Student Designs Cardboard Computer Case 329
SpaceGhost writes "The Houston Chronicle has a story on a Grad student at the University of Houston who has designed a cardboard case for a computer. This is not a new concept, but this one is meant to be used in manufacture. The idea is that it will be faster and easier to produce (no fasteners for example) and dramatically easier to recycle."
Seems like a cool idea... (Score:2, Insightful)
But its probably not recyclable after it catches on fire from my overclocked processor
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..after it catches on fire ..
Still cool?
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Not to mention the lack of Faraday cage-like effect a traditional metal case provides.
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:4, Funny)
You could probably glue a thin sheet of aluminum foil to the inside of the case, so I wouldn't worry about the Faraday cage.
At least now the ultra-low-end Dells will look on the outside just as crappy as they are on the inside :)
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:5, Funny)
So now my cardboard computer case needs a tinfoil hat?
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Just make the dang thing out of ALUMINUM to begin with and "sidestep the middleman".
Do you work for Apple? :)
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There were a number of manufacturers experimenting with injection-moulded ABS cases quite a few years ago - they typically needed no tools (or at most a screwdriver for a single screw) to open and service, and could easily be broken down for recycling into a pile of electronic
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Not mine, Enough of mine is made out of plastic for it to be completely worthless. But even if it wasn't, Depending on the frequencies you are trying to shield, your current computer case is a pretty horrible fariday shield as it is. Every hole, slit and opening for ventilation or other purposes allows EM to radiate or re-radiate out of it at a wavelengths of that size.
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:4, Interesting)
Proper building is important, e.g. in most cases you will find there are metal blanks behind the plastic blanks on drive bays, theese make up part of the shielding but are often not replaced (or even can't be replaced) when moving drives arround (PC manufacturers don't really care about this, they only care about meeting the interference regulations when the machine leaves the factory).
Remember even a 10GHz (that would about the third harmonic of the clock of a 3GHz CPU) electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of a few centimeters so small slits aren't that much of a problem.
They don't build PC cases out of metal (or occasionally metal lined plastic) for fun or to make them cheap, they do it because they need the shielding to meet interference regulations.
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:4, Interesting)
LOL - I try not to shamelessly promoto myself
http://pizzaboxart.blogspot.com/ [blogspot.com]
hard drives would have problems (Score:2)
I think modern hard drives rely on transferring some of their heat through the metal of a case. I remember Seagate back when they introduced the 10k drives where saying that they could reduce the heat of these drives by 5-10 degrees by using better case mounting that ensured the heat was transfered to the case.
Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:4, Informative)
But its probably not recyclable after it catches on fire from my overclocked processor
No worries. I think the melting point of solder is lower than ignition point of cardboard. So there's an automatic safety mechanism: solder melts, electric connections break, heating stops.
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Re:Seems like a cool idea... (Score:4, Funny)
Actually, I read on the cover of a book once that paper ignites at 451 F.
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I know you were joking, but I doubt your processor (or any component in your computer case for that matter) would run hot enough to ignite paper/cardboard.
In normal operation no, under fault conditions some chips could probablly reach those kind of temperatures.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/26293/cpu_cooler_removed/ [metacafe.com]
>AMD athlon 1400
>Temperature 370C/698F
>Application crashes
>CPU and board up in smoke
If a CPU lacking the thermal protection built into modern CPUs can do it with mere heatsink removal
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Bhahahah, I can't wait until the first people start showing up in tech support forums complaining about mold...
*sniff sniff* (Score:5, Funny)
Re:*sniff sniff* (Score:5, Funny)
Could they have included (Score:2)
Some pictures?
My imagination is running wild.
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What happens (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What happens (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:What happens (Score:4, Funny)
Isn't there something about goats, yoda dolls and grits for this?
Re:What happens (Score:5, Funny)
Pot ... Kettle ... etc. ...
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I'm pretty sure you mean:
Better description and pictures (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/recompute-a-closer-look-at-the-sustainable-cardboard-pc/ for a better description and better pictures
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I'm still not entirely convinced by his arguments about how high a temp you need to burn cardboard. Seriously - 258C??
Might be a little high, but not much. After all, doesn't paper burn at 451F?
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Unless your computer catches on fire it will never get hot enough for cardboard to burn. They put oven meals in cardboard, people reheat pizza in its box in the oven and cooking food in a oven is much hotter than a PC.
