2000. Then in 2002 Apple changed the styling of the iMac from colourful to mono white, and cases like this disappeared overnight. So this is 2000-2002, which means AthlonXP and P4 territory.

I think an Athlon XP build would be alright for this one. I doubt this case is very high-end, and as such, I'm probably not going to put very high-end parts in it. It'll probably end up as a sort of budget 2002 gaming machine- all of mine end up as a gaming machine of some kind, anyways. I think for the early Athlon 64 build I'm wanting to make, I'll get a different case. I'm praying that the side panel(s) that I have from another crappy Y2K case I own will fit this one, but as the general shape of the cases can be different, I might just be stuck with only one side panel. I'm pretty sure it's a mid-tower, and the other case I have that I'm comfortable sacrificing parts from is also a mid-tower. As crappy as this one may be, it actually has decent cooling capability, A.K.A. a rear fan, and suitable ventilation, something the other case doesn't have. It has zero rear-fan mounting, and the PSU mounts sideways- right over where most CPU sockets are on ATX boards, and, in effect, right over any heatsinks that would cool the CPU, slot 1 or not. This same case, I must reiterate, was made in 2000, and originally had a Pentium III 600 in it. To compare, I have a case that originally supported a Pentium 200, and it has both front and rear fan mounts, and mounts the power supply at the top of the case- the errors in the Y2K case can't be blamed on when it was made. I could see a PC case from 1994 not having good ventilation, as it wasn't needed all that much- but not one from 2000.

dionb wrote:

Edit:
It's not just bad treatment that led to most cases from that era to disappear, the build quality took a nosedive too as PCs went truly mass-market and cheap. You seem to have a prime example here. Prepare for wafer-thin, razor-sharp edges and geometry that deforms whenever you fasten a screw. Also, treat the PSU in here with extreme suspicion. If it's as bad as the rest of the case looks, don't use it. Either get a good period PSU (FSP/Seasonic or similar) or find a new one with decent 5V line (if you want the AthlonXP, if you go P4 a heavy 12V line is fine).

I always look at the branding to make sure it's something at least somewhat credible- like an Antec, or something that's generally branded. I tend to mistrust older PSUs as it is, and I rarely trust a PSU released prior to around 2005 or 2006. On my Slot 1 Pentium III 500MHz machine, I use a 350 watt In-Win PSU from around 2008. It's not big name-brand, but it sure as hell beats using a garbage knock-off PSU that will not only die quickly, but will also risk taking some or all all of your parts in the machine with it.

I used to have a PSU with a decent 5v rail, but the brand was dubious at most, and it died later on. I don't actually need a PSU with a good 5V rail, though; I have an HP OEM motherboard that's Socket 462 and has a 12v power connector. It's an odd-ball, to say the least. I'll have to check the capacitors on it, as I'm unsure of how well those have aged. I've thought about getting a soldering iron and just buying caps online and replacing any bad ones myself, but I'm afraid that I'll end up messing up. If I ever do, I'll start with replacing all the capacitors on an old Slot 1/Socket 370 combo board that I have. It's got several bulging caps, and as a result, it fails to properly work with any sound card, including the integrated one, and is generally unstable in usage.

If I can get that board working, I might even throw it in this case, and get a cheap Socket 370 Celeron for it. That would seem accurate to a very low-budget 2003 build- parts from the late 90's and very early 2000's. I still have yet to decide what I'm going to do.

Orkay wrote:

I happen to have a couple of cases that use the exact same interior design, with only the front and side panels being different. It's most definitely as cheap and flimsy as dionb says. One of those cases I got included a power supply from 2000 that made a suspicious squealing noise when I tested it, so I would definitely switch it out for something trustworthy; my StarTech power supplies have worked great for me so far, even though there might be better options out there. I don't know which company designed the case template, but it seems to be very common, as there happens to be another case for sale on eBay which uses it as of writing this post.

