Asus Motherboard Box Doubles As PC Case

itwbennett writes "Taiwan's Asus has a novel idea to cut down on shipping waste: What if the shipping container became the PC case? That's the idea behind a box the company will begin using to ship one of its Mini ATX motherboards. It holds the motherboard snug for shipping and is constructed so additional components required to make a PC can be added, said Debby Lee, a spokeswoman for the Taipei-based company. An example of the box is showing at this week's Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany."

Comments

Re:Unfortunately

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what he said.

That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[rsilvergun]

But is this safe? I thought you needed to ground the mobo against metal... Still, a pre-mounted mobo that can be moved to a better case when you feel like it? Sign me up!

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[arivanov]

I have run motherboards for the last 20 years without grounding them on a regular basis. It is kind'a safe from that perspective. It is better for the motherboard if it is grounded properly, but most work fine anyway. Same for cards, adapters, drives, etc - very few rely on getting a proper ground from the bracket fixings or the fixing bolts.

I am more worried about the cardboard. Is this one properly treated with a flame retardant? If the MB or any of the components smokes for whatever reason is it going to burn merrily or fizzle out.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[icebike]

Ground is handled by the power connections, which includes a ground pin, and is grounded to the mains. Grounding the power supply to the case is only needed because the case (normally) is metal, and you want to be sure it is at ground.

But is a cardboard box safe for other reasons? Like FIRE?

I've had more than a few PCs get hot enough in certain circumstances where fire is a serious danger, especially in enclosed spaces (shoved under desks), or maybe pushed up against resistive electrical baseboard heaters etc.

This thing just cries out for the Slashdot "What could possibly go wrong" meme.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[icebike]

Exactly.

But I've actually seen Mother Boards light up too, after capacitors blew. I've seen hard drives get so hot they were painful to touch. Mounted in cardboard that can't be good.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Liquidretro]

Not exactly You have to use the spacers in a case so you don't ground out the board on the case. If you don't do this the PC will not power on, its a common first time builder mistake. You ground the PC with the power supply and its connection to the wall.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Thud457]

Are they paying this guy royalties?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[SuperTechnoNerd]

It's not unsafe, however without a grounded metal chassis, it will radiate a great deal of RF interference. You could not sell them assembled in this form because they would never pass FCC rules for RFI

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Moryath]

The connectors to the power supply are grounded, and there are ground pins all over the freaking place in the case. It's not as if the thing weren't pretty much grounded anyways. I've seen motherboards run inside cardboard boxes, on top of bubble wrap, packing foam, even on top of a pile of packing peanuts.

What I'm worried about is: what happens if you get one of the usual USA-type drivers from FedEx/UPS who kicks the shit out of your package? The box'll be halfway useless for making a PC anyways then.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[geekoid]

IF you box gets hot enough to catch this on fire, it would have failed before it got hot enough to set this on fire.

You heard me.
Corrugated cardboard ignites at over 400 C

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[dzimney]

Or water? I wouldn't go resting my drink on that thing... then again, live dangerously. Even still, it's super awesome. Although, considering the size of the box in the video, I'm not exactly sure how much they're really "[cutting] down on shipping waste." The thing is eventually going in the trash. And by trash I mean Recycling bin.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[MightyYar]

But is a cardboard box safe for other reasons? Like FIRE?

I imagine some fire retardant would take care of this. After all, plastic is a petroleum product that is fairly combustible without fire retardant, and there have been no shortage of plastic computer cases through the years.

RF noise could be a problem, but I imagine that a small amount of aluminum foil would take care of that. It won't be any worse than running a PC with the side cover off, or using one of the plastic see-through cases.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[gewalker]

I have seen the power supplies on running PCs catch on fire -- PC continues to operate while smoke is rolling out of the P/S. This condition does not last long though. The extra fuel of a cardboard case might be enough to get a more interesting fire going.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[LeperPuppet]

If you're dumb enough to build such a PC and then install it in a hot, enclosed space where it's more likely to catch fire, then maybe you deserve a burnt PC.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Coren22]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

It takes 451 deg F to light paper on fire, probably even higher for cardboard, and the cardboard will probably be treated with something to make it even less likely to catch. That would be some serious sparks to light the case on fire.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[h4rr4r]

I have seen motherboards catch fire, actual fire with flames and smoke. Sure the machine failed, but the metal case sure seems to reduce the risk of that fire spreading. Would this case then have gone up as well?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[icebike]

Oh, yeah, what was I thinking. Of course metal clad computers NEVER burn up, so cardboard ones are perfectly safe.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[glarbl_blarbl]

Because all FedEx/UPS drivers keep a database of people who complain about them on the internet?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[yurtinus]

RFI won't be as huge of a deal inside your house - may interfere with other devices you have but I can't imagine power levels being high enough to really be a concern. Folks get used to crappy EMI design these days anyhow. I've had Dell computers whose low-level humming in my headphones would change when I scrolled a page on screen. I'd also be worried about it's ESD susceptibility - if you walk across a carpet and touch a computer in a regular case, at least it has a metal case around it to reduce the impact of that shock on your mainboard.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Hognoxious]

"usual USA-type drivers from FedEx/UPS who kicks the shit out of your package" ...but you have no idea why you always get the crappy service.....

Why do you assume that what he's saying about them now was said to them at any point in time?

I'll save you the trouble of answering: because you're a fat fucking idiot, that's why.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Xacid]

Validate your statement and earn yourself some credibility. If you can correct misinformation - help teach. If not, kindly stfu and gtfo.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[sdguero]

Paper catches fire around 230 C...

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/LewisChung.shtml

Your silicone should have melted well before the thing goes into combustion...

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Hognoxious]

It takes 451 deg F to light paper on fire

Interesting. I'd have thought it might depend on the type of paper and also external conditions such as humidity and air speed.

I guess you learn something new every day. In my case, it was that there are retards who can't tell a fictional novel from a scientific treatise.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[MokuMokuRyoushi]

A lot of people are asking "will it ignite?". Not likely - unless you blow something up, the psu or other. My question is, what happens if you spill a glass of water on it?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Hognoxious]

You have to use the spacers in a case so you don't ground out the board on the case.

No, you use them so you don't ground the parts that shouldn't be grounded.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Gilmoure]

Maybe if you coated the cardboard with an aluminum/iron oxide paint so that it'll reflect heat better?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[SuperTechnoNerd]

Im not saying its a health concern, not at all. However I sometimes mess with decoding low earth orbiting satellites and other Ham related digital projects. I have learned the hard way that having a sensitive receiver in the same room as a computer especially with no cover on is dicy at best. I have been known to run motherboards on a stack of books with a power supply dangling off for testing purposes. Back in the late 80's (ok im dating myself) I used to work in a small computer store and a ham operator complained and the FCC found we had no certifications on our custom build machines, basically shutting us down for a while.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[gknoy]

Oh great, now he's going to kick your packages!

