What are these unbranded Desktops from 2007?

[@mattelder1971]

14:30 Powering on as soon as you plug it in usually is an option in the BIOS. It's commonly labeled something like "Power on after power failure" or something like that.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks I appreciate that. I'll check it out. So annoying 😂

[@mattelder1971]

19:20 Right there at the top: After Power Failure : - That's the option you need to change. Seems like this system was just unplugged instead of being turned off before you got it (or that might be the default since the battery was bad). Change it to Off and it won't automatically turn on when you plug it in.

[@TheRetroRecall]

You rock, thank you!

[@mattelder1971]

@@TheRetroRecall You're welcome.

[@glenndavis341]

Yup, works a treat 🎉

[@CaffeineGeek]

So many systems looks similar because they are built by a handful of ODM/OEMs on behalf of anyone that wants to slap their logo on a box. Small cosmetic changes like a different plastic bezel, chassis color, custom logos, and branded BIOS screen can be had if there is enough volume. This goes for desktops, laptops, servers, phones, and tablets.

[@TheRetroRecall]

For sure. It would be cool to find out who the manufacturer was for these.

[@CaffeineGeek]

@@TheRetroRecall I am now very curious as well. A reverse image search shows many of these for sale on auction, social media, refurbisher, and online marketplaces. All of them have Conroe/Allendale/Kentsfield/Wolfdale Core 2 series CPU. Some have the Firewire port blanked off on more value builds. It feels like an OEM chassis from Inwin with a TFX type power supply. Any branding seems to come in the form of the the once ubiquitous 1" x 1"/3cm x 3cm square sticker. So far none have lead back to the OEM. I do have one possible hint that will require looking back almost two decades. I was part of a special program when I was given a full desktop for review. It was similar OEM system but included a sticker from the OEM. Can't remember if it was Quanta, Flextronics, Solectron, or other major OEM back in the day.

[@maxtornogood]

I do like that these are 64-bit systems that can do at least 8GB's of RAM. If you don't need a high powered gaming rig these would go nicely with something like Linux Mint for some web browsing & word processing. Shame that someone tried to toss these!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed Linux will suit these nicely!

[@RedMAGACult]

Love, Love you're channel! The best part is the Retro sign language!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Lol, the retro sign language?

[@VintKeys]

MDG were just rebadged DELL computers. They used to have commercials on TV regularly and are based in Canada.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes I remember them in Canada (as that is where I am). I will say, I've never seen a Dell built like this and as deep of a chassis as this one was.

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

​@@TheRetroRecall Do you think you really want a clone? NO WAY!!!

[@DuneRunnerEnterprises]

Oh!! I knew i recognised them blue hdd thingies!!

[@spike5552]

@@VintKeys yes, when i saw them, first thing in my head was Dell, but didn't see the logo.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha!

[@iiisaac1312]

I like the cases, they are nice for diy homelab servers for someone too cheap to buy a rack ($100 for a rack, and an extra $100 for each server chassis VS a $100 hardware store shelf you can put lots of desktops in). Unfortunately, the hardware has too high of an idle power draw to make a good server and are missing more modern instructions to run more advanced apps. Idle Power Draw is one of the most overlooked statistics of computers but it is super important because most PCs spend most of their lives at idle.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate the info!

[@CatalinaSkybird]

These look similar to a computer that my middle school had. The district bought them in bulk for all of the computer labs. They were branded "ByteSpeed". I'm guessing ByteSpeed just got a hold of some generic pc's and slapped their name on them.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes it seems that these PC's had multiple names slapped on them.

[@futurepastnow]

@@TheRetroRecall These were sold as barebones (case, PSU, mobo) kits by... probably several companies, there were many similar ones. Local computer shops would buy them, fit them out, and sell the resulting computers.

[@victorsylvanus7074]

@RetroRecall The first pc is actaully based on the Q35 chipset which was released around 2007 and 2008 respectively. As noted by the timestamp: 15:47 The second pc is also based on the Q35 chipset too stated in timestamp: 26:38. So this means that these two pcs aren't quite from 06. They were more likely produced around the year 2008 or 2009.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I was basing it on the clock defaulting it to 2006... Although the BIOS stated 2009. Thanks for the clarity, I'll check and revise.

