YouTuber builds mind-blowingly complex kinetic PC case

Shawn Knight

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Editor's take: I couldn't image trying to build something even halfway comparable. Even if I had the creativity required to come up with something in the same ballpark, the sheer amount of time that a project like this would require would keep me at bay.

CyberPowerPC showcased an incredibly imaginative chassis at CES 2022. The Kinetic case featured 18 motorized triangular vents on the front bezel that open and close based on the system's internal temperature.

The mid-tower was expected to launch in the third quarter of 2022 for $249. Nearly two years after its debut, however, it is still not available. With no launch window in sight, one YouTuber decided to take matters into his own hands and build something similar from scratch.

Ideal Idea spent months coming up with a custom, "really complicated" design. He used his existing PC case as the foundation and built around it using mostly plywood that was precision cut using a laser cutter. Think of it like a large slide-on cover for the existing case.

The starring attraction is the kinetic front panel. The front panel actually ended up being two different panels, each with a different design. The less complex of the two was inspired by a stained glass window while the second, far more complex honeycomb-style design features an array of small hexagon pistons that move in and out.

The end result is incredibly impressive, especially considering the complexity. The first design featured just 14 moving parts. The second was to utilize a staggering 885 moving pieces but as you will see, there was a ton of trial and error and just too many moving parts. The inner workings had to be modified to get everything to behave but in the end, it all still came together.

I can now understand why CyberPowerPC hasn't brought their kinetic case to market yet. Manufacturing must be a nightmare. Hopefully, they will be able to get everything ironed out and deliver on a truly unique design.

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End result of the second panel design is STUNNING! Massive props to this guy for having the patience to not just ditch the whole project after the initial failure of that panel design.
 
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