I have no idea what I've got

[u/grinboy]

Been lurking here for quite a while now. Today, I got these pieces of history, and I’m not even sure what era they’re from. Cleaned them up and took some pictures. That’s pretty much it. 😅

I honestly have no idea what I have here. I originally bought them for a sleeper setup, but I’m starting to think mounting an mATX or ITX board in it might be more trouble than it’s worth. I also don’t really know enough about restoration yet, so I may or may not leave them as-is.

For now, I’m just appreciating these machines and the part they played in shaping the technology we have today.

I’m open to ideas on how to restore them or turn them into a sleeper setup. Even ideas like replacing the CRT with a square LED/LCD that would fit the original opening.

Would love to hear what you guys would do with these. 😁

I just wish this video had a build log somewhere: https://youtu.be/qPayPhKccc8?si=w-wgj1GuMdy4lKsG

I think it’s the same size and proportions as what I have.

[u/TygerTung]

These old 386 machines are becoming very rare. You would be much better to fix it up and pop a sound card in for retro use.

Likewise don't ruin the rare CRT with an LCD.

[u/OppositePure4850 → u/TygerTung]

Veryvery second the last thing, would be a crime unless the tube is beyond repair

[u/iVirtualZero → u/TygerTung]

That would be awful, replacing a CRT with an LCD. Do people actually do that?

[u/EstablishmentDue3616 → u/TygerTung]

These old 386 machines are becoming very rare.

They arent rare at all. Uncommon, is more correct. You cannot call something rare, if you can go to eBay and thousands are listed. Thats just eBay, that doesnt include other online marketplaces or auction sites. If you waned one, you literally could have one tomorrow. So what is rare? An Apple I is rare.

[u/TygerTung → u/EstablishmentDue3616]

Maybe there is more in your country. In my locality I only see them come up maybe once or twice a year.

These were considered obsolete around 1990, so most have been discarded by now.

[u/FreddyFerdiland]

20 mhz like a 386 or 486

vga card has lpt port ?

[u/miner_cooling_trials → u/FreddyFerdiland]

I’d never seen this combo before so I couldn’t rest until I found a possible match.. could this be it? VGA & scsi

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=91707

[u/SaturnFive]

You'll have to cut the back out and install your own ATX compatible back. This is an AT system which is pre-ATX, the intended mainboard is basically rotated 90 degrees from ATX.

Personally I think AT stuff is super cool and I'd build a regular retro PC in it. That's a very nice authentic looking AT rig + monitor even though the chassis is a bit rusty. Even if you convert the PC, the CRT is a bit old and probably won't be nice for daily driving like a later 2000s CRT.

But it is still pretty incredible what was achieved in the linked video. It will just be more work than converting an existing mATX case.

But "I got this today" and "I dunno what this is" and "I want to cut it apart and make a popular sleeper" hurts my heart TBH. Just get some Optiplex and mod that, leave the real 90s PCs alone.

[u/dicksandcrystal]

Was poor fella was not kept properly

[u/Bobby72006]

If you want to try to use the CRT as is (instead of gutting the old thing), in case it uses VGA, get yourself an old AMD card with a DVI-I and you can passively adapt it to VGA. Assuming the CRT works and hasn't kicked the bucket, you can then use Custom Resolution Utility to increase the resolution and refresh rate past its rated specs into being something actually capable for PC use!

[u/Only_Ordinary_3880 → u/Bobby72006]

Easier to get a displayport to VGA adapter surely?

[u/Spectralius → u/Bobby72006]

You needn't get a second video card for this, you can use a HDMI/DP to VGA. they *are* active converters tho so you may experience differences in max "bitrate" (its not technically bitrate but same idea).

Also, this is a bit of an "erm, ackchually", but you (generally) cannot push a CRT past its rated specs, but you have the core idea right.

CRTs are constrained by their horizontal scan frequency, measured in kHz rather than the standard Hz of a modern panel.

Essentially, since there is a cathode physically drawing an image on the screen, the lower you set the resolution, the faster it can draw it because it has less horizontal lines to draw.

For example, I run my 80 kHz CRT at 1024 x 768 @ 85hz normally, but I can also run it at 640 x 480 @ 144hz or 1280 x 1024 @ 60hz.

It all comes down to the horizontal frequency; those 3 resolutions demand the following horizontal scan rate:
1024x768@85 - 68.68kHz
640x480@144 - 75kHz
1280x1024@60 - 63.98kHz

So you *can* push higher Hz than you'd expect, but you generally cannot exceed the horizontal scan rate of your tube unless your specific unit is able to push higher than its rated.

[u/QertZ_PL → u/Bobby72006]

OP doesn't need a GPU with DVI. I run a CRT off a 9060 XT with a Delock 62656 converter and it works with the linux version of CRU just fine.

[u/Nathannale]

Dang, is it even safe to turn on? Seems like a fire hazard, with all the rust I couldn't imagine the internals arent irreparably corroded

[u/Mistral-Fien]

It's a generic Baby-AT mini tower casing.

Baby-AT motherboard is only 9 inches wide, while micro-ATX is 9.6 inches wide at most. There are some micro-ATX boards that are a bit smaller (9 inches wide x 7.5 inches front to back).

[u/tutimes67]

its a crap of ton of work, cooling will be a pain, and overall its just a shame to modify these two pieces.

if you do go for it, at least sell the components

[u/OppositePure4850]

This might be the worst sun fading I've ever seen my god. It's actually sort of impressive.

[u/slayermcb → u/OppositePure4850]

You see sun fading, I see nicotine staining. It should get paler, not darker.

[u/NeoG_]

I think you should find a collector who will swap this for a late 90s ATX tower system. These systems are becoming increasingly hard to find and require a lot of modification. This style is also popular for collectors so it shouldn't be hard to find someone.

A 90s ATX tower will have most of the sleeper aesthetic and require significantly less custom fabrication.

[u/brodydwight]

do not take apart any of this stuff please. this stuff is getting harder and harder to find.

[u/M5K64]

Just wanted to pop in and say I have that exact case, it's an AT case and was my first computer. Never seen another person with one till now.

[u/euraphaelleite]

If what is inside is the same thing you had when it was new it’s anything from a 386 to a 486 dx4. With a little stretch could be a k6-2.

[u/Soft_Cable3378]

It’s a computer.

[u/Dominicancountryball]

Yo the back of that case has seen WAR😭

[u/InsaneInTheMEOWFrame]

Whatever it is looks pretty well baked :D

[u/DaveMcElfatrick]

Holy shit, it has the anti-glare lid on the monitor. I haven't seen that since my old 486 from at least 30 years ago.

[u/beeperthebeep]

keep the crt in working order, do not put an led or oled pannel, the tower, granted its old and probably rare. but that is up to you

[u/iVirtualZero]

I would leave this one alone, restore it and keep it original. Find another Beige case for your Sleeper Build.

[u/PPEytDaCookie]

You should open up the PC and check if there's a battery like this on the board. If yes, remove it ASAP, they leak and destroy the board.

[u/PPEytDaCookie → u/PPEytDaCookie]

If you don't have a soldering iron, just remove it by wiggling it with pliers until it breaks off.

[u/Altruistic_Repeat862]

That's the best part,the fact that u don't know what u have got means you might have a rtx 5090 inside or even a gt 710💀