From this link: http://www.school-for-champions.com/scien [school-for-champions.com]
Must-have accessory (Score:2)
grounding? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Almost all of them do. In fact I am unaware of any case that doesn't.
devices(CD-Rom. hard dirve, etc) use their case for grounding, and you attach metal screws to old them onto the case, and most likely have other contact. You do not want to start having different 'ground points' in a case. That will casue drift and multiple different potentials.
This is why you should leave the computer plugged IN, but turned off at the power supply when working on them, also maintain contact with them usually via a strap.
T
Re:grounding? (Score:4, Informative)
Grounding has always been via the power supply primarily, the power supply always has a ground plug for that reason. The case was just a handy secondary ground when working on the computers. I imagine that lame grounding strap will be more important for this case, but really grounding isn't a big risk unless you are in a very dry area and producing a large static buildup in your body.
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What needs to be grounded? There are ground return paths in all component connections, and that is desirable over having random ground currents circulate in the case.
Having debugged a few interference problems on PCs myself, as far as RFI is concerned, radiation is primarily from external cables. The main problems with PCs are 1) Reradiation from the external power, peripheral, and network cables, 2) Pickup of stray radiation on cables inside the case itself.
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Your case shouldn't be your primary ground circuit. Plastic computer cases exist and aren't grounded either. The fact that it isn't grounded isn't what makes this a stupid idea. The fact that cardboard doesn't handle dampness, dirt, insects, etc is what makes this a stupid idea. Coating it with something to protect it, would make it no more recyclable than a plastic case.
the case is the easy part (Score:4, Informative)
The case is either Al or steel sheet metal, easily recyclable. The toxic sludge and heavy metals in the PCB, capacitors and solder are the problem. Call me when they invent cardboard solder.
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The case is either Al or steel sheet metal, easily recyclable. The toxic sludge and heavy metals in the PCB, capacitors and solder are the problem. Call me when they invent cardboard solder.
Bingo. And what about the energy and resources involved in producing the internal components? Apparently these are very high (e.g. in terms of water, etc.)
I don't want to sound too much like I'm attacking an idea which may well have been intended as no more than an interesting concept (albeit one that's been done and reported on Slashdot on at least one previous occasion). Still, it smacks of those feelgood/sounds-good prominent but tokenistic green efforts that are all too commonly the focus of bandwagon
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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It wasn't environmentalists who pushed it; it was companies who saw the financial benefit of doing so.
If you could release a technology which would receive wide support for being "green" but degraded faster than the traditional parts, would you do it? Sure you would - because you could just blame the increased failure rate on the wackos. "Green" and "ecologically responsible" stuff is popular. Just like the current "green" fuels for vehicles (E85, here's looking at you), they don't work out in fact or pract
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Right. The RoHS is just a figment of our imagination; electronics companies actually decided to use crappier, more expensive solder in order to promote planned obsolescence.
Seriously, we've been hit twice in the solder department. First it was water-based fluxes (the problem wasn't the flux, but the flux remover, which had some truly nasty compounds in it). For quite a while they didn't work so well caus
Silverfish (Score:3, Interesting)
I bet the case will be all eaten in a year or so.
EMC Nightmere (Score:4, Insightful)
Not again.
This is not the first time we have seen this idea
cardboard does not act as a Farady cage and the computer will leak large amounts of radio frequency interference so will not be legal in most countries.
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Apparently you haven't opened one. There aren't many plastic cases around. There are aluminum cases with plastic molding on the outside.
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cardboard does not act as a Farady cage and the computer will leak large amounts of radio frequency interference so will not be legal in most countries.
That's pretty easy to solve with a few cents worth of aluminum.
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I saw we split open soda cans and beer cans! When we open these babies up for a RAM upgrade we can get and advertisement from Budweiser and Mountain Dew.
Re:EMC Nightmere (Score:4, Interesting)
While you are at it, just a remarkably smaller volume and mass for the aluminum of the outside of the case.
This has got to be one of the DUMBEST "self-nuke" ideas to come along here in a long time.
Take a tower PC that's likely going to be mostly encased in metal to begin with.
Take that very trivially recyclable component and then go out of your way to
REPLACE it with something that is probably going to cause more harm to the
environment when you try to recycle it.
Replacing plastic with paper is not the answer.
This is not the grocery store.
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They did. It's called "Duct Tape"
I've been recycling computer cases for YEARS. (Score:3, Interesting)
I've used very early AT cases all the way into the socket 7 era - I even built an ultra rare P-II era system into an early AT case once. Then, when I went to ATX I kept reusing cases. Hurricane Ex Wife stealing everything followed by Hurricane Ike put a stop to that reuse chain, but I do intend to start reusing cases again.
