Creative ways to repurpose your old PC case

Reusing old PC components on your new PC is one thing, but repurposing them for different, non-PC use cases is far more fulfilling. While reusing your old CPU and motherboard usually gets the most attention, even your power supply and peripherals can be salvaged for their constituent parts. Old PC cases, however, are often discarded when they're not needed anymore. Reusing them for your fancy new PC isn't realistic most of the time, and there are hardly any constituent parts you can reuse. Here are some creative ways to repurpose your old PC cabinet and give it new life.

5 Use it as a storage unit

From housing your PC to storing cables & accessories

One of the simplest ways to keep your old case around is to use it for storing your old electronics, cables, drives, and more. Instead of being locked away in a drawer somewhere, you can have your stash inside your old case, kept close to your PC setup. It doesn't have to be old stuff; you can use the case for keeping your PC accessories, charging cables, extra peripherals, or even non-PC stuff.

All you need to do is make some space inside it by cutting away needless compartments. Alternatively, you can retain those compartments to organize your stuff, keeping your cables in, say, the hard drive cage, and the rest of your belongings in the main compartment. All of this works best if your old case is lying flat on its side; placing or mounting it on the wall vertically will need slightly more work to keep stuff from falling around.

4 Create a DIY bookshelf

It doesn't have to be books

I know first-hand the struggles of impulsive book buying and then finding the space to keep them. Although I have my collection stored safely in my wardrobe in my PC room itself, I'd love to add a small bookshelf on my wall, right above my PC. Reusing an old, unused PC case is one of the best ways to do it. You just need to hollow out the case by removing things like the hard drive cage, PSU shroud, and the like.

Once you have at least two compartments in the case, you're ready to mount it on the wall or keep it somewhere on a secondary desk. Whether you want to keep books, game discs, or something else in this DIY bookshelf is your call. Maybe you have a dozen figurines you want to display on your makeshift shelf, or pay respects to your old graphics cards that fought valiantly before meeting their end. It's all about keeping the things you hold dear in your line of sight.

3 Create a sleeper PC at last

I never did it, but maybe you could

I gave up on my sleeper PC build idea long ago, but maybe you can finally fulfill the ever-present dream of building a modern PC inside an old or even vintage PC case. If you have one of those white/beige PC cases from the 90s and early 2000s, you can slightly modify it to accommodate modern components, and show off your skills to your friends and family.

The older and more dated your case, the more dramatic the contrast between the interior and exterior of your PC will be. Your choice of components might be limited due to the constraints of your old case, but you could treat this as a secondary PC that you build on a budget. Using a compact graphics card and a CPU that doesn't need a ton of cooling, you can make your sleeper PC build easier than you think.

2 Make a cat bed out of it

What's not to love about that?

Repurposing your old monitor to make a cat bed is probably more work than doing the same with your old case. The former requires a CRT monitor and removing its tube, PCB, and other internals, but the latter can be easily done with most PC cases. The roomier your case, the better, since your cat will have more room to take its multiple naps. This project requires you to cut out most of the internals of your old case, smooth any sharp edges, and repaint the case (if you want).

All that remains is adding soft and warm fabrics to the bottom of the case, and maybe a few of your cat's favorite toys to make it feel cozy and homely for your furry friend. Remove the side panel permanently, add some lights inside, and invite your cat to judge your handiwork. It might not even use it at first, but hopefully, after a few tries, your new cat bed will be deemed acceptable by your resident hell-raiser.

1 Craft fancy tech art

Let the juices flow

The image above is one of Nerdforge's fully-functioning PCs, but it shows what you can do with an old case if you decide to give yourself the creative freedom. You can either create your artwork on the exterior of the case, or use every inch of it to build your 3D masterpiece. One idea is to create a memorial for your old rig by including more defective or outdated parts from your old system, creating a visual narrative around it, and mounting it on the wall for everyone to see.

If you have other old hardware, such as floppy disks, memory sticks, PCBs, capacitors, and more lying around, you can create a post-apocalyptic art piece. Arranging them inside the case and painting the exterior with graffiti text like "warning" and "radiation hazard" can be a memorable use of a weekend. Alternatively, you can add succulents and other small plants inside the case, leave a single opening, and create a "nature reclaiming tech" look. These are just a few examples; I suggest you get inspired before creating your masterpiece.

Keeping your old case around for longer is more than possible

If you really want to retain your old PC cases, it's not that hard to find creative ways to do so. Making impressive artwork, a DIY bookshelf, or a simple storage shelf is something anyone can do. Repurposing your old case to make a cat bed or sleeper PC build might take some more work, but it isn't as challenging as you might think. Once you decide to put your mind to it, the number of ideas might overwhelm you. So, get that old case out of storage, dust it off, and get to work.