Am I nuts?

[edward78]

https://www.commodore-info.com/foto/brochure/brochure_commodore_c128_01_01.jpg

I have a idea, to get a old C128 case, empty it {even the keyboard if possible} & put a mini ITX, a duel GPU & small sized psu in it to have a portable upgradable PC/ Thought about making it tall as the C64 so a sfx would fit.

 

[toast0]

With today's crazy market, parts only c128s still go for a lot of money. Doesn't seem worth it to me, but it's a fun idea.

 

[Starfalcon]

There isnt a whole lot of room in those cases, your going to struggle to fit anything modern in there. The case was only really designed to fit a flat board with no heatsinks and the keyboard, the IO ports on a modern board are bigger than the case itself. Plus dealing with 30+ year old brittle plastic, you have a high chance to break it. Your also going to pay a lot of money for a C128 case as they are not very common, and it going to be hard to find one in good enough shape to mod that isnt destroyed already.

 

[defaultluser]

Just 3d print your own (all without the issues of 40-year-old plastic)

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-m...ronics/commodore-128-enclosure-3d-print-model

You are not going to get a discrete GPU inside that case.

This picture makes the motherboard look around 11 x9 (guesstimate based on 40-pin DIP = .6 x 2 inches), so you could just barely fit an ITX motherboard (might have to go ThinITX, to make it fit vertically)

https://ilesj.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/commodore-128-motherboard-high-resolution.jpg

Maybe this?

https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/A320TM-ITX/index.asp

You can do some research on the dimensions of that keyboard slot to find a keyboard that fits, .

Your options are: thin desktop like this, dissembled,

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-Touchpad/dp/B005DKZTMG

or a laptop keyboard with a usb adapter. Neither option is easy.

 

[Zeoclang]

What if you could somehow place a laptop inside of there? Would it be possible to make use of the C128 keyboard and have the video permanently output to an external monitor?

 

[defaultluser]

What if you could somehow place a laptop inside of there? Would it be possible to make use of the C128 keyboard and have the video permanently output to an external monitor?

Harder to do, as most laptops aren't single board. At the very-least, you will have trouble fitting the typical separate I/O islands into that case.

Itx board is self-contained., and thus easier

The laptop would make using a laptop proprietary keyboard easier, but then you also have to find BOTH a keyboard of the right size, and a laptop with a small-enough motherboard.