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Editorial On the Clock with Parvum Systems

Sin

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The modding and custom water cooling scene has never been a particularly stable or reliable medium to build a business in and around of, with its intrinsically superfluous character making it a particularly risky bet for a start-up of any sort, and indeed a losing bet for very many of those who did bite the bullet, invested the money and delivered the goods, but failed to capitalize on what can best be described as a frivolous demand. A multitude of brands with a wide variety of products have come and gone, while some of those still on the scene are slowly fading into irrelevance, all of whom failed to correctly grasp the nature of that demand.

Thankfully, all is not gloom, this is a vibrant scene I'm talking about, with many household names that have been around for many many years, and some quite new ones also, doing very well and in some instances thriving. All of whom brought and bring to market products that not only meet existing demand, but primarily come to generate it. While generally a low volume market, the sheer variety of products is quite overwhelming, from completely over the top contraptions such as the Aqua Computer GIGANT radiators or the obscenely expensive, functional artwork boasting the Murderbox branding, to grotesquely designed and executed kitsch that will remain unnamed, in-between you'll find anything meeting every taste or budget. And from this busy, vibrant and idiosyncratic scene a new player by the name or Parvum Systems is looking to carve a piece for itself.



Parvum Systems is the brainchild of two passionate modders from the UK, who decided to take their hobby to the next level. Justin and Shaun, both in their early twenties, started Parvum Systems "about a year ago," with no outside investment or funding, putting everything together through sheer dedication and a modicum of financial help and support from family and friends. The small design and manufacturing operation is based in a tiny warehouse, on a semi-rural property on the outskirts of Essex. Making use of a small CNC machine and the usual assortment of hand tools, they fabricate everything in-house from acrylic sheets and manually assemble every case. A production process which allows them to offer a whole variety of custom modifications and assist with any other mods one might require, or in their own words, "we pride ourselves on making each case with that little extra bit of care, and offering a slightly more personal approach to the world of computer cases."

In the short time they've been operational, the business has moved from addressing a client base consisting of friends and a few other modders, to international distribution, Parvum Systems cases are currently offered by major UK retailer OCUK and in mainland Europe by Rotterdam-based, cooling specialist, HighFlow.



Parvum Systems' first - and currently only, commercially available case is the S1.0, a premium mATX acrylic case designed to accommodate a single water cooling loop making use of two 240 mm radiators, or two separate loops making use of a single 240 mm radiator each. The case can be ordered in a huge variety of colors and four basic finishes, matte, glossy, frosty or UV reactive. Options like custom color combinations are available, also modifications like acrylic inlaying and window etching can be done at additional cost. The case itself is compact and rather bulky looking and the internal space is very well though out, what we usually refer to as a motherboard tray has transformed into a mid-wall in the S1.0, delimiting the space reserved for the motherboard, graphics card(s), cooling gear and everything else on display, from the space reserved for the PSU and drives, which are neatly hidden behind the mid-wall. One of the guiding ideas behind the design has to do with showcasing the hardware, the case itself was not intended as a center stage piece, but as an beautiful and elegant but neutral and fully functional hardware showcase piece.
The list price for the case in its basic form and color options is £130, which is a feat in itself considering the high quality standards of this product and the fact that it is designed and built in the UK. And I'm sure I'm not the only one to find this somewhat striking, a high quality PC case, hand assembled in the EU, that proves to be price competitive in relation to Chinese or Taiwanese counterparts is nothing short of spectacular.

Parvum Systems S1.0 specifications:
  • Materials: Acrylic
  • Colors: Black/White
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 275 x 305 x 420 mm
  • Maximum CPU Cooler Height: 152 mm
  • Motherboard Sizes: mATX
  • 3.5" Drive Bays: 2
  • 2.5" Drive Bays: 4
  • Cooling Front: 2 x 120mm
  • Cooling Rear: 3 x 80mm
  • Cooling Top: 2 x 120mm
  • PCI Slots: x 4
  • Radiator thickness: 30-35 mm thick radiators advised, but 45 mm-thick ones will also fit in the front.



There is another product in the pipelines that it's certain to draw the attention of SFF fanatics everywhere, it is a premium Mini-ITX case true to its name, something quite uncommon as most of you surely know, few (if any) Mini-ITX cases designed to house proper high end systems are small enough to warrant the name. I won't comment further on it, mostly because I lack the info to do so, but that shouldn't discourage inquiry, do approach Justin and Shaun with any query you might have, you can do so through the Parvum Systems website or Facebook page.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
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btarunr

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"On the Clock" is TechPowerUp's new series of weekend writeups for PC enthusiasts. This week we talk about a new startup from the UK, which shows great promise, and challenges the notion that there isn't much room in the industry left.
 