If you're careful with it, it's an alright case. There is one oddity about its design that I'd like to point out - that tall hole in the bottom right of the rear of the case is supposed to have a metal cover. I'm guessing this design was supposed to make it easier to access the screws for the expansion slots, but it's been a long time since I used either of mine, and I don't recall them making these things much easier. In practice, it's just another one of those things that's bound to somehow go missing from the case 50% of the time, leaving buyers stumped on where to go to find the missing part for $10.

Given you obtain a proper power supply, you could get away with putting some of your better components in the case for right now simply because of the space for a rear fan, but once you get ahold of a more robust case with better ventilation, I'd advise moving them over to that one.

I actually already have a much better case- it's a workstation case from somewhere around 1997. It's basically steel, and has solid framing throughout. When I was hauling it home, I failed to secure it properly. One quick turn, and it went flying into the door. It left a sizable dent in the plastic, and did nothing to the case, whatsoever. It has two metal support bars that run underneath the very top, and they act as rails to sort of support the PSU. I was just getting this one for a better lower-end case than the one I currently have. At least it can cool itself.

I'm not even worried about that metal piece, as it's missing an entire side panel. I have no idea how somebody would lose something like that, but oh well. I'll figure out a way to get a new one for it.

I have two of these cases. One is slightly better built than the other, but they both have their fair share of annoyances. Make sure that the power supply you put in it isn't too heavy, as there is ZERO support for it inside the case. If you use one that's too heavy, the back of the case bends outwards, because nothing but the flimsy metal is supporting the PSU.

Also, is the power supply made by L&C? If so, throw it out. It's a peice of shit, that will kill your hardware when it fails.

Also, these cases are shorter and wider than standard ATX cases.

DankEngihn wrote:

I have two of these cases. One is slightly better built than the other, but they both have their fair share of annoyances. Make sure that the power supply you put in it isn't too heavy, as there is ZERO support for it inside the case. If you use one that's too heavy, the back of the case bends outwards, because nothing but the flimsy metal is supporting the PSU.

In my case, the entire frame is dependent on the exterior piece of metal that goes over the top and makes the top of the case. Everything is attached to it. I know this because I took it apart completely to make sure it was clean, and the whole case went wibbly-wobbly once that piece was removed.

DankEngihn wrote:

Also, is the power supply made by L&C? If so, throw it out. It's a peice of shit, that will kill your hardware when it fails.

Yeah, it is. I think they designed it with the flimsy metal in mind, considering that it weighs nearly nothing. I didn't expect it to really be of quality. The most valuable things in these horrible PSUs are actually the fans- if I have one that I know is garbage, I'll rip it apart and take the fan out of it, and in some cases, I have used them as case fans. They do okay.

I looked that PSU up, and there's people still selling it for ~US$15. So it can't be that bad, right? 🤣

No, believe me. It's bad. I had one actually catch fire. Not popped caps, and a small flame. Like 3-4 I chatted flames out the back, on fire. Get rid of it, if you like your house.

Also, it's best to keep the cover for the expansion card screws off. It's a pain to get off, and a pain to get back on. I had to use the handle of a screwdriver, and hit the bottom REALLY hard to get it off. So, it's probably best that it's missing.

This screens amd Athlon XP,
Id cut a hole in the side panel for a window and put a DFI lanparty setup in it. 😎

Mr. horse wrote:

This screens amd Athlon XP,
Id cut a hole in the side panel for a window and put a DFI lanparty setup in it. 😎

Aggghhhhh.

Look at how insufficient the cooling is on this case. This system will either need a heap of modding to improve airflow, or OP should keep the build you do in here low powered and cool.

Athlon XP motherboards are already really susceptible to failure due to bad capacitors, no point helping it on it's way by putting the entire thing in a cooker.

Pentium II or low end coppermine, or low end core-2 system. Avoid using the case for Athlon or P4 CPUs, they will cook.

WinMe D850GB Willamette.Rage Fury Pro build

That case BEGS for a Thunderbird 1GHz build.

canthearu wrote:

Aggghhhhh. […]
Show full quote

Aggghhhhh.

