My recent FLP02 review must have escaped containment, because I’ve had a flurry of emails and comments on Mastodon asking questions that were already answered in the post, and another who even took them time to ask this:

sure but tell me whats [sic] the point???

Poe’s Law ensures I can’t tell if they’re doing a bit, or whether they’re genuine. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, and answer sincerely. Let’s start with the basics, and we’ll work our way up from there.

What is a case?

A computer case is a device in which a discrete computer is built. They are typically designed as a rectangular prism with large, flat surfaces, though more creative shapes and sizes have also been offered for novelty (a concept to which we’ll return shortly). Cases house all the primary electronic components of a computer system.

Cases are not new. People have been putting components into cases for thousands of years, whether it be personal grooming devices, artistic supplies, and musical instruments. We’ll cover why a computer benefits from being encased shortly.

There are broadly five types of computer cases, each with their own pros and cons:

Desktops. These sit horizontally on a desk, and were traditionally reinforced to permit a heavy CRT monitor to be placed atop them. These are less common today with the advent of thinner LCDs, and the requirement to move the monitor to work on the computer.

Keyboard units. Made popular by 1980s home computers, these integrate the key computer components and keyboard into one chassis. Examples include the Acorn Electron, Commodore Plus/4, and the Amstrad CPC. These are also less popular today, though the Raspberry Pi 400 and 500 are offered in this form factor.

Rack mountable. These cases are designed to slide into a rack, similar to audio visual equipment. These are typically optimised for airflow over acoustics, making them less desirable for office and domestic applications.

NUCs or mini machines. These share components with laptops, permitting them to be designed much smaller for space-constrained environments, though they have lower thermal ceilings and fewer expansion options.

Towers. These are commonly also referred to as “desktops” today. As the name suggests, towers stack components vertically within the case, and are typically sat alongside the monitor, or on the floor below the desk.

What is the “point” of something?

The “point” of something, as it pertains to IT, is a justification of its existence that satisfies the people engaged with use of the device, software, and/or service. The “point” of many things to a target audience can usually be ascertained by a simple exercise in empathy (maybe they like retro tech), though more formal processes may measure success against criteria such as time, budget, and technical requirements.

What’s the “point” of a case?

The “point” of a computer case is manyfold, though it’s worth remembering they’re optional in a strict sense. Running a computer outside a case is typically reserved for testing purposes using a specialised bench chassis. Computers are assembled from sensitive electronic components which usually don’t handle movement, spills, or static discharges well. A computer case helps to protect these components, much as your skull protects the brain you presumably engage when asking people questions you know the answer to already, or to score non-redeemable Internet points.

A computer case also serves as a convenient chassis upon which to install and secure components. Devices such as PCI cards can slot into motherboards, but movement over time can cause issues with their contacts, or cause them to come loose over time (this was a common issue on older Apple II computers). Mounting these within a case helps to keep them in place and reduce movement. Similarly, storage devices such as hard drives are also sensitive to vibration and movement, so screwing them into a case can help reduce these external forces.

Finally, computer cases make transport easier. Instead of carrying a basket of parts that are held together loosely with cables, a computer integrated into a case can be moved with less effort, and with less potential for damage. Computers are often used by non-technical people in order to get work done, play games, or ask bloggers asinine questions. These people couldn’t (nor should they be expected) to diagnose issues that can result from a drive coming unplugged while they’re moving a computer around.

What is the “point” of case design?

Design is the conceptualisation and execution of an idea to achieve a desired outcome. Many things in our daily lives are designed, from the communication cables that carry obtuse comments from sender to recipient, the frame that holds a beautiful painting, and the case that holds computer components.

