In a nutshell: Swedish consumer electronics company Teenage Engineering set out to design the world's cheapest computer case – and at a cost of $0, it has succeeded. The Computer-2 is a small form factor chassis constructed from a single sheet of semi-transparent, foldable PP-plastic. It can accommodate a mini-ITX motherboard with a low-profile CPU cooler, a SFX power supply, an 80mm cooling fan, and up to a dual-slot graphics card no longer than 180mm.
The chassis utilizes living hinges and snap hooks for easy assembly, and is accompanied by an 18-step build guide in PDF form. Silicon fasteners are included for a case fan, as are silicon feet for the bottom of the machine. Components like the power supply are to be installed using hardware supplied with the unit.
Teenage Engineering's latest is limited to one per customer and is being given away free of charge. Predictably, the first batch of cases quickly sold out but the company promises more will be offered throughout the remainder of 2025.
It's hard to complain about a free case, but there are a couple of caveats you should be aware of. Given its plastic construction and flexible nature, one probably shouldn't expect too much in terms of sturdiness. The snap-into-place handle, for example, seems like a costly accident waiting to happen. And depending on your hardware configuration, a single 80mm case fan could come up short in the cooling department.
For most, the Computer-2 will likely equate to little more than a novelty – a fun conversation piece perhaps, but not something you'd want to use as your everyday chassis and certainly not something you would want to carry around LAN party style (despite Teenage Engineering referring to it as a portable computer case).
Either way, it's neat that Teenage Engineering is offering it free of charge. If you are at all interested, happen to time it when they are in stock, and shipping it's too outrageous, I say go for it. After all, who doesn't like a freebie?
