I built a teenage engineering computer-1
teenage engineering makes a weird little computer case, and I built a new PC in one.
I’ve been building PCs since I was in high school. The process is quite a bit easier now than it was back then - no more optical drives, chunky IDE ribbon cables and 3.5” hard drives, and dedicated ISA/PCI cards for everything - but no less fun or rewarding. Somehow I find that I get the most out of the experience when I impose constraints on the build, turning it into an engineering or creative challenge. When I moved to Hong Kong, for example, I found myself living in a 180 ft² apartment and not having much space for anything, so I built my first mini-ITX computer in a small Cooler Master Elite 110 case. Then I decided to build an ATX tower using only black or white components. (Both pictured below.) These machines have served me well for years, and the experience of building them was helpful for my latest constrained build - the teenage engineering computer-1.
Cooler Master Elite 110 (mini-ITX) and the black-and-white ATX tower
The What Now?
You’ll be forgiven if you’ve never heard of teenage engineering. (It’s taking every ounce of my strength not to capitalize the brand, but they seem to be aggressively against capital letters.) The Swedish company has only existed for about 10 years, and they don’t often introduce new products. Their most successful creation, the OP-1, a “portable wonder synthesizer” (their words), embodies the company’s ethos of form and function: it has won awards for both its design aesthetic and its utility as a sampler/synthesizer. It also established the norm of their products being shockingly expensive (it retails for $1,299). I suppose they’re a bit like the Apple of niche high-end audio gadgets.
They’ve also released a DIY computer case. For some reason.
I don’t even remember where I first saw the computer-1, but I do remember my first thought when I saw it - “that’s neat and I want one.” Did I really need to build a new computer right now? No, and even if I did, I don’t live in a 180 ft² apartment anymore, so I certainly didn’t need to build another mini-ITX computer. None of that matters, though, because I bought one anyway, built a tiny computer in it, and now I’m going to tell you about it. (Full build specs at the end.)
What’s So Special About the computer-1?
The main difference between the computer-1 and every other computer I’ve ever built is that the case needs to be built along with the rest of the internals. This includes making several 90° bends in the 1-mm aluminum panels and screwing the sides of the case together while fitting the components inside. It’s a more complex, labor-intensive process than installing PC components into a pre-built case. There are really no advantages to this design other than the fun (to me) of constructing the case along with the rest of the machine (and the practicality of shipping a much flatter box, I suppose). Theoretically a computer case that doesn’t come pre-assembled should also cost less - see my comment above, however, about teenage engineering’s price points.
The other striking thing about the computer-1 is its aesthetic - it just looks neat. It’s bright orange (and no other colors are available) powder coated aluminum with shiny chrome carrying handles on top and a toggle switch instead of an on/off button. It’s also comically small, even for a mini-ITX case. My aforementioned Cooler Master Elite 110 machine, for example, has a volume of about 825 in³, but the computer-1, which uses the same size mini-ITX motherboard, is only about 540 in³, 35% smaller. (For comparison, a full-ATX computer tower is about 1800 in³ - the computer-1 takes up 70% less space.)
The Good
unique, eye-catching design
clear assembly instructions
very compact size (even for mini-ITX)
high quality feel to components
The Bad
very expensive for what it is
design severely restricts the build (even for mini-ITX)
DIY means more chances for user error, frustration
Lessons Learned
The two most important things to know about the computer-1 are that it can be frustrating to assemble, and the small form factor severely restricts the range of components that will fit inside.
On the first point: as I mentioned before, the case arrives as separate, flat metal panels that need to be bent into shape during assembly. This isn’t as challenging as it may sound, but it does require precision and care on the part of the assembler (“think twice, bend once” is sagely printed on the instructions). Perfectionists without access to industrial bending equipment may be annoyed at the slightly-less-than-perfect lines and angles on the finished product. I haven’t mentioned the price of the computer-1 to this point, so now seems like a good time to do that: it’s $195. (For reference, high quality, fully-assembled mini-ITX cases generally cost less than half of that.)
