I sold HIGH END wooden case in the late 80's early 90's to executives... it was actually a decent little part of our business for a while. Oh... those were the days.
"Only one way to build this." Oh come on, it's wood! It would be so easy to customize this and really make it your own. Buy some paints, wood stain, and trim pieces at a hardware store and you could make this look really damn cool and premium.
PC Case with Crown molding and wooden claw feet, like an old 60's dresser that your grandparents had in the spare bedroom. Add some brass ring hardware to the sides, make it look like a treasure chest.
It's mdf not real wood. From experience , staining it is not a good idea, it does not look good at all. There is no wood grain so it just makes it look like cardboard even more. Painting it a solid colour would work though.
Aren't you at risk for puncturing the wiring from the metal prongs on the back of the motherboard? If there are metal prongs on the back at the sauter points
Although the shape of the case is predetermined, as you said, you can customize it somewhat by refinishing the wood with whatever stain you like. It does seem rather cheap, however, as you also said.
As an artist I would absolutely love this case. I'd paint the front yellow, paint on bees to tie in with the honeycomb-shaped cutouts, maybe dark stained front/back. The lack of ziptie points.... it's wood, you can screw in whatever you want. You wouldn't see it anyway as it would be behind the motherboard. Clearly this case is more for people that want to get creative.
I am surprised that flat packed cases (unassembled) are not more of a thing in the budget space given the logistics of global shipping. Ikea cases are the future!
@@Roger44477 The reason noctua fans look extremely ugly is because it's pretty much impossible for them to fit into the colour scheme of any PC. They stick out like a sore thumb pretty much every time unless you go out of your way to actually match at least some components with them. So, it's a funny case when it's not really the colour's fault but kinda is lol
Honestly, this is 100% a case I would buy. It's that whole simple, rustic aesthetic that appeals to me and you can bet none of your friends will have the same! I just wish there was some kind of panel to cover the PSU and the cables
Great content as usual. I feel like you were a bit hard on this case for what it is. I do agree its a bit overpriced though. I am going to upgrade my daughters pc and this will be her case. She loves to draw and paint and I think this will make a great canvas for her. I also wanted to point out you can fix most fitment issues with this case with a dremel, drill, and or wood router.
I was thinking the same thing, could be a lot of fun using this as a base case to mod. I was also cringing each time he called it pressed wood, looks like mid grade 1/4" or maybe 3/16" plywood to me.
It's good looking but the first thought i had when i looked it was that i was hoping that you may pair those with noctua fans. (That would be an INSANE blend) but in the end it looked kinda empty thats why not on board with it. But looking forward to that noctua + this case combo. will look OP
ive built a number of the mechanical puzzles made by this and other companies, and one thing for sure is they are careful in their engineering. Also the plywood is 5 ply basswood plywood, one of the strongest. While thin, it has incredible strength and is meant to flex. Adding a top mount AIO gives rigidity as well as placing the side cover on. Also instead of a small form factor psu, a standard modular ATX psu that is no longer than 160mm can be used which has longer cables. you can then run the eps as desired. ive already specced out a build with this case and the one con i would say is that you dont want to move this case around much. Some titebond 2 wood glue would give strength to the joints for people in areas that are humid and then cold, like Florida. It dries clear and stronger than wood. If you plan to smash on it then maybe use a little more glue :P
The great thing about a flat pack laser cut wooden case? You can customize it yourself extremely easily. You can paint it, stain it, seal it, hell, you can even veneer or laminate it if you have the materials and skill. You can literally make it look however you like. The decorative bits on the side panels can be changed easily with a small hand saw or dremel. You can leave it as is, seal it, ans stuff a ton of amber RGB lights in it and add a bunch of bee themed vinyl to it to go with the honeycomb look, because the wood with the amber tone will make it look nice and warm and inviting. And if any part of it gets damaged, you can get a sheet of crafting plywood, trace the damaged part, and cut yourself a new piece. If your NZXT case gets damaged in a move, you have to either try and hammer out the steel yourself, or buy a new case. The Cyberwood gets damaged in a move? $10-15 of crafting plywood, a jigsaw and some sandpaper later, you're back up and running. And when you decide to go to a new case for a bigger system, you can easily recycle the Cyberwood because it's made of WOOD. Just please make sure you seal the wood before assembly, folks, water damage is easy to come by with some of us. You know who you are, you're the reason why drain holes are becoming a standard feature on keyboards.
Im a carpenter by trade and I like to do a lot of woodworking. I’m actually in the process of building a wooden Mid-tower PC case myself. I’m making it out of Zebra wood and finishing it with a water based Semigloss Polyurethane Clear-coat to give it that natural but glossy finish.
This case is pretty pog. I built wooden cases and test benches for myself but never took the time to make them this aesthetically pleasing. It does look a bit flimsy to me, especially to put an aio into, but for a pc under say $800 this would be awesome. And a nice talking point to show off to your friends.
i think if it was double layered it would be much sturdier and it should not cost too much more cos it basically same parts just glued together, should only be a cst of the wooden panels itself which is probably cheap
I feel that a gpu brace to reduce that absolute horrible sag, would also fix the gpu port access. At and at the 70$ price mark looks like fun. Now imagine taking some time to treat and maybe lacquer the wood. Creating an even more custom build? Plus a more glossy finish for RGB?
