[Hardware] AI-Generation

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A Redditor has used the Midjourney AI image generator to create some Mini ITX PC case designs that wouldn’t look out of place at a custom PC builds expo. A selection of 28 fantastically alluring case designs were shared this weekend by Hybective. Many of the designs could be great fodder to inspire modders, and others might even be practical enough for the more adventurous PC case-making firms to add to their stables.

AI is slowly but steadily making inroads into our lives, with its tentacles already firmly embedded in smart devices throughout our homes. It is also used to refine some of our favorite connected services/experiences, PC technologies like Nvidia DLSS and Broadcast, and on this writer’s Gigabyte Aero 17 laptop Microsoft Azure AI is even used to tune the GPU boosting behavior.  

Our sample gallery of the AI-generated Mini ITX PCs embedded above features quite a few designs that are rather rotund. This isn’t a bias of the AI; instead, Hybective admits he has a fondness for Wheatley (the AI robot from the Portal franchise) and has wanted a spherical PC ever since casting eyes on the Games Sphere (a GameCube parody) in teen sitcom Drake & Josh. InWin showcased a very cool spherical PC a few years ago, showing that there are options, but admittedly not very many.

When using these AI image generator services, a user typically enters some keywords into a prompt. For his shared Mini ITX PC case images, the Redditor says he commonly used ‘spherical’ as one of the inputs into Midjourney. More specifically, at least some of the images were generated with the prompt “Sphere ITX PC build hyper realistic,” or similar.

There are two main issues with the PC case images generated by AIs like this. The first one is the real-world practicality of the designs, with many needing bespoke glass or acrylic sections. Another complaint is in the AI’s generation of standard PC components – its unbridled imagination needs constraining with some standards for GPUs, liquid and air coolers, and so on. Airflow is obviously no on the AI's list of concerns with some of these designs. Nevertheless, these could still be inspiring designs for both individuals and companies.