Michael Crider
If you’re feeling nostalgic for the days when a new PC game came from an actual store on a stack of floppy disks, boutique manufacturer Origin has the machine for you. Its new “Resto-Mod” design recreates the crowded front fascia of an old beige box PC, complete with (completely ornamental) CD, 5.25, and 3.25-inch drives. It even has a “Turbo” button.
The case itself is the Corsair 4000D, a fairly typical ATX box with that front design printed directly onto a steel panel. Inside is a modern PC, customized with all the usual parts on offer from Origin’s builders, including the latest Intel or AMD processors, AMD or NVIDIA graphics cards, elaborate fans and coolers, overly indulgent RAM and storage options—the works. And despite the old-school looks up front and the beige PC case color, the side is tempered glass, allowing onlookers to see the innards if they’re in any doubt of its actual power.
Origin says it’s only building 50 of these custom Resto-Mod machines, then the design is gone forever. (Maybe. I have a feeling if there’s enough positive feedback, something similar might return.) You can configure the computer to your heart’s content at the company’s online store: the cheapest Core i5 model starts at “just” $2072, with the most ridiculous, maxed-out hardware build coming in at almost nine grand.
