Go Back to the '90s With Origin's Limited Edition RestoMod PC

By Aaron Klotz
published

Modern hardware with retro styling

Origin RestoMod PC
(Image credit: Origin PC)

If ugly beige PCs were your thing two decades ago, you might like the new Origin RestoMod PC (opens in new tab). Focused on bringing nostalgia, it features a modified version of the Corsair 4000D PC case that pairs '90s styling with the power of today's best hardware. If you want one, be sure to order soon. Origin PC is only making 50 of these recently announced (opens in new tab)systems and you might want to see if there are any Origin promo codes available. 

In our Corsair 4000D review, we praised the PC case for its clean aesthetics and excellent cooling performance. Origin has modified 50 of Corsair's 4000D cases to have the same beige color that was so popular on PCs, monitors and peripherals back in the 1990s and mid-2000s. In the front, the case is decked out with stickers of old CD drives, floppy bays,and turbo buttons, harkening back to the time when these devices were popular.

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Origin RestoMod PC
(Image credit: Origin PC)

However, on the inside, the RestoMod PC is as modern as it gets. You get your choice of a modern processor, including some of today's best CPUs, starting from the Intel Core i5-10400, all the way up to the Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. If you need more CPU cores, you can also spec out your RestoMod PC with one of AMD's Ryzen Threadripper chips or Intel's HEDT processors, like the i9-10980XE. 

For graphics, you can choose as low as a GTX 1660 Ti or as high as an RTX 3090, plus AMD's Radeon RX 6800 or 6800 XT. Only this time, you won't have to deal with graphics card shortages.

The Retromod can be specced out to include a bunch of other features as well, including your select choice on multiple SSD options for storage, several options for RGB lighting and fans and additional add-in cards, like sound cards. (The only exception to this seems to be the custom loop shown in the images, which cannot be ordered.) Overall, it's a great looking system if you're a lover of retro-style tech.

Aaron Klotz
Aaron Klotz
Freelance News Writer

Aaron Klotz is a freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US, covering news topics related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • thepersonwithaface45
    too much money for a case that you could DIY with some gray tone spray paint and a sticker :l
    Reply
  • zahoome
    Cute sticker, but pretty weak attempt. I'd have expected a molded front at least, even if non-functional.
    Reply
  • hotaru.hino
    That clear side panel and RGB makes it very hard for me to go back. If they wanted us to go back, they'd throw it in a generic looking beige box.

    And add a turbo button for good measure.
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    hotaru.hino said:
    That clear side panel and RGB makes it very hard for me to go back. If they wanted us to go back, they'd throw it in a generic looking beige box.

    And add a turbo button for good measure.
    The turbo button was the first thing I checked for. They do have it -- on the lower left of the front! The lower right button appears to be a reset button. Ah, nostalgia. Now I want to play old school Tie Fighter again.

    I think the internals would look acceptable if they were blacked out. The RGB makes the inside look like any other modern PC build and distracts from the retro front.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    They could have put a real disc drive or 2 in this thing. Beige Blu-ray drives are a thing that still exist... but instead the case is just as empty and pointless as every other modern mid-tower. No SD-reader, no open bays, no expansion space, no nothing - except for the odd USB on top.
    People nostalgic for the old-school aesthetic don't want RGB and side windows. They basically want the PC version of those mini-NES systems - maybe with modern hardware, maybe retro - that depends on the user. People nostalgic for the thick steel and workhorse functionality of old cases want, well, functionality. They want a case built like an old one but maybe with a few quality of life improvements.

    What we have here instead is a cliche and immature HARDC0R3 GAMERZ0RZ PC in 2020's most average generic case... but with a lazy sticker on it. That makes me sad.
    Almost as sad as realizing that 1337 H4X0rZ are probably going to be the target of Origin's next major innovation in lazy sticker technology.
    Reply
  • Olle P
    Retro?
    Here's what my current computer looks like:

    No 5,25" floppy drive though...
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    That is a tacky case. And not just because of the retro front panel styling, but because the retro front panel styling amounts to nothing more than a flat decal. Even those front vents appear to be decals.
    Reply
  • Tom Sunday
    They could have done much better. Smarter. In my view Origin all-around tackled a loosing proposition. Meanwhile I am still sticking with my old (60-pound gorilla) 'Dell Set-Up' also a big-box boutique build. Will be hard for me to give it up to the "upgrading pressures" once that time rolls around. Certainly for its gilded age my Dell XPS 730x is a much more unique system than the proffered RestoMod.
    Reply