Acquired these a while ago. A nice Dan System with an upside down mini tower and a nice desktop case with 3 digit MHZ readout.

It's been a while since I've checked Vogons, guess I should stop by more often... 😀

Some of you may have seen this on another forum, but I'm actually in the process of rebuilding my old computer case, restoring all the original components (what's left of them) back into the original & period correct case from 1998. This process took me around 15 years ... give it or take it - the whole story began in 2006, but the actual search for replacement case started in 2007.

But rest assured, I'm not here to bore you with all the personal nostalgia 😉 What I'm actually hoping for is that someone around here may FINALLY recognize this case, brand & model. Because here's the thing, I have absolutely no idea who made it, and what's it called - I simply call it the "Adison Tower".

This one I added to my collection only a few months back:


It's normally home to my IBM 5160 build, hence the fake stuck on IBM logo I attached. 🤣

If I can ever find another suitable AT case for the XT motherboard, I'll probably reuse this case for my Turbo XT clone instead and actually make proper use of the Turbo button. The Turbo button changes the display between 4 & 1 - haven't figured out how to make it do 4 & 10 to suit the Turbo XT haha.

Another AT case I own, please excuse the sorry looking state - it's an old pic before cleaning, as I couldn't find a more recent pic. The top of the case does still need repainting though, but the case is otherwise fully functional and I've owned it for about 22 years:

This case is currently home to my 286 12MHz build. It's had 386DX, Pentium & K6-2 builds in this case over the years and continues to serve me very well.

DTK "TECH-1230", currently a 386DX-40 build: 20mb ram, Cirrus GD5429 1mb, Opti sound card. Originally had a socket 3 board, but wouldn't boot with a dead Dallas chip (any of yall who's had a Dallas chip soldered to the mobo... I feel your pain 😤)

Dell 486P/33, early 486DX-33 pizza box from 1991: 16mb ram, WD90C30-LR w/ 1mb upgrade and Sierra hi-color DAC. Still awaiting a sound card and SD-IDE adapter. Bought for parts and blew a tantalum off the bat, but everything still seems to work

Micron 486DX2-66 PCI, infamous Micronics M4PI motherboard that's horribly slow w/ a DX4 and won't take 5x86's. The good thing is that this is a standard AT case disguised as an OEM case, so I'll probably use it for a 5x86 build once I find a suitable motherboard

Bancho wrote on 2019-01-28, 13:17:

This is my most retro case and houses my Pentium MMX. Funtional Turbo button on the GA-586HX board :happy: Case is a bit flimsy […]
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This is my most retro case and houses my Pentium MMX. Funtional Turbo button on the GA-586HX board 😀 Case is a bit flimsy but does the job.

Hey. I used to have this exact case back in the 90s. Don't suppose you have any details on the case at all? Would love to get another one of these. Loved how the LED's were in the slots!

My last one:

Cueball wrote on 2021-01-29, 06:34:

Hey. I used to have this exact case back in the 90s. Don't suppose you have any details on the case at all? Would love to get another one of these. Loved how the LED's were in the slots!

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a little flimsy. I have seen this style with different chassis types though and also in the amiga scene. Funnily enough I actually pulled the machine our of storage tonight to have a play with it!

Bancho wrote on 2021-01-29, 23:04:

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a […]
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Cueball wrote on 2021-01-29, 06:34:

Hey. I used to have this exact case back in the 90s. Don't suppose you have any details on the case at all? Would love to get another one of these. Loved how the LED's were in the slots!

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a little flimsy. I have seen this style with different chassis types though and also in the amiga scene. Funnily enough I actually pulled the machine our of storage tonight to have a play with it!

Yes, pretty popular case with a very similar design to Elbox cases for Amiga like you said.

https://external-preview.redd.it/D_3OlMYIuFfn … ec9f8b8dc972978

https://b.allegroimg.com/s1024/0c4811/a900c47 … 77344a60ed8a75b

Bancho wrote on 2021-01-29, 23:04:

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a […]
Show full quote

Cueball wrote on 2021-01-29, 06:34:

Hey. I used to have this exact case back in the 90s. Don't suppose you have any details on the case at all? Would love to get another one of these. Loved how the LED's were in the slots!

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a little flimsy. I have seen this style with different chassis types though and also in the amiga scene. Funnily enough I actually pulled the machine our of storage tonight to have a play with it!

Octek/Denco case?
My Octek/Denco clone. Typical cheap generic case with button switches on front panel.

Bancho wrote on 2021-01-29, 23:04:

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a […]
Show full quote

Cueball wrote on 2021-01-29, 06:34:

Hey. I used to have this exact case back in the 90s. Don't suppose you have any details on the case at all? Would love to get another one of these. Loved how the LED's were in the slots!

I don't really have any details about who manufactured it unfortunately. I bought it off ebay as new in box. Its good case but a little flimsy. I have seen this style with different chassis types though and also in the amiga scene. Funnily enough I actually pulled the machine our of storage tonight to have a play with it!

Yes I do remember it being on the flimsy side. But I really loved it's style and how the LEDs were a glow across the strip. Mine started as my main pc until I moved to a large tower and this then became a second pc for the family and then was my server for a while. All back in the 90s.

386_junkie, I know it's been 6 years, but what can you tell me about the case on Show us your retro computer cases

I am trying to track one down and don't even have a name to go on.