[@victorsylvanus7074]

If it was from 2006, it would actually had an Intel Q965 chipset (Broadwater). And would likely ship with a Core 2 Duo E6300, 6400, 6600, 6700. Not that I'm complaining, the Q35 was actually the codenamed Bearlake. They were also made to run the famous 1333mhz, like the Core 2 Duo E6750 that you are running on these two pc's. They also support Wolfdale and Yorkdale (45nm) chips rather than Conroe or Allendale. So this concludes that the motherboard is actually a DQ35JO from 2007-2008 era (meaning the time when the chipset Q35 was shipped in OEMs). My Dell Optiplex 755 was also based on this chipset (Q35). They are famously known to be used in a lot of schools in the late 2000s-2010s. I was happy to own one still. The latest bios for these 2 pc's is from December 9, 2010 as stated on this website below. Latest BIOS: theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel-dq35jo-johannesburg#bios

[@oleurgast730]

Actually the design remembers me of the "Media Center II" PC Aldi sold here in Germany (under the Brand "Medion"). I had the Media Center (version 1) with a different design. They were made to integrate a PC into your AV-System. They were delivered with a card with TV/Radio reciver and could record Video and Audio. Practicly a mix between digital vcr and pc. If I remember correctly, the version 1 was delivered with Windows XP Media Center Edition .

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think (through the comments) that the manufacturer of this case made systems for different OEM's or at least provided them the cases to slap their oem badges on, so I'm not surprised to hear of different names.

[@WalterKnox]

Dell, HP, and IBM all used to have a riser card in their SFF machines which would allow you to use full height PCI/AGP or PCIE cards. I don't know why they quit doing that, but it certainly limited things.

[@TheRetroRecall]

You're right, and good point.

[@wettuga2762]

I have a few HP Small Form Factor desktops similar to those, and they also boot up as soon as the power is connected, but ONLY if the CMOS battery is depleted, otherwise it will not power up unless you specifically set it to in the BIOS. I used to hate these proprietary desktops, but if you have a few identical ones they become quite useful. I even found a page for my model in particular (D530 SFF) detailing all known hardware problems on the board/PSU and how to fix them, and I plan to try to fix some of the non-working ones, just to have them as backups.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes, however compared to the HP affs I have these are quite a bit deeper. Which is a nice feature as it gives you adequate room for extra 'stuff' and ventilation.

[@thememulous9561]

Reminds me of a cheap bunch of computers we had in the computer lab when I was in intermediate school. I think they were called AES or NEC or something like that, except they had a three digit abbreviation logo on them.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I'm thinking the manufacturer of this chassis was used for several OEM's at the time.

[@WalterKnox]

When I get an old used computer, I always test it and make sure everything is good before I do as much as wiping the dust off. If I am just going to pull it apart, there is no reason to clean it up and re-paste it. It isn't going to hurt it in the slightest running it with old paste for a few minutes, or at all really.

[@TheRetroRecall]

100%!!

[@Ferg13]

Love these no name pc’s. Mystery PC’s :) Watching now.

[@TheRetroRecall]

They are really nice looking and built like tanks.

[@Ferg13]

@@TheRetroRecall they look to be very solid. Nice additions to your collection. Too bad whoever had these didn’t leave the low profile cards in. Would have been interesting what they were. But overall. Decent computers. These will last for yrs. :)

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed!

[@khx73]

@@Ferg13 They were low profile 1gig LAN cards for use as a linux router/firewall for quite a few years until The Retro Recall got them. Before that, who knows.

[@kynan4177]

hi watching from Australia. these were used back in my primary school but they were branded "optima" and had optima branded LCD monitors that went with them. not sure if they were some kind of OEM or just a system builder.

[@TheRetroRecall]

It seems there were a few OEM's that slapped their name on this case design. I wonder who the manufacturer was.

[@ItzYaBoyJesse]

When CMOS battery is dead, most PC's are common to power on no matter what after plugging it on or turning on power supply.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I learned that through this process, appreciate it!

[@n3tw0rk_n3k0]

That feature of turning on right away after being connected is perfect for businesses

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes I suppose that is a good call out.

[@marksmith9566]

Recommend adding appropriate vintage Ubuntu usb stick to your tool kit. Lon TV uses this as a go to for Linux compatibility but would work well if Knoppix wont boot to desktop.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Good to know! Appreciate it:)

[@nalinux]

Since I'm lazy, I use SystemRescueCD booting from the network card :)

[@TheRetroRecall]

I'll have to check this out, never heard of it.

[@nalinux]

@@TheRetroRecall To boot from Lan, you need a Linux server, whatever the computer you use, with web or nfs and tftp server. Optionnaly a dhcp server, but my routeur run Dd-WRT so it helps. I just use an old laptop in a closet.