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[TheRaven64]

I don't know why I got crappy service from FedEx, but I will never do any business with them again. I wasted an afternoon chasing a debt collection agency that they set on me, in spite of the fact that:

1. The person at the other end had arranged the shipment, was responsible for the payment, and had an account with FedEx that the payment could be taken from automatically, and
2. The invoice had already been paid two months earlier, and FedEx had confirmed to me (in writing, twice) that the invoice had been paid

The problem seemed to be that FedEx UK has arranged the shipment, but FedEx USA had received the payment, but having incompetent internal accounting is no excuse for sending a debt collection agency after your customers (or, in this case, your customer's customer).

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[smellsofbikes]

For what it's worth, I've had a still-running (as in the monitor still had an image on it) motherboard with small parts sliding off because the solder had melted. Of course, solder melts way below 400C. However, I've also had the infamous Dell GX270 capacitor explosion, which blew actual flame out the back of my case -- clearly over 400C. As such I can imagine situations where the grandparent post's concern might be valid.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[TheRaven64]

Actually, 451 degrees centigrade is the autoignition temperature of paper. The original book title was Centigrade 451, but the publisher changed it, thinking Fahrenheit sounded better (and that the US market wouldn't understand what Centigrade 451 meant).

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[TheRaven64]

Of course metal clad computers NEVER burn up

You might be surprised. Search YouTube for videos of the original NeXT cube. A 1' cube of magnesium looks pretty when it burns...

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[oobayly]

Except that he got the units wrong.

contemporary with the novel's writing gave the temperature as 450 C, Bradbury is believed to have thought "Fahrenheit" made for a better title

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[yurtinus]

Oh I certainly wasn't trying to imply health concerns - my insanity has its bounds! I'm just saying that for normal people (y'know, non Hams ;) ), the RFI isn't going to noticeably impact anything else they use.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Gohtar]

Maybe if you coated the cardboard with an aluminum/iron oxide paint so that it'll reflect heat better?

Sounds like a recipe for a another Hindenburg disater.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[hairyfeet]

Yeah because they treat packages so gently if you don't say anything. Ever see that scene in Ace Ventura? it is funny because it is true! I actually got all the local UPS guys fired because they were sitting around smoking pot (I don't care what you do on your own time but when the office smells like a bong you know you're in trouble) and treating packages liik footballs. The final straw was when I had to send some PCs back not once but twice because they were using them as step ladders and not only were the PCs smashed but there were boot prints on the side where they had stood on them!

Unfortunately for them at the time I was doing some work for the manager for the entire area and when I told her I'd never use her service and why she calmly thanked me for the information, got in her car and drove straight there. The next day when I talked to her she said she walked in and the stench of pot smoke nearly knocked her down and they were all glassy eyed and the place was a mess so she fired them on the spot! Now nobody expects them to treat everything like it is made of glass, but c'mon! Using packages as step ladders? Being fried on the job and screwing up deliveries? The reason so many makes jokes about these places is because so many have had shoddy service so everyone can relate. Now I give Dru credit, once she cleaned house the place has run like clockwork and the packages are always in good shape.

As for TFA it sounds like a good idea to me. I doubt I'd ever use it since I usually buy motherboards as a kit with the box included, but if they are gonna have to use the packing anyway why not give it an extra function? For those that want to take their time and be ultra picky about a case it seems like a no brainer to use Asus now.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Stregano]

Well that was not very nice at all. I hope you don't mind that I am a UPS driver myself.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Stregano]

Well as long as they don't ship that box as the outer box, which is super rare. The last Asus MB I got was very well packed. There were dings and dents in the outer shipping box, but the actual box itself was just fine. If you chassis box is messed up, it would be because the place you ordered it from did not ship it out good enough.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Gaygirlie]

I ran full desktop components ( overclocked Athlon XP, Geforce 4 Ti 4200 etc) a few years back for several years, all mounted in a cardboard box. It worked just fine. The thing is, if your setup is so hot as to light cardboard up then you already have issues, a normal setup doesn't get that hot. And if you're smart you'll just attach a few small 'legs' to the cardboard box and mobo on those so that there's a centimeter or two of space between the mobo and the box.

As for needing ground... well, as others have said, it's only needed if your box is conductive material and even then it's not stricly necessary.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[IICV]

Plant fibers are funny things - they technically ignite at ~400 C, but if you some oily, it'll go up in flames at ~120 C.

Accidentally spill enough pizza grease on your cardboard computer over the years? That might be a merry bonfire just waiting to happen.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[petermgreen]

What would worry me would be a local heat/flame source (say a capacitor in a high power circuit failing spectacularly) igniting the case. Most of the system can still be relatively cool while a small area can be extremely hot.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[mr_mischief]

Collecting on an invalid debt through a collection agency and dinging your credit is illegal under US federal law, too.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[JWSmythe]

    Actually....

    To make paper catch fire, you have to raise its temperature to at least 451 degrees. A few sparks against cardboard aren't going to start a fire.

    Ever worked with a grinder or cutting torch? Little sparks flying off, even if they hit paper, don't necessarily cause a fire. Larger pieces that hold more heat, or continued heating can (and likely will) start a fire.

    Consider when someone lights a cigarette. Butane burns at approximately 780F. Substantially higher than the temperature to make paper burn. You have to hold the cigarette in the flame for several seconds to make it light. You can also put a piece of paper rapidly through the flame, or the good ol' tough man act of putting your hand over the flame. Until it heats the material reaches the required temperature. Good luck lighting a log with a bic lighter. :)

    That's not to say failing components won't start a fire. It could happen. Most likely, it won't. I'm sure they'd treat any production "cases" with fire retardant. I'd be more concerned with shipping concerns. Most of the time when I receive a box, regardless of the shipping company, the box has at least some sort of damage. It may be a little ding, or it may be totally oil soaked.

    Not all the packages shipped are exactly clean. I just ordered a used car part, which was filled with oil. It was clearly marked "This Side Up". If they paid attention to the sticker, it would have been fine. At some point that was ignored, and it got flipped, and some oil came out. So I received an oil soaked box. At least it was a very strong part, so it wasn't damaged. I can imagine any boxes around it had the same fate. I can imagine if someone was having a computer delivered in a shipping container that doubles as the case, they'd be very upset.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[RockDoctor]

Maybe if you coated the cardboard with an aluminum/iron oxide paint so that it'll reflect heat better?

Sounds like a recipe for another Hindenburg disaster.

If you do it right.

Which may take several attempts.

Invest in a high-speed video camera.

