InWin's PC cases offer a different take on building your own PC

InWin lets you build your own PC case with a variety of customization concepts.

Walking around Computex was a great way to get to know some of the coolest PC cases and mods I've ever seen, and it really showed me how deep PC building goes. But as much as custom builds are really cool, I really appreciate it when a company goes out to do something cool and unique in their space, and InWin really blindsided me with some of the coolest ideas I've seen.

I had barely heard of the company before (though it's not exactly new) but I got see some really creative ideas around PC building, and I'm now really interested in the work InWin is doing.

The coolest concepts I saw form InWin revolve around what the company calls the iBuild iShare product line, and it's all about building your own PC starting even with the case itself. The company wants to make it easier even for beginners to build their own PC, but also provide enthusiasts a way to create something a little wilder or more inventive. There are a few lines that are part of this concept: POC, ModFree, and DUBILI.

DUBILI is potentially the least customizable and more streamlined of the series at play here, but it's also the most premium. These are large, sturdy cases made from premium materials including aluminum, SECC steel, and tempered glass. These cases come in two versions, one being gray and orange and the other being gold, and they both look and feel premium.

What's unique about these cases is that they don't really come pre-assembled, and instead, you get all the parts for them, so you can put them together.

The idea of IKEA-fying your desktop PC case probably isn't that appealing for everyone, but if you're into that kind of manual work, and you want to feel like you put your own PC together, I'd say this is still pretty cool, and the final result is awesome. But what's more interesting is that you should also be able to customize your case in the future thanks to this modular design.

There were a few different designs at the show, which mixed and matched different design elements. Some had handles at the top, but because these handles are reversible, another model used them as feet. One build also had some leather accents and leather-covered handles I really loved. The idea is that you can also buy some of these parts individually later to customize your case, though it doesn't look like you can choose individual pieces from the start. You first have to order the complete case, and buy different customizations later. Still, it's a pretty cool idea, and I really love the final result in terms of looks.

It's a pretty good case for building your PC, too, with support for up to E-ATX motherboards, up to three 120mm or 140mm on the front, one on the back, and either two 120mm fans or one 140mm fan at the bottom. It's not clear yet when the DUBILI cases will be available, but they look great right off the bat.

The ModFree concept is a bit crazier in what it lets you do. It's based around the concept of modularity, which means you can combine case modules with each other almost infinitely to get the build you want. The modules are designed to attack to each other with a tool-less design, so you can build a case as big or small as you want and even upgrade it over time.

Module I is the core you'd want for most PCs, with room for a motherboard and the components you'd want to attach to it, such as a GPU and a CPU heatsink. Module II is meant to house a PSU, though it has room for other components if needed. Module III is slightly larger, and you can use it to house GPU (with a PCIe riser), extra storage, and so on.

Initially, the ModFree cases will come in a base edition including a Module I and a Module II, as well as a Deluxe Edition that adds two Module III units. You can see what they look like in the image above.

To showcase just how far you can go with this, InWin had an apparatus at their both with a ton of modules connected to each other forming a sort of cube. I'm not sure what use case could really warrant having this many modules together, but it's cool that it's possible at all. There was also something InWin is calling ModFree Mini, which is basically a full PC built inside a Module III chassis using a mini-ITX board.

To make things easier for users, InWin will also be making an app and online instructions in 3D fully available, which is part of the company's goal to get more people to be confident building their own computers.

Finally, there's POC, which is meant for the youngest, most inexperienced of builders. Inspired by the concept of origami, the POC cases are delivered as a set of metal sheets which are designed to be bent and put together by hand. It's supposed to feel like an arts and crafts project, and it will also come with a dedicated instructional app to help users build their PC step-by-step. That includes steps on how to install the motherboard, GPU, and so on, not just the case itself.

The POC cases are designed to be bent over and over, so it shouldn't be rendered useless if you bent something the wrong way. You can even bend the metal on some of the plates to increase airflow into the PC, which is a neat idea.

These are mini tower cases, so they'll only fit mini-ITX motherboards, but they do fit ATX power supplies and up to a 3.5-slot GPU, which is housed in a dedicated compartment. The GPU is mounted vertically using a PCIe riser, which is included in the box.

You can get the POC cases in a black and black colorway (called Race Blue) or a green and yellow (called Tropical Sweetheart). InWin had a few different colors at the show, but there's no indication you'll be able to buy them.

On a different note, the company also had a concept build at the show called POC One. This isn't a real product, but it's still pretty interesting. In this case, the different panels of the chassis are already linked to each other, but using a flexible material that lets you easily fold up the case, so it's flat. It's an interesting way to make a case that can be much more portable when it's empty.

Aside from the real products it had at Computex, InWin also had a showcase PC it made in partnership with EK, who's mostly known for their liquid cooling solutions. EK actually designed the machine and InWin built the chassis, and it looks pretty premium.

The interior looks sick, too, with both the CPU and GPU being liquid-cooled with a pink liquid that makes for a pretty distinct look. Of course, it's also using hard tubes for the cooling loop, so it looks even more premium.

While some of the concepts InWin brought to the show may not make a lot of sense for everyone, I do think it's really nice to see companies trying to do something different, even if it's not always the most logical thing to do. I imagine these products will find their audience, and it's cool that they exist.

I've been covering the tech world since 2018, and I love computers, phones, and - above all that - Nintendo videogames, which I'm always happy to talk about.