Self-adhesive tie-down points are readily available from your local B&Q / DIY store, and being self-adhesive you can put them where you want. But I think you are wrong to dismiss its moddability. I wonder how this case would look if you took the time to wax it? Give it a nice coat of beeswax and I bet it would look much better. How about woodstain? You might even put on a layer of veneer. For instance you might give it a walnut veneer to match your walnut desk. Or oak. Or some other wood.
I don't know, the fact that it can be stained, painted, waxed or spray painted is kind of cool. You can make it any color or finish you like. Wood might be quieter than a metal case. And of course, that power button!
You can customize metal cases also, that's not unique to a wooden case. Staining can't be done on metal true, but the lack of wood grain on this would look awful with stain.
actually.... i like it! It is something new.. and the fact that u can paint it however u want makes it very fresh, new looking idea. And with some screws, glue or whatever u want u can stick, compose it with whatever u want.
That looks like plywood (you can see the layering ion the edges of the [panels) with a veneer, I suspect throwing a stain on it would look good. In addition, an advantage to something like this is modification possibilities: for the average builder wood would be easier to work with than steel.
Thanks for the review definitely thinking about getting one now letting my kids paint it and then put it in the computer room have their own special little touch
16:31 - I mean, that point remains with just about every other case on the market too. Not hating here, but that point doesn't really hold up. Only thing I could see is maybe trouble fitting a large reservoir in there, but there's totally room for an AIO in there. More fan mounts that weren't used as well that would make it your own. Does it look the best? No, but for the price I'd say it looks good enough as a niche item. It being wood also opens up the possibility of adding a nice stain or varnish to the thing that you couldn't do with a metal chassis. I could see some fun ways to customize this with a drill, some sandpaper, and a rag with some cherry stain. My only big qualm with this case is the GPU mounting solution wherein if you break off too many of those notches, you're shit out of luck unless you buy some wood, add a screw for support, or some other DIY solution.
On ebay/aliexpress you can get a universal motherboard/PSU tray. I've used them to build PCs into all kinds of wooden furniture. All you need to do is cut a large rectangle in the back of the furniture and drill out some holes for nuts and bolts to go through. Makes for a great living room PC if your wife is fussy about computers being in the room.
I think you're being WAY too picky. I built a case like this a couple of years ago. I used a wood box and cut out spaces for fans and drilled holes for airflow. It came out pretty nice and I was happy with it. This kind of thing is creative and it's meant for the person who likes to DIY. You can paint this case and take off the acrylic if you want more airflow. You could attach mesh to that left panel instead. You're not going to be carrying it around so it doesn't have to be super sturdy. As long as it fits the hardware and keeps everything clean, it's doing what it needs to.
If you like those power buttons then the GEEEK cases are mainly Acrylic and metal of some sort, or all metal. Same put together idea. I built a mainly Acrylic based one that I picked up from Amazon for a 5600G multi use system. A30 V2 MINI-ITX CASE Also the Dan Case A4 which is a very popular SFF case has something kind of similar in terns of button feel, very satisfying. Nice transportable case. I would let you know but that build is at my girlfriends.
Greg: A missed opportunity. You should have installed this system with all Noctua fans which would have matched the color of the case. However the goal of the video was to show the case and You did a great job at that. I honestly kinda like this. 😅 Thank you for showing it!
I think if this was a thick sturdy 2 piece plated steel + a mesh instead of the acrylic window and filters between those 2 thinner plates for a clean filter look on the honeycombs, it would be a lot more structurally sound and give people better options for customisation, custom spray painting etc.
It's a great concept, but needs a quality finished and using an engineered harwood would be a better version. I'll see the next iteration of this model if gets better. Thanks for showing this model as a general concept. Maybe add a new monthly/weekly segment for showing new computer concept.
I'm digging that case. Reminds me of my Danger Den acrylic double wide tower 21 that I've been using for 10 years and two different liquid cooled builds. It too came in flat packed, and I had a blast bolting it all together. I'd like to see more cases like this on the market.
Whether its plywood or whatever, I really think it would look far better if they had left it the natural wood or even a light stain instead of the painted coating.
That is the natural wood. The dark bits on the edges aren't the actual color of the wood, it's burnt from the laser cutter. It's all just unfinished craft plywood. The "painted coating" you see on (I'm assuming) your phone screen, is the top layer of the plywood.
Well it is for a niche market. And for those that are into DIY everything this is ideal for them. Now there is an added bonus to a case like this. You can stain or paint it in any color you wish.
Missed opportunity to drop in some genuine Noctua fans in here, they would have matched perfectly well. I am building wood cases for years now, completely hand made, not machined. They are much stiffer und less rough looking. It is a passion, and for sure I am using Noctua fans and coolers with it. Oh, and I am also using that nice clicking power buttons. So satisfying!
You can get those wire tie mounts that you can stick where ever you need in order to clean up the wires in the back of the case. So, I think this case is not just intended to stay as it is. You can sand it, paint, stain, clear coat or just about anything else you want to do with it. I think painting it like Piano black, Maroon or any other color you can think of that is non-standard for a computer case and paint it. Get the super glossy clear coat and make it really stand out. If you get the wood Mouse and Keyboard to match it, this rig would really stand out.
