Did you know that a desktop computer, even one with high-end gaming or creative components, doesn’t have to look like a rainbow-powered hookah dropped by an alien? space ship? I know, it freaks me out too. But someone at Corsair decided that was the case, and launched a series of stylish wood panels for PC cases.
Add-on mesh panels can be used on the top and bottom of Corsair 4000 and 5000-series ATX cases, adding a little laser-cut sophistication to your build. As KitGuru notes, the custom panels replace the standard airflow dust cover, and since they are easily removable, they should work the same in terms of cleaning and protection. You can choose bamboo (light), teak (dark), and sapele (in the middle) finishes to suit your taste and decor.
Corsair
It’s a shame that Corsair doesn’t offer these wood panels in a case from the factory – it’s a very expensive $55-75 add-on for existing designs. (Though that applies if you’ve already built a PC in one of those expensive cases, I guess.) But for a more ground-up solution, check out the recently released case at Fractal Design in the North. This smaller design has vertical wooden slats on the front air intake. It’s kind of an Adirondack look for Fractal’s typically chill PC enclosure style.
Fractal Design
The North case comes in just one ATX size, but it’s available in “chalk white” and “charcoal black” finishes, with lighter and darker woods to match. You can choose a tempered glass side panel or lower mesh, each going for a $129 retail price. While these appear to be the only PC cases on the market with wooden accents (not counting Fractal’s Era mini-ITX, now apparently out of production), I hope this leads to a renaissance. in PC designs that are actually meant to blend in with. home decoration, instead of coming out like a mini-refrigerator that hosts a small rave inside.
Of course if you are tired of waiting for more customized designs from accessory manufacturers, you can always make your own PC inspired by classic amplifiers. Assuming you have decades of artisan woodworking experience, naturally.