Check out our review of the 2014 Origin Millienium gaming PC.
Boutique PC maker Origin arrived at CES 2014 with a big surprise: a computer case. While most people think of a case as little more than a metal box that houses components, Origin has taken it to the next level with a modular, flexible, and spacious enclosure that will form the foundation of its new mid-tower and full-tower desktops.
What makes the case special is its flexibility. It can hold any size of motherboard up to XL-ATX, which is usually reserved for servers, and the internal layout can be changed from left to right, rear-facing to top-facing, without buying any new components. If you decide you’d like the case window to be on the right instead of the left, for example, you can switch it.
Both the mid-tower Millennium and the full-tower Genesis use the same case, but the Genesis has a removable lower expansion that can be configured to fit a pair of massive 360mm water-cooling radiators or 12 hard drive bays. And, because the case in modular, this expansion can be purchased later by Millennium owners who need more space. The base mid-tower isn’t what you’d call cramped, however, as it has room for up to four full-sized video cards, seven hard drives, and a water-cooling radiator.
The new case is built from thick, sturdy steel, is bound together by easily removed thumb screws, and includes a plethora of divots and loops to assist with guiding internal cords. Origin says that because the case is built to accommodate expansion and customization, changing the layout or adding the lower tower expansion after purchase won’t void Origin’s warranty.
Other features include a built-in Kensington lock, five hot-swappable hard drive bays with optional locking mechanism, and remote-control LED lighting. Both the Millennium and Genesis are already shipping with the new tower; the former starts at about $1,700, while the latter is at least $1,850.
The company had one other surprising announcement: the introduction of a rack-mounted system. Entirely different from its gaming PCs, the rackmount’s claim to fame is optional water-cooling, a unique feature in this market. While that may seem a strange product for a gaming PC manufacturer to offer, Origin told us that government and corporate orders make up a large part of its business as well.
Origin is already a force to be reckoned with in the boutique PC market, and its new modular case could provide the edge it needs to shoot to the top. Look for a review on Digital Trends in February.