The biggest "need" for a cardboard case comes from big name manufacturers that insist on making proprietary boards and cases instead of sticking with industry standards. I understand why, you don't want people gutting an HP, putting an ECS main board in it and reselling it as an HP at a flea market, but I'm sure there's other ways to deal with that particular issue.
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The biggest "need" for a cardboard case comes from big name manufacturers that insist on making proprietary boards and cases instead of sticking with industry standards.
I've got a newsflash for you, but the big name manufacturers are the ones who created the inudstry standards, and they certainly stick to them. That you (and most hobby computer builders) prefer an old, outdated standard like ATX is not something to hold against the industry, which has been trying to move on for years.
One of the best case formats out there is BTX, the layout greatly improves airflow while at the same time reducing case size in most applciations significantly, all without sacrificing power
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Re:I've been recycling computer cases for YEARS. (Score:4, Interesting)
There are plenty of computers out there which don't adhere to those standards. Something like the Dell gx270, for instance, which uses an odd ATX-wire-compatible cigar shaped power supply. Vendors seem to love making proprietary, difficult to service cases: seems like every generation of each vendors' products results in a different, difficult to service case design (including different-headed screws).
BTX is a bad design. It's not Athlon 64 or i7 compatible. ATX is. That's part of the reason hobbyists aren't interested. The fact that BTX power supplies and boards aren't as good, inexpensive, or available also has a lot to do with it - it's not the hobbyists who have nixed BTX, it's the producers. Hobbyists will move to whatever works well for the application, at a good price range.
Mini-ITX (which is what I assume you were referring to) does have a fairly broad hobbyist adoption. Why? It isn't a bad case design which limits adoption in multiple applications.
What are the applications for which ATX does not work well? And/or why do they not work well? What about the design sucks? "Clipping it to your belt" isn't exactly a valid (or honest) criticism. There's mini-ATX, as well as a variety of spec diversions - and from what I've seen, they're upwards- and cross- compatible (ie mini-ATX will work in a full-size ATX case). That works well for everything from "small desktop" on up through full-size low-end server.
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Right, and since you build your own machines you'll probably pony up a few more bucks and want a metal case.
But the average computer consumers of the world aren't going to reuse a case. They are going to buy a machine that costs as little as possible to fulfill their computer needs for 5 years or so, then when it gets too slow or no longer supports the titles they want to buy on the shelf they will throw it away or give it to a charity, and go out and buy a new one.
Plus, have you seen the cases that the li
Re:I've been recycling computer cases for YEARS. (Score:4, Insightful)
I remember playing Tribes 2 on my AMD system many moons ago. It kept locking up about 12 minutes in due to overheating. Finally switched over to an AMD-approved case, and the overheating problems went away. While it would have been nice to keep an old case & keep putting better systems inside, I had no choice on that one.
I don't miss the old AT cases where to access anything inside meant having to unbolt the side-top-side u-shaped cover. The switch to individual removable sides was a good one.
Re:I've been recycling computer cases for YEARS. (Score:4, Insightful)
I miss the power button actually turning the system OFF.
I also miss my old cases I could reuse as a jack stand for my car. Of course I understand why the AT standard had to be replaced.
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Not all cases are created equal. My favourite old case was a desktop case with a pair of buttons to open the case up like a hood. More recently, I worked as a computer tech in a school where the sides of the AT cases came off independently.
I ordered one... (Score:5, Funny)
Interference? (Score:2)
I think this is a neat way of thinking about a case. The "spill" issue unfortunately makes it a non-starter where I work... let's just say that many of the people I work with are idiots. For my own personal projects, I prefer a nice case that I reuse for a long time (like a Lian-Li).
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If you spill something on your computer, the case is the least of your worries.
The case is least important (Score:5, Insightful)
And who the hell throws away a case? It's the part that goes obsolete slowest, and several computers might occupy a case before it needs to be replaced.
Re:The case is least important (Score:4, Insightful)
The people most likely to throw away a case are those who don't build their own computers. Not everyone has the know how or desire to do so. It's much easier to just order already made.
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They do for the most part. They also toss their cell phones.
