We see lots of pre-built and configurable gaming desktops atCES, and most of them these days sport a plethora of glass side panels, aggressive angles, and RGB lighting. CyberPower’s Amethyst 360S Series takes that look and slaps on wood slats in your choice of light or dark colors.
It’s a bold and unique look that certainly won’t be for everyone, but it certainly stood out in the blur of meetings and cascade of new products as I trudged around Las Vegas. I also think it looks better in person than photos can convey, with the shifting colors of the front fans playing along the glossy treated wood.
I also think these systems would look interesting with some static lighting in various colors. I hope to get a review unit so I can play with the RGB settings more than I was able to at the show.
The front panels are mesh behind the wood slats, so airflow shouldn’t me an issue. And they pop off easily for cleaning (something you’re probably going to do fairly often if you want to keep the wood looking good).
The configuration that CyberPower showed off at CES included an Intel Core i9-14900K, MSI RTX 4070 Ti and a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro, all plugged into an Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Formula motherboard . But since CyberPower is a custom PC company, you’ll likely be able to get an Amethyst 360S rig with nearly any combination of components when it arrives, likely sometime in February.
From the side, the Amethyst 360S looks pretty standard, with a glass window atop an isolated PSU chamber. Part of me wishes the company would take this design to the next level and replace the side panel with mesh and wood slats, just like the front.
That would no-doubt add to the cost of the system, but I’m a sucker for wood accents on PC cases (and plenty of other things). It’s nice to see companies taking the idea in different directions, rather than just copying what Fractal Design has done with the North – even if the North is still our pick for thebest PC caseif looks are important to you.
Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He’s spent the last 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends.