Enjoy.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Antarius]

A UPS Driver? Isn't power management just handled by a kernel module? ;-p

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[fishbowl]

My BBS was literally an AMD 386-DX-40 system mounted on a cork board, and I ran it like that for more than a year. At first I was just desperate, but I left it that way partly out of laziness and partly because I got a laugh out of it. I guess I should have grounded a tang of the mobo to the psu, but it was never a problem. The only thing that ever failed on my board was a modem.

I'm guessing that recent machines (e.g., this millennium) are really sensitive to airflow, and it would be a bad idea not to have a case at all, or a case without good airflow.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[JWSmythe]

    Most likely what you're seeing is the insulation on the wiring melting, or a nonessential component burning out. That will make lots of smoke, and eventually make the machine short out, and pop a fuse, breaker, or simply break the circuit. Catastrophic failure resulting in fire is pretty rare. I've seen an awful lot of desktop machines with papers stacked on them, around them, and fallen behind them.

    I've had to deal with machines with various parts "burnt" out, including nonfunctional power supplies. I've received phone calls where people had smoke pouring out of the computer. The first thing I tell them to do is unplug it. Ya, with the machine on fire, they have time to call me up and ask what to do about a burning computer, and still, they didn't burn down their house/office.

    There's plenty of fuel inside a computer to burn. All that insulation on the wiring and other plastics burn very nicely.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[X0563511]

... did you accidentally some oil on your computer case?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[mwvdlee]

What's the point in grounding the mobo to the case when the case itself isn't grounded?
And in case you have a grounded electricity connector going into the PC, it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[zwarte piet]

void main() { asm{"HCF"}; }

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[drinkypoo]

Well that was not very nice at all. I hope you don't mind that I am a UPS driver myself.

I don't mind, I just wish UPS would hire people who can drive, like FedEx.

Seriously, I don't know if YOU can drive, and I *do* have a UPS driver who can deliver, but of the three or four different people they occasionally send to my house, he's the ONLY one. There's two other guys and a woman who cannot handle their trucks AT ALL. One of them turned around where I expressly told him not to and lost his truck down the hill, took a tow truck over an hour to extract it. I made a video, maybe I'll post it one day. What a douche.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[nobodie]

I'm hoping to build a new rig when I get back to the US next Fall and want to make something crazy, the aesthetics of cardboard, for something like this, like a NAS server would be kind of cool, i think i like everything about it. I want to build something like a system on board laptop with a see-through case and a turbine-like cooler than spins up using a little solar booster on the turbine (piss-poor description, i'm counting on my EE brother to help on the details) to cool it. i want rad shit for once in this world.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[robthebloke]

A couple of months ago a quadro FX5800 spontaneously combusted under my desk. The flames only lasted 5 or 6 seconds at most, but that was enough to blacken the inside of the case, melt the plastic sheaths on some of the nearby fan cables, and warp the pci-e slot it had been sitting in. I can just about imagine a cardboard case surviving the fire, but I'd be much more worried about what happens next:
a) How long the cardboard case take to dissipate the heat? It took a *long* time for the quadro to cool down to a point where it could be removed.
b) What temperature does cardboard have to be to smoulder?
c) Would a small fire inside a cardboard case affect structural integrity? The last thing you'd want after a fire is the added insult of a hard drive collapsing onto your motherboard....

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Phreakiture]

The primary purpose of the grounded metal case is to keep the computer from causing interference to radio equipment.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[LWATCDR]

Well thanks to my love of Science fiction I know that paper burns and 451f so you would have to have some real problems for your cardboard case to catch fire.
I would worry more about RF than fire.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[scharkalvin]

Like the Hindenburg?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[DarthVain]

LOL. I bet it would run just great reflecting all the heat back inside!

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[gewalker]

Sure, it was the insulation. But having seen actual flames (as well as the smoke) would make me a little hesitant to put some cardboard conveniently located at the exhaust from the power supply.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[fatp]

I‘ve 'hot plug' (or unplug? forgotten) a sound card. It was really hot as it touched the modem card in the adjacent slot. A small flame appeared from the modem card.

The modem card became out of order because a wire on the PCB was burnt... A little piece of aluminium foil and adhesive tape repaired it.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Gilmoure]

I prefer to call it the Thermite Maneuver.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[GREY_LENSMAN312]

Ther mite be implications

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Coren22]

So I am retarded for pointing out the title of the book that was based off science?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080903111520AA5XA5k

Yes, paper ignites at 451 deg F, and can be treated to raise that temperature, one other person in that thread specifies 450 deg, and another says the glue catches at 451, but all of these are for paper, not cardboard. I would not be concerned about the normal heat caused by components igniting the box, especially when speaking of MiniITX boards which are designed to be passively cooled. I have never seen a normally functioning piece of equipment that went this high without a thermal shutdown. There is the possibility of a fire starting from a malfunctioning piece of hardware, but as that is extremely rare, would concern me just as much as in my desktop case sitting on my wooden desk, or my parents computer that is completely enclosed in a desk.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Coren22]

Thats odd, but doesn't change my point, 451C is WAY higher temperature than 451F. According to this quick Google result though, it is 450 F:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080903111520AA5XA5k

I don't know how accurate their supporting links are, but either way, as someone below stated, sparks can't ignite paper, so as I was saying, I wouldn't be to concerned.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Coren22]

Agreed, even failing components don't concern me terribly, a failing power supply is unlikely to shoot flames out for long enough to ignite the cardboard. A failing video card should trip fuses in the power supply or motherboard way before heating to these kinds of temperatures. MiniITX uses low power equipment, the power supplies on these things rarely go over 100W, so what's the big concern?

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[rubycodez]

Danger! either number is accurate depending on how long you wish to wait for a fire, you'll see published values of ignition temperatures of paper from mid 200's to 400's degrees C. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperature#cite_note-5 So a case made of paper is a very bad idea, component failure can easily hit the 424 and up degrees F that will ignite.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[icebike]

c) Would a small fire inside a cardboard case affect structural integrity? The last thing you'd want after a fire is the added insult of a hard drive collapsing onto your motherboard....

Well from my prospective, that would be the least of the potential dangers.

Your case contained the fire.

Had it been cardboard your case would have FED the fire. If you had a wood desk, your desk would have ADDED FUEL to the fire. Soon you have a full fledged life threatening emergency happing while you are asleep upstairs in your bedroom, or (if at work) in the conference room down the hall.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[icebike]

So you've never in your life had any electronic equipment catch fire?
My what a sheltered life you have lived.

When your power supply blows up, your metal case contains the fire.
Your cardboard case FEEDS the fire. Then your desk. Then your house.

One more person on this thread spouting 451 bullshit and I'm going to scream.