I made a PC case out of Plywood for my virtual machine server. 140mm thin, yet has a Ryzen 5950X, RTX 3080 10Gb, Quadro RTX 4000, GTX 750Ti (for WinXP VM), three 8tb SATA HDDs, three SATA SSDs, three M.2 NVMEs, 850W PSU. It has six 120mm fans in it to push air through. It gets fairly hot with all that in it!
I used to build cases in the early 2000's made of wood. Iron wood. Oak. Maple. Been thinking of getting back into it. I've recently been going over a design I'd like to build.
I have to say, i like the idea with the case, it is much more recycable than the steel cases, a great benefit for the nature and if you are using a bit stronger plates it could be also more stable for bigger formats than mATX. Also for the Temps in the case it could be better, wood isn't saving the heat such much than the steel. And you could also colour the case with paint how you want it and then with RGB Fans you can make a unique case. Come on Greg, this is an awesome idea with the case. I wished something like that would be available in Germany.
I unironically love this, it's something completely different and it would look great in a makerspace. Stain and seal the wood and she'll be good for a long time.
You should redo this with your kid(s) at some point - given how it is designed it may be more of a structural learning tool/application for younger kids. While many of your complaints are valid, most of the time I see something like this it’s done as more of a learning/experiment tool. It’s a novel idea, but I think it’s more for learning purposes than for everyday gaming use.
I really like this idea, in theory they could easily sell replacement panels and you could spec it out however you like, I also like the idea of the case shipped flat packed being able to save significant cost, if these were made in any real quantity I bet they could be fairly cheap compared to their steel counterparts. After some thought, with better packaging this could be a very good environmentally friendly case, metal is easily recycled and the wood is obviously biodegradable. Wood is also much easier to work with and cases like these could allow for much easier modding. Great idea, even if this product isn't perfect.
I wonder if you were to cover the whole case with a stain or varnish if it would not only make it look better, but make it a little harder. Giving it a little better structural integrity.
Hi, woodworker from Germany here. This case has some good thoughts behind it i guess. In terms of wood type, making this out of solid wood might not be a smart idea, considering the way wood expands and contracts. by using thin plywood, which is what they used here, the case is probably a lot sturdier and safer to build in, due to the way plywood is made. I won't go into further detail here, but i can definitely see some improvements that could be made. hope this was helpfull.
I've seen this case before in other tech videos and honestly it isn't not a bad case overall from what I'd seen. It's a jigsaw puzzle to put together, but a fun case to show your friends. Kitty says "I'm a RUclips star and I deserve screen time".
the idea is nice, but for being laser cut thin sheet wood is very expensive at 90$. Moreover their quality control is not the greatest from the shot at 14:27 it can be clearly seen that both front usb metal housing have crooked part and might damage whatever you connect into them. It looks nice as a finished build, but for the same price you can get a regular decent brand case with fan included.
It looks like a laminate, which is more stable than fiberboard. It can be painted for custom look and a light color or white would work for RGB heavy build. Cable management with 3M adhesive cable tie mounts like I had been doing in the 1990s. As a laminate I think a fiberglass reinforcement layer would be a great improvement to the structure, but much more expensive. Maybe a vinyl or carbon fiber wrap? If I had the wood working skills maybe replicate this from laminate wood flooring?
I feel like this is meant to be sanded and stained, or painted. And I agree, it's intriguing enough to hold my interest at $65-ish bucks. I'm glad you reviewed this.
reminds me of the plexi case I have my win98/xp in. It has the cubes for the corners and had to be assembled.. and it still looks awesome.. going strong for 20 years. That case or something like it would be awesome if you could order each part out of plexi, board, steel or aluminum. mix and match for your own taste..heck you could even order 4 sides made taller to make a bigger case or smaller case using the same top and bottom.
Another quality video Greg. I think you're being a little bit critical here Greg. I actually like it. It's bare wood for a reason. You can leave it as it is, or you can paint it any way or colour or pattern you want, and being wood, you could mod it a bit also. And as you said, once the clear side panel is on, it's more that sturdy enough. Yes the lack of tie downs in the rear is a bit cheap, but hey, you don't see in there anyway, and as you said, there's plenty of space back there, so the cables shouldn't be squashed so much. There's plenty of provisioning for fans, so cooling shouldn't be an issue. With the right RGB fans, and right paint job, this could look like a very nice system. Personally, I'd not paint it, but have some nice RGB fans in there, and it could look real cool. My 3 cents. Anyway Greg. I like these case reviews you do, and this I think is one of the better different cases you've reviewed. Bring on the next one.
It's an interesting idea, but I'm sure case modders our there are already going nuts with ideas since wood can be fairly easy to modify. I agree with you on the flimsy aspect of the case, and I would try to reinforce it with some sort of bracing. As for one of your points, the cable management, I would suggest a small plastic loop on double sided tape, made for just such reasons allowing you to put a tie down point where one does not exist. It is a fun case, but my mind is screaming some sort of modding and painting to finish the bee hive/honeycomb aesthetic already started here.
🔥🔥🔥🚒🚒 --- For this i am not sure why PC are not made from fiberglass - fireproof, non-conductive, corrosion resistant, chemical resistance... only negatives i can think of #1 signal waves pass through it (good (wifi) and bad (interference)) #2 it will insulate heat (or cold) if you dont have good air flow.
A wooden case made out of good and sturdy material would be nice. You could make the computer blend in with your furniture that way. But no one really makes good wooden cases. Well there are some but they are really hard to find.
