Cooler Master's flat-packed PC cases are here and not a day too soon

(Image credit: Cooler Master)

Flat-packed PC cases seemed to me like an inevitability, right? I'm just surprised it's taken this long. InWin has a couple of flat-packed PC cases I had a chance to check out over at Computex, and today Cooler Master has another ready to go: the QUBE 500 Flatpack.

If you hate IKEA furniture, this might not be the PC case for you. But I quite like the challenge and usually don't mind putting it all together. This flat-packed PC case comes in individual panels that Cooler Master says makes for a "fun and flexible build experience." Though it would say that, wouldn't it?

Besides simply taking up less space, this flat-packed chassis also has the benefit of allowing for swappable panels to suit your build. The QUBE 500 case, available from October, comes in either black or white for a usual price of £80, though there is the creatively named 'Macaron edition' for £100 that comes with mint, pink, and cream/orange panels, too. I don't have US pricing yet, but these aren't all too expensive.

The actual case itself is rather compact at 406 x 231 x 415mm, though it'll fit a full ATX motherboard if required. It also doesn't skimp out on some key features for its flat-packed nature, with USB Type-C support on the front IO panel, radiator support up to 280mm, and graphics cards support up to 365mm. Also Cooler Master cites it as more eco-friendly due to its smaller packaging—thus taking up less space needlessly for transportation.

My only hesitation is that it's an awfully perforated PC case, meaning it might be a bit of a pain to clear out from dust. It's also not going to appeal to everyone's tastes on looks alone.

Cooler Master flat-packed QUBE case. — I don't mind the look, but it definitely has that vibe of 'children's playground' about it. (Image credit: Cooler Master)

It seems a decent case on the surface, though, and I'm keen to try it out to see how it really comes together. Moreover, I just want rid of these damned large PC case boxes. When you review a few, you find they take up a lot of space real quick.

InWin's Dubili flat-packed PC cases are also now available if you'd rather have a more classy look. They're going on the InWin website, starting at $230/€270.

Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog, before graduating into breaking things professionally at PCGamesN. Now he's managing editor of the hardware team at PC Gamer, and you'll usually find him testing the latest components or building a gaming PC.