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New(ish) AT cases?

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DamienC

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
72
Location
Southern NJ USA
So I'm building this 386 system, and I've gotten most of the parts together. The only thing is that currently I'm using an old ATX case I had lying around with an AT I/O shield and a power supply adapter. It works, but it just feels like a hack job.

I already bought a new AT power supply from Newegg (It was dirt cheap, something like $12). Now I'd really like a new or NOS AT case.

Anyone know where to find one? I'd rather get one from a retail/online store if possible. I'd also prefer one with both a turbo button and an LED MHz meter.
 
I've been eyeing this one for some time now (it's been relisted), but the only thing holding me back is the lack of the power switch. I think I have one from a similar (but beige) case in a box somewhere, which should work as it's dark gray in color, but the trick is to find it so that I don't end up with "yet another empty case lying around":

http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-8-BAY-TOW...NTAGE-NEW-/350366808585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

EDIT: Well, not sure why I never did before but a quick eBay search revealed numerous auctions for the power switch needed.
 
Most any old AT PS will work. However, I have a early AT desktop case with a mechanial push-button type arm that toggles the PS. Another one, a 'brand new' old AT case, came with a 235 watt PS, and has the On/Off switch as a rocker type mounted externally on the PS itself, not to be confused with the modern day variety. What I look for is the correct bezle on the the rear of the case so that it will accept the mobo without any large gapping holes.

Good luck on your build!
 
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I like all the ones suggested, but they're all a little too huge for this project I think. :p I appreciate it anyway, it's giving me new links to try and find AT stuff.

One of the old PCs I got rid of a while back (and really regret doing so) had a huge 8-bay beige server AT case. It was incredibly massive and heavy, but was probably the most internally well-organized and powerful 486's I ever owned: late model 486 PCI board with AMD 5x86 133MHz, 16mb RAM, 4x CD-ROM, 850mb HD and a Teac dual 5.25"/3.5" floppy drive. I'm still kicking myself for getting rid of it along with my VLB Pentium Overdrive 83MHz system.
 
That first "Aopen" case was probably the best of the bunch listed. Looks like while the others may have more appealing designs, the construction quality looks sub par.
 
Anonymous Coward said:
That first "Aopen" case was probably the best of the bunch listed. Looks like while the others may have more appealing designs, the construction quality looks sub par.
Click to expand...

I would agree, though someone looking for a big 8-bay case could do worse than the black one listed on ebay. I can always add some bracing here and there if need be in such a case - there's certainly room enough to work in! - but finding a vintage, thicker-gauge steel case such as the old 80s/90s cases used to be is rather tough, at least without paying an arm and a leg. No way I could find an 8-bay tower like my old one with the server power supplies, even on the used market, for $20 USD. Not anymore.. Heck, I can stand on top of that thing and it doesn't buckle.. (it's uh, been a good ladder in the past).

With that said, I'm somewhat tempted to snag the AOpen case just to have one around. That's a rather nice case, suitable to be a desktop or mid-tower case. My IBM DX4-100 gaming machine, for instance, has two 5.25" bays and a single 3.5" bay. Rather pathetic.
 
The power switch part of this thread got me interested; I have successfully used the on/off switched from vacuum cleaners to get the job done, with almost no modding necessary. They snap in and there tends to be a gap on either side if you center it, but you can also just have one gap if you push it all the way over.

It doesn't work in all cases, but so far so good, and they are basically the same stats of voltage/amperage, but they are marketed as for the vacuum cleaners and lots of time I find them on clearance.

Again, I am one to retrofit my coffee maker with something totally unneeded, like, oh, I dunno, an alarm to let me know when it's ready or a sensor to tell me when I ought to make more (my personal internal sensors seem to do a better job though, as if I start to fall asleep, **if** I can remember coffee is ready :p
 
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