[@GGigabiteM]

Something to note about that generation of Intel Desktop Boards. Intel for whatever stupid reason used a thermal junction offset for the CPU temperature, rather than reporting the actual CPU temperature. I don't know if all Intel Desktop Boards did this, but quite a few did. How the offset worked is that the BIOS would report the difference between the current CPU temperature versus the maximum thermal junction temperature. The way to figure out what it is would be to unplug the CPU fan and watch the temperature. If the temperature starts going up, it's just normally reporting the temperature. If it starts going down, it's counting the difference to the thermal junction temperature.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I didn't know about this, I'll check it out, thank you!

[@PiercedJedi]

also those stickers that came with the intel boards were great, that was one thing I loved about them, now that all the computers have glass side panels they don't really do that anymore, but I would always apply those stickers to the inside of the cases of customer computers when building with intel boards

[@TheRetroRecall]

I love them. Always having the layout reference handy is quite helpful!

[@eveypea]

with a low profile graphics card and a flex power supply, these cases would make great mid-range sleeper gaming pcs

[@TheRetroRecall]

Sleeper indeed, very unassuming. Also great ventilation options as well.

[@DJWESG1]

Every other school, drs surgery, hospital and dentists had one of these machines at one stage.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes, I mean they are built quite well. The Tangent PC in particular was specifically called out for being made for the medical profession.

[@TorchwoodLeeds]

Wow sides and rear are identical to a brand called RM Education here in the UK.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think that the manufacturer made them for several companies it seems.

[@markwiehenstroer2831]

The hard drive/SSD/optical drive cage is very much like my HP SFF computer with the exception that it isn't necessary for me to remove the front bezel to lift it up to access the drives. I have another computer with an Intel Core2Duo chip and Windows10 that I upgraded to 16GB of memory and an SSD drive for the boot drive. It was the SSD drive that really made a difference by boosting performance.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Absolutely. An SSD would make a huge difference for sure.

[@BeefJerky4104]

Solid content. You just earned a subscriber.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Welcome in and thank you!!! Glad to have you here.

[@MrBrianms]

I'm guessing medical ultra-sound apparatus would need a discrete PC like this. Screen, controls and an ultra-sound wand to perform image capture. Interesting. Thanks.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I did the video on the Tangent PC which are aimed at the medical market - this system felt 99% identical. I'd have to dig out the Tangent and see how identical they are. Glad you enjoyed!

[@JamesPotts]

I would've assumed OEM by a "mom and pop" computer store. The local stores here back in the day sold a number of systems like this.

[@JamesPotts]

The local stores were official MS OEMs, so they sold the machines with the OEM sticker, etc.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes this being an MDG system, they would have built it and distributed it with other manufacturers making the hardware for them.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice

[@stargeezer8427]

InWin lists a nearly identical BL631 MATX case on Amazon.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I'll have to take a look, thank you!

[@HannoImmelman]

I have one thats branded Mecer. My one has an 3.6ghz single core pentium 4. The mesh at the CPU side is for blower type coolers with a shroud.The older designs had that type before intel had its stock cooler.

[@TheRetroRecall]

So we now have MDG, Tangent and Mecer using the exact case. I wonder who manufactured them for those companies?

[@HannoImmelman]

@@TheRetroRecall In South Africa a lot of government institutions had a bunch of these OEM computers. My father used to work in IT for South Africas power grid company Eskom in the early 2000's and they had these computers installed from offices to computers for monitoring key functions in power stations like Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town. My bet is they still have some of these computers running 24/7 because Eskom is a failing company and can't afford new upgrades.

[@aaldrich1982]

hey dude, hope you are doing alright. thanks for another great video

[@TheRetroRecall]

I am, I appreciate you asking! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed :)

[@aaldrich1982]

@@TheRetroRecall we're all just people who like old computers. We've all got our own struggles. Being nice to each other costs nothing and might make someone else's day a little better.

[@TheRetroRecall]

💜💜💜💜

[@Gaspode-uj8jt]

Good calls on the thermal paste and BIOS, first do no harm. In the second system the inlet fan was reporting 0 RPM, was it spinning? If not could the fact that it is on the left side which was against the desk be a factor? Almost all reviewers, including yourself, when doing the external examination look at five of the six sides of a system. If you don't look at the bottom how do we know that there isn't anything interesting there? Thanks for another fun video.

