Important update on the 6th of May 2012: The author of the X500 PLUS case and creator of the video in this post was asked by Commodore USA to remove everything related to the Amiga trademark from the video. This has, as you might have guessed, caused quite a lot of stir in the community. You can read all about it on Amigaworld.net and Amiga.org. Due to the circumstances, I’ve removed the original video and replaced with an edited version from TheDaddy.

Hi guys,

Today I’ve got some good news for you. Loriano Pagni, also known as TheDaddy on various Amiga forums, has finished an Amiga 500 replica case called the X500 PLUS.

The X500 PLUS can house mini-ITX and flex-ATX motherboards, which means that you can use it for AmigaOS 4 compatible hardware (the SAM440EP for example). The case will also be great for AROS systems and possibly the upcoming Natami.

I’ve embedded a video demonstrating the case below. Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

I think it looks awesome to say the least. 🙂

Without further ado, here’s the full announcement from Mr. Pagni: (taken from Amigaworld.net)

Hi everyone,

First I’d like to say thanks to all the people who have expressed interest, followed and supported my projects during the years.

You know who you are…

Secondly I’d like to point out a couple of things:

1) This has been created during the last 7 years (on and off, every time I saved some money I’d work on it), I made lots of different prototypes but wasn’t happy with any of them

2) It’s a one-man project (self imposed masochistic challenge), I designed the thing, I raised the money, I used my time, nobody else was harmed apart from a few patient people (sorry to have bothered you so much with all my questions and requests)

3) I bash things together in a garage, there is no fancy design studio in sunny California actually quite the opposite! All the photos were taken at home with a mobile phone (sorry about the quality) and sometimes I dragged the table outside as light is not very good at the moment (where has the sun gone?!)

4) The original all aluminium X500 PLUS became too expensive to make, the keyboard started becoming difficult to source and a minimum of 1000 pieces were needed…so I scrapped the project and with it the time and cash spent. But the aluminium core is still there.

5) The X500 PLUS has grown lots through the years, from a one off personal A500 replacement case to a full blown project with the following targets:

To support powerful x86 boards (mini-itx and flex-atx boards). Why? Because you can then build and customise your own retro but powerful and modern wedge shaped machine. You might want to run AROS, Windows, Linux, WinUAE, build your Natami machine (I think the Natami in the black version of the X500 PLUS would look excellent, the logo really suits it) etc…etc…

To support the SAM boards by ACube running OS4. Why? Because it makes sense.

There are some limitations of course; being only 58mm high you’ll need to use processors heatsinks that fit (my Intel i3 came with the right low profile heatsink for example).

There is no need to do anything with the SAMs obviously, maybe just file the I/O panel a bit.

Don’t go too mad, as you’ll be using a picoPSU (of your choice and they come in 80, 90, 120, 150 and 160W) so power is at a premium and also you need to consider heat generated.

Right now the X500 PLUS shown in the video has an Intel i3 cpu running at 2.5GHz on a gigabyte motherboard with 8GB DDR3 RAM (16GB supported), onboard Intel HD 2000/3000 graphic chip, USB3.0, HDMI ports, VGA and a x16 PCI-Express slot, here I have connected an ATI Radeon HD 6570 2GB graphics card. This is one of the most powerful low profile cards you can get and it does get hot but it runs games such as Mass Effect 3 really well. My set up also has a 150W picoPSU with external 150W brick. See video.

To offer a full size, easy to find, standard keyboard. I have bought and tested several keyboards (I have no idea what I am going to do with them all) and this felt right and ideal for this type of design.

It’s quite a good one, chiclet keyboard and it comes in white or black, hence the case will be white or black. It is an Emprex 6310U keyboard and I can only find them with the U.K. layout so if you want you can buy the case without the keyboard and get your localised version yourself.
The adhesives for the Amiga keys “A” are available from Acube, amigakit and others. They should fit nicely over the rounded Windows logos.

To offer hacking/customising/modding potential.

To offer one low profile expansion slot. Length and thickness (no dual slot) limit of the card applies, the ATI HD 6570 2GB above is 170mm long for example and it fits nicely.

To have enough space inside for a slim DVD-RW (in the video you can see a black version and a white version), a 3.5” multi card reader (in the video you can see white, grey and black ones, here you could put a floppy disk drive but it’s for the brave), two to three 2.5” Hard Disk or Solid State Drives (I recommend the SSDs as they have no moving parts, they are faster, silent and don’t generate heat).

Being able to replace the LEDs if you want to, I know it might sound silly but I always wanted to replace the colour of my LEDs on cases with dodgy colour combination (Red and Blue for example). I like Blue and Orange. I made a custom LED window to accept 3mm tailed LEDs.

The power switch is a bog standard Reset switch, available anywhere; it’s positioned underneath the right side of the keyboard and can be easily replaced if it becomes faulty for example.

Left to do: not much, I want to improve the airflow a bit, I might add more vent slots, back, rear, top and base and see if I can include a Fractal Design silent 40mm fan, like the one in the video. The Scythe silent 40mm (I have tested both) is also a good one.

Maybe reduce the size of the LEDs and also spray the aluminium base in black and in white to compare it to the “natural” aluminium one). I am thinking all black for the black version. I have no idea how to change the colour in Photoshop from white to black so if anyone wants to have a go let me know.

If there is anything you want me to adjust, now it is the time to tell me… but I can only change small things.

A minimum of 50 orders is necessary to go ahead, the case is made of lots of parts so I will be assembling them one by one…so please be patient.

You will have to use your best pc building skills to make it nice and tidy inside, routing cables the proper way and allow good airflow, I’ll see if I can provide cable ties.

If successful expect more projects coming your way…together with one collaboration with Acube. But that was supposed to be a secret…

Crank the volume right up and select HD…

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieDfpMM8faQ&feature=channel&list=UL

I’ll update my page when I get a bit of rest…I am exhausted!

Usual email: amigarulez@hotmail.com

Have fun and thanks again.

PS: I have no idea on how to embed a photo of it, any kind soul?

Congratulations to Loriano Pagni! Hope you’ll get a lot of pre-orders for the case.

Any of you guys interested? I want one.