Don't Buy a PC Case, Go Open Air!

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Showing off what you've got and easy access is worth risking a little dust.

Transparent acrylic PC cases aren't exactly new, but AskTech Co. has at least two acrylic cases that are definitely designed for showing off your workstation's innards. The unimaginatively-named NK-OC350A is less PC case and more a platform for "open-air testing". The motherboard mount (for miniITX, microATX, and ATX motherboards) is slanted towards the viewer, with the drive and power supply mounts situated directly under.

The NK-OC450A on the other hand is designed for more stability, with the motherboard separated from the other components by non-angular shelf. The whole setup is also contained within a steel frame, but it's easy to remove the top cover for maximum exposure.

Both of AskTech's offerings are advertised as testing platforms, so you can bet it appeals to frequent overclockers and hardware reviewers. Not to mention boastful enthusiasts who'd want the best way to showcase their setup on a wildly active computer hardware forum. And at an estimated price of $50, the NK-OC350A won't exactly burn a hole in your pocket.

Unfortunately, AskTech currently only sells in Germany, Japan, Eastern Europe, and Korea (where they're based). The company rep revealed that they were looking for a distributor in the US though, so let's see what happens.

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64 Comments Comment from the forums
  • sliem
    Mmmmm no.
    Reply
  • twbg4cq
    A while back I saw a pic of someone that just mounted everything on his wall behind his monitor. I'll see if I can find the pic...

    edit: this isn't the exact pic, http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_dec2007/RedneckComputer.jpg but the same idea. The difference was that everything was spread out a lot more and was mounted on a plank of wood. Looked cooler than this one.

    edit2: Looked more like this: http://www.chadabarrett.com/images/wall_1.jpg
    Reply
  • JasonAkkerman
    Unless everything was liquid cooled it would be too noisy. Four case fans, GPU, CPU and PS fans make a lot of noise.
    Reply
  • Anomalyx
    JasonAkkermanUnless everything was liquid cooled it would be too noisy. Four case fans, GPU, CPU and PS fans make a lot of noise.
    Well, throw out the case fans, since it's open-air. CPU, GPU, and PS fans are typically temperature-controlled, so I'd think the reduced air temp would make for a lower core temps and therefore lower fan speeds. Yes, I agree, you'll hear those 3 fans more, but in their defense, they should be spinning slower than if they're in an enclosed case. (in theory)

    I'd think watercooling would be loud too... haven't come across a pump quiet enough for me, especially to have sitting on my desk while running.
    Reply
  • captainnemojr
    Sure would suck to spill my beer on it or have the cat jump on it.
    Reply
  • kd0frg
    If you want a quiet machine just dunk the whole thing in mineral oil haha
    Reply
  • maigo
    The real problem is heat, there's no mass to help soak it up
    Reply
  • webmastir
    http://www.chadabarrett.com/images/wall_mobo.jpg
    Reply
  • Xlick
    twbg4cqA while back I saw a pic of someone that just mounted everything on his wall behind his monitor. I'll see if I can find the pic...edit: this isn't the exact pic, http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_dec mputer.jpg but the same idea. The difference was that everything was spread out a lot more and was mounted on a plank of wood. Looked cooler than this one.edit2: Looked more like this: http://www.chadabarrett.com/images/wall_1.jpg

    http://www.blogcdn.com/www.diylife.com/media/2007/07/pcguts03-by-visual-velocity-pc.jpg
    Reply
  • jojesa
    "Don't Buy a PC Case, Go Open Air!"
    I hope you don't have any kids, besides all other things that could happen in an open case (drop water, drinks, dust, something could fall into the fan, etc).
    I thinks is a good thing for someone alone or a PC tech.
    Reply