[@khx73]

That fan was unplugged because it was noisy. Not replaced because the additional airflow was not needed for the PCs use case.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahah good call, however 99.9% of the time on a desktop there is nothing. I will show the laptop bottom though - lots of goodies there!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you!

[@rangersmith4652]

Very cool machines now, but they were quite blah in their time. I'd be curious to know when these were taken out of service and what replaced them. If I had them, I'd put Linux Mint on one for a straight-up word processor, probably a DOS-based version of WordPerfect because, why not? I might set the other one up with a period graphics card for retro games on Windows 7. I miss Windows 7.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed and yes, Windows 7 was such a great OS.

[@inhotwater457]

Intel's website indicates that this board has support for Core2 Quad processors, based on the DQ35J0 model number. It would be interesting to put an SSD/8 GB of RAm, a new CPU, and a cheap AMD low profile graphics card and show how this could easily serve as a daily driver for the average person almost 15 years after it was made. it could even game to some degree. Maybe try the Q6600 tape mod on it up to 3 GHZ and upgrade the CPU cooler to compensate. There are also modded socket 771 Xeons that could work with the microcode injected into a modded BIOS. That would offer maximal performance gains. They cost about $10 or you can order a sticker to do the pin switch. You have to mod the CPU socket itself but it is easy with a razor blade. a GT 1030 would be a a good fit. Maybe drop in a 1650 Super low profile card just for fun. Love the video. Thanks.

[@TheRetroRecall]

You're welcome and thanks for the recommendation! I have a couple of Core2 Quad CPUs I could try.

[@lemagreengreen]

Very strange that they are quite so long, almost office PC looks but with their length doesn't seem likely, Dell/HP/everyone would sell you a cheap compact desktop form factor PC back then for office use. Two slot covers missing suggests it had a GPU at one point, I'm guessing scientific/budget workstation use given they seem a lot better built than the average office PC at the time (or now).

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed. They are built like tanks.

[@leea1862]

The case layout and fan placement reminds me of STONE pcs, I have 2 that have the same layout but different front plate

[@TheRetroRecall]

Another viewer identified the case... It's a Chenbro PC 710 :)

[@leea1862]

Interesting, so many companies use a similar case design. Never heard of that brand though in the uk

[@TheRetroRecall]

Neither have I, that's why I love this community!

[@The_Magic_of_Zelda]

Almost to 13K. 🙂In my experience, unbranded desktops usually have better quality, non proprietary components compared to branded PCs. Laptops and AIO machines on the other hand, branded is better. A company I used to work for had an unbranded laptop that ran Windows 7 and it was nothing but trouble from day one. I agree! These machines still have plenty of life left in them and can still handle the modern web with ease.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed and we just passed 13k!!

[@_WyreTheWolf]

Chenbro PC711 computer case Intel motherboard (sticker for the rear layout was in the manual) Built 100s of these systems. Chenbro has a ton of front panel options, used this one PC711 in my own shop years ago. They were more expensive than In-Winn at the time, but were worth it for the customers that wanted that IBM desktop experience without the high price tag. edit: spelling

[@TheRetroRecall]

You are 110% right!! Thank you!!! I knew this community would come through :)

[@ClassicBMWFanInQuebec]

Great video, I didn't know about this OEM. Question: where do you get your systems from? In Quebec if you were to go to a recycling place where people drop off stuff, you can't take the computers.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I have quite a few contacts now that intercept ewaste items prior to them going to the centers. Sometimes I get stuff from online marketplaces as well :)

[@peteregan9750]

I specifically bought a case like that for its compact design. quite usefull

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice case for sure.

[@stevencamp6824]

Always liked the flat cases

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think they are a nice design. Also, the added depth to these particular models make it that much more interesting.

[@John-pr2gw]

If you're not a gamer and don't use any CPU intensive programs, like video editing for example, it's surprising how useful older machines are.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Absolutely. I agree. Too many of these systems are thrown away when they still have lots of life left in them.

[@WuDMatthauser]

Nice cases, but with a massiv design flaw using this board. The IDE connector / IDE Ribbon cable right on front of the power supply intake, omg 😅

[@TheRetroRecall]

What?? Design flaw you say? What is wrong with a ribbon cable blocking the airflow to a PSU 😂😂

[@MaximumRD]

Those look quite nice for 2006 and cosmetically in great shape!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed. This whole donation from Karl was in immaculate condition. The video with the two Laptops I released last week were from him also!

