Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid test – an ATX office case between retro and modern

Some people may have reached the point of “Just give me a normal computer case. It has to work, take my parts and shouldn’t be too expensive”. And some people may simply need space for 5.25″ or even 3.5″ drives. No matter whether optical drives, removable hard disks, card readers or whatever. Of course, under certain circumstances you could simply fall back on an old housing. But there are definitely features that could be missed here, such as USB-C or even USB3. And this balancing act between classic cases, which nowadays seem almost retro, and modern features is what Inter-Tech dares to do with the IT-8862 Plaid, which I am testing here.

Specifications

Size (W x D x H)	185 x 450 x 419mm
Capacity	35 L
weight	4.06 kg
Maximum cooler height	160 mm
Maximum length of graphics card	390 mm
Front fan slots	1x 120 / 90 / 80 mm (not included)
Rear fan slots	1x 120 / 90 / 80 mm (not included)
External slots	3x 5.25″ / 1x 3.5″
Internal slots	4x 3.5″ / 1x 2.5″ / 1x 3.5″ or 2.5″
Front panel	USB 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, headphones, microphone, SD card reader
Warranty period	2 years
Price	€ 48.77 *

Packaging and scope of delivery

• Simple, brown cardboard box
• Case is protected by a plastic bag and held in place by two polystyrene switches
• Accessories inside the case
• Screws are unsorted

My first thought was “hui, the package is light”. The complete housing, including the supplied accessories and packaging material, weighs less than 5 kg.

Otherwise, the packaging is unsurprisingly kept as cheap as possible – understandable in this price range. The case is wrapped in plastic foil and held in place by two polystyrene trays. These are quite hard and can break when you take them out, which is why I usually prefer softer foam. There are also two handles in the box for transportation, but I think this is less relevant in this weight class. However, these made unpacking a little more difficult, as the polystyrene trays got stuck on them and I had to pull the flaps outwards first.

As far as the accessories are concerned, everything else can be found in a plastic bag inside the case and the keys for the lock on the side of the case are held in place by the power switch cable of the lock electrics.

The screws are unsorted in a disposable plastic bag, which sits in a sealable plastic bag, which in turn is placed together with the cable ties in an even larger sealable plastic bag. The screws are also visually similar in that you have to sort them out using the thread. A few knurled screws and additional spacers for the mainboard are also included.

Design

• Unobtrusive design in classic style
• Suitable for sleeper systems
• Windowless design allows the use of “unsuitable” components without any problems
• Especially designed for office environments

The design of the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid almost looks like a glimpse into the past among the many modern cases that have been seen in recent years. In terms of design, it would also feel at home in 2006. Otherwise, similar designs have been seen in many later typical office computers. In other words, the Inter-Tech IT-8862 PLAID is a case that doesn’t want to stand out. Ultimately, you look at the screen when using a computer anyway. And if you’d rather have the computer under the desk than on top of it for space reasons, then you don’t usually need a designer case.

The design is also suitable for “sleeper” projects, i.e. ultra-modern systems that don’t look like it at first glance, but rather look old.

The closed design without windows means that there is no pressure to make the interior particularly attractive. For example, it doesn’t matter if you don’t choose a full ATX format for the mainboard. In particular, mATX mainboards, for example, are often cheaper and are often not quite as well equipped, but still offer the same performance as more expensive ATX mainboards with the same chipset.

But the case feels particularly at home in an office environment, where it’s not the design that counts, but the function.

Build quality

• Unspectacular workmanship – but without any real flaws
• Slot cover with screws and not just for breaking out
• Covers have to be broken out of the 5.25″ and 3.5″ drives
• Very cheap-looking keys for the power switch lock

When testing the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid, I came across both positive and negative points. Whereby the positive points definitely outweigh the negative ones in view of the price range. The material thicknesses are appropriate and sufficient, but not impressive. The front is made of plastic and the metal casing shows that it can be combined with different fronts. The IT-8862 Plaid has a 3.5″ slot, but the internal metal front is prepared for two bays. The interior looks a little rough around the edges in places, but I didn’t cut myself in the test, although I scanned some edges specifically.

However, I liked the fact that knurled screws were used for the doors. And also that the expansion slot covers are screwed on, so they’re not the kind you have to break out. What you have to break out are the inner metal covers of the 5.25″ and 3.5″ slots. The plastic counterparts in the front are firmly in place and offer some resistance – they will not fall out unintentionally.

I was a little irritated that the keys are so small and made of plastic. They don’t make a particularly solid impression.

Overall, the build quality of the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid is quite good – especially considering the price. There were no points that would cause me any concern.

