cyclone3d wrote on 2023-03-06, 20:32:

Yeah, good luck finding AT cases. (Not getting rid of the ones I do have) You can use AT boards in ATX cases though. […]
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Yeah, good luck finding AT cases. (Not getting rid of the ones I do have)
You can use AT boards in ATX cases though.

The AT I/O plate covers are available or you can get blank plates and cut the KB hole yourself.

The motherboard mount holes might be there or not.
Shouldn't be too difficult to mark, drill, and thread the holes for the standoffs.

Or 3D-print it
ATX I/O shield models for 3D printing

I agree with has been said here... you better scan your local 2nd hand marketplaces like facebook or craiglist and get a full machine .. it will be cheaper

People selling just the case know what they have and they will ask a pretty penny for the case alone

Good luck !

You can get some knockout punches from Harbor Freight (US) for about $25.

ptr1ck wrote on 2023-03-06, 23:21:

You can get some knockout punches from Harbor Freight (US) for about $25.

Have you tried them?

I doubt those would work for I/O plates.

Plus you have to first drill a hole for the bolt to go through.

Might as well build a jig for a drill press and use wood for backing to drill the correct size holes.

The first hole would be a pilot hole with a normal bit, which is easy to handle compared to a hole saw. I would be more worried about the gauge of metal being too thin for the knockout to work properly. That's also the reasoning behind using knockouts instead of hole saws, the typically thin I/O shields aren't what your average hole saws are made for. At the end of the day, I'm down for whatever works and keeps all my fingers.

The holes for AT keyboards are not in hole saw territory.

Just have a jig to hold the plate in place... Part of an old ATX case for it to clip into would work fine.

The have that held up against a piece of wood for the backing.

Use a drill press to drill the hole and you are golden.

So back on topic, I'm a sucker for horizonal cases with monitors on top. Are there any still being made that aren't super sleek anodized HTPC boxes that cost $200? That may be what I'd consider for my next retro build since vintage cases are like unicorns.

At work we have these SiComputer Productiva XS computers, and after a bunch of hunting I managed to find someone selling the case - it's basically an Inwin BL672 but with added holes for 1 parallel and 2 9pin serial ports above the motherboard!

I put my HP Vectra VL400 in there - it's OK but I don't have any half-height cards and the useless front panel connectors look stupid! (They look like they're a 3.5 inch accessory but the frame is firmly part of the front panel and there's no space behind the screwed-in card)

Funny thing is that this was a 30 € case I bought for a 10 € PowerMan power supply (Inwin's house brand) and a 25 € Gigabyte GA-C847N motherboard both obtained a couple of weeks before at an electronics fair... which turned out to have SiComputer OEM firmware 😮

I just went to see what I could dig out of AliExpress and holy crap the price of everything, and the price of shipping, man, I thought we'd have a pullback after covid stay-at-home demand, but it's just got worse.

I think it's time for emergency protocol SigmaTenEpsilonFortyTwoGammaGamma.... saw microwaves in half.

Anyone near Owen Sound wanna check this out on FB MP "COMPUTER, TV, AND MORE TECH TRASH" there's a few computers by the look.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-03-07, 02:01:

I just went to see what I could dig out of AliExpress and holy crap the price of everything, and the price of shipping, man, I thought we'd have a pullback after covid stay-at-home demand, but it's just got worse.

There was a loop hole in the international postage rules that was available to Chinese vendors that made it cheaper for them to send small parcels from China to the US that it cost to send the same thing across town for US vendors and the US postal service had to foot the difference. The rules are in the process of getting changed.

If I was going to use I new case for a retro build, I might use something like this that shows it off:

https://www.amazon.com/ARESGAME-Mid-Tower-Tra … B0B53MKQ9Y?th=1

But there's no spot for removable media in that case.

douglar, try a Fractal Design Focus G if you want 2x optical bays and a modern look.

I have three AT cases, two which I just had to pay for and one I got basically for free. It's a shame they're so hard to find now. I have thought about trying to get some injection molds and sheet metal stamping going to see how much it would cost to manufacture new ones in the old style, but I haven't got around to it yet. It would be very niche but the community could really use some.

There was an electronics mag article about building a PC case from the 90s, folding dimensions etc. Think it's been posted on here before.

I'm honestly surprised that none of the big manufacturers have put out a modern retro case. When I built my current PC in 2019 I desperately wanted a modern retro-looking case, but the closest I could find that was actually a good case was the Fractal Design Define R6 USB-C. I got it in white with a solid side panel and I like it... but that was four years ago and I'm amazed that there aren't retro-looking cases out there yet.

What I would like to see would be a modern style of case that is also modular so that you can either build a new PC that is beige\gray\brown whatever to give it a retro feel, or build an authentic retro PC with modern quiet fans and convenient design. They could make one universal modular design with a removable motherboard tray that is connected to the back and slot covers (like some used to be) so that you can either purchase an ATX version or AT version... and all they have to change is the tray.

The front bays could also be modular (at least half of it) so that you can put as many drives or fans in as you'd like. They could sell whole front bezels as add-ons so you could get the right combination of looks, cooling, drive bays and buttons. They could even sell some kind of modular panel (either as 5 1/4 bay covers or something that fit the design better) with accessories attached to them, like a very retro-looking toggle switch for power, turbo buttons, turbo displays, etc. If they wanted to be super community-focused to build a following they could even supply some 3d-printer ready models and other files, open source, for people to make their own front panel accessories... in case they want it to look just a little bit more like some old computer they had as a kid.

If I had any kind of manufacturing knowledge what so ever I'd start a crowd funded project for this (and it'd fail like 98% of them do)... but the complexity of it would likely require expertise in many areas where I have no experience whatsoever.

My AT case is a total of 6.5" wide. I would love to find an ATX case with 3 5.25 ext. bays, 2 3.5 ext. bays, and 3 internal 3.5 HDD bays. I have a nice ATX 233MMX waiting for it but I can't fit a case any wider than 6.5" next to my Amiga 2500.

From time to time Evercase.co.uk may have a batch of clean, new cases equipped with AT power supply (or at to atx cable) and one of these AT backplates. The standoffs can be set to AT positions too. Ready to for your (baby) AT style motherboard.

waterbeesje wrote on 2023-03-07, 08:31:

From time to time Evercase.co.uk may have a batch of clean, new cases equipped with AT power supply (or at to atx cable) and one of these AT backplates. The standoffs can be set to AT positions too. Ready to for your (baby) AT style motherboard.

I wish Evercase had a US distributor. As far as I can tell they do not. Some of their cases really scratch the retro aesthetic itch.

If you lived in Europe I could have helped.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-03-06, 21:18:

ptr1ck wrote on 2023-03-06, 21:12:

A typical hole saw has too large of teeth and will probably wreck the shield unless you use a press. I would recommend a punch or cutting it with snips after you get a small starter hole.

Yeah the best type on metal are the adjustable ones with a two "teeth" or cutters or whatever you want to cal them, but there's maybe not room. Actually from a Princess Auto you might find a stepped hole enlarging bit that will go from 3/8 to keyboard size. Forgot what they're called.

Another way to make a hole is with the type of bit below. Make a dent in the middle of where you want the hole. Strap the plate to a piece of wood and grind away until you have the right size. Do it slowly or the metal will turn blue because of heat.