CyberPower’s living, breathing PC case is mesmerizing

Looks like it’s finally time to take the next step in design for computer cases. At CES 2022, CyberPowerPC showed off its new Kinetic series desktop PC cases that draw from the world of architecture.

Pretty much all the popular computer cases these days follow the same blocky design formula of clear side panels, mesh front panels and maybe some cool LED strips. There are exceptions like Teenage Engineering’s computer-1, but they’re far from mainstream (or budget-friendly). CyberPowerPC didn’t stray too far from the tried-and-true design, but they revamped the front panel with form and function in mind.

Nam Hoang, creative director at CyberPowerPC, said that they were inspired by one of the more popular examples of kinetic architecture, the Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi. Unlike the computerized sunscreen of the Al Bahr Towers that expand to block direct sunlight, the Kinetic Series’ front panel features 18 individually-controlled vents that can open and close to adjust airflow on the fly. CyberPowerPC was aiming for an “intelligent airflow” when designing the case so they made the vents able to continually monitor the computer’s internal temperature and adapt as needed.

“These adjustments are not limited to a simple open and close, but rather the opening and adjusting real time to every single degree of temperature change,” Hoang said in the debut video. “It senses the environment and is constantly contracting and expanding to adapt to the situation with micro-adjustments.”

Intelligent design — When the computer’s internal temperature is high, the vents will contract to allow for more airflow and when the temp is low, they will expand to reduce airflow, noise and dust. CyberPowerPC’s case design is intriguing but it does make me wonder how loud the computer will be when the vents are fully open. Also, it’d be interesting to see what the potential for dust intake is when playing a more graphically demanding game at max settings for a longer session.

As for the other design elements, the Kinetic case still has the clear side panel alongside a mesh top panel that’s common with other cases. More importantly, the intelligent case can fit up to a 360mm radiator, full ATX motherboards, and seven 120mm fans or five 140mm fans, according to a PCWorld report.

Coming later this year — If you’re the one to show off your cool PC gaming setup, you’ll definitely get some oohs and ahhs with the Kinetic series and its eye-catching design. CyberPowerPC is looking to ship systems with the Kinetic series by the third quarter of this year, and is even considering selling the case on its own, according to PCWorld.