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Most recently a number of enthusiasts have jumped on the H2O band wagon because CLCs have dropped in price. Unfortunately all of the CLCs short of the very top models are inferior to highend air-cooling. Many enthusiasts learn this the hard way after buying one of the hyped CLCs and finding their CPU runs hotter than with a good HSF. It's a learning experience for sure.

The fickle H2O market will stumble along as there are enough folks who enjoy tinkering with real water cooling, i.e. open-loop systems. These systems are not practical cost wise for a typical highend desktop PC but those who are willing to pay for the entertainment factor will keep this niche market going. Many of these H2O enthusiasts change their cooling components far more often than they change CPUs or mobos. ;) It's similar to those with a RAM fetish who change DDR3 DIMMs just to see if they might get lucky as there is no desktop PC performance benefit to higher frequency RAM above 1600 MHz. other than for APUs. It's all just entertainment - at a price.
 

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£130 for a plastic case is too expensive for my tastes, though I am sure other people might like it.
 
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£130 for a plastic case is too expensive for my tastes, though I am sure other people might like it.

yeah. but its half art so it has the price
im not big fan of acrylic but this case looks pretty nice
 
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Most recently a number of enthusiasts have jumped on the H2O band wagon because CLCs have dropped in price. Unfortunately all of the CLCs short of the very top models are inferior to highend air-cooling. Many enthusiasts learn this the hard way after buying one of the hyped CLCs and finding their CPU runs hotter than with a good HSF. It's a learning experience for sure.

The fickle H2O market will stumble along as there are enough folks who enjoy tinkering with real water cooling, i.e. open-loop systems. These systems are not practical cost wise for a typical highend desktop PC but those who are willing to pay for the entertainment factor will keep this niche market going. Many of these H2O enthusiasts change their cooling components far more often than they change CPUs or mobos. ;) It's similar to those with a RAM fetish who change DDR3 DIMMs just to see if they might get lucky as there is no desktop PC performance benefit to higher frequency RAM above 1600 MHz. other than for APUs. It's all just entertainment - at a price.

A well planned, accurately sized water loop doesn't cost that much.

You can basically watercool a CPU and a GPU for no more than 200-250 eur.
 
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80mm fan mounts but no 140mm fan mounts? Are we in 2013 or 2003?

I do like the drives and PSU being split off from the main compartment, should help with cooling. But the price is really steep, especially considering the lack of a 5.25" bay (e.g. for a fan controller) and no front connectivity.

tl;dr why would I buy this acrylic case for £130 pounds when I could buy a steel Arc Mini for half the price ($100 USD) and the Fractal Design case also has support for 2x 120mm rads, plus 140mm fan mounts, 2x 5.25" bays, front USB3, dust filters? Not to mention the Arc Mini R2 will be available soon, supporting a 360mm rad and an integrated fan controller.
 

esparklan

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80mm fan mounts but no 140mm fan mounts? Are we in 2013 or 2003?

I do like the drives and PSU being split off from the main compartment, should help with cooling. But the price is really steep, especially considering the lack of a 5.25" bay (e.g. for a fan controller) and no front connectivity.

tl;dr why would I buy this acrylic case for £130 pounds when I could buy a steel Arc Mini for half the price ($100 USD) and the Fractal Design case also has support for 2x 120mm rads, plus 140mm fan mounts, 2x 5.25" bays, front USB3, dust filters? Not to mention the Arc Mini R2 will be available soon, supporting a 360mm rad and an integrated fan controller.

I think that if you are a dedicated modder firstly it's a pretty cheap case (you can do ALOT with this case..) these cases are pretty good due to the fact if you are an average joe like me who wants my name CNC'd on the side of the case, I don't have to pay out a fortune for it.. these guy's put serious effort into the cases and will help with anything you want done.. :) They are supposed to be sleek and sexy, which they full well achieve.. The pictures do them no justice, once you see one in the light? For real? I'd pay 200-300 pounds for one.

Would you like to know why?? I see a cute little loop in a Prodigy, or whatever case..I really don't think twice... Nothing compares to the stunning jaw drops this case will get you at a LAN, all the honeys will appear to ask you about the loop.

I'm counting down the days til these guy's build a bigger ATX sized case to grab :) But, the layout etc... I'd say the fan controller is a far point. But with a case like this?? I'd lash the fan controller on a pci bracket or something and hide it (which is quite easy by the looks of one).

I had these guy's at my LAN recently, and the sheer presence these rigs give off is seriously amazing. Definitely the centre piece of the room.

I'd say these are cases for serious people, who want to show off there system.

This was my fav one:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/922622_320199778109666_991484146_o.jpg

:) P.s. Dem white LED's are SOOOO Bright.
 
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