VOGONS


First post, by AshleyPomeroy

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Now that Windows 10 isn't supported any more I've built a new PC to run Windows 11, but this leaves me with an old LGA1150 Xeon 1275 system more or less intact. The only thing I swapped over was the GPU, but the Xeon has a built-in GPU. I built that system back in 2011 and it's still functional nowadays, but the motherboard is too old for Windows 11. It's odd to think of a machine from 2011 as retro but time marches on.

For space reasons it would be lovely to take the motherboard out of my ludicrously oversized fourteen-year-old tower case and put it in a desktop case, sitting under a monitor. But I'm way out of touch. Back in 2011 you could still buy desktop PC cases, but they seem to be completely out of production now. The only google results are the Silverstone FLP01, which is a novelty joke that costs £115.

My second thought was to buy one of those old HP Compaq Elite desktops and gut it, but they used a weird non-standard PSU, and there's no space for a regular PSU. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M720S is roughly the right shape but uses a custom motherboard that has one of the corners cut out. The other desktop-style corporate PCs seemed to rely on custom parts.

So, was there a standard HP / Dell / Lenovo corporate desktop case in the 2010s that took completely standard parts, or alternatively was there a default desktop-style case that people used at the time?

Reply 2 of 4, by AshleyPomeroy

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Apparently it's inspired by the NEC-9801VM:
flp01-1.jpg
960px-NEC_PC-9801VM_Front.jpg

And it's nice that they included 5.25" drive support. Albeit that one of the drive bays is a fake bay that's just a cover for the USB ports. It seems like poor value though.

In fact it's apparently based on the Silverstone GD09, which is cheaper at £79.99. They call them HTPC cases, for "home theatre PC", presumably so they can slot into a television cabinet. You learn something every day.

Reply 3 of 4, by Shponglefan

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I just recently picked up an FLP01. I wouldn't consider it a novelty at all. It's a perfectly functional ATX desktop case with vintage styling, albeit a bit overpriced for what it is. The only gimmicky part are the fake 5.25" drive bay covers.

There is a post on Reddit showing off a build (not mine though) complete with a CRT monitor on top and modded 5.25" bay to remove the fake cover. The result looks really good: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/ … brand_new_case/

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Reply 4 of 4, by StriderTR

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Shponglefan wrote on 2025-11-09, 18:56:

I just recently picked up an FLP01. I wouldn't consider it a novelty at all. It's a perfectly functional ATX desktop case with vintage styling, albeit a bit overpriced for what it is. The only gimmicky part are the fake 5.25" drive bay covers.

There is a post on Reddit showing off a build (not mine though) complete with a CRT monitor on top and modded 5.25" bay to remove the fake cover. The result looks really good: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/ … brand_new_case/

I'm seriously considering tracking down the FLP02 to replace the old Cooler Master HAF 932 I've been using for well over a decade now for my "modern" system. It looks amazing!

https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/inf … -chassis/flp02/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNa6jdCQzlU / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKvyQqI0oyE / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpNb_08-PH4

Also cool that the FLP01 can hold up to 50lbs/23kg on top. That setup looks amazing! And.... now I want one for my Win98 machine. 🤣

DOS, Win9x, General "Retro" Enthusiast. Professional Tinkerer. Technology Hobbyist. Expert at Nothing! Build, Create, Repair, Repeat!
This Old Man's Builds, Projects, and Other Retro Goodness: https://theclassicgeek.blogspot.com/