Component compatibility

• Air coolers up to a height of 160 mm possible
• Water cooling only possible with 120 mm radiators and therefore not practical
• Even fairly long graphics cards can be installed
• Standard ATX components possible (mainboard / power supply unit)

Due to the limited fan slots, the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid is more likely to use an air cooler than water cooling. With radiators, you are limited to models with a maximum of 120 mm, which offer no significant advantages over tower coolers in terms of performance, but come with corresponding disadvantages, such as the higher susceptibility of the pump or the liquid itself. In contrast, air coolers with an installation height of up to 160 mm can be installed. This means that the vast majority of 120 mm radiators should be usable without any problems. However, 140 mm coolers should be avoided; only a few with a particularly low design will fit. And even here, you will be close to the limit if you don’t use a top-flow cooler.

In the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid test, I used a DeepCool AK-620, which fully utilizes the specified maximum cooler height of 160 mm. This actually worked, even if the further work in the case became more strenuous due to the rather bulky cooler.

When using long graphics cards, you can remove part of the hard disk cages. This avoids a collision – eliminating a total of two mounting positions. This could still be fine for a majority of users. However, as you only remove one side of the hard disk cage, you only have more options in terms of length – very wide graphics cards can still collide.

Apart from the four 3.5″ slots (with the cover), there is a space in which a 2.5″ drive can be screwed on. This is secured with two screws on one side, while 3.5″ drives are screwed in on both sides.

Standard ATX power supplies are used. Installation is only possible in one direction so that its fan does not suffocate and serves as an additional case fan.

Installation

• Only four spacers installed ex works
• Two spacers with elevation prevent the mainboard from slipping
• Almost no space for cable management behind mainboard tray
• Longer graphics cards also possible

A particularly nice feature of the Inter-Tch IT-8862 Plaid is revealed in the test. Namely that two of the spacers have a raised center and thus hold the mainboard in position before it is screwed on. However, only four spacers are pre-assembled – you have to position the others yourself, but a suitable tool is not included. However, the spacers can simply be screwed in by hand and now a final “bite” is needed to get the spacers tight enough so that you don’t unscrew them again along with the screw. A universal wrench (“English”) or even a normal pair of pliers should be sufficient for this.

But if we take a look at the cable management, it quickly becomes clear that not much is possible here. The space behind the mainboard tray is so tight that only very flat cables can be routed back there. There are points where cable ties can be attached, but to be honest, most of the cables will have to be routed inside anyway. So it doesn’t really make sense to route individual cables from the rear.

In order to be able to install longer graphics cards (usually three fans or more), you have to remove an intermediate part in the hard disk cage and thus give up two hard disk spaces. However, most modern mainboards usually only come with 4 SATA ports instead of the 6 that used to be standard. Most users will therefore not need all the hard disk slots. If necessary, Inter-Tech also offers adapters that can be used to install hard disks in the 5.25″ slots.

A look at the lock

• Very cheap and generic looking plastic key
• Must be actively integrated into the circuit and can therefore also be completely ignored
• Lock is there to deactivate the power switch in one position and thus prevent an unintentional start or shutdown

There is an SD card reader and a lock on the side of the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid. The lock is there to get an interruption in the power switch. So if this loop is installed and the lock is off, nothing happens when the power switch is pressed.

The keys were attached to a cable with plugs and for me are the biggest criticism of the housing. They are wafer-thin and made of easily bendable plastic – so they feel really cheap. They are also so small and inconspicuous that you can easily lose them. You have to separate these plugs from each other to get to the key. The actual power connection for the front panel must then be connected to one side and the other side is connected to the mainboard instead. If you don’t do this, the lock is not in the circuit – this is also possible if you don’t want it or have lost the key.

The lock on the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid prevents the computer from being switched on quickly. However, if you are familiar with computer hardware, this will not stop you, as the case itself is not physically locked, so you can still easily remove the side door. But especially in an office environment, it can be useful to at least make it more difficult for people with less hardware expertise to start up the computer. If the case is used several times in the office, then I have to say: The keys look generic and I assume that they can be used for any case of this type.

If you turn the lock to “on” (green dot), you can switch on the computer with the normal power switch, after which you can in principle turn the lock directly back to “off” (red dot). The computer remains switched on and only the pressure on the power switch is deactivated. This way you won’t forget to activate the lock again later.

The lock can also be useful if you have children who can simply press anywhere and thus either start or switch off the computer unintentionally. Or even cats who like to lie on the warm computer and could press the power switch on top. Yes, I’ve experienced all of this and it wouldn’t have happened with a lock like this.

A test of the card reader

• SD card a little awkward to insert
• USB 2 speed

The card reader of the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid ran at the typical USB 2 speed, i.e. up to around 20 MB/s, in the test. Those who work professionally with very large amounts of data, for example in the photo sector with high resolutions in RAW format, could benefit from a faster model. This is possible both externally via a dedicated USB 3 card reader or internally with a model such as the Argus CI-21.