I think this case might be a good stainable option for people building a pc that might sit on a entertainment center and want to match a certain furniture finish. The actual only reason for this type of case is to be able to match other furnishings.
That case was crying out for wood stain the whole video, it would look way better! It looks "cheap" because it is not stained, the grain would pop and look amazing, in my opinion.
This is one of those times when we thank you for building in this case so the rest of us don't have to. I see why it caught your interest, but I agree.. the final product wasn't anything special and better options exist.
I would give it extra credit for being more mod friendly _(you can easily install brackets to make ziptie points... because it being wood and all)_ but it is a little disappointing that it is plywood, seems like it's of decent quality at least, although basswood is pretty soft. It seems that this case almost requires the builder to paint it before assembly. _(which would add some strength and customization)_
It's laser cut plywood. We do the same thing for making rc plane kits. It cost them a whole 6$ to make that if they're doing production runs of any decent size...wich I'm assuming they are.
Thanks for this video! The prested wood is good for laser cuting I believe. But in my option there is a great deal of posipilities to customize it. Other cases can bearly be taken apart completely. So you can paint it, airbrush it etc. The moment I saw it I had some ideas 😉 Maybe I could have a look if it is shipped to Germany... My Dan Case A4-SFX also has only one way to build in it and, of course, it is because of its SFF-size. So this case hase the same downsides for its unique idea of wood. Could be that the wood is recycled...
Glad to find your walk through of this case. Now I know what I am getting into. I just picked it up for a retro gaming rig. Despite the drawbacks, the whole DIY aspect will make for a unique retro gaming build experience. I'll have my son ride shotgun on this build for sure. Oh, and a way you could make it your own, might be to stain it? Paint it?
looks nice. wood swells where i live though. too humid. i love wooden stuff but i has to be made of real wood as to not absorb moisture. pressed boards like that case won't last here.
Is the wood treated? If it's untreated wood it could be cool to stain the panels to a specific colorway. Go with Noctua fans and stain the wood some panels dark brown and leave some the natural color to match the Noctua colorway.
cool in theory but a fire hazard IMO this in bake o lite plastic or aluminum would be nice. and a cardboard box is free and almost the same as this lol
I sold HIGH END wooden case in the late 80's early 90's to executives... it was actually a decent little part of our business for a while. Oh... those were the days.
Very cool!!! 🔥
did the same in the late 90's... I've got some new ideas
damn, high end wood huh?
how much more frames did you get with it in games?
@@StriK3FoRC3OwO I think this was not the main goal for these cases, I'm sure they even had no LED so they were damn slow by default.
Ayo what types pf wood did You use?
I've been eyeing that case for a while now. Wanted to kit it out with Noctuas to match the color theme
Oooh good idea!
Yeah that's actually a fantastic idea!
that is actually what I was thinking
Excellent idea... The Noctuas would probably give it a more premium feel....
would have been nice also to wood stain the case
"Only one way to build this." Oh come on, it's wood! It would be so easy to customize this and really make it your own. Buy some paints, wood stain, and trim pieces at a hardware store and you could make this look really damn cool and premium.
PC Case with Crown molding and wooden claw feet, like an old 60's dresser that your grandparents had in the spare bedroom. Add some brass ring hardware to the sides, make it look like a treasure chest.
It's mdf not real wood. From experience , staining it is not a good idea, it does not look good at all. There is no wood grain so it just makes it look like cardboard even more.
Painting it a solid colour would work though.
@@cartouchator I think it is plywood not MDF. The main issue is how thin it is.
@@ksp1278 very thin....
@@cartouchator yep. Made my own PC case out of 15mm plywood. It is very solid.
Hey Greg, ITX enthusiast here:
Those SFX cables are flat for a reason: Run the CPU cable UNDER the motherboard for a cleaner aesthetic.
Thank you! I’ve been running ribbon cables and other small cables under the motherboard for decades. How do people not know this trick?
@@pctechadvisor cheaper than custom cables that's for sure
@@pctechadvisor Fan cables as well
Aren't you at risk for puncturing the wiring from the metal prongs on the back of the motherboard? If there are metal prongs on the back at the sauter points
@Hudson Hamman solder points.
Although the shape of the case is predetermined, as you said, you can customize it somewhat by refinishing the wood with whatever stain you like. It does seem rather cheap, however, as you also said.
As an artist I would absolutely love this case. I'd paint the front yellow, paint on bees to tie in with the honeycomb-shaped cutouts, maybe dark stained front/back.
The lack of ziptie points.... it's wood, you can screw in whatever you want. You wouldn't see it anyway as it would be behind the motherboard.
Clearly this case is more for people that want to get creative.
Yeah, I was coming here to say "stain" but also considered woodburning to give it a unique look. You could also just add/make some cable channels.
Yeah, a custom stain to match your desk or furniture, and a deep gloss varnish ... *chef's kiss*
I am surprised that flat packed cases (unassembled) are not more of a thing in the budget space given the logistics of global shipping. Ikea cases are the future!
This case will finally make noctua fan look beautiful and actually match the case!
I swear I must be the only person who actually loves the cream and brown colors...