If this were safe and practical it would have been in the market 20 years ago.
The simple fact of the matter is that a computer with a cardboard case could never be certified for sale, and Asus is aiming
this at the home market simply because they can skirt all safety regs and avoid regulatory scrutiny.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[wwphx]

I'll take UPS over FedEx any day. FedEx will not deliver to my house if there is any snow on the ground (I live on a hill in a national forest), UPS will chain their trucks so their deliveries get through. In fact, during the '09/'10 winter, a UPS driver BACKED his truck down our street to deliver my critical monthly meds because he didn't think he could make the downhill grade continuing down the street going forward. FedEx's inability to work in snow delayed the delivery of my repaired laptop by 3 days, for which I had paid for overnight delivery, I finally had to drive over 200 miles (round trip) to pick it up at their depot as they couldn't be bothered to help me rendezvous with them in the nearest town which was unaffected by snow. No refund of the additional fees that I paid was offered.

My money will be going with UPS in the future whenever I have a choice. I'm sure people have equal horror stories reversing my two protagonists, but in my area, UPS is by far the superior delivery service.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[uigrad_2000]

It's not unsafe, however without a grounded metal chassis, it will radiate a great deal of RF interference. You could not sell them assembled in this form because they would never pass FCC rules for RFI

Not only do you need to worry about the interference caused by the computer, but the shielding around the computer also protects it from RF interference also.

I've run my system without a case several times and haven't had any problems, but there's probably little RF traffic where I live. If you put several of these in a room together, I would almost expect random crashes.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[drinkypoo]

Neither UPS nor FedEx will do any of that stuff here, but I live on a shitty little road and FedEx is smart enough to send vans down it instead of box trucks. There IS room in my driveway for a competent driver to turn around, but like I said, UPS only sends me one of those and usually sends me an asshat. I think it has a lot to do with region, though, as it usually does with any large business.

Re:That is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[Muad'Dave]

Another concern is RFI - without a metal case acting as a Faraday cage all of those lovely square wave logic signals will radiate their fundamental and odd harmonics all over the place.

Interesting justification...

[mlts]

Giving people the ability to get everything attached to their motherboard for testing reasons until they find a real enclosure.

Re:Interesting justification...

[icebike]

Which might just end up being NEVER.

Re:Interesting justification...

[jmorris42]

Sure it uses more cardboard than a basic box. So like most 'green' projects it is a fail, but as a useful selling feature it might be a win.

Just as you say, testing. I'd suspect that box is at least as easy to work in as most small form factor cases. Just open the box, populate the slots, connect a power supply and fire it up. For those who still buy in shops it probably wouldn't be too much bother to plug everything together right in the place and smoke test. So you could carry it all home in one box knowing it all actually fits together and runs.

And yea I could see just leaving it in that box for some applications. If the trend caught on it wouldn't really be much more expense to use coated cardboard or even fiberboard. Higher end motherboards already tend to come in fairly heavy duty packaging. Work in a thin foil layer somewhere to solve the RFI issues and a proper case truly would be optional for a lot of folks. Put the ad copy on a thin paper overwrap that rips off cleanly and gets discarded leaving the box printed with pretty but professional case like artwork.

Re:Interesting justification...

[timeOday]

Sure it uses more cardboard than a basic box. So like most 'green' projects it is a fail

Huh? How much more cardboard does it use? Now compare that to the resources to make a metal case, PLUS a box/foam to put that metal case in! I think it would be a win even if only 1/N boxes are actually used as cases even for rather large values of N.

My HTPC runs in a closet (opposite the TV in my living room, through a hole in the wall) so I would be all over this, though more to save money on a case than to conserve steel or cardboard.

Re:Interesting justification...

[Mr. Freeman]

This saves a great deal of packaging... unless someone wants to use the mobo outside of the ridiculously huge box that it ships in, in which case it's wasting huge amounts of paper.

Re:Interesting justification...

[thetartanavenger]

A better justification would be "why the hell not". People keep mentioning fire risk as a reason, but I think I'd trust a cardboard case designed for it, with actual airholes and everything than some of the bodges I've come up with in the past. (Although I am a little proud of my meccano server tower at the mo).

Re:Interesting justification...

[couchslug]

People have been assembling PCs atop the mobo box for testing for many years. This is nicer, but the origin is obvious.

interesting

[networkBoy]

I suppose it's ok, but the article even mentions that it is for interim use while the buyer shops for the perfect case, thus they will still buy a case. Since this uses *more* material then a normal box I'd say overall the effect is opposite what they claim. As a marketing gimmick it's great though.
-nB

Re:interesting

[icebike]

thus they will still buy a case.

Says Who?

College dorm rooms and hacker basements will have these things stacked 4 high in short order.

Re:interesting

[swb]

I'm waiting for the rack mount version, then I expect to see them racked at least 8 high.

Re:interesting

[geekoid]

Why do you think the motherboard is normally shipped with a case?

Re:interesting

[c6gunner]

I'm waiting for the rack mount version, then I expect to see them racked at least 8 high.

It's called a stapler. Or duct-tape, if you're on a budget.

Re:interesting

[deathguppie]

For years before I met my GF, my brother used to call my systems "Frankenputer" because they were sometimes just components screwed to an erector set frame. It made sense to me, as I was always switching out components and occasionally did builds for other people where I would test out components "in the open" before assembling them in a case.

What I'm saying is that I love this idea.. love... love .. love.. I can't wait to make a server farm using it.. heh..

Re:interesting

[tibman]

I'd use it.. there are five computers in my house that use tupperware for the case:
Hobo computer w/o lid
Hobo computer w/ lid

Re:interesting

[ejasons]

It's called a stapler. Or duct-tape, if you're on a budget.

I'm partial to hot glue, myself...

No concerns about RFI?

[Ellis D. Tripp]

No way that a motherboard in a cardboard box is going to pass the various RF emission tests for FCC or CE certification.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[ModernGeek]

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that UL and Insurance Companies who cover the homes and offices that this would be going into would not approve of this, either. Cute idea, pseudo-engineers, now go back to making $50k/year for doing nothing.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[snowraver1]

What about fire resistance? Aside from the eye-sore aspect, the potential fire problem would make me wary.

On another note, the new /. posting method doesn't work with IE6. I know, I know.... IE6.... That's the company standard and I know I'm not alone here.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[icebike]

The thing is, that Joe Hacker need not comply with those. They pretty much kick in only when a device is offered for sale, and
certifications are summarily ignored in the home builder market in any event.

Fire safety is a bigger issue. But I don't know of any regulations that would prevent them from selling this
as long as they don't sell it as w working PC. Its a loop hole, and they know it.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[markass530]

I have my computer running out of a desk drawer. The neither the FCC or CE has bothered me

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Anonymous Coward]

No way that running a metal case with the side off, like all of my computers, is going to pass the various RF emission tests either. Fortunately, they don't have to, and since Asus isn't selling a working computer inside a cardboard case, neither do they.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[markass530]

yea, I'm a douche i meant "Neither the" not "The neither the"

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[tlhIngan]

The thing is, that Joe Hacker need not comply with those. They pretty much kick in only when a device is offered for sale, and
certifications are summarily ignored in the home builder market in any event.

