Swedish electronics company Teenage Engineering, most well-known for its synthesisers, have branched out a little and made an ITX PC case called computer-1. If you’re a fan of the company’s design language then this should be right up your alley. It’s not as innovative as this breathing PC, but it still looks kinda cool.
The case is constructed from thin sheets of powder-coated aluminium but comes in a sort of DYI kit where you’ll need to bend some of the panels yourself. That old “measure twice, cut once” adage applies here, except now it’s “think twice, bend once” as the company puts it on its website.
Computer-1 only offers support for ITX sized motherboards, meaning it’s a rather smol boi. It stands at just 322mm tall, 170mm wide and 190mm deep. These sizes mean there will definitely be some restrictions as to what you can fit inside. That’s all up to you because this is just the case.
You’ll need to find a suitably sized motherboard but bear in mind you’ll only have 120mm to play with for your CPU cooler. The same goes for the GPU. You’re limited to a dual-slot GPU no longer than 180mm. So forget about superpowerful RTX 3080 builds. That might be a good thing though because, with the GPU mounted horizontally at the top, airflow and temperatures might be cause for concern. You’ll also need to source an SFX power supply. These kinds of limitations are pretty standard for ITX builds so don’t forget, measure twice, purchase once.
Computer-1 is expensive and leave room for human error
At almost $200 (R3,000) the computer-1, which you have to build yourself, is a bit of a tough sell. It’s not as flush with options as the more popular ATX form-factor, but there are definitely other options when it comes to ITX cases. The Lian Li O11 mini or the popular CoolerMaster NC200 come to mind.
That being said, Teenage Engineering doesn’t seem like it’s trying to completely disrupt the ITX market. “[I]t’s not a ground-breaking pc case, but we like it, and use it every day. [N]ow we’d like to share it with you.” Thanks, we guess.
It sold out within minutes, so if you want one you’ll need to head over to their site and sign up to be notified when it’s back in stock.
Source: Engadget