[@ShieyV2komputroniks]

You could use These boards in standard matx , so a basic case could remove the low Profile issues

[@TheRetroRecall]

Good call out. However I think these cases make the systems quite unique, and I love a good challenge 😂

[@ShieyV2komputroniks]

@@TheRetroRecall firepro v3800 would Match the components

[@bradwicks5438]

Sadly, Win 11 24H2 requires the CPU micro code SSE4.2 and all core 2 CPUs only have SSE4.1 and there are no work around(s) or mitigations for this requirement . It bums me too because I have two Core 2 Quads and boards that after the end of next year (2025) will have no path to a supported OS. Also the first CPUs that had SSE4.2 instructions were first gen core I and AMD Bulldozer, both released in 2010.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yeah it's a shame really - MS forcing older hardware (that is more than capable of running it) out the door in favour of newer hardware. Creating piles of ewaste for no reason unless the user decides to stick with Windows 10 or a Linux distribution.

[@chrisrudi7162]

Very nice and really robust case. I don't know the brand personally, but that's probably because I live in Germany. These computers are also very easy to maintain. I'm already looking forward to the next video.

[@TheRetroRecall]

💜 Glad you enjoyed!

[@agw5425]

I to really do not like to trash/waste hardware that still work and I tend to try to collect the parts that make them all they can be, aka top cpu, ram and GPU. OF cause I do most of my pc shopping in the recycling bin so it may take a while to get them done. Do you know if older pc´s are actually wanted by any one, like 3rd world schools or similar perhaps just local ones? I like the rescue and restoration/upgrade but then what, I´d hate to just put them back in the recycling again but can´t store to many in my apartment. Who do you give/sell yours to?

[@TheRetroRecall]

I keep them for now.. You never know when it will turn into another video...

[@adriancoanda9227]

Uefi updates is apso for better power management and security i do them all the time and intel boards mostly enterprise have recovery uefi partition in the cmos drive

[@TheRetroRecall]

Interesting. I'd have to look into that further. I know intel boards are decent board in my experience.

[@hugosimoes5119]

26:42 Absolutely right. No one should update the BIOS unless there is CPU microcode update, etc... the things you said, or the laptop may stop working. I did perform many BIOS updates and I am well aware of the risks. Once I had here an ASUS A6Rp from a friend. The laptop was working "fine" but it was literally beaten. The screen plastics were kinda broken, with some alluminium tape at bottom left of the screen area. It was working fine, it booted to XP, it had 3 accounts, sluggish boot up. I started with a memtest86+ test, it passed but the cpu fan was always ramping up. The memtest86+ passed and I then checked the BIOS, typical AMIBIOS but kind old version. I downloaded the update, used the builtin flash utility from BIOS, it started updating with fan always full speed... when... the computer just froze... I waited few minutes... tried all keys.. I had to unplug the power from the back of the laptop.. and it never came back up. I teared it down the laptop... many different screw sizes, very tedious to disassemble... Close inspection... it was a very tiny black chip from the other side of the board where the 32 pin square CMOS chip was. The tiny chip gets very hot by just having the charger plugged in. I queried the laptop board online, I had at my disposal some similar boards from ASUS A6* but only GOD knows it would fit into the chassis with different connctors. With the plastics all beaten, I quickly put everything inside a cardboard box. So folks... listen to the man... don't update the BIOS of ancient laptops unless you want a door stop thing.

[@TheRetroRecall]

100%!! Thanks for sharing your experiences as well

[@DuneRunnerEnterprises]

"Really great ventilation" he said. While settling it on the side with the fan.😊

[@TheRetroRecall]

Oh stop 😂 it was for viewing angle temporarily lol!

[@zhongj]

Do you know if there are online platforms that collect and sell e-waste PC refurbished them for the public?

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes - Free Geek is an organization that does so.

[@BRBTechTalk]

3:37 The DVD RW drive was far from standard, that is a pretty high end option regular CD burner/RW would be standard but the DVD burner was quite a bit more money.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Being MDG systems, these would have been ordered online. I assume you are implying that they were upgraded afterwards?

[@Trylen]

with this form factor, the cases are good for home theater systems. mATX build with an r5-5600G or close to for modern HTPC

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed

[@DarKnightKilla13]

Jokes aside, those seem like really good reliable server computers if you ever needed. I say this as somebody who has a server running 24/7 for games here at home. You don't need a lot to do right with it.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed, a couple of upgrades and you're all set.

[@zenithowo]

but power consumption of this system is pretty high , like 50~ watts at idle is very bad

[@khx73]

Which is exactly what one was for years.. linux router/firewall/game server with low profile LAN cards. The other too for a while.