Look at how insufficient the cooling is on this case. This system will either need a heap of modding to improve airflow, or OP should keep the build you do in here low powered and cool.

Athlon XP motherboards are already really susceptible to failure due to bad capacitors, no point helping it on it's way by putting the entire thing in a cooker.

Pentium II or low end coppermine, or low end core-2 system. Avoid using the case for Athlon or P4 CPUs, they will cook.

The case actually has front and rear fan mounts, which is more than I can say of the other one I have. If you think this one has insufficient cooling, imagine a case with the PSU right over any CPU heatsink that would be in it, with zero rear fan mounting, and only a place for a front panel fan- that is the other vintage case that I own (another one from around 2000). The teal case also seems to have adequate space in the front panel plastic to let at least some air through. It seems that it would cool roughly the same as my high-quality steel case from around 1997- that one also has both front and rear fan mounts, though I do have to admit that the front panel probably gives more room for air intake than with the teal one. It's also very compartmentalized, so the PSU is basically in its own area within the case, leaving a huge amount of room for anything on the motherboard to cool itself. I haven't actually got a motherboard in the teal case yet, but I'm going to assume that it won't be as roomy.

I've also used an Athlon build in a cardboard case that I made in very early 2018. It had only a rear exhaust fan, and that was towards the bottom of the case, not near the top like most cases. It was an ugly mess, had zero cable management, and was the opposite of an ideal situation. It was also an Athlon XP 3000+ system- I still have that motherboard, and all of the capacitors are just fine. Here's the "case" in question:

The CPU idled at around 43C or so, which is a little high, but at the same time I had zero clue of how to apply thermal paste properly, and the heatsink might have even ended up backwards. I was very incompetent back then, so I can't tell if the main problem was a bad thermal paste/HSF job, or if it was the case situation. I think I've grown more in this one year than all of the prior ~3 years that I've been doing this combined.

Mr. horse wrote:

This screens amd Athlon XP,
Id cut a hole in the side panel for a window and put a DFI lanparty setup in it. 😎

leileilol wrote:

WinMe D850GB Willamette.Rage Fury Pro build

appiah4 wrote:

That case BEGS for a Thunderbird 1GHz build.

So far, it seems to be split down the middle between Intel and AMD, counting canthearu's post. I was personally thinking about using an AMD-based build, because the other custom-built PC I have is Intel-based (a Pentium III Katmai @500MHz). This was also around the era when AMD started handing it to Intel. The Pentium 4 ended up being seen as inferior, especially during the Athlon 64 days. This is why I say that neither company is better than the other overall- but one can be better than the other in a specific time-frame.

Unlike the other cases I have, this one is blank, regarding stickers. The other two cases I have display Intel stickers. I'm still sort of torn as to which brand to use, but as I said, I'm starting to lead more towards an AMD build.

I can see it has fan mounts. but the punched cutout lets through so little airflow, that you get mostly just fan noise and no cooling effect.

Just because we did stupid crap with motherboards back then which resulted in boards cooking themselves doesn't mean it is OK to do it now. The hardware is somewhat rarer now, it is pretty crazy to do things that will significantly reduce it's life.

Your cardboard case looks like it doesn't have a side on it. This would have improved cooling significantly.

For the case above, it could actually be pretty good if you cut the punched fan grill out and replaced it with a wire grill.

But at the end of the day, it's your hardware and you are welcome to cook it as hard as you like. 😀

canthearu wrote:

But at the end of the day, it's your hardware and you are welcome to cook it as hard as you like. 😀

Obviously, I don't want to damage the retro hardware that I manage to get ahold of. My budget is low, and as such this makes even cheaper, more available hardware difficult for me to get. It took nearly a year to get my PIII 500 machine together, and it was in total worth just a little above US$100. I'm as paranoid about cooling and maintaining it as it gets.

canthearu wrote:

I can see it has fan mounts. but the punched cutout lets through so little airflow, that you get mostly just fan noise and no cooling effect.
For the case above, it could actually be pretty good if you cut the punched fan grill out and replaced it with a wire grill.