@@Roger44477 don't really love the color, but I do love the cooling from the fans 😋
I was thinking the same thing
@@Roger44477 The reason noctua fans look extremely ugly is because it's pretty much impossible for them to fit into the colour scheme of any PC. They stick out like a sore thumb pretty much every time unless you go out of your way to actually match at least some components with them. So, it's a funny case when it's not really the colour's fault but kinda is lol
(gets disconnected while in game)
enemies in chat:
*wood pc*
*noob*
me:
*wow, both statements are actually accurate this time*
Honestly, this is 100% a case I would buy. It's that whole simple, rustic aesthetic that appeals to me and you can bet none of your friends will have the same! I just wish there was some kind of panel to cover the PSU and the cables
there's nothing rustic about a mdf laser cut computer case 😆
Thanks for your fix or flop series. Gave me the confidence to build my own rig. 140 fps on a monitor with 5120x1440 resolution
Yay!
Welcome padawan.
Would be a surprise for IKEA to start making wooden cases, now.
Great content as usual. I feel like you were a bit hard on this case for what it is. I do agree its a bit overpriced though. I am going to upgrade my daughters pc and this will be her case. She loves to draw and paint and I think this will make a great canvas for her. I also wanted to point out you can fix most fitment issues with this case with a dremel, drill, and or wood router.
I was thinking the same thing, could be a lot of fun using this as a base case to mod. I was also cringing each time he called it pressed wood, looks like mid grade 1/4" or maybe 3/16" plywood to me.
@@1300BlueStar Yeah, it's definitely plywood. You can see the laminated layers.
It's good looking but the first thought i had when i looked it was that i was hoping that you may pair those with noctua fans. (That would be an INSANE blend) but in the end it looked kinda empty thats why not on board with it. But looking forward to that noctua + this case combo. will look OP
My first thought, pair it with the brown fans and the noctua edition gpu. Brownish cables too
@Hudson Hamman what i meant by empty is that it looked weird without any fans installed.
The lack if fans does feel odd. I'd actually install some if I had this thing lol
ive built a number of the mechanical puzzles made by this and other companies, and one thing for sure is they are careful in their engineering. Also the plywood is 5 ply basswood plywood, one of the strongest. While thin, it has incredible strength and is meant to flex. Adding a top mount AIO gives rigidity as well as placing the side cover on. Also instead of a small form factor psu, a standard modular ATX psu that is no longer than 160mm can be used which has longer cables. you can then run the eps as desired. ive already specced out a build with this case and the one con i would say is that you dont want to move this case around much. Some titebond 2 wood glue would give strength to the joints for people in areas that are humid and then cold, like Florida. It dries clear and stronger than wood. If you plan to smash on it then maybe use a little more glue :P
looks like it is made of furniture grade plywood. Maybe 1/4 " to maybe 3/8"
The great thing about a flat pack laser cut wooden case? You can customize it yourself extremely easily. You can paint it, stain it, seal it, hell, you can even veneer or laminate it if you have the materials and skill. You can literally make it look however you like. The decorative bits on the side panels can be changed easily with a small hand saw or dremel. You can leave it as is, seal it, ans stuff a ton of amber RGB lights in it and add a bunch of bee themed vinyl to it to go with the honeycomb look, because the wood with the amber tone will make it look nice and warm and inviting. And if any part of it gets damaged, you can get a sheet of crafting plywood, trace the damaged part, and cut yourself a new piece. If your NZXT case gets damaged in a move, you have to either try and hammer out the steel yourself, or buy a new case. The Cyberwood gets damaged in a move? $10-15 of crafting plywood, a jigsaw and some sandpaper later, you're back up and running. And when you decide to go to a new case for a bigger system, you can easily recycle the Cyberwood because it's made of WOOD. Just please make sure you seal the wood before assembly, folks, water damage is easy to come by with some of us. You know who you are, you're the reason why drain holes are becoming a standard feature on keyboards.
"Is looking at the plys of plywood" Kinda feels like particle board.
Im a carpenter by trade and I like to do a lot of woodworking. I’m actually in the process of building a wooden Mid-tower PC case myself. I’m making it out of Zebra wood and finishing it with a water based Semigloss Polyurethane Clear-coat to give it that natural but glossy finish.
Sounds beautiful 😊
This case is pretty pog. I built wooden cases and test benches for myself but never took the time to make them this aesthetically pleasing. It does look a bit flimsy to me, especially to put an aio into, but for a pc under say $800 this would be awesome. And a nice talking point to show off to your friends.
i think if it was double layered it would be much sturdier and it should not cost too much more cos it basically same parts just glued together, should only be a cst of the wooden panels itself which is probably cheap
I suppose there is also the option of using the parts as a template for a bit sturdier pieces if you were handy in a wood shop.
3:00 that was a pretty damn good catch tbh, all 3 panels like that
I feel that a gpu brace to reduce that absolute horrible sag, would also fix the gpu port access. At and at the 70$ price mark looks like fun. Now imagine taking some time to treat and maybe lacquer the wood. Creating an even more custom build? Plus a more glossy finish for RGB?
Self-adhesive tie-down points are readily available from your local B&Q / DIY store, and being self-adhesive you can put them where you want. But I think you are wrong to dismiss its moddability. I wonder how this case would look if you took the time to wax it? Give it a nice coat of beeswax and I bet it would look much better. How about woodstain? You might even put on a layer of veneer. For instance you might give it a walnut veneer to match your walnut desk. Or oak. Or some other wood.