Actually, Joe Hacker may have to care - if his computer emits enough RFI that a licensed user complains about it. The FCC will force the owner of said equipment to make it compliant (at owner's expense), whilst not operating said equipment until it is fixed. (And I'm not sure, but the FCC might also bill the owner for the costs of doing the interference search)

And the fines can be pretty large (much more than the $100 to get a decent low-end case will cost).

So all you really need to do is ensure your computer and the parts within are all clocked at speeds in the ISM bands and you should be safe... Or line the box with grounded aluminum foil.

Though, a more practical reason to not use this, besides any potential fire risk is if you have any sort of beverage near your PC. A small accident could easily cause the case to lose integrity and have parts touch each other. Invite your friends, have one of them spill their beer all over your PC and watch the power supply or hard drive fall from their locations. fun!

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Tijok]

Actually both of these concerns have been addressed when companies like Recompute made cardboard computers.
What it basically boils down to is two things:

1. The burning temperature of cardboard is much higher than any temperature a computer could reach (within reason).
2. EMF/RFI concerns are really low nowadays, especially in low-power systems like these. Think back to all of those acryllic cases. Computers just don't have the right hardware (power and frequency outputs) to end up putting out that specific type of EMF.

I've included a link the the mentioned computer manufacturer for nostalgia's sake.
http://www.sustainable-computer.com/faq.php

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[VortexCortex]

No way that a motherboard in a cardboard box is going to pass the various RF emission tests for FCC or CE certification.

1) Fortunately they are selling the Motherboard, not the entire PC (the PC assemblers would have to pass the FCC or CE certs).

2) The FCC or CE (and possibly NFPA) would really flip out if they saw my "computer room" which has several computers sans cases mounted across 4x8 plexiglass sheets. They're so much easier to upgrade & clean, they're more functional than paintings/posters (and more aesthetic (to me) ). Wallputers give the room a cosy, cyber-punk feel...

Who needs cases? Also: the cardboard case is fairly bulky, ugh.

P.S. I use Synergy for my Multi-screen/Multi OS/Multi Computer command and control center.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Xtravar]

You have access to the machine. It is your duty as a nerd to root the machine. None of this sissy nonsense.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Dracolytch]

You could always line it with material similar to microwave food heating sleeves / some kind of foil. That may make a significant impact.

As for heat: Paper burns at what... 451? I don't think we have a huge problem here. Most PCs will self-preserve shutdown waaaaaay before that. The only time you have a potential problem is for a bad build/short causing a component to go up in flames, taking the rest of the box/case.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[geekoid]

TFB. I guess you shouldn't be surfing the internet from work? OTOH, what should I expected from someone who thinks their computer could get over 400C?

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[jojoba_oil]

On another note, the new /. posting method doesn't work with IE6. I know, I know.... IE6.... That's the company standard and I know I'm not alone here.

Which is one of the reasons Google decided to have Chrome install itself to the user profile; it doesn't require administrator access or installation privileges.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[drinkypoo]

That's OK, it's not going to get those tests. And anyone who wants to use it anyway can just wrap it in tinfoil and then wrap it in shrink wrap, then re-poke the holes. Maybe there's some solution slicker than shrink wrap, but it came to mind immediately. I have some black UV-resistant stuff around here somewhere...

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[h4rr4r]

1. I have seen motherboards go up, real flames. Sure it was not working any more, but that does not mean there is no risk to th user from the FIRE.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[h4rr4r]

You don't think a burning motherboard could get that hot?
You don't believe that a PSU with flames coming out of it is that hot?

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[basotl]

Okay where is the link to the picture of your set up? I'm a sucker for checking out alternate mods and mounts.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[argStyopa]

Actually, there are metallized films that would serve just as well as a metal case in terms of blocking RF. If they're laminated onto one of the board layers or in lieu of fluting, it would probably do it.

That box is damned ugly, and it wouldn't take much effort or cost to make it look a little less like some crappy cardboard box someone didn't want.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[GillyGuthrie]

You forgot the "~ " at the end of your line.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[bug1]

Joe hacker probably doesnt have the lid on his current case anyway, so its not going to change.

And what are the chances a "licensed user" tracking you down and calling the RFI POLICE anyway.

Maybe the RFI police could team up with the FASHION police and form a new department.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Tijok]

Absolutely. I was hinting at that with my "within reason" comment, but if a mobo catches fire, all bets are off.
I would hope by all things legal and Holy, that Asus is putting a flame retardant coating on this entire "case". If not, they have some serious, and legitimate, lawsuits coming their way.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[h4rr4r]

That metal cases contained those fires, and a cardboard case would just continue to fuel them.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[countertrolling]

The FCC doesn't care about RF emissions anymore, unless they are transmitting nude pictures

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[mjwx]

Fire safety is a bigger issue.

By the looks of it the PSU is not in the box. In any testing lab you're already running motherboards on top of motherboard boxes, personally I've done this for years. I dont think there's a significant fire risk especially since the PSU looks to be external.

This box wont replace metal/plastic cases, its designed for the few cases where "I need a PC right now". I can see this kind of thing becoming popular in testing labs and people who regularly mess with their HW, I.E. not the average user.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[icebike]

In any testing lab you're already running motherboards on top of motherboard boxes,

Yeah, right. Good luck getting this certified by UL, or CSA or any certification lab.
Even if you tinfoil the box for emissions, this could never be certified.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Tanman]

I dunno about a link, but he lost me at plexiglass. That stuff is sooooo static prone, I'd be terrified to anchor motherboards to it.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[mjwx]

UH, yeah,

I need a CSA certification to determine if a RAM module is faulty.

What planet are you from.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Saija]

Arggghhh the goggles, they do nothing !!

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[MichaelSmith]

On another note, the new /. posting method doesn't work with IE6. I know, I know.... IE6.... That's the company standard and I know I'm not alone here.

Which is one of the reasons Google decided to have Chrome install itself to the user profile; it doesn't require administrator access or installation privileges.

And where I work installing any software without going through IT is now a sacking offence.

Re:No concerns about RFI?

[Combatso]

The kindling point of carboard is significantly higher than that. They Ray Bradbury Novel would have you believe its at Farenheit 451 (over 800 Farenheit), however this isnt really true.. Your average sheet of untreated, dry paper is around 450 Celcius, but packaging is treated to make it flame retardant and water repellant.. This makes it difficult to burn. Try taking your average motherboard box and try to start it on fire with a match... Chances are the match will burn your fingers before the box actually ignites... Once it does ignite, it will peter out fairly quickly.. It won't burst in to flames like piece of tissue. More than likely it will just just singe a bit, and thats all..