I have actually taken the case out and looked at it, and as far as I can tell, the grating is less than ideal, but not poor enough to cause widespread component failure. I honestly just can't see that case performing so poorly as to fry the CPU and other components inside. As far as capacitors are concerned, I will hopefully be able to solder in the future, and be able to purchase newer, more resilient capacitors than what's installed on the motherboards. I already have three or so motherboards that I acquired that had bulging or outright ruptured capacitors before I could even test them, and I'm storing those until I have the equipment and skills to refurbish them and get them working in a build.

I already have all the equipment necessary to make a Pentium III Coppermine build with the leftover parts from the initial PIII 500 project, and I could in theory just throw in the old Gateway Tabor III that I have with a PIII Coppermine, and be done. The point here is that I do not want to just build another PIII setup that is nearly identical to the one I'm currently using. I already have a PC from the late PII/early PIII era, and beyond that, I don't want to put late 90's components into a ~2002 case. An AMD Athlon or Athlon XP build would be a fresh, new experience, and it could easily fit the time period of the case.

That being said, when I do eventually acquire all the equipment I would need to run such a build, I will put in one of my weakest airflow case fans, and see how the air flows in from the intake, and out through the exhaust. If I can feel substantial airflow from that going through, as I have trouble feeling it going through more open grating, I don't think it would be a problem. To be sure, I'll probably put two standard airflow fans into it and monitor the temperatures at idle and full load. If it gets acceptable temperatures in that test, the case will do just fine. If it doesn't, I will probably look around for a different one. Modifying cases like this, even to fix problems, just bothers me.

DankEngihn wrote:

No, believe me. It's bad. I had one actually catch fire. Not popped caps, and a small flame. Like 3-4 I chatted flames out the back, on fire. Get rid of it, if you like your house.

Also, it's best to keep the cover for the expansion card screws off. It's a pain to get off, and a pain to get back on. I had to use the handle of a screwdriver, and hit the bottom REALLY hard to get it off. So, it's probably best that it's missing.

You know a PSU is bottom wrung if they don't even bother weighting it down with lead or concrete.

build a modern system in it

Cooling wise, you should be fine. It has a spot for a fan in the back, and one in the front.

The two cases like this that I have houae an s370 866 MHz Pentium III build (my main retro PC) and a 478 Pentium 4, and neither get anywhere close to being hot enough to fry.

canthearu wrote:

I can see it has fan mounts. but the punched cutout lets through so little airflow, that you get mostly just fan noise and no co […]
Show full quote

I can see it has fan mounts. but the punched cutout lets through so little airflow, that you get mostly just fan noise and no cooling effect.

Just because we did stupid crap with motherboards back then which resulted in boards cooking themselves doesn't mean it is OK to do it now. The hardware is somewhat rarer now, it is pretty crazy to do things that will significantly reduce it's life.

Your cardboard case looks like it doesn't have a side on it. This would have improved cooling significantly.

For the case above, it could actually be pretty good if you cut the punched fan grill out and replaced it with a wire grill.

But at the end of the day, it's your hardware and you are welcome to cook it as hard as you like. 😀

The reason they made cases with those punch-through holes is to save money.
But it won't save the owner any money once they own such a case.

I've used several cases before and after doing the aforementioned modification to the case by removing the part with the many tiny holes, using a file to smoothen the rough edges and using some spare fan grill and it improves airflow significantly, while also making the rig a bit more silent (partially because the remaining fans didn't need to work as hard anymore to cool the system).

The one in the front is often a smaller sized fan (I don't know the size of fan the front of the case can fit, and whether the cooling from there is more effective than the cooling at the rear exhaust if not using any modifications) and will have less effective cooling.

I have however build a sA Athlon (either Thunderbird or Palomino) rig into a kinda similar case and ended up using a GF2MX or similar in it and a lower clocked CPU and it seemed to work alright. Still I found it not being ideal.