Asus ships cardboard PC cases with motherboards (w/ Video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- When you order components to build a new computer you don't really give a lot of thought to the box that they come in. You throw it out and keep what is inside. Then, ironically, you go out and get another box, your case, to put all of the components back into. Well, what if you could skip all of those steps and just re-use the shipping box as a case?

Asus is betting that at least some of their customers will want to re-use their boxes as cases for self-assembled machines. The next time you happen to buy an Asus motherboard, check out the box because it will be able to double as a cardboard case. That's right, the box is a Transformer!

Before you start laughing at the idea of a cardboard case, consider the jobs of a case: keep your pieces in the right places to provide proper ventilation and keep dust off of your components. There is really no reason why properly thick pieces of cardboard cannot fit the bill, and save you some bills at the same time.

Admittedly, it won't look as shiny as a metal case, but you can brag on having a very green machine. After all, you didn't even throw out the box it came in. Not to mention that since it is cardboard nothing is really stopping you from jazzing it up a bit with a set of sharpie markers or your favorite decals.

Admittedly this may not be the best option for heavy use machines that are going to run hot for extended periods of time, like gaming machines, but for most household use it could be a good alternative.

The Mini-ITX boards, which will be the first to ship with the cardboard cases, are expected to go out sometime in June of this year.

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