[@CecilTheDarkKnight234]

Honestly these would make for fine Linux or Windows 10 Business machines, all of the caps look good and the specs aren't bad at all. They still low-profile GPU and Wi-Fi cards as well so they could be decent kid's gaming computer as well for lower end e-sports games and Minecraft. This said I hope you're doing well and things are continuing to go well for ya.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed and yes, I'm busy with real life and work but these videos and of course viewers like you make all the difference.

[@SinaFarhat]

Nice! Give either system maximum amount of memory, graphics card, and an ssd and you could probably use it for something via a Linux distribution.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes, that seems to be the comment consensus :)

[@laurencejohnson4106]

The build quality looks good.

[@TheRetroRecall]

100%. Built quite well.

[@laurencejohnson4106]

@@TheRetroRecall After an overhaul and upgrades they would make decent Linux computers.

[@TheRetroRecall]

That seems to be what a lot of people are saying. I may make one of these my next Linux video!

[@juliancurtis4071]

@@TheRetroRecall Mint on a SSD with 8Gb of ram will run well on one of these cool little desktops, I really like the look of these. With the ventilation options there is so much potential here, great video as always fella ;)

[@TheRetroRecall]

I agree and thank you!! Glad you enjoyed!

[@mraaron1584]

MDG still going they just don't seem to pump money into ads to be everywhere. looks like u can finance everything from computers/laptops gaming conses to appliances and Furniture. of course the amount the item ends up costing by the time u pay it off ends up costing 2 or 3 times what it would have costed to just buy the item out right from a normal retailer. like for example a 17 inch msi laptop at mdg would be like 3 grand paid at $122 a month. same laptop is sold at staples canada for 1300.

[@TheRetroRecall]

But is just 1.00/day!!! 😂

[@bramvandenbroeck5060]

These look like "jailcomputers", there is a OEM called Priminfo where i live, they don't always put their brand on these computers, sometimes they do, but they also used this exact case, a prisoner could "rent" a pc for courses that they follow where a pc is required, my grandpa was a guard. He hauled many of those computers, i have one of those OEM cases (without the guts) they use, and i actually like this case!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Interesting! Another viewer was able to identify the manufacturer of this case. It is a Chenbro PC 710!

[@bramvandenbroeck5060]

@@TheRetroRecall Awesome to know. Nice video man

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@MIJ-Tech]

SSD caddies... lol. I think these systems are a bit early to call them that. To be fair, I have, and probably would put an SSD in that era of system. I'm actually disappointed that many later OEM systems I've encountered from the 2010s didn't make more provision for 2.5" drives, yet this one does. As far as what to do with these? It would fascinate me to see these with the OS printed on their respective COAs. I'm glad you were able to identify the manufacturer.

[@TheRetroRecall]

It was a pleasant surprise to see they were MDG. It's been years since I've seen anything from them.

[@PiercedJedi]

these are great cases, I love the drive tray toolless design, and the system isn't bad having 8GB on a core-2??? NICE!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes agreed!! Still very usable.

[@horusfalcon]

These units would run a nice Linux distro like PCLinuxOS or Mint quite easily. Consider an AMD graphics card for such use (compatibility and support are better).

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed - it's tough finding the low profile cards unfortunately.

[@JeremyLeePotocki]

These are Whitebox Cases this one could have been made by Apex, Apevia, or InWin (I'm pointing more to InWin on these). They leave it blank for other small system builders/shops to slap their logo on it. InWin is currently the only one building/selling this type of cases (InWin BL040 & BL631 to be exact) they even comes with a 300W TFX PSU (though I'd rather use a different TFX PSU*). While not common the PSU is not proprietary they're just not a lot of companies that make them anymore. *I also would not rely on that PSU model used in the case cause they are prone to catastrophic failure, you can get a replacement from Silverstone, or Seasonic that is way more reliable.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you!!

[@ruthlessadmin]

Sorry if it was mentioned & I missed it, but they strongly remind me of the low-profile Dell Optiplex models from the same era. I think these are actually more attractive.

[@TheRetroRecall]

To be honest I think these are different then their Dell counterparts. These systems are quite deep in comparison.

[@ruthlessadmin]

@@TheRetroRecall Oh, I'm just talking strictly appearance -- these machines are more sleek. I would be inclined to turn one into a modern "sleeper" rig, with some way over-spec'ed hardware lol

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed! I think that would be pretty cool, with literally brand new hardware!

