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.