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That depends on the case. My parents gave me their old Gateway a few years ago, which I used as a media center PC. When I decided to upgrade it, I was frustrated to discover that instead of the standard rectangular hole with removable motherboard-specific rear panel cover, the back was a solid piece of steel with holes machined out specifically for that computer's motherboard's port arran
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Yup - almost any OEM case is nearly useless to reuse. Other issues:
1. Compact designs often only work with specific board layouts (including assumptions of the height of various components on the board and their position.
2. The case might or might not have a full set of screw-holes for various board formats.
3. The connectors for USB/power/reset/speaker/etc often use fancy connectors that are non-standard, rather than just individual connectors. There might even be primitive daughterboards involved.
4.
Here is an off topic case question (Score:4, Interesting)
why the hell are desktop cases so damn expensive?
I used to have up right computer cases becasue glass monitors were getting so damn big, and thus heavy. Now with LCD monitors, I would think the desktop would come back.
It saves more space then the tiny uprights Dell sell that stand next to the monitor, and makes room on the floor.
Obviously, the people on slashdot that get in and out of there case is probably a higher proportion then most people so I can see why some of you wouldn't want one.
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Obviously, the people on slashdot that get in and out of there case is probably a higher proportion then most people so I can see why some of you wouldn't want one.
Out? What do you mean by out?
The case has a transparent side and ventilation for a reason.
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I used to have up right computer cases becasue glass monitors were getting so damn big, and thus heavy. Now with LCD monitors, I would think the desktop would come back.
Then put the upright behind the monitor. Hey, it works for Apple (iMac) and HP (TouchSmart).
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Hell most of the $40-$50 dollar cases I find are far MORE attractive then the $300 dollar cases that get sold to the morons with more dollars then sense.
Obligatory (Score:2)
carry your iPhone 3G in style [case-mate.com]... recession style.
Why this case is a fail: The metal is an RF shield, it helps ensure proper operation of both computer and surrounding equipment.
Grounding is NOT an issue here; the power supply is grounded, there are grounds (usually multiple!) running to disks and whatnot. RF is very much an issue, however. The grounding is way secondary to the shielding.
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They could easily add a thin layer of foil to the cardboard for RF shielding, without it being a metal case (where the metal is also structural and thus much thicker than you need for shielding). However, I imagine this would scupper the ability to recycle the thing
Anecdotally, I have run many computers without a case (normally when I have been modifying something, or for brief periods when my existing case has insufficient ventilation for new components but I haven't been able to change it. I've not notice
Once again, BeOS was ahead of its time (Score:4, Funny)
Finally a use for is_computer_on_fire()
http://www.eeggs.com/items/15121.html [eeggs.com]
Not a fire risk (Score:2)
I seem to have got some notion somewhere that paper products such as cardboard burns at around 451 Fahrenheit (thats about 232 centigrade in proper units). If any part of your computer in contact with the case is anywhere close to that temperature, there is plenty of stuff that has already failed.
In any case, your current computer likely has a thin, metal case, which will conduct heat very nicely. If it is heated to 232 centigrade, then it will likely heat the floor/desk beneath it to almost the same tempe
Re:Not a fire risk (Score:5, Funny)
One of my favorite books is 'Centigrade 232'
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Well don't heat it up any more, wouldn't want to lose your favourite book :)
The throw away computer (Score:3, Interesting)
repost ...... :) (Score:2)
Pizza Box Linux Server ...
http://slashdot.org/story/99/09/10/1621242/Steaming-Heap-of-Quickies [slashdot.org] http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=1999-08-25-014-10-PR
FCC Part 15 class B (Score:4, Interesting)
Pretty sure a cardboard box with a modern motherboard inside doesn't quite meet the FCC Part 15 class B regulations for unintentional radio emissions needed for residential use. That's why computer cases are usually metal instead of plastic.
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SImple fix: Coat it in aluminum~
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Re:FCC Part 15 class B (Score:4, Insightful)
Now I don't design computers but I do design radios and I have put devices through FCC. What experience with FCC do you have to qualify your statement that a modern motherboard would not pass FCC?
A can or two of this... (Score:2)
magic elixir [minwax.com] and that case will hold up to a lot more.
Won't replace shielding though. Maybe snip some tinfoil from your hats?
almost there... (Score:2)
huh? (Score:2)
This dude does know that cases are normally made of aluminum and recycling them is profitable and kills no trees like his cardboard does right?
Why not corrugated plastic? (Score:3, Interesting)
Disposable is sustainable (Score:2)
"expects arguments about whether the case is really sustainable, given that it seems designed to be easily disposable."
Disposable is sustainable. The problem is not that things are disposable, it's that they aren't disposable enough.