I personally like to use SD cards as a removable drive and have my most frequently used data stored there, which I can then move back and forth between computers. Yes, completely local and without the cloud. This speed is perfectly adequate for that.

But it was a bit tricky to actually get the card in; it gets jammed quickly. At the beginning, I had the feeling that the SD card wouldn’t really fit in any direction. The practical thing is that when you look at the housing from the front, you see the unprinted underside of the SD card. When the SD card was in the computer, the card reader worked well – and also without any problems with SDXC cards, including the very large ones.

Fan

• The case is supplied without a fan
• Two fan slots offer space for fans in 80, 92 and 120 mm sizes
• You can continue to use existing fans or buy fans of your choice
• Side panel also offers unofficial space for additional fans

The Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid is supplied without a fan. This has the advantage that you can decide for yourself which fans you want to use, or that you can continue to use existing fans. In addition, you can also use 92 mm fans and 80 mm fans, for example, as you used to find them more often or often find them on CPU coolers. This means you can continue to use them if necessary. Of course, this also has the disadvantage that, unless you already have fans for reuse, you will have to invest a little more money than for the housing alone.

Without additional fans, as the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid is delivered, I would not operate it as long as no absolute subclass hardware is used. You should install at least one fan at the rear, and preferably one at the front. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Inexpensive fans that deliver decent performance include the Arctic P12, the DeepCool FK120 or, slightly more expensive, the be quiet! Pure Wings 3.

When using 120 mm fans, there may be slight conflicts at the rear when closing the door. This should not be a problem when using normal fan screws, but with plug-in systems, such as the be quiet! Shadow Wings, the MSI Silent Gale P12, the silicone plugs of Noctua fans or other screw systems, such as the Noiseblocker NB-eLoop, things can get tighter. With the connectors, as here with the MSI Silent Gale P12, the door still closes with a slight bend in the sheet metal. It would therefore be better to use actual fan screws – or to use smaller fans.

Officially, you can install two fans – one at the front and one at the rear. So if you choose the right fans, even a full configuration is not really expensive. But the Inter-Tech IT-8862 PLAID actually also has some holes in the side door. In principle, you can also mount fans on the side if you have enough space underneath, at least as much as the fans are thick. This is helpful, for example, with top-down air coolers, such as the factory coolers often supplied.

A look at the price

• Very affordable case
• No fans included in the scope of delivery – include them if not already present
• However, there are similarly priced models that also come with fans

The Inter-Tech IT-8862 is priced in a very low price range for possible computer cases, but is quite usable and with the 5.25″ bays and the 3.5″ bay it actually offers options that most modern cases no longer allow. So if you still want to use optical drives, this is no problem. Inter-Tech itself has a few models in a similar (sometimes even cheaper) price range on the market and otherwise faces competition from Chieftec in particular when it comes to cases with 5.25″ bays.

However, the price must take into account that no fans are included. This is not a problem if you can continue to use older ones, especially as you can switch flexibly between 80, 92 and 120 mm fans. Or even if you want special fans anyway. If no fans are available, I would advise looking at slightly more expensive cases. The Fractal Design Focus G, for example, at least comes with two 5.25″ slots (but no 3.5″) and is only slightly more expensive, although it comes with two fans (although admittedly not particularly good ones). Visually, the Fractal design is more modern – which may not always be intentional.

If you don’t need a 5.25″ or 3.5″ drive, you can also find cheaper models with a fan. The Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid from this test nevertheless has a relatively better airflow than many competitor models in the lowest price range thanks to the mesh in the front.

Conclusion

I like the Inter-Tech IT-8862 Plaid. It somehow looks so refreshingly nostalgic and classic between the many “aquarium” cases and the RGB fans of today (although of course nobody is stopping you from installing RGB fans in the IT-8862 Plaid yourself, whose light you can see through the front and the holes in the side door). And yet it also offers space for modern hardware thanks to the possible support of long graphics cards, air coolers up to 160 mm and the quite good airflow through the front grille instead of a solid front, as is familiar from similar shaped cases. And the modern front panel connections add to this.

But from a practical point of view, you also miss out on a few conveniences that many modern cases offer, such as more comfortable working thanks to better accessibility of all areas in the case or better cable management.

Is it recommendable? Everyone has to decide for themselves how much they like the classic design. But there’s nothing to be said against it: it looks a bit old-fashioned these days, but it works very well and doesn’t cost much. So I would definitely consider it in the budget sector.

Tip for Inter-Tech: A case of this design, or at least a similar design, would also be suitable in a beige color variant. A look at Silverstone with the FLP cases and their media presence shows how high the interest in cases with a retro look and yet modern features is.