Console-Shaped PCs and Cases

Mini-ITX chassis have been around for decades, but in the last few years, we’ve seen the emergence of slim console-like computer cases and pre-built PCs. Now, there are plenty of svelte chassis from the likes of Fractal Design and SilverStone. There are also a bunch of console-sized PCs from companies like Alienware and Origin PC. We’re going to highlight some modern micro towers in the following gallery.

Fractal Design tailor-made its Node 202 gaming case for the living room. The chassis can be stood up or laid down and measures 4.9x15.1x13 inches. With a body offering a volume of 10.2 liters, it’s quite small. The Node 202 offers separate component bays, which help keep your hardware cool. The chassis will fit dual-slot video cards that are 12.2 inches or shorter. You will need a small form factor power supply (also known as an SFX PSU) to get it running, however.

SilverStone is no stranger to Mini-ITX chassis. As a matter of fact, you’ll see more than one case from the manufacturer in this roundup. The company’s RVZ01-E is one of the few slim form factor chassis that support standard ATX power supplies, though at 15x4.1x13.7 inches with a volumetric 14 liter body, it’s slightly on the bigger side. On the bright side, the RVZ01-E can be used vertically or horizontally, and can fit full-size graphics cards.

The Sentry chassis started off with a successful Indiegogo campaign and was advertised as a “console-sized gaming PC case” with its 13.3x12.2x2.5 inch frame. It raised $222,388 from 921 backers, which is really impressive when you consider its goal was a modest $19,500. The company says the Sentry is small enough to fit into many 17-inch laptop bags and backpacks. Its drawbacks are that it does require a smaller SFX power supply and won’t fit large graphics cards.

SilverStone’s RVZ02 is a follow-up to the company’s RVZ01 model. It introduces two see-through panels and is a bit smaller than its predecessors with 14.9x3.4x14.5-inch dimensions. It supports two 2.5 inch storage drives and a dual-slot graphics card that’s up to 13 inches long. Like the RVZ01, it can be used either vertically or horizontally, but requires a smaller SFX power supply.

While AZZA’s CSAZ-103 case is a bit bigger than most other Mini-ITX cases in this roundup with its 13.5x4.4x17.3-inch dimensions, it supports standard ATX PSUs and water cooling systems with up to two 120mm fans. It is limited to 11-inch graphics cards, though.

SilverStone’s ML08 is a slim form factor chassis that’s based on the company’s RVZ02 case. It shares the same base 4.9x3.4x14.5-inch dimensions, but its biggest addition is that it offers a removable handle. Like the RVZ02, it supports graphics cards up to 13 inches long and requires an SFX power supply.

Corsair’s Bulldog 2.0 is actually a barebones PC kit. In this case, it includes a Z270 Mini-ITX motherboard and a 600-watt SFX power supply. Unlike most other chassis in this roundup, the Bulldog is designed to simply lay flat. It’s also on the heftier size with dimensions measuring 15X17.6x5.7 inches. On the bright side, it does support watercooled CPUs and GPUs.

The next few slides showcase prebuilt PCs with console-sized chassis from the likes of Alienware, Origin PC, and more.

CyberPowerPC’s Syber Vapor Xtreme PC actually spawned out of Valve’s Steam Machine initiative back in 2014. Like most PCs from the vendor, there are a lot of different hardware customization options to choose from. You can get the 13.8x13.5x3.8 inch chassis in black or white, and the case offers LED lighting with seven different color options.

Falcon Northwest generally caters its PCs to an affluent crowd, and its Tiki micro tower represents a small, but high-end PC that’s outfitted with a water-cooled CPU. The chassis measures 4x13.5x13.2 inches and it has a base at the bottom, which relegates it to a standing orientation. The case comes in a wide variety of colors, and you can customize it to have a side window to show off your GPU.

Digital Storm is another high-end boutique PC vendor. The company’s Bolt 3 Mini ITX rig features a case designed by Lian Li. It’s one of the larger micro towers in this roundup with its 18.3x15.1x5.8 inch body, but it features a custom loop cooler and internal RGB lighting, which you’ll be able to see with its glass side panel. You can also orient the Bolt 3 vertically or horizontally. The PC incorporates a 600-watt SFX power supply and features a couple different hardware configuration options.

Origin PC’s Chronos rig features the only chassis in this roundup that allows you to orient it four different ways. The system comes with a built-in 600-watt PSU and supports up to six SSDs. This is pretty impressive given its 11.7x4x13.7 inch size. You can also outfit it with a variety of modern Intel CPUs coupled with a 10-series Nvidia GPU. The case comes in a wide variety of color options and offers RGB lighting.

Alienware’s X51 was one of the first high profile gaming PCs to ship in a console-shaped form factor. Its R3 model represents the latest revision of the rig with its 13.5x12.5x3.7-inch chassis and introduces liquid cooling as an option. The X51 offers PCIe SSD support and can be outfitted with modern graphics cards from AMD or Nvidia.

Asus’ ROG G20CB PC sports a very alien-looking design that mixes a matte black aesthetic with glowing red accents topped off with RGB lighting. The case measures 4x13x14 inches, has a 9.5 liter body, and can be equipped with a 6th generation Intel processor coupled with a modern Nvidia GPU.

We plan on updating this story as more console-style cases and PCs release, but for now, what is your favorite chassis design? Let us know in the comments below!