Box in a box

[Anrego]

Now we need to pack the box in another box to protect it during shipping/

Given the state most packages I receive come in this seems somewhat impractical.

Also.. who orders a motherboard before the case? That seems kind of backwards to me.

I tend to order the case, power supply, and various fans/controllers/anything else I’m cramming into it first as I tend to do a little light modding. This gives me time to play without the “just want to get it running” jitters. Also I don’t like having too much stuff floating around “out there” makes me nervous. I usually order things in batches.. and wait for each batch to arrive before ordering the next.

Re:Box in a box

[petermgreen]

Now we need to pack the box in another box to protect it during shipping

In my experiance the "retail boxes" for motherboards are not designed for shipping without further protection. Most customers probablly buy more than just a motherboard anyway. So whether you buy this or a standard motherboard if you buy online you will probablly get a box in a box.

IMO this is a gimmick, a bit wasteful but probably less so than many other gimmicks that are used to sell products.

Re:Box in a box

[digitalhermit]

Also.. who orders a motherboard before the case? That seems kind of backwards to me.

.

That would be me... My selection process is:
1) processor
2) motherboard (supported RAM, PCIx slots)
3) number USB2/3
4) video
5) power supply
6) case

At any one time I have four or five systems running compute-intensive operations.. Cases don't matter so much.. They're there really just to hold the pieces together and keep them cool.. My main concern for a case is that the baffles move air properly and that they are built to appropriate tolerances so my pieces fit.

Re:Box in a box

[billcopc]

I have never understood the point of buying a PC in batches. Even for a complete twit, it takes less than a day to assemble your first PC. For most tech-minded people, it's an hour or two. My current rig is an epeen showpiece, with peltiers, water, dual Xeons and SLI graphics, and it took maybe 4 hours to put together, including all the drilling and dremeling to make things fit. If you can't restrain your "get it running jitters" for a few hours without jumping out of your skin, um... well then I'm glad I'm not you :)

At the very end of the spectrum, I used to have clients that would come in every payday and buy one component. Two or three months later they'd finally have a working PC. I don't know what annoyed me more, the fact that a gainfully employed person couldn't let that same $1000 accrue in the bank, or having to listen to them mentally masturbate over their future PC every week. Every. Goddamned. Week. Fuck. Off. Kid.

I dunno, maybe because for me it's work, not play, I prefer to do things as efficiently as possible. Play begins once I pop in an OS disc.

Re:Box in a box

[drinkypoo]

How do you operate without RAM or storage? :) I always bring that stuff forward, then end up building another PC when I upgrade them... except that has become impossible with RAM lately. I went SDR, DDR, DDR2, and now DDR3 in sequence, so I had to keep buying.

Re:Box in a box

[Anrego]

It really does take me a while to build a computer. If I really had to then yeah, I could build one fairly quickly.. but I tend to take my time.

I tend to spend most of the time on the case and power supply (which is of course why I order these first). I'm more into functional(ish) mods than appearance mods. The thing that takes me the most time is the wiring. I tend to shorten/lengthen the various PSU wires as necessary.. building a custom "wiring harness" of sorts... and connect it up through junction boxes.

Popping in a motherboard, and putting all the bits on it only takes an hour or so.

I guess I figure if I'm dropping serious money down.. I may as well enjoy the experience of putting it all together.

I do agree with not buying components one at I time. I tend to buy in batches that I can actually use. As said in my original post.. case/psu/other stuff that falls into the "needs to be cut/soldered/mutilated" category is usually the first batch.. followed by the mobo, proc, ram, drives, etc. My main motivation for ordering separately is I don't like having a few thousand dollars in parts floating around "out there". Makes me nervous that it's gonna get lost/damaged/etc. The whole "get it working" jitters thing is secondary.. though real. If I have all the parts.. I'm less inclined to spend a few days carefully soldering wires together and more inclined to say "to hell with it" and just put the thing together.

Re:Box in a box

[digitalhermit]

Heh.. :)

Actually, I really don't worry about storage. I boot them off the network and they get an iscsi disk as the root volume.

Re:Box in a box

[Combatso]

I have always bought the motherboard, chip and ram first.... like most tinkerers ive got a metric butt-load of cases lying around... The case is usually and aftterthough for me, and I don't care what my various computers look like... It wasnt until I decided to put together an HTPC that I put any thought in to an attractive or functional case....

Re:Box in a box

[CompMD]

"Also.. who orders a motherboard before the case? That seems kind of backwards to me."

Someone who has a Dell or HP machine that just had its motherboard fry, and needs a computer quickly. Regular motherboards won't fit in many big-name OEM machines, so just transplant the guts into a new cardboard computer.

Re:Box in a box

[LWATCDR]

" don't know what annoyed me more, the fact that a gainfully employed person couldn't let that same $1000 accrue in the bank, or having to listen to them mentally masturbate over their future PC every week. Every. Goddamned. Week. Fuck. Off. Kid."
So show them NewEgg.com, TigerDirect.com, and Amazon.com
You will not have to listen to them anymore and they can probably get all their parts in just three weeks and for $750 instead of paying your markup.

Re:Box in a box

[billcopc]

This was before any of those guys came to Canada, nice try though.

Re:Box in a box

[billcopc]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "out there", unless you mean shipping, in which case there is insurance. Doesn't the long period from first piece to last piece kind of screw you for warranties ? What if you find out 3 months in that your PSU is a dud ? I'd much rather exchange over-the-counter than have to RMA before the PC is even christened.

Fire hazard, no RFI shielding, wasteful packaging.

[Gavin Scott]

I'm sure you could design and build a PC case out of some inexpensive non-metal/plastic material, but this one just seems wrong in pretty much every possible way.

G.

RF interference

[wonkavader]

OK, I have often thought making an ad-hoc case for a mini-itx board with no cards would be easy (think a small sheet of plywood, some glue, blocks, and some of those brass-coloured screw-posts), but I've been worried about the RF interference the system would put out. This cardboard solution seems to provide nothing at all for shielding.

How much RF do these motherboards put out? What would it interfere with? What do you need to surround the thing with to block those wavelengths? Would chicken wire do? Is it necessary at all?

Anybody have a good answer to these questions?

Thanks

Re:RF interference

[snowraver1]

You shouldn't be worried about the RF that is coming out of the board, you should be worried about what is giong INto the board. RF interference can cause random problems, like unexplained crashing, but I haven't ever had any issues with it. You can assemble a computer and just have the loose pieces laying on a table, and the computer will run fine. In practice, comptuers are pretty resiliant to RF.

Re:RF interference

[BitZtream]

Anything that emits enough RF to be a concern will have localized shielding, i.e. a big chunk of shiny metal encasing it.