[@simonlathwell]

Those two systems with dual core CPU's I would upgrade to a faster dual core CPU, and the one with 4GB RAM I would upgrade to 8GB. I would install an SSD in both. They would make great little Linux systems. You could even make a media server or NAS system from them. Another great video.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoyed. Your recommendations seem to be the way to go with these systems.. Or at least one of them. Maybe a Vista video?

[@simonlathwell]

@@TheRetroRecall A Vista install video would be a great idea as I don't see many people doing Vista installs on KZbin as it's not seen as a retro OS yet. Be great to see what the gaming performance of those systems are with the dual core CPU's.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed!

[@omarguerrero6417]

I would've done the same thing i did to them like my mini pc use them for streaming content like music or movies

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice!

[@g1rld1nn3r]

we had these at my school with Ergo badges slapped on them

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice!!!

[@2xtreem4u]

I fixed my vinyl player (glue and some perkele)

[@TheRetroRecall]

That's awesome!!!

[@2xtreem4u]

@@TheRetroRecall soon i can fix my receiver with the dying sound channel :)

[@TheRetroRecall]

Keep me updated, I love hearing when you get this stuff working again :)

[@2xtreem4u]

@@TheRetroRecall i'll do that 👍

[@John-jl3ky]

Since we all have so many computers, I would restore it and upgrade it a little bit, Install some programs and some games and give them away to a couple low income families that needs them.If you can find them, maybe through a church. There's a lot of people that can't afford them especially these days. I could be wrong. Maybe people don't need computers these days like they used to or maybe they do I don't know.

[@TheRetroRecall]

For sure. In this case these systems will stay with the channel for now for additional future content. It's a great idea and something I will look into in the future. It really is a shame though how many of these computers end up in land fills or torn apart when they have quite a bit of life left in them - whether it be used for today's internet or retro gaming.

[@Lord_Ralph]

Those cases are nice! Though I think I'll stick to my 4000D Airflow 🤣

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha!

[@Trylen]

MDG in early 2000s "do you really want a clone?" I hated those commercials...

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahah I can hear the jingle now!

[@erie910]

Dell keyboard, HP monitor, and MDG computer. True IT deversity, equity, & inclusion.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha you caught that eh?? 😂😂😂. I aim to never discriminate against any IT hardware! :)

[@spike5552]

Hello again 😊❤

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hello!!!!

[@cageliner]

I haven't heard of MDG in decades. Tool-less cases are the bomb. My 2013 Lenovo M92 3227 (XP Pro x64) can be worked on without tools. Our family's first PC was a gift of a used NEC 386 in an all plastic case (possibly with a metal support for the motherboard.) Every component could be replaced without a Phillips screwdriver. If you have a fully functional 🖱🖥💽 it needs an OS. It's only purpose is to exist and maybe play era appropriate games 🙂

[@TheRetroRecall]

Until this video I hadn't heard of MDG in years.

[@VilkuKarotajs]

Вітання з України! Підписаний з тих пір, як подивився відео про Compaq Armada 1700.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hello from Canada!!! Happy to have you part of the channel!!!

[@zeddik99]

23:14 Unless I missed something, that looks like a Flex ATX power supply. It probably isn't anything proprietary.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think I meant in terms of space. You couldn't just throw a regular atx power supply in there unfortunately. Which makes it much more difficult to locate.

[@zeddik99]

@@TheRetroRecall Correct, I used to work on tons of PCs with InWin desktop cases, they all looked very similar to the cases you had here, and they had that same FlexATX power supply in them

[@oldradioguy65]

Nice computers, but I never heard of MDG

[@TheRetroRecall]

They were around a lot in the 90s and 2000s.

[@johnpaulbacon8320]

Nice video. :)

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed.

[@VictorNelvanaShows]

Decent 2007/2008 computers.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed!

[@aagc1988]

your voice is identical to LGR are you LGR but like a 2 channel?

[@TheRetroRecall]

It is far from identical, but thanks for the compliment :)

[@aagc1988]

@@TheRetroRecall it is you, you just wanna have fun on a secondary channel without showing yourself

[@TheRetroRecall]

Imagine :) again, thanks for the complement. LGR was one of my inspirations for this channel.

[@aagc1988]

@@TheRetroRecall you sound like clint. your hands look like his. what are you his twin brother?

[@TheRetroRecall]

I am not Clint. Thanks for watching!