I don't know, the fact that it can be stained, painted, waxed or spray painted is kind of cool. You can make it any color or finish you like. Wood might be quieter than a metal case. And of course, that power button!
You can customize metal cases also, that's not unique to a wooden case. Staining can't be done on metal true, but the lack of wood grain on this would look awful with stain.
actually.... i like it! It is something new.. and the fact that u can paint it however u want makes it very fresh, new looking idea. And with some screws, glue or whatever u want u can stick, compose it with whatever u want.
I suppose you could always paint or stain the wood i f you wanted to. Like a nice yellow to go with the honeycomb aesthetic.
its like a canvas, would be cool to paint and finish it however you want.
but i think i can make it myself if i really want to go down this path then its really customizable
I would be more worried that its not earthed in any way so u should wear a anti static band when cleaning and servicing
That looks like plywood (you can see the layering ion the edges of the [panels) with a veneer, I suspect throwing a stain on it would look good. In addition, an advantage to something like this is modification possibilities: for the average builder wood would be easier to work with than steel.
3:02 so were gonna ignore the fact that he caught all those before the hit the table??? Insane reflexes Greg!
It's those dad reflexes
Thanks for the review definitely thinking about getting one now letting my kids paint it and then put it in the computer room have their own special little touch
16:31 - I mean, that point remains with just about every other case on the market too. Not hating here, but that point doesn't really hold up. Only thing I could see is maybe trouble fitting a large reservoir in there, but there's totally room for an AIO in there. More fan mounts that weren't used as well that would make it your own.
Does it look the best? No, but for the price I'd say it looks good enough as a niche item. It being wood also opens up the possibility of adding a nice stain or varnish to the thing that you couldn't do with a metal chassis. I could see some fun ways to customize this with a drill, some sandpaper, and a rag with some cherry stain.
My only big qualm with this case is the GPU mounting solution wherein if you break off too many of those notches, you're shit out of luck unless you buy some wood, add a screw for support, or some other DIY solution.
On ebay/aliexpress you can get a universal motherboard/PSU tray. I've used them to build PCs into all kinds of wooden furniture. All you need to do is cut a large rectangle in the back of the furniture and drill out some holes for nuts and bolts to go through. Makes for a great living room PC if your wife is fussy about computers being in the room.
I think you're being WAY too picky. I built a case like this a couple of years ago. I used a wood box and cut out spaces for fans and drilled holes for airflow. It came out pretty nice and I was happy with it. This kind of thing is creative and it's meant for the person who likes to DIY. You can paint this case and take off the acrylic if you want more airflow. You could attach mesh to that left panel instead. You're not going to be carrying it around so it doesn't have to be super sturdy. As long as it fits the hardware and keeps everything clean, it's doing what it needs to.
Looks Dope! Like a Bee box. Also would look better with fans. Different though, in a lot of good ways. Aesthetically speaking. I dig it.
Give it some Varnish let it dry, build and it would look really nice. slightly darker and glossy
If you like those power buttons then the GEEEK cases are mainly Acrylic and metal of some sort, or all metal.
Same put together idea.
I built a mainly Acrylic based one that I picked up from Amazon for a 5600G multi use system.
A30 V2 MINI-ITX CASE
Also the Dan Case A4 which is a very popular SFF case has something kind of similar in terns of button feel, very satisfying.
Nice transportable case.
I would let you know but that build is at my girlfriends.
those usb ports come like that? They look warped 14:11. My apologies if it was mentioned and I missed it.
This was oddly cooler than I was expecting. Not because of you, but the case. Well done. I enjoyed the video.
this actually cool for painting it and making it personal ,has a charm to it ,once even cheaper ide get it for an old pc
Greg: A missed opportunity. You should have installed this system with all Noctua fans which would have matched the color of the case. However the goal of the video was to show the case and You did a great job at that. I honestly kinda like this. 😅 Thank you for showing it!
I think if this was a thick sturdy 2 piece plated steel + a mesh instead of the acrylic window and filters between those 2 thinner plates for a clean filter look on the honeycombs, it would be a lot more structurally sound and give people better options for customisation, custom spray painting etc.
A wooden case is not the worst idea... It does though need a better quality wood and finish...
It's a great concept, but needs a quality finished and using an engineered harwood would be a better version. I'll see the next iteration of this model if gets better. Thanks for showing this model as a general concept. Maybe add a new monthly/weekly segment for showing new computer concept.
I'm digging that case. Reminds me of my Danger Den acrylic double wide tower 21 that I've been using for 10 years and two different liquid cooled builds. It too came in flat packed, and I had a blast bolting it all together. I'd like to see more cases like this on the market.
Whether its plywood or whatever, I really think it would look far better if they had left it the natural wood or even a light stain instead of the painted coating.
That is the natural wood. The dark bits on the edges aren't the actual color of the wood, it's burnt from the laser cutter. It's all just unfinished craft plywood. The "painted coating" you see on (I'm assuming) your phone screen, is the top layer of the plywood.
Well it is for a niche market. And for those that are into DIY everything this is ideal for them. Now there is an added bonus to a case like this. You can stain or paint it in any color you wish.
Missed opportunity to drop in some genuine Noctua fans in here, they would have matched perfectly well.
I am building wood cases for years now, completely hand made, not machined. They are much stiffer und less rough looking. It is a passion, and for sure I am using Noctua fans and coolers with it.
