Once upon a time, not every computer lived in a vertical “tower” case. Many decades back a horizontal arrangement was a popular choice, sometimes just referred to as the “desktop” style. [PuTaTuo] is helping to bring it back, with this amazing 3D printed case design.
The case is designed to suit mini-ITX motherboards, while supporting standard ATX-size power supplies. The printed components are all designed to measure less than 220 mm in any dimension to ensure they can easily be produced on smaller printers. The case has a 3.5″ drive bay cutout up front, which you can use for the front panel I/O or a floppy drive if you’re super-retro like that. The front panel is otherwise relatively simple, with buttons for power and reset as well as power and SSD status LEDs.
Assembly is via M3 hardware and heat set inserts. If you’d like to print your own, you can grab the files from Thingiverse or Printables depending on your taste.
We’ve featured some great 3D printed cases over the years, like this colorful build that focuses on ease of access and servicing. The cool thing about designing your own case is you can optimize it to suit your own desires, and customize it to look as cool as you need it to be.
I Designed and 3D-Printed a Retro Style ITX PC Case
byu/Potatozeng in3Dprinting
Noticed a new name. Congrats on the thing!
For years, I’ve used the Thermaltake DH102 https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/htpc-lcd-touchscreen,2129-7.html I’ve never understood the love for towers.
“I’ve never understood the love for towers.”
Computers located on the floor under desk rather than occupying desk space.
In the winter, heating your legs with the tower while playing The Elder Scrolls or some other AAA RPG is an experience of its own. Add tea and chocolate and you’re in nirvana.
In my local Dino you can buy cheap beer in 1,5 L plastic bottle. It’s pretty strong (6,6 volts) so by the time you finish it, you feel really mushed like after a whole night at the bar. It’s good for slowly seeping when watching football or playing Gothic 2.
Flipping this the other way: can motherboards still be found that will retrofit old ISA cases, ideally with analog video out? I have an IBM Luggable (with expansion unit “docking station”) which hasn’t been powered up in 30 years, and I’m not highly psyched about re-capping if that proves necessary… but I feel I ought to either do something with it or pass it to someone who is interested in it as historical artifact.
Related to that, is there a good way to temporarily attach an old 30MB hard drive to a modern machine for archiving and sanitizing? I’m not sure my current USB-to-drive adapters can reach back that far.
wrt motherboard, IIRC the XT formfactor you describe is about the right size, but has different holes from the new AT/ATX stuff. Expect to drill and mount new standoffs. Mini-ITX motherboards would do well here and you oughta be able to get video card of choice, or swap in an appropriate HDMI-connected LCD with some 3D printing bezel magic and have it not be obvious. Of course save all the parts for the purists and those wanting to fix their 100% original gear.
wrt 30MB hard drive, you need to know the interface (50-pin SCSI? 34- and 20-pin MFM/RLL?) I swear I’ve seen projects here on HAD that take MFM/RLL and bit-bang it to USB, using an RP2350 or the like. SCSI would be easier, commercial USB-SCSI dongles prolly exist. Find out more about your drive and Google away.