Obijuan1983 wrote on 2026-04-16, 08:35:

Just finished building a custom desk for my retro station 😀

That's a beast of a machine there! I like that you got an IBM screen to go with it. Very neat setup.

Thanks mate

Still waiting to received the matched IBM Keyboard and Mouse !

Also at left side of desk will add an IBM Intellistation Pro Z with Dual PIII Xeons 550MHz 1MB (also waiting to received 3 of these Intellistation Pro Z's 😀 )

A complete view of my computing area 😀

Now that is what I call a FULL tower case! Looks awesome, what is inside? Can we have more photos? 😁

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-16, 19:40:

Now that is what I call a FULL tower case! Looks awesome, what is inside? Can we have more photos? 😁

Its an

IBM VSS - Versatile Storage Server (1998)

2 x Cluster PC with Quad Socket IBM PowerPC 604e 333MHz each
10 x IBM 7133 SSA Storage trays with 16 x 18.2GB IBM SSA Hot Swap Drivers
8 x IBM SSA Controllers
3 x Battery Banks

Fully Preserved and fully working 😀

Here is my "Computing area", retro/older on one side and modern on the other side!

I tried uploading a panoramic pic of the boxed games as well, but keep getting "It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the image. Please verify that the URL you entered is correct." error, which it should NOT be getting as I'm uploading direct from my computer and it is 2026. The image is 2280x526 and 3.63MB

The blue case on the desk currently is my original case from back when I was in high school, the desk with the old computer I got when I was 7, the HP scanner does still work, the software is temperamental, but my grandma bought it for me in the early 2000's so I could scan some stuff for her and I still have it!

johnvosh wrote on 2026-04-17, 12:03:

Here is my "Computing area", retro/older on one side and modern on the other side!

Nice setup. I see you have many retro PCs there. Not just the blue one. Also, I see you have some great games there. I have many of those too, but discarded the boxes.

Obijuan1983 wrote on 2026-04-16, 19:58:

Its an […]
Show full quote

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-16, 19:40:

Now that is what I call a FULL tower case! Looks awesome, what is inside? Can we have more photos? 😁

Its an

IBM VSS - Versatile Storage Server (1998)

2 x Cluster PC with Quad Socket IBM PowerPC 604e 333MHz each
10 x IBM 7133 SSA Storage trays with 16 x 18.2GB IBM SSA Hot Swap Drivers
8 x IBM SSA Controllers
3 x Battery Banks

Fully Preserved and fully working 😀

The attachment IMG_20260329_231949.jpg is no longer available

The attachment IMG_20260331_210921.jpg is no longer available

So cool! They are as cool on the inside as the outside 😁 do you store anything on there? Ultimate retro NAS?

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-17, 20:16:

Obijuan1983 wrote on 2026-04-16, 19:58:

Its an […]
Show full quote

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-16, 19:40:

Now that is what I call a FULL tower case! Looks awesome, what is inside? Can we have more photos? 😁

Its an

IBM VSS - Versatile Storage Server (1998)

2 x Cluster PC with Quad Socket IBM PowerPC 604e 333MHz each
10 x IBM 7133 SSA Storage trays with 16 x 18.2GB IBM SSA Hot Swap Drivers
8 x IBM SSA Controllers
3 x Battery Banks

Fully Preserved and fully working 😀

The attachment IMG_20260329_231949.jpg is no longer available

The attachment IMG_20260331_210921.jpg is no longer available

So cool! They are as cool on the inside as the outside 😁 do you store anything on there? Ultimate retro NAS?

Something like that , storing games and software of that era!

Whole capacity is about 2.9TB @ 8KW power consumprion...

Yikes 8KW!!! Why does the fun stuff always eat all the power? 2.9TB is insane storage though. In 1998 I was very pleased with my 2GB HDD, although it was always full so one of these would have come in quite handy I think... Now all we really need is 1998 electricity prices.

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-18, 16:28:

Yikes 8KW!!! Why does the fun stuff always eat all the power? 2.9TB is insane storage though. In 1998 I was very pleased with my 2GB HDD, although it was always full so one of these would have come in quite handy I think... Now all we really need is 1998 electricity prices.

Indeed its like 1000x the capacity of what a home PC had...

As for power consumprion Its not that bad... The Netfinity 5500 with 2 x PIII 600 Katmai, 6 x Hotswap SCSI HDDs , the SSD and full populated with PCI cards (Riva TNT2 PCI/SB Live!/Sata Controller/SSA Controller/PCI Wifi) It idles at 150W and at Half Life goes to 210W

and what do you do with that server? cause if its for a NAS @ home my E1-6010 + 4TB eats about 18watts and does the same job...

Living wrote on 2026-04-20, 02:43:

and what do you do with that server? cause if its for a NAS @ home my E1-6010 + 4TB eats about 18watts and does the same job...

I can use it to warm my "computing area" in winter 🤣

Its about 28.000 BTU so it has double role , NAS & heater

It sure is a good heater! 😁 Do you have any idea what these drives were serving back in 1998?

IBM - “A Better Place to Think”.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2026-04-25, 17:25:

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Nice thinkpad pair there 😀

You only need to look at those thinkpad keyboards to know they are awesome to type on, these rival mechanical keyboards for me, so good!

CC-Adam wrote on 2026-04-23, 21:51:

It sure is a good heater! 😁 Do you have any idea what these drives were serving back in 1998?

One of the most popular Insurance company in Europe!

An update of my setup 😀