CaseLabs is a name synonymous with premium custom-loop chassis, or at least it was before the California-based PC case maker declared bankruptcy and closed its doors way back in 2018. Fast forward to today and you’ll be happy to discover that the company has been resurrected, and will begin anew with offices relocated in Sweden. How’s that for a comeback.
The resurrection is being handled by two budding partners Emil and Daniel, one a fellow tech enthusiast, the other a trustee and angel investor of sorts, who have been trying to purchase CaseLabs intellectual property for a good number of years. After a long and arduous process, the duo finally reached an agreement with the previous owners and have officially owned the brand since October 2021. They’ve been hard at work ever since on bringing the brand back to life.
As stated in an open letter to fans via its new website, the owners plan on starting off slow and consider this a “soft-launch” to get the engine running. Initially its web shop will offer a selection of freshly made spare parts that are currently in high demand from former customers.
The second stage, or “hard launch,” will pick-up right where the previous owners left off, and will offer all previous case models along with all the spare parts and accessories. Finally, if all goes well (fingers crossed) CaseLabs will eventually start focusing on revisions to previous case chassis. Starting with the ever-popular SMA8, that will supposedly feature new functionalities and updates to match its modern era rivals, similar to when the SMA8 relaunched as SMA8-A.
What’s more, the team has also expressed a desire to dabble in SFF models around the 7-15L range, that will undoubtedly appeal to a larger audience. Here’s hoping.
If you ever frequented Bit-tech forums in 2017, you would know that CaseLabs SMA8 was the go-to case for outrageously expensive and equally gorgeous custom builds. Its smooth lines, clean aesthetic and sheer size made it a preferred canvas for both experienced and novice tech enthusiasts the world over.
In terms of popularity, it was like the Lian Li PC-011 of its time. Except it was extremely expensive with a base price of around $650, easily soaring well above that mark with optional extras, putting it well out of reach for us regular Joe Shmo’s. Still, it was good to dream.
“Skunkworks” by YouTuber Jayz2Cents would have to be one of the standout SMA8 builds during that time period. The overkill gaming PC series involves the creator building the most outrageously powerful PC with the most expensive off the shelf components on offer, and even Jay struggled to let go of the case, only updating it in 2021 after finding a worthy chassis and graphics card upgrade. This stands as testament to how well the case has aged.
For now, those enthused by the prospect can visit CaseLabs’ official website, where the new owners are planning a web-based survey to all those subscribed to its newsletter in order to gauge which spare parts are in high demand.