Oh, and I am also using that nice clicking power buttons. So satisfying!
It's plywood and pretty stable and strong even if only 1/4" thick. Standard Glowforge or equivalent material.
The real party peice with this is before you assemble it you hit it with some wood stain and the aesthetic is easily made into what suits you.
You can get those wire tie mounts that you can stick where ever you need in order to clean up the wires in the back of the case. So, I think this case is not just intended to stay as it is. You can sand it, paint, stain, clear coat or just about anything else you want to do with it. I think painting it like Piano black, Maroon or any other color you can think of that is non-standard for a computer case and paint it. Get the super glossy clear coat and make it really stand out. If you get the wood Mouse and Keyboard to match it, this rig would really stand out.
I made a PC case out of Plywood for my virtual machine server. 140mm thin, yet has a Ryzen 5950X, RTX 3080 10Gb, Quadro RTX 4000, GTX 750Ti (for WinXP VM), three 8tb SATA HDDs, three SATA SSDs, three M.2 NVMEs, 850W PSU. It has six 120mm fans in it to push air through. It gets fairly hot with all that in it!
I used to build cases in the early 2000's made of wood. Iron wood. Oak. Maple. Been thinking of getting back into it. I've recently been going over a design I'd like to build.
I have to say, i like the idea with the case, it is much more recycable than the steel cases, a great benefit for the nature and if you are using a bit stronger plates it could be also more stable for bigger formats than mATX. Also for the Temps in the case it could be better, wood isn't saving the heat such much than the steel. And you could also colour the case with paint how you want it and then with RGB Fans you can make a unique case. Come on Greg, this is an awesome idea with the case. I wished something like that would be available in Germany.
Laser-cut wood makers as children owned an s-ton of balsa wood model kits didn't they? Those balsa wood dinosaurs *were* pretty neat...
I don't know, wood glue certain parts, little stain and some woodburning it would be pretty awesome. Probably gonna pick one up.
Lichtenburg process the entire thing...
I unironically love this, it's something completely different and it would look great in a makerspace. Stain and seal the wood and she'll be good for a long time.
You should redo this with your kid(s) at some point - given how it is designed it may be more of a structural learning tool/application for younger kids. While many of your complaints are valid, most of the time I see something like this it’s done as more of a learning/experiment tool. It’s a novel idea, but I think it’s more for learning purposes than for everyday gaming use.
I really like this idea, in theory they could easily sell replacement panels and you could spec it out however you like, I also like the idea of the case shipped flat packed being able to save significant cost, if these were made in any real quantity I bet they could be fairly cheap compared to their steel counterparts. After some thought, with better packaging this could be a very good environmentally friendly case, metal is easily recycled and the wood is obviously biodegradable. Wood is also much easier to work with and cases like these could allow for much easier modding. Great idea, even if this product isn't perfect.
I wonder if you were to cover the whole case with a stain or varnish if it would not only make it look better, but make it a little harder. Giving it a little better structural integrity.
it definitely looks like its meant to be stained, it would look so much better rather than a balsawood middle school project lol
Just use small staples to attach velcro cable ties to the panel...
Nice video. I would call this the "Ikea" case for those who want the experience of total assembly for their hardware.
Hi, woodworker from Germany here. This case has some good thoughts behind it i guess. In terms of wood type, making this out of solid wood might not be a smart idea, considering the way wood expands and contracts. by using thin plywood, which is what they used here, the case is probably a lot sturdier and safer to build in, due to the way plywood is made. I won't go into further detail here, but i can definitely see some improvements that could be made. hope this was helpfull.
Looks like mdf to me. Laser cut mdf.
I've seen this case before in other tech videos and honestly it isn't not a bad case overall from what I'd seen. It's a jigsaw puzzle to put together, but a fun case to show your friends.
Kitty says "I'm a RUclips star and I deserve screen time".
the idea is nice, but for being laser cut thin sheet wood is very expensive at 90$. Moreover their quality control is not the greatest from the shot at 14:27 it can be clearly seen that both front usb metal housing have crooked part and might damage whatever you connect into them. It looks nice as a finished build, but for the same price you can get a regular decent brand case with fan included.
With Wood Working Skills it can be a Great Project and Recyclable!
It looks like a laminate, which is more stable than fiberboard. It can be painted for custom look and a light color or white would work for RGB heavy build. Cable management with 3M adhesive cable tie mounts like I had been doing in the 1990s. As a laminate I think a fiberglass reinforcement layer would be a great improvement to the structure, but much more expensive. Maybe a vinyl or carbon fiber wrap? If I had the wood working skills maybe replicate this from laminate wood flooring?
I feel like this is meant to be sanded and stained, or painted. And I agree, it's intriguing enough to hold my interest at $65-ish bucks. I'm glad you reviewed this.
Wood + electricity = firehazard lol
Especially if you add in a Gigabytes PSU! 😂😂👍👍
Missed opportunity for full Noctua build which fits the color scheme quite well!
reminds me of the plexi case I have my win98/xp in. It has the cubes for the corners and had to be assembled.. and it still looks awesome.. going strong for 20 years. That case or something like it would be awesome if you could order each part out of plexi, board, steel or aluminum. mix and match for your own taste..heck you could even order 4 sides made taller to make a bigger case or smaller case using the same top and bottom.
