Teenage Engineering Has a New PC Case. As Usual, You Won't Believe the Price

Gizmodo

18 hours ago

Teenage Engineering, makers of fine and fun devices like the popular OP-1 field synthesizer and Pocket Operator music mixers, dropped a new PC case yesterday, and it immediately sold out. But unlike gear like the OP-1 field or TP-7 audio recorder that sell for eye-watering prices of $2,000 and $1,500, respectively, the translucent and plastic Computer-2 desktop PC case was given away for free. Well, sort of—you just have to pay for shipping. '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 released in October 2021. The Computer-1's whole gimmick was its IKEA-esque, flat-pack design, which required bending its distinctive orange-colored sheets of aluminum into a mini-ITX desktop PC. The new Computer-2 is still a mini-ITX build, but replaces the metal with 'semi-transparent PP-plastic' that Teenage Engineering says is 'molded in one plastic sheet.' It also features 'living hinges and snap hooks.' You can check out the assembly guide here.
As an owner of Computer 1, I can tell you firsthand that getting into the PC case is an extremely inconvenient and time-consuming process that requires removing too many damn screws each and every time you want to open up its side panel. And you will have to crack the Computer-1 open often because every component is packed in so tightly, the slightest movement from grabbing the PC by its handles can knock the fragile wiring for essential stuff like the power switch connection or the Wi-Fi module out of place.
The Computer-2 at least looks to be easier to get into. Teenage Engineering even says a compatible motherboard can be push-clicked into the case without requiring any screws.
It being an SFF PC case that's roughly 9.2L if the dimensions are similar to the Computer-1, the Computer-2 still supports limited PC hardware. In addition to the mini-ITX motherboard and an SFX power supply, the SFF PC only works with dual-slot GPUs that are 180mm in length. These short GPUs severely limit the power—especially for gaming or AI workflows—that many people now demand from a desktop PC. You won't be slotting in an Nvidia RTX 5090 or an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card into the Computer-2, that's for sure.
One of the biggest concerns I have—and continue to have—with the Computer 1 is its air flow, or lack thereof. With so little room, even with a slim 80mm fan mounted on its side panel, the interior of the SFF PC is such a rat's nest of wires that, even if you tried, you may not be able to cable manage or have enough space for better cooling. It's unlikely the Computer-2 will have improvements, but I won't know until I get one, will I? You will get better airflow if you don't install a discrete GPU, though; it's just physics when there's nothing where the graphics card sits.
Still, you can't argue that Teenage Engineering's second stab at an SFF PC case isn't a looker. It's a statement piece PC case that trades function for form. Transparent and translucent gadgets like Nothing's Headphone 1 are back, baby, and I hope they never phase out ever again.
The bad news is that the Computer-2 is 'sold out' because it was given away for free. Teenage Engineering's website now points interested customers to enter their email address to be notified when it's back in stock. I know I'm not the only one who would love for Teenage Engineering to release 3D-printable files for the Computer-2. Why the hell not, since it's already 'free,' anyway?