Gaming PC

InWin Launches $95 Origami-Like Case That DIYers Get to Assemble From Scratch

Widely known for their luxury PC cases, InWin has developed an interesting computer case idea that allows enthusiast DIYers to build a case from scratch. Representing the company’s iBuildiShare series, his POC cases arrive unassembled and allow consumers to crimp and fold his 0.8 mm SECC steel panels. The manufacturer ships the POC in a compact box. This is 1/5 of his volume in a typical mini-tower package. POC packaging is assimilated to a pizza box and is intended to reduce shipping costs and environmental impact to some extent.

The POC is a mini-ITX case that measures 10.1 x 10.9 x 16.7 inches (256 x 278 x 432 mm) and weighs 8.82 pounds (4 kg). There are seven folding panels that the consumer needs to assemble to form the case. It features a compact vertical layout that helps minimize case space requirements. It’s a mini-ITX case, so larger motherboards are out of the question. Nevertheless, the POC offers enough space to handle modern hardware. There are three PCI expansion slots on the case, supporting up to 3.5-slot graphics cards with maximum length and width of 13.6 inches (346 mm) and 3.2 inches (82 mm) respectively. Therefore, the POC can handle powerful graphics cards such as the GeForce RTX 4090 without issue. The graphics card is placed in a separate chamber to keep heat out of the rest of the system. As a result, InWin offers a separate PCIe 4.0 riser cable for connecting graphics cards to mini-ITX motherboards. On the power supply side, the case secures enough space to accommodate units up to 160mm.

One of the drawbacks of POC is the lack of support for liquid cooling. Owners are limited to air cooling, preferring coolers less than 5.6 inches (142 mm) tall. There is only one 120mm fan mount on the back of the case. InWin includes a Luna AL120 addressable RGB fan with POC. This is a PWM fan that produces up to 82.96 CFM airflow at a typical noise level of 25 dB(a). At first glance, the lack of vents in the POC may annoy some consumers. However, there are small triangular vent tabs on the case’s side panels that allow consumers to customize the venting.InWin also fitted the POC with some side handles to make it easier to carry.

Due to limited space, the POC has only one 2.5″ drive bay, so the case can only accommodate one SSD or hard drive of the same size. However, many mini-ITX motherboards come with two or more M.2 slots, so it shouldn’t be a problem. SSD prices have improved across the board, but SATA SSDs are still the preferred secondary storage medium over M.2. The case has one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports and one 3.5mm audio connector.

The POC is offered in vibrant blue and black (IW-CS-POCBLU) or striking green and yellow (IW-CS-POCGRE) trim. Retail price for the case is $95 plus tax and shipping, regardless of color theme. Plus, the modular design offers great replacement options. For example, owners can purchase a top panel, side cover, or motherboard place individually for just $18, while a replacement PCIe 4.0 riser cable costs $59. Unfortunately, InWin currently offers two color options of his for POC, so there aren’t many options to customize other than manual painting his jobs. Still, the idea has potential, and if enough users embrace it, the POC ecosystem could grow.

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