I get a disposable coffee cup, I drink my coffee in 15 minutes and the plastic lid is going last 1000 years, that's hardly disposable.
My coffee cup should last only as long as I need it too. A disposable coffee cup that would start degrading with in 2 days would be a fine timefr
This is not news! (Score:2)
http://www.sweetawesometours.com/photos/003portland03/box-house.jpg [sweetawesometours.com]
here is another (Score:2)
http://www.chinatraderonline.com/Files/Gifts-and-Crafts/Gift-Boxes/shoe-box-23064117699.jpg [chinatraderonline.com]
Four years and one month late, Slashdot (Score:2)
Cardboard PC Case by Lupo [ubergizmo.com].
Another article, from Gizmodo [gizmodo.com].
PC cases are one thing, but please don't take it too far [techeblog.com]!
What about wood? (Score:2)
Is anybody familiar with what it takes to make a good wood case?
Not very recycleable. (Score:3, Informative)
a 100% aluminum or steel case is 100% recyclable. This "cardboard" thing is a gimmick. In fact most computer cases metal components are always recycled as the metal has the highest value.
Such a bad idea, let me count the ways... (Score:5, Insightful)
Catching on fire
Getting wet
Condensation
Humidity
Supporting other objects
Stress
Changing structure
Changing composition
Bacteria
Mold
Bugs getting inside, getting them back out
Mites
Unwashable
Overheating
Weight of components
EM interference to internal components
EM interference to external appliances (possible FCC violation)
Grounding
Reusability/longevity
Papercuts
Transportability
Modification
Static
Security
Looking stupid
Did I miss anything?
Dust (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Let me count the ways... (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't have a quibble with most of your post, but cardboard is a MUCH better dampener of noise and vibrations than metal, especially thin sheet metal. Metal can easily become a sounding board for vibrations. Cardboard, not so much...
Also, cardboard is pretty structurally strong. Stronger than very thin metal. The only reason cases hold any weight is the internal frame, not the thin sheet metal and plastic most "disposable computer-grade" cases are made out of. That frame could either be retained, or replaced with some triangular corner cardboard reinforcements. It doesn't really get brittle if treated properly (seal it so the humidity remains constant and it can last FAR longer than the 5-year lifespan of the computer inside.
I see your point on the fireproof thing, though. Once you start effectively fireproofing the cardboard you'll likely undo a lot of the cost savings and environmental benefits.
Re:First! (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't think so. Recycling is the LAST of the three. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This will result in MORE resources being spent and LESS reuse of components.
Computer cases are one of the most re-usable elements in a system. My first PC, an 8088 PC, used a Cosmol XT case made of steel, and that case and power supply was the centerpiece of my computer from my XT all the way until my K6-2. Along that time, processor speeds increased by a factor of 100 (4.77MHz to 550MHz), memory size increased by a factor of 50 (256kb to 128MB), storage space increased by a factor of 2000(5MB to 10GB). The important standards for case design didn't change over that period, so there was no good reason to change. Also, the case was totally bad-ass. The computer I built to finally replace the aging beast used a new case, and the standards haven't changed since. I've built Athlon 64s with cases from old Pentium IIs or Athlons.
Making the case of a PC disposable crap is going to result in more waste, not less. Suddenly I won't be able to have the same case for 20 years, I'll have to replace it with every new computer(or more!). Also, it'll lead to less reuse of components. I've built 6 computers this year from parts scavenged from here and there. All of them have found homes. The parts simply wouldn't be able to be scavenged if the machines were made of cardboard. To clean the outsides of the cases, we had to use soap and water that these cases wouldn't stand up to. Some of them were left in the rain and mud for short periods fo time, and wouldn't be functional if not for the fact that they had cases that could withstand the elements.
My current case could last me another 10-20 years easily, depending on what standards do (a PC case you bought in 1999 would have an ATX form factor and could be reused today. I could see power supply standards but not case standards changing again in that time). Under this regimen, I could end up with a new case every 1-2 years or more. As others have pointed out, there will also be greater stress on components from EMI and RFI. Making less durable paper cases may be slightly easier for recycling, but it's stupid from the perspective of reducing waste.
Re:First! (Score:4, Insightful)
a) Who's to say you can't reuse this case?
b) Your use case is rare. 99.9% of PC users will not be reusing the same case 5 times.
c) I am guessing it takes dramatically less energy to create and recycle a cardboard case 5 times than it costs to create a single permanent steel case.