The PC case isn't mean to be an RF shield, hence why you can buy cases entirely made of plastic.

Re:RF interference

[toddestan]

Most PC cases are designed to be a RF shield. That's they come with those pop-off metal plates covering up the empty drive bays, metal covers for empty expansion slots, and the metal fingers along the openings of the removable panels. Or why the plastic cases from the likes of Dell and HP generally have a metal layer on the inside.

The DIY crowd really doesn't care about those things though, which is why you'll find those plexiglass cases, or cheap cases that omit many of the things above. But you won't find a CE sticker on cases like that.

Why can't I keep running it?

[guruevi]

If I keep the boxes dry, U-Haul boxes can last for 10 years in storage. Why wouldn't this thing last for 2-3 years or however long a PC lasts? This would be great for datacenters and stuff where all you need is processing power. Just pop out the box, fill with RAM and CPU, hook up to a 12/5V power tree, network and stack it in a rack. The flashpoint of cardboard is high enough that I don't think it will be a problem.

Re:Why can't I keep running it?

[CFTM]

Sure 10 years in dry conditions and probably at 70 degrees. Though the flash point of cardboard probably won't be reached, I would imagine that the operating temperature will be closer to 90 - 95 degree Fahrenheit. I don't know this factually, but I would imagine that a 33% increase of heat over a long period of time would cause an increased rate at which the boxes breakdown.

Just to say that thier estimate may not be quite as inaccurate as you estimate...

Re:Why can't I keep running it?

[geekoid]

because storage is protected from the general humidity. You livingroom is not, usually.

Modern cloud datacenters just have all the parts laid out on a rubber mat. Cheaper to cool, easy to maintain.

Re:Why can't I keep running it?

[DarwinSurvivor]

Just how much moisture do you think there is in a pc tower? Unless you are leaving it off for extended periods of time, the temperature in that thing is going to dry it out rather quickly.

Re:Why can't I keep running it?

[evilviper]

This would be great for datacenters

Ha!

If you walked into a datacenter with a box full of dynamite, security would jump on you, make you throw away the box, give you a cart to stack your dynamite on instead, and send you on your merry way.

The flashpoint of cardboard is high enough that I don't think it will be a problem.

Kerosene is hard to ignite too, but I don't see anyone cooling their PCs with it... Cardboard is quite flammable, and what's more, it will act as fuel rather than barrier for any fires that should start.

Besides that, cardboard is larger, and provides very little structure... You'd be stacking cardboard boxes on metal shelves, anyhow, and would have poor ventilation to avoid weakening the box too much.

I think it is a fascinating idea for sellers of low end PCs (could be 10-15% cheaper without a case), and hobbists who might find these cases good enough for the odd project. Considering how often I use my towers as a footrest or table for heavier accessories, I probably won't get much mileage out of one. Personally, I'd find it much more interesting if someone invented a cheap collapsible case that could fold down flat for shipping and storage.

This is probably more functional

[craash420]

than the spent Budweiser case I've been using.

Knew it!

[Octopuscabbage]

.I knew my cardboard box fort making skills would come in handy some day!

Still a waste

[Primegraffix]

"It will last about a year" so...you're going to end up throwing it out anyways? Just recycle the box and be done with it. No PC enthusiast is going to use a cardboard box for a case.

Re:Still a waste

[drinkypoo]

I used to have two PCs (an XT and an AT) and their power supplies zip-tied into a plastic milk crate. A cardboard box with proper punchouts has a certain class compared to that, except that I had two computers in one "case". Plenty of airflow, too. Actually, now that I think of it, the power supplies were held in with bungee cords.

Re:Unfortunately

[MiniMax333]

It's Mini-ITX.

been there, done that

[tverbeek]

I once built a "stealth" computer with an old ATX motherboard in a FedEx shipping box. It's more of a sit-in-the-corner novelty than a useful machine, though.

Asus...

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only do you get a crappy motherboard, but now you get a crappy case to go with it!

Re:No RF shielding

[arivanov]

It depends funnily enough.

Try running your PC at different HZ for the OS-es that support it (hint - BSD). You get some very interesting results with unusual HZ like 2000-3000 and when using ACPI timers. Very unusual. In fact so unusual that if you are running the MB "bare" on a desktop with no EM shielding and have audio kit nearby you may want to stick some earplugs in your ears first.

Tested with a Via EPIA motherboard by the way. I needed high HZ and spent half a day swearing until I found a frequency which was good enough and did not wreak havoc around the kit.

Wait...

[CaptainPatent]

They don't already?!

I've had my computer, "Cardboardbox," up and running for 3 years now!

It even started out running in the MSI box it came in with a couple modifications (i.e. Duct Tape) to the box.

I'm overclocking the SHIT out of that thing!

[elrous0]

I'm going to light that carboard box up faster than Charlie Sheen on a triple-barreled crack pipe.

Re:I'm overclocking the SHIT out of that thing!

[geekoid]

No you're not.

Chrome Frame

[tepples]

IE6.... That's the company standard

Then install, or get the company to install, the Google Chrome Frame plug-in on top of IE6. It's a browser helper object for IE that renders pages with Chrome's engine, but only if they opt in with an HTTP header or <meta> element. Other sites get IE6.

Re:Chrome Frame

[Anonymous Coward]

Chrome Frame inside of IE6 is kind of like building a computer case inside of a cardboard box.

No Thanks

[sexconker]

The Motherboard box is where you keep all the bits and bobs.
Driver CDs, anti-static bags for the major components, warranty info, mobo manual, display/keyboard adapters, the original I/O port shield that came with the case, extra screws, case badges, excess modular power supply cables, receipts / packing slips, initial full image backup, etc.

If I bought this computer, I'd need another box to store those things.

Re:No Thanks

[confused one]

You keep all that? Really?

Re:No RF shielding

[confused one]

Wrap your box in aluminum foil -- use for the leftover tin foil hat material.

Real men don't need cases

[billcopc]

I had a spare PC, sans-chassis, that lived on my desk just under the monitor riser for about a year. The mobo box was cut up into hard drive standoffs and fan shrouds, and the PCI cards were held up with a strip of slotted foam.

Bestest damn VM server I ever had :)

Wasteful AND Dangerous ... I like it!

[harmic]

This just looks like a house fire waiting to happen .... Even if it doesn't actually catch fire I give it 2 weeks before the box dries out to the point that it starts falling apart. Add to that, they are shipping what looks like at least twice as much cardboard as would normally be needed to ship a motherboard on the off chance that someone will need to wire it up the instance it arrives ... what maybe 10% of these will actually get used as temporary PC cases.

