Teenage Engineering Has a New PC Case. As Common, You Will not Imagine the Value

Teenage Engineering, makers of wonderful and enjoyable gadgets like the favored OP-1 subject synthesizer and Pocket Operator music mixers, dropped a brand new PC case yesterday, and it instantly offered out. But in contrast to gear just like the OP-1 subject or TP-7 audio recorder that promote for eye-watering costs of $2,000 and $1,500, respectively, the translucent and plastic Computer-2 desktop PC case was given away totally free. Well, type of—you simply must pay for delivery. “The computer case you can’t buy,” reads the Computer-2’s product page. “Cause it’s free.”

The Computer-2 is the successor to Teenage Engineering’s first PC case, the Computer-1, which was launched in October 2021. The Computer-1’s complete gimmick was its IKEA-esque, flat-pack design, which required bending its distinctive orange-colored sheets of aluminum right into a mini-ITX desktop PC. The new Computer-2 remains to be a mini-ITX construct, however replaces the steel with “semi-transparent PP-plastic” that Teenage Engineering says is “molded in one plastic sheet.” It additionally options “living hinges and snap hooks.” You can try the assembly guide here.

As an proprietor of Computer 1, I can inform you firsthand that entering into the PC case is a particularly inconvenient and time-consuming course of that requires eradicating too many rattling screws every time you need to open up its facet panel. And you’ll have to crack the Computer-1 open actually because each part is packed in so tightly, the slightest motion from grabbing the PC by its handles can knock the delicate wiring for important stuff like the ability change connection or the Wi-Fi module misplaced.

The Computer-2 a minimum of seems to be to be simpler to get into. Teenage Engineering even says a suitable motherboard might be push-clicked into the case with out requiring any screws.

It being an SFF PC case that’s roughly 9.2L if the size are just like the Computer-1, the Computer-2 nonetheless helps restricted PC {hardware}. In addition to the mini-ITX motherboard and an SFX energy provide, the SFF PC solely works with dual-slot GPUs which might be 180mm in size. These quick GPUs severely restrict the ability—particularly for gaming or AI workflows—that many individuals now demand from a desktop PC. You gained’t be slotting in an Nvidia RTX 5090 or an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card into the Computer-2, that’s for certain.

One of the largest issues I’ve—and proceed to have—with the Computer 1 is its air circulation, or lack thereof. With so little room, even with a slim 80mm fan mounted on its facet panel, the inside of the SFF PC is such a rat’s nest of wires that, even should you tried, you might not be capable of cable handle or have sufficient area for higher cooling. It’s unlikely the Computer-2 could have enhancements, however I gained’t know till I get one, will I? You will get higher airflow should you don’t set up a discrete GPU, although; it’s simply physics when there’s nothing the place the graphics card sits.

Still, you may’t argue that Teenage Engineering’s second stab at an SFF PC case isn’t a looker. It’s a press release piece PC case that trades perform for kind. Transparent and translucent devices like Nothing’s Headphone 1 are again, child, and I hope they by no means section out ever once more.

The unhealthy information is that the Computer-2 is “sold out” as a result of it was given away totally free. Teenage Engineering’s web site now factors prospects to enter their electronic mail deal with to be notified when it’s again in inventory. I do know I’m not the one one who would love for Teenage Engineering to launch 3D-printable recordsdata for the Computer-2. Why the hell not, because it’s already “free,” anyway?