Builder squeezes a complete Windows XP PC into an actual Windows XP box
The "Windows XP Box" (2003)
A modder fits a Mini-ITX motherboard, internal CD drive, hard drive, and power supply into a 243×200×48mm cardboard Windows XP box. Using Wonderboard plastic, he creates a custom inner case with zero tolerance, adds ducted cooling, and meets every requirement—even ensuring it doesn't burst into flames.
The challenge was to arrange the components into a 3D jigsaw, then decide how to build enough of an internal support case to get everything to stay in place.
- naggie
Wow I remember this being covered in Custom PC, a magazine in the UK.
I emailed the author to get the modified bootloader source code that he mentions at the end to allow the dual boot between XP and red-hat via a hardware switch. It was magic to me at the time as a 13 year old! I probably still have the code somewhere.
There was something special about Mini-ITX machines at the time, nothing was that small.
- projektfu
This was my favorite build from that site: https://www.mini-itx.com/projects/psu-pc/
- dspillett
I remember being very impressed by the combined daftness and ingenuity in this and similar builds, to the point that I'm disappointed by the 3D printing community for its lack of imagination in computer cases: there are a great many options for mini-ITX boards, RPi's and their ilk, but for the most part that are just cases, or mini-racks, or open test rigs, with little or none of the imagination that brought us things like this and the infamous PHKL (https://web.archive.org/web/20011212120420/http://www.exonom...).
- 101008
Sounds like a fun project and very cool for the nostalgic people (like me).
A bit off topic, but I also loved the fact that the website remains like an antique website from that era (I know the article is from 2003 but the design is clearly not "modern"). I am going to say something probably stupid, but I feel there is a correlation between old/vintage design = good content.
- Terr_
The final embellishment of making it automatically "dual boot" between XP and Red Hat Linux is a very nice touch.