- Teenage Engineering has produced a new PC case
- The Computer-2 is a sequel to the Computer-1, but it's free
- It's made of plastic rather than aluminum, and unfortunately out of stock right now
Thinking of building a new computer? What if I told you that you could get the PC case for free – you probably wouldn't believe me, would you? Well, you can – with a couple of notable caveats, but this is still fundamentally a freebie.
The Verge reports that Teenage Engineering (more typically associated with nifty audio hardware) now has a sequel to its Computer-1 PC case. Can you guess what it's called? Yep: the Computer-2 case – in a stunning stroke of creativity.
The key difference is that, unlike the original case, which cost $ 149 in the US, the follow-up is free. Another notable change is that instead of aluminum, it's made of plastic, which is obviously a cost-saving measure.
In fact, it's a single sheet of semi-transparent plastic that folds into a PC chassis (using hinges and snap hooks). There are no screws needed, and the motherboard can simply be pushed and clicked into place, Teenage Engineering informs us.
It must be a (small) mini-ITX motherboard, mind, as this is a small form-factor (SFF) case for a compact PC build. It can fit an SFX power supply and a dual-slot graphics card (7 inches is the maximum length for the discrete GPU).
As well as the sheet of plastic that forms the chassis itself, you get the bits and pieces to go with it in terms of various power cables, fasteners, feet for the case to stand on, and so forth.
Analysis: What about those catches?
Okay, so coming back to the cost being a – literally – round figure of nothing – how on earth can this PC case be provided for free? Well, it can't, and Teenage Engineering is charging for the shipping to cover sending out the Computer-2 as you might guess (and likely a bit of that is to cover the cost of production). Of course, that's fair enough – it does mean you are getting the components themselves for free.
The other catch is that Computer-2 is already marked as sold out on the official website; you can only click to receive a notification when stock is back in. You can still examine the instructions, though, to get a better understanding of what construction involves, and exactly what you'll get.
By all accounts, the Computer-1 is a great case for a small PC build – and this new plastic take on the formula looks equally cool, especially given the price here (or lack of it). Anecdotally, I've seen a report of the shipping costing $16 (in the US) if you're wondering exactly what you might end up paying (when it's back in stock).
As for mulling over buying a cheap case in general, you can get some great products at the budget end of the market. Just be careful around airflow issues – especially if it's a gaming PC that you're building – and be sure to consult reviews to ensure you're not picking up a dud (and also our best PC cases buying guide will come in handy).
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