The Future of Case Designs

[Agonizel]

Hi community,

 

Just like art and dank memes, there is always an apparent trend in the design of the different things.

I see it as a cycle: It seems like we progress and then sometimes we somehow regress, but still with that trace, that 'heritage' the past progress gave us; and finally we progress again into an eventual new trend.

 

If I had to summarize the story of case designs it would be:
- Boring Beige
- Not Beige/Colourful
- Black
- Always more aggressive 'gamery'-looking cases
- Aggressive looking with 36000 fan-mounts
- Partly- to total plexiglas side panel
- Minimalist, sleek design with the progressive abandonment of optical drive bays

And lately,
- Closed off front panel
- RGB, more RGB
- Tempered glass, even more tempered glass

Now,

- Intake from the bottom / Shifting of the PSU localisation

(If the list is incomplete or incorrect, feel free to complete/correct it guys.)

 

Until we finally came to the aberration that was 2017, where the extreme emphasis on Design - as Steve Burke said: "Ticking the boxes" (vertical gpu mount, TG, closed-off front panel) - totally stomped functionality and airflow.
I think we're hitting or maybe we've hit a cul-de-sac. In my opinion, the new Corsair 500D case symbolizes that cul-de-sac: I find the Design pretty messy and incoherent, it feels like it's in a crack between a design progress tentative in the current Trend and the functionality/airflow vindications of the public set in motion after the disappointing case releases of 2017.

 

So what do you guys think we're going from there?

I hope someday, that we'll be able to put some optional / custom paint jobs on our PC cases. For instance, I could order a blue 750D with 2 yellow stripes on it: as simple as that.



 

[Anghammarad]

I would love some beauties in wood without rgb... or ninja rgb

 

as afterthought... 

 

think of the pickup lines: ey you wanna see my wood?

[Agonizel]

3 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

I would love some beauties in wood without rgb... or ninja rgb

 

as afterthought... 

 

think of the pickup lines: ey you wanna see my wood?

Oh yes! Different materials: wood, stone, maybe even velour!

[AshleyAshes]

#BringBackBeige!

 

[TVwazhere]

46 minutes ago, HappyDog_420 said:

If I had to summarize the story of case designs it would be:
- Boring Beige
- Not Beige/Colourful
- Black
- Always more aggressive 'gamery'-looking cases

- Bigger is better; The Golden Age of Full Size Towers wasting space and 200mm fans
- Aggressive looking with 36000 fan-mounts
- Partly- to total plexiglas side panel

- Oh Sh** it's to big. Downsize, downsize, downsize! Also let's add PSU shrouds!
- Minimalist, sleek design with the progressive abandonment of optical drive bays

And lately,
- Closed off front panel (Fu** this)
- RGB, more RGB (screw this trend, especially since half of it is proprietary. Looking at you Corsair and NZXT)
- Tempered glass, even more tempered glass

Now,

- Intake from the bottom / Shifting of the PSU localisation

- Vertical GPU mounts. Good For watercooling, TERRIBLE FOR AIR COOLERS

Added a couple

[EnergyEclipse]

8 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

#BringBackBeige!

-snip-

They are making a slow comeback! Search up vintage computer cases on places like Ebay UK (Tick new on the filters on the left) and there is starting to be more modern ATX adaptations of the beloved beige chassis  

[emosun]

On 2/23/2018 at 7:46 AM, HappyDog_420 said:

If I had to summarize the story of case designs it would be:
- Boring Beige

you must not have been around before computers came in beige

 

 

Also....

 

cases are boring today becuase people are boring today. we used to make and mod our own cases

 

break out the death wheel , welder , paint , and make a case that nobody else has and is better than the tempered glass crap

[Anghammarad]

I think for example this is a beauty: 

 

 

full case here : https://www.million-dollar-pc.com/systems-2010/cygnus-x1/cygnus-x1.htm

 

 

[Automobili3XF]

23 hours ago, Anghammarad said:

I think for example this is a beauty: 

full case here : https://www.million-dollar-pc.com/systems-2010/cygnus-x1/cygnus-x1.htm

Now this, i need this in my life!

 

I miss the good quality thick metal panels on cases, like the Pentium 4 era Chieftecs and Antecs, these things weighted 15kgs without any componentes in them! 

 

This one is my baby, i'll never sell it.

[divito]

9 minutes ago, Chevy_Monsenhor said:

This one is my baby, i'll never sell it.

 

I feel the same way about one of my original cases:

 

Sadly, I don't still have it. Thing was a beast; was certainly interesting lugging that thing to LAN parties/tournaments.

[Syntaxvgm]

Antec version

 

300, 900, 1200

 

Keep selling the 300, 900, and 1200

 

300, 900, 1200 are no longer good cases by modern standards

????????????????????????????????????

 

Bankruptcy

 

[Syntaxvgm]

Truth is I miss the days of this kinda shit- acrylic cases, uv lighting. Bonus if it has UV green watercooling with unnecessary flow meters and stuff.

sure it was gaudy but it had soul. Sure PCs look better now, but these sleek modern unassuming looks are just that. Plain, unassuming, boring. This is why RGB lighting is becoming a thing. We made these PCs, they gotta be ridiculous somehow! How else will people know we made it from a mile away?

[geo3]

I was always a fan of this style case.

[RollinLower]

1 hour ago, emosun said:

you must not have been around before computers came in beige

 

now that right there is a beauty! i think they even make clones of these now that fit standard hardware. so tempted to pick one up!

[Ithanul]

Hopefully back to cases that actually take function into account and expand on options.

About the only latest case I bothered buying was a Define S, and I still don't consider that a good case for the fact I am using a dremel on the darn thing and its frame is flimsy thin crap metal.

[omgmike]

Remember when any proper gaming PC at a LAN party had cold cathodes?

[WoodenMarker]

Moved to Cases and Power Supplies. Please make sure to post in the correct sub-forum in the future. 

[andrewmp6]

11 hours ago, omgmike said:

Remember when any proper gaming PC at a LAN party had cold cathodes?

I had them in blue and uv years ago with every cable i could find uv blue.

[Neverender]

I would love to see an HTPC case designed like the old school integrated amps of the 70s, like Kenwood and Pioneer used to do.