This is "new" hardware, but intending to use it for mostly retro purposes, so it's going in here.

Though to catch you up I misposted in this thread a recent retro retro buy Re: What retro activity did you get up to today? but it can stay there as I am probably blogging the mini fixup in there in a bit.

So I have wanted open case testbench for some time, but a while back when I tried to get one on Amazon, I thought "yeah those will do great" and wishlisted a couple, then like less than a month later I looked back and they were gone out of stock, nothing in the warehouses, prices had gone up, listed ones were coming direct from China in months, plus the customs/duty hassle (it's not about the taxes so much as the fee extortion from courier companies whoever ends up with it, you have no control. ) Anyway, so I wasn't gonna be paying a total of what I could pick up a full ATX for locally, so forgot about it for a while. Fast forward to early Jan and I have been playing with Temu app and maybe think I can game my way round it, not so much, it's frigging awful, maybe got some money off, think these cost me $25 a piece but at least shipping was free and no import hassle...

First one, unbranded, this one was advertised as "Heavy Duty" but is in fact a bit flimsier than the second. You will also notice the panel braces have to be punched out from the bottom, which is leaving the bottom even less solid. Can't see any kind of model name for this one. Only good thing about it really is it came with a little socket driver key for the standoffs which is neat.

Second one, this seems aout 50% thicker steel than the first. This appears to be called an "MK-01". The braces are separately supplied and the base plate is less holey as a result. Also seems to have longer lead on the ATX power button supplied. So far it seems the better of the two.

For both, the metal finish isn't premium, but it seems less slicey then some cheap cases have been.

I may set one up with an AT supply if all the holes are there for baby AT, so I'll have an ATX and AT test rig.

Also got a couple of things off the freebies the order qualified for, a pair of side cutters, flush cutting and a set of plastic plastic prybars intended for car trim, but seemingly good for spudging larger electronics also.

Flush cut sidecutters I am coming to regard as disposable much to my chagrin... I know right, only cut copper leads and soft metals... the trouble is, the assholes who make motherboards and PCBs sneak in steel posts or hard steel cans for some coils and things and before you realise it, you've dinged the edge.... that happens half a dozen times and your cutters have gone to shit, and you can regrind them, but the edges don't meet right now. Yeah so I guess I'm needing a new pair every 5 years or so.