On the second point: the computer-1, due to its uniquely small volume, can’t easily accommodate many normal-sized computer components. Not only does it only fit mini-ITX motherboards, but it also only fits SFX power supplies, which are considerably smaller than standard ATX power supplies. (Not all mini-ITX cases have this requirement - my Cooler Master Elite 110 uses a standard ATX power supply.) Given that there’s so little space inside the case, it’s also imperative to use a fully modular power supply to eliminate any unused cables inside. Perhaps the single most significant restriction is on video cards. The computer-1 does have a cutout in the back panel for a double-height video card, but it limits the length of the GPU to about 180mm (7 inches). To illustrate just how restrictive that limit is, PC component online megastore Newegg lists over 300 different NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards for sale - when you filter those results by GPU length, there are three cards that would fit inside the computer-1. Three.
But wait, there’s more! Or, rather, less! For front panel access, all you get is one USB-C port and a headphone jack that may or may not work. (I haven’t tested mine, but I’ve read other users say theirs doesn’t work.) The case also only has a single cutout on the right side panel for an 80mm case fan, which means that it’s not possible to use any kind of AIO liquid CPU cooler. (Again, the Elite 110 can accommodate a liquid cooler with a 120mm fan.) It might be possible to mount a larger case fan or AIO fan on the top panel, but only if there’s no video card installed (and this assumes the fan aligns with the holes in the top panel). The side panel cutout is also just an open hole - there’s nothing covering the case fan while it operates. This won’t be a problem for most people, but you probably don’t want to leave the computer-1 on the floor if you have a cat, for example.
The largest problem I ran into during my build was my choice of CPU cooler. As I’ve said already, no AIO cooling is possible, so that means going the traditional heatsink/fan route. Since my build uses a 12th generation Intel Core i7, I didn’t want to skimp on CPU cooling, so I chose the Noctua NH-D9L rather than the much smaller NH-L9i. Technically the NH-D9L fits, but it’s extremely tight. There’s nearly no space at all between the heatsink and the other motherboard components (see below, left), and the top of the cooler nearly touches the 80mm case fan. This giant CPU cooler also prevented me from installing two 2.5” internal SSDs - only one fits, and it’s quite an airflow impediment (see below, right). (Note: The instructions never mention installing 2.5” internal SSDs, but the case does allow it - the only mounting option is at that conspicuous blank (no holes) section on the back panel. Two drives can be mounted side-by-side there, if your CPU cooler is short enough.)
Left: the Noctua cooler towering over the motherboard Center: individual case components before assembly Right: the build without the top/right panel attached
And Finally, Some Advice
So, should you buy a teenage engineering computer-1? Yes, if (and only if) you want the challenge of building it yourself, and you understand the limitations of its size. Building this computer without a dedicated video card and/or a smaller CPU cooler would simplify the process (and reduce the cost) significantly. I would also recommend having a second set of hands around to help with some stages of the assembly. I was able to do it by myself, but it wasn’t the easiest at some points. It’s definitely not a first choice for your next high-end gaming rig, even though that’s basically what I (stupidly) tried to do with mine. It looks like I might just get away with it.
Build Details:
case: teenage engineering computer-1
motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K
CPU fan: Noctua NH-D9L
RAM: Kingston Fury 32GB (16GBx2) DDR5 5200
PSU: Seasonic FOCUS SGX-650
GPU: Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3060 Mini OC 12G*
storage: Samsung 980 PRO NVME M.2 PCIe 4.0, Seagate Firecuda 520 PCIe Gen4 X4 NVMe, Team Group T-FORCE VULCAN G 2.5" SATA SSD
case fan: Noctua NF-A8
Total build cost: around $2,100 (yikes)
*This GPU is made in China and only currently on sale in the Asia market
