Woodinator 5000 A.K.A. CYBERWOOD Structure Fire Starter

I’ve always wanted to build a PC case made of wood. I’ve sketched designs, browsed Reddit, and became determined to make it a reality. I stumbled across a MATX CYBERWOOD case, but to be completely candid, I was not impressed with the design, look or layout of the case. Plus, who uses acrylic side panels these days? I dismissed it, and forgot about it, until I found out CYBERWOOD released another case – this time an ITX case called the M1. However, the original cost seemed excessive for what it was, so I decided not to buy one. Fast-forward to January of 2024, and Amazon suggested the M1 case when I was browsing other SFF cases. Some how I was able to pick up the case bundled with a gen 3.0 riser cable for $37.65. I purchased one immediately, without a plan or knowing what I should do with it.

I have an older ITX system (it runs PLEX and a NES emulator) that I originally decided to transfer into this case, but after I started the build, I realized the parts doesn’t do this case justice. It’s unique, special and pretty cool. My photos show how I started the build with these older parts but swapped them for more powerful hardware.

To be clear, building in this case is work, but that’s OK, because it’s not annoying – it’s just oddly satisfying. Assembling every part is time consuming, and making everything fit can be a challenge. Parts that ought to fit don’t, and I had to be creative with cable management. I had to make a notch in the wooden power supply bracket to accommodate the switch. The case comes with filter panels, but they have to be attached with the included white tape - after you have finished the case.

I ran into an issue with my BeQuiet! 120mm AIO, because the pump is designed to hang freely in the case, without contacting anything. It if does make contact with something, the pump makes a loud and obnoxious vibrating noise. So, I ordered an AIO with the pump built into the block.

The Intel i5-12600KF processor is rated for 125 