[@christiangomez2496]

The PSU deson't seem bespoke. It looks more like either TFX, SFX, or even FlexATX shaped.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think I meant that it is much more difficult to find, need to locate the exact form factor instead of getting one that is standard atx.

[@christiangomez2496]

@@TheRetroRecall Decent point. ATX is much more commin than the form factors I mentioned.

[@waize]

i hope flat desktop cases come back.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I agree, it would be awesome.

[@GamerisawesomeYTonPSN]

They look like ibm or hp idk

[@TheRetroRecall]

They are definitely different. The depth of the cases definitely set them aside from anything I've seen with ibm or HP.

[@StirlingBanfield]

"we're canadas computer, genuine value genuine MDG"

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha, oh the memories!

[@bobamu]

Just watching this thinking of how I'd upgrade them, lol.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahaha - upgrading always seems to be on our minds with these older systems.

[@Ilovetheps4pro]

My #1 youtuber ♥ 💖 request:can you restore the dell optiplex gx 1 from big computer hall? But if you complet my request:I will like all of your videos ❤

[@TheRetroRecall]

Awee thanks!!! I appreciate that and your support of this channel 💜. I will go back and look and add it to my long list of projects :)

[@Ilovetheps4pro]

and 2 months i gonna get a dell optiplex gx 110 it is like the dell optiplex gx 1 but in 1999

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice. I always like this era of Dell's. Yes they had their issues, but so did many others.

[@JamesSmith-sw3nk]

Throw in a quad core cpu and a gtx 750ti and you'll have a little cheap budget media/classic games pc.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Now to find a low profile 750!

[@axelraver]

8:39 this guy is screaming IBM 😅

[@TheRetroRecall]

?

[@STAR-fn1pi]

in my country they will sell them for money not donate them

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes that happens here as well.

[@STAR-fn1pi]

@@TheRetroRecall can it handle the q9300/9650 and run pcsx2 ?

[@TheRetroRecall]

I am not 100% sure. I need to dig into the spec sheet of the intel board. Although intel based systems in my experience helps the cause.

[@STAR-fn1pi]

@@TheRetroRecall the psu is a bottleneck

[@TheRetroRecall]

Probably.

[@nps5886]

Generic hp?

[@TheRetroRecall]

It's possible HP may have used this case design. If you notice the chassis is quite deep, which I do not recall seeing on HP systems.

[@linuxforpunks]

thin client terminals from a PC recycler - it's a particular type of crapness

[@TheRetroRecall]

You think these are thin clients?

[@MotownBatman]

They look like Super Nice BATOCERA Systems to Me...

[@TheRetroRecall]

I've never heard of that brand. I'll have to check it out.

[@MotownBatman]

@@TheRetroRecall Oh it's is a VERY well done Linux Retro-Gaming Distro that is very simple to setup. I turn a Ton of eWaste into Retro Boxes after a Full PC Detail & buy 2 Cheap-O Controllers. My lil ladies & I "Donate" them to Families in the Area we find that dont have much.

[@MotownBatman]

@@TheRetroRecall Smaller Boxes like this are nice so they feel more like a Gaming Console, the Girls & I also Tag them with SprayPaint & Retro Stencils we make

[@TheRetroRecall]

I love this - I thought it was a brand, didn't realize it is an OS. Nice work doing what you do!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahaha that would be cool. Neat designs I bet!

[@ytguy2010]

I remember MDG from way back when they used to sell stuff on The Shopping Channel on TV. This was back in the Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 days. I also thought they went out of business. The motherboard is Intel DQ35JO. It can take up to Core 2 Duo E8600 or Core 2 Quad Q9650.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Ok, so I'm not completely nuts - I seriously thought they closed down.. But was shocked they were still active! Thanks for the info on the board!

[@abunk8691]

Those horizontal Desktop style cases have always intrigued me for years now as I just typically see tower style PC cases. I think the only Desktop style PCs that I got to use were HP ones back in school that ran 4th gen i5's. The Desktop style cases feel like a mix of being easy to work in like that flip up front bays, but also a pain with proprietary parts like the PSU (though what you shown could be TFX?) and limited cooling (unless high RPM fan noise is fine haha). Half height low profile PCIe cards can be a challenge for GPUs though. I've seen photos of people doing sort of hotrod mods on their Desktop PCs to add full height GPUs by either cutting up the side of the case or the GPU sits precariously mounted outside the case haha. Nice to see the Intel motherboard there uses standardized connectors and heatsinks that helps in servicability and reusing parts.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Absolutely. It's the challenge of the low profile cards that will be the issue.