Computer case design involves optimising for a range of variables, such as:

Cost: how much will I be wanting to sell the case for, and will the market accept this

Features: what should the case include (or not), such as drive bays, expansion card slots, support brackets, cable management channels, buttons, ports, feet, indicator lights, cup holders, coffee grinders, and so on

Ergonomics: how will various components be laid out for easy assembly, maintenance, and ongoing use

Acoustics: how noisy the case will be under load, which entails fan and vent placement, dust filtration, and arrangement of internal components

Size: how big the case is in three dimensions, though a forth dimension could be included if the case is expected to be expanded on over time

Weight: how heavy the case feels under Earth’s atmospheric pressure and gravity to lift, and whether tables will buckle and/or collapse under said weight

Materials: from what the case will be made to meet target durability, weight, and cost. Some materials such as depleted uranium would offer excellent stability, but would introduce health, logistical, and legislative challenges

Visuals: what do you want the case to look like

Manufacturing cases involves considerations around:

Quality: What tolerances will we accept, how will the case be built, what can be built to the target price

Budget: how much money do we have to manufacture it

Components: what is available, what do their supply chains look like, can sufficient quantities be sourced

Simpletons like to think there is one “perfect” case you can quantitatively measure based on all these metrics, but this is a fantasy. Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Every use case is different, every person has their own unique preferences, and no two environments are the same.

Realising the world isn’t designed exactly to serve you all the time is an important mental growth milestone most people reach in childhood, though unfortunately it’s not universal based on the voting patterns of a surprising number of people.

What is the “point” of retro case design?

We briefly touched on the ideas of “novelty” and “visuals” earlier in this post. Let’s explore these in a bit more detail.

Computer cases are designed not just for quantitative reasons (cooling performance, acoustics, ergonomics), but also qualitative features (how they feel to use, and how they look). Some cases are designed to hit a low price point with a utilitarian design and barebones features. Others include flourishes like RGB lighting, tempered glass side panels, and toxic masculinity. Some of these are economic or ill-advised social decisions, but others are to achieve a specific aesthetic.

Aesthetics, like all art, are designed to make our lives nicer. You could spend your entire life sitting on a floor, eating nothing but salad, and staring at blank walls to save money doing anything (for example, some talking heads expect this from social security recipients as penance for being injured and/or unemployed). It’s certainly one way to live, but that’s not how the human mind works. We enjoy artistic expression, whether it be music, movies, shows, artworks, and culinary delights. You’ll hear art be described as “making life worth living” for this reason.

The retro moment is another example of an aesthetic. In this case, it’s a throwback to an earlier age of computing brought into a modern context. Retro case design taps into a sense of nostalgia people feel for the computers they used growing up, and for which they have fond memories. Many IT professionals began their careers after a childhood spent tinkering, building, fixing, and exploring computers, some of which may have been done in cases that bear a resemblance to a modern retro design.

Retro case designs pay homage (not to be confused with fromage, or hummus) to these old computers, while offering modern affordances and conveniences such as mountpoints for ATX motherboards, spaces for large graphics cards, and additional cooling capacity. Older cases may lack all of these, or require extensive modification which is beyond the artistic and/or technical capability of the person building the computer. Retro case design makes the process accessible.

This retro movement isn’t limited to computers. The New Beetle was a reimagined classic VW Beetle, which saw wild success. Many modern coffee machines are designed to mimic those of classic devices because they’re eye catching and fun.

This gets to the core truth of these retro inspired designs: people enjoy them, and most importantly in a business sense, are willing to pay for them.

What’s the “point” of the SilverStone FLP02?

So now that we know what a computer case is, how we define the “point” of something, the “point” of having a computer case, the “point” of designing a computer case, and the “point” of retro designs, let’s tackle the final point: what’s the “point” of the SilverStone FLP02? Let’s recap:

The FLP02 is a case, which protects the internal components of a computer from external damage, and makes transport easier.

The FLP02 is a tower case, which has space benefits over desktops, while offering more expansion than a NUC.

The FLP02 is a tower case that was designed to fulfil specific quantitative and qualitative requirements.

The FLP02 is a is a tower case that was designed to look retro for those seeking that aesthetic, while offering modern design affordances. Is it a perfect replication of a retro computer case? No, it’s designed to support modern components, for the reasons previously stated. We’ve also established that people are willing to pay for this case, indicating it has a use case.

Final thoughts

I hope this clears up any concerns! The FLP02 is the most fun case I’ve owned in a long time, and has reinvigorated my interest in building computers. You are free to disagree, just as you’re free to buy whatever other case you want. That’s the great thing about being a human over a robot: we have agency.

Was this entire post a bit of a dig at people who are deliberately obtuse? No, of course not, perish the thought!