You could paint that thing in every color you want or even make it a painting itself. Could even glue stuff to it. Could be an art project.
Buy that thing... make something good looking out of it and sell it for 200$-???$ as Art.
Another quality video Greg.
I think you're being a little bit critical here Greg. I actually like it. It's bare wood for a reason. You can leave it as it is, or you can paint it any way or colour or pattern you want, and being wood, you could mod it a bit also. And as you said, once the clear side panel is on, it's more that sturdy enough. Yes the lack of tie downs in the rear is a bit cheap, but hey, you don't see in there anyway, and as you said, there's plenty of space back there, so the cables shouldn't be squashed so much. There's plenty of provisioning for fans, so cooling shouldn't be an issue. With the right RGB fans, and right paint job, this could look like a very nice system. Personally, I'd not paint it, but have some nice RGB fans in there, and it could look real cool.
My 3 cents.
Anyway Greg. I like these case reviews you do, and this I think is one of the better different cases you've reviewed. Bring on the next one.
I think with the right parts, white LEDs and a bonsai tree and I think it could look really nice.
Simple solution to the cable mess - use a modular supply and only hook up what you MUST have. Would reduce that mess by about 40%.
i feel like this case is really good for a lower end pc and it doesn't wast that much plastic as other pc cases
that cable management is exactly what I would do in a premium case anyway, lol
Thanks for the honest review of this case.
It's an interesting idea, but I'm sure case modders our there are already going nuts with ideas since wood can be fairly easy to modify.
I agree with you on the flimsy aspect of the case, and I would try to reinforce it with some sort of bracing.
As for one of your points, the cable management, I would suggest a small plastic loop on double sided tape, made for just such reasons allowing you to put a tie down point where one does not exist.
It is a fun case, but my mind is screaming some sort of modding and painting to finish the bee hive/honeycomb aesthetic already started here.
I like how Greg realized that PC Cases supposed to earthquake tested suddenly when It's a Wood Case.
🤣
🔥🔥🔥🚒🚒 --- For this i am not sure why PC are not made from fiberglass - fireproof, non-conductive, corrosion resistant, chemical resistance... only negatives i can think of #1 signal waves pass through it (good (wifi) and bad (interference)) #2 it will insulate heat (or cold) if you dont have good air flow.
A wooden case made out of good and sturdy material would be nice. You could make the computer blend in with your furniture that way. But no one really makes good wooden cases. Well there are some but they are really hard to find.
Make it yourself lol
@@ziegfeld4131 I have no space, tools or skill for that.
I think this case might be a good stainable option for people building a pc that might sit on a entertainment center and want to match a certain furniture finish. The actual only reason for this type of case is to be able to match other furnishings.
That case was crying out for wood stain the whole video, it would look way better!
It looks "cheap" because it is not stained, the grain would pop and look amazing, in my opinion.
I think it's mdf, so no wood grain. I'd just spray paint it.
@@Zorthal no its plywood, most likely pine.
Not mdf.
My cat sits on my pc when it’s off, I don’t think that would work out for me. But it’s a great product for those that can utilize that case
what a great fire hazard death trap. Wood, heat and eletricity what could go wrong right?
Painting that case would be fun, more fans would also help aesthetics.
This is one of those times when we thank you for building in this case so the rest of us don't have to. I see why it caught your interest, but I agree.. the final product wasn't anything special and better options exist.
It could inspire some for their own custom cases though. Creativity is a nice thing.
I would give it extra credit for being more mod friendly _(you can easily install brackets to make ziptie points... because it being wood and all)_ but it is a little disappointing that it is plywood, seems like it's of decent quality at least, although basswood is pretty soft. It seems that this case almost requires the builder to paint it before assembly. _(which would add some strength and customization)_
Captain America pressing those buttons. “I could do this all day.”
Perfect color scheme for a Noctua build.
It's laser cut plywood. We do the same thing for making rc plane kits. It cost them a whole 6$ to make that if they're doing production runs of any decent size...wich I'm assuming they are.
Thanks for this video! The prested wood is good for laser cuting I believe. But in my option there is a great deal of posipilities to customize it. Other cases can bearly be taken apart completely. So you can paint it, airbrush it etc. The moment I saw it I had some ideas 😉 Maybe I could have a look if it is shipped to Germany...
My Dan Case A4-SFX also has only one way to build in it and, of course, it is because of its SFF-size. So this case hase the same downsides for its unique idea of wood. Could be that the wood is recycled...
Glad to find your walk through of this case. Now I know what I am getting into. I just picked it up for a retro gaming rig. Despite the drawbacks, the whole DIY aspect will make for a unique retro gaming build experience. I'll have my son ride shotgun on this build for sure. Oh, and a way you could make it your own, might be to stain it? Paint it?
Greg's techgasm on that Power button
looks nice. wood swells where i live though. too humid. i love wooden stuff but i has to be made of real wood as to not absorb moisture. pressed boards like that case won't last here.
i have to say the maunting of the PSU is really creative !
there is a room for two 120 fans on top and the exhust one
Is the wood treated? If it's untreated wood it could be cool to stain the panels to a specific colorway. Go with Noctua fans and stain the wood some panels dark brown and leave some the natural color to match the Noctua colorway.
cool in theory but a fire hazard IMO
this in bake o lite plastic or aluminum would be nice.
and a cardboard box is free and almost the same as this lol