Re:Unfortunately

[Gilmoure]

* golf-clap *

This could make me order from Asus

[SimonTS]

Firstly, because I think this is a fantastic idea of "out-of-the-box" thinking.
Secondly, because, although it will take slightly more cardboard than standard packaging, I reckon the environmental cost of that will be outweighed by the number of sad people who decide to use this box as a permanent home for their PC.
Thirdly, because I am one of those 'sad people' who would keep this as my permanent PC house just to look different and minimalist - oh yeah, and because how many other PC cases can I draw my own design onto with my normal pencils?

So, size matters?

[fahrbot-bot]

In the quest to cut down on shipping waste ... What if the shipping container became the PC case?

I looked at the sample photo. So. To cut down on shipping waste, they made the box way bigger than it needs to be, to ship a motherboard, to make it useful as a PC case. Smooth.

Re:Not usable at all

[Hognoxious]

One guy once told me that I am an asshole and a dick. Now I can't be both an same time, no?

I'm thinking of something like a Klein bottle.

Cardboard mod

[keith_nt4]

There's a skilled modder over at the OCN forums that already did an entire case in some kind of cardboard. Looks like it worked out pretty well from what I can tell.

Been doing this already

[Animal Farm Pig]

Set the power supply on the ground, fold back the box top so that the top of box covers top of the PSU (if needed, put a book under the box to get height correct), mobo goes in the box, hard drive sits on cardboard over PSU. It works and stuff stays in one place. I've run boxes like this for years. I've never noticed any RF interference. Never had overheating either-- even when gaming.

Cases are just bent metal. Also, you don't need all those fans. As long as you're within the rated operating temperature, your processor doesn't care.

Hmm, I wonder where Asus got that idea.

[ReedYoung]

My guess is that they just "copied & pasted" the idea from Brenden Malacuso's Recompute. Very cheezy, Asus, to take that to market without paying a royalty to the guy who came up with the idea, or at least a tip of the hat & a mention in your marketing materials. I think I'll put my next GIGABYTE mobo in a case based on Brenden's design, homemade from my own leftover moving & Newegg shipping boxes, and see if I can find a "donate" link to offer Brenden a modest reward for his ingenuity. Asus: give credit where credit is due; you just happened to come out with this design less than four weeks after engadget.com features it? I call BS. You stole that design.

I did this over 10 years ago

[bonezed]

http://users.on.net/~zed/gw.jpg

Yes, that is an old PC power supply box

sure it was dodgy, but it worked.

Re:I did this over 10 years ago

[Gaygirlie]

I too have done similar things plenty of times, only I did it with full desktop components instead of mini-ITX or such: a few years ago I had my PC case ruined when I moved to a new apartment and something heavy fell on it, I threw it out and replaced the motherboard as that too got screwed. When the mobo arrived I hadn't yet had time to go shopping for a case so I temporarily modified the cardboard box my mobo came in and it kind of just stuck; it took me a whole 1.5 years to get an actual case :P

All in all and nevertheless, I do kind of like the idea behind here. It's neat and it indeed allows you to have a completely recyclable case, even if it is not too pretty to look at. Then again, cardboard is much easier to modify than metal so you can just go crazy with and make it pretty :P Asus should just lose the whole environment-angle in their advertisement material: this 'case' obviously uses more material than a normal packaging box would and if the buyer will be buying a regular case then it's just all the more trash, not less. Though, there will likely be quite a few buyers who will just go with this cardboard 'case' and be happy :)

Re:Unfortunately

[2TecTom]

Exactly! Most people won't use this, therefore the amount of waste will actual increase. Personally, I just wish Asus would properly document and explain it's motherboards' BIOS settings. Think how much energy and time that would save! Sigh. ;~(

Don't drop a Fermi in there!

[Khyber]

You will be asking for housefires with your woodscrews.

Hak5

[T-Bone_142]

This idea was featured on Episode 823 of Hak5 http://www.hak5.org/episodes/episode-823, where Darren used the boxes that came with theasus motherboards he was using to setup a proxmox virtualization cluster.

Re:Unfortunately

[FatdogHaiku]

The box is huge

That's what he said.

What?... what?... what?... Hello... hello... hello... "Now batting for Pedro Borbon, Manny Mota... Mota... Mota..."

Re:Unfortunately

[bensafrickingenius]

There really should be a "took the exact words out of my mouth" mod. Twice as much cardboard, probably plastic coated or something to make it more durable (and less recyclable) and it will all go into the dumpster as soon as the novelty wears off. This is not an attempt at being "green." This is a stunt that has the opposite of its perceived effect.

Worried about fire?

[klm1974]

Put the box in a fire safe.

Case mod?

[kmoser]

Dang. There goes my idea for a case mod.

What are you talking about?

[pablo_max]

You dont test a computer case to FCC part 15b. You dont test for FCC at all. A computer case does not require any RF shielding.
The parts sold which are active must be tested, like the power supply, motherboard and so on.
For CE it is outside of the scope of R@TTE since it is not a radio device and most parts do not fall under the low voltage directive. EN50022 would be required for the power supply though, which is the same testing needed for FCC 15b in that case.

It's not new idea

[Issity]

In 2005 I bought Gigabyte MB (IIRC it was GA-K8NXP-SLI) which has box 2x bigger than usual and it was designed to be a makeshift pc case. It wasn't as complete as this one (lacked of HD bay), but it was enough for testing.

Great way to save the planet!!

[SpaghettiPattern]

Great way to save the planet!! Now I can chuck away my PC even quicker.

Kidding aside, I usually first buy myself a case I can hold on to for longer and then I buy the internals. All 3 cases I have -and need- are well into their second life and in 1 to 2 years will go into their third life.

Nice job

[theolein]

What's it like to work at UPS? Do you fail to see the relationship between your abuse of customers' property and their perception of you?

Finally!

[ThatsNotPudding]

Fire as a feature, not a bug!

Re:No RF shielding

[makomk]

Not sure, the Linux timer interrupt maybe? That normally runs at 1000 Hz...

So ASUS improves the Hobo Special concept

[williamyf]

One of the editors at maximum PC tried something like this a while ago (Oct 2007). Here is the link:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/the_500_pc_build_off?page=0,2

Seems like an interesting way to test the machine before commiting to a case.

Re:So ASUS improves the Hobo Special concept

[LWATCDR]

They just did the same on Hack5 a few weeks about to make a Cluster of servers.

You gotta love these guys, reminds me of the Vento

[phrackwulf]

I still have two of those cases even though they are hopelessly impractical from several respects just because I love how awesome they look and nothing else looks like a Vento.

I prefer my cases

[rubycodez]

I prefer my cases non-water soluble, fireproof, RF impervious, and inedible by insects and rats. And yes, paper can actually ignite at LOWER temperatures than 451 F (even as low as 424 F in some cases, the old 451 degrees Centigrade is what you might call "fast ignition time", but given long enough time paper can ignite in the mid 200's degrees C. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperature#cite_note-5