Thanks

Lotta people seem to be hunting those, it's "that" case. They used to be pretty common though, usually it was "local" system integrators using them, not sure any of the bigger names used it. Seen them in the UK, seen them in Canada, ppl in US post about them, so do ppl in Germany. It was I think the first common minitower.

Edit: BTW that case also has a midi and full size brother, exact same styling.

Edit2: Here's an example from a local to British Columbia computer paper from 1995, which is probably about as late as they went, other "sexier" cases were out and things were needing more air... https://issuu.com/dougalder/docs/1995-04-10_c … r_player_bc-ocr page 15 Anovatron, the mighty Ano Business Class 486 DX2/80. I don't think Anovatron would be known much outside Richmond/ Vancouver, but in the towards the back of the national mags and in larger spots in the more local ones, you'll see dozens of them in the first half of the 90s. I was hoping to come across a case distributor that named them, but no luck so far.

edit3: Subsequently found out that one distributor of this type of case was CTI

dkarguth wrote on 2019-02-11, 21:08:

Here's my 286 case. I found it brand new NOS at a surplus electronics store for 5 USD. I particularly enjoy the compactness of t […]
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Here's my 286 case. I found it brand new NOS at a surplus electronics store for 5 USD. I particularly enjoy the compactness of the case, and the fact that it has the cutouts for the serial and parallel ports. Also, it even has a removable motherboard backing plate!

There's not many places for fans, so I installed one of those small flat fans that uses up a card slot. It basically just blows the hot air out a vented slot cover.

YO! Do you know what the vender/model this case is?? This is exactly the case I had back in the late 90's and would love to find it again to build my old 486 DX4 computer again (I actually saved the origital CPU from that same computer)

About a year or so back the only system I picked up mostly just for the beige case goodness was this one.

I didnt really even care about the hardware in the case it was all about the case with the hardware inside as a so so bonus. A beautiful beige case with 2 120mm fans in the front for actual airflow.

MMaximus wrote on 2019-05-16, 16:59:

That's a very nice case. Looks well cleaned too! If you browse old computing magazines on archive.org (BYTE, PC Magazine etc.) y […]
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Qbcd wrote:

Six months ago I decided to rebuild my childhood PC (or a close approximation). I have most of the parts, and finally found a case I like:
...

That's a very nice case. Looks well cleaned too! If you browse old computing magazines on archive.org (BYTE, PC Magazine etc.) you might be able to find old adverts or articles where that same model of case was used.

I'm also posting two tower cases I've restored last year. I like them both but I have a preference for the first one as I had a similar one back in the day. I've now used it for a DX2-66 build.

Sorry for necroposting this thread, but I'd like to know what's the brand/model of the case shown in the first picture. Thanks in advance.

Grem Five wrote on 2023-09-04, 04:37:

About a year or so back the only system I picked up mostly just for the beige case goodness was this one.
I didnt really even care about the hardware in the case it was all about the case with the hardware inside as a so so bonus. A beautiful beige case with 2 120mm fans in the front for actual airflow.

Wow, very good looking! I love these boxy and very simple cases, and with a Pentium II inside it's just perfection 🤩

That's an Intel Columbus II case. I have one which also came with a dual slot 1 motherboard, the Intel R440LX Redwood. The combined system is named RC440LX by Intel.

ETA: add pics of my machine

amolinae wrote on 2024-08-04, 05:57:

MMaximus wrote on 2019-05-16, 16:59:

That's a very nice case. Looks well cleaned too! If you browse old computing magazines on archive.org (BYTE, PC Magazine etc.) y […]
Show full quote

Qbcd wrote:

Six months ago I decided to rebuild my childhood PC (or a close approximation). I have most of the parts, and finally found a case I like:
...

That's a very nice case. Looks well cleaned too! If you browse old computing magazines on archive.org (BYTE, PC Magazine etc.) you might be able to find old adverts or articles where that same model of case was used.

I'm also posting two tower cases I've restored last year. I like them both but I have a preference for the first one as I had a similar one back in the day. I've now used it for a DX2-66 build.

Sorry for necroposting this thread, but I'd like to know what's the brand/model of the case shown in the first picture. Thanks in advance.

The thing with all these generic cases from the '80s and the '90s is that they didn't really have any brand. They were churned out by Taiwanese OEM companies and sold to system assemblers who would use them to sell PCs under their own brand 🤷

lady_quietbottom wrote on 2021-05-17, 22:08:

386_junkie, I know it's been 6 years, but what can you tell me about the case https://www.vogons.org/download/file.php?id=19525& […]
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386_junkie, I know it's been 6 years, but what can you tell me about the case on Show us your retro computer cases

I am trying to track one down and don't even have a name to go on.

Thanks

This was my First computer case back in 1993
It was pretty popular because it was small and cheap.
These cost about $35 New back in 1993
They came with power supply too.

These are hard to find today.

Errius wrote on 2024-08-04, 18:55:

That's an Intel Columbus II case. I have one which also came with a dual slot 1 motherboard, the Intel R440LX Redwood. The combi […]
Show full quote

That's an Intel Columbus II case. I have one which also came with a dual slot 1 motherboard, the Intel R440LX Redwood. The combined system is named RC440LX by Intel.

ETA: add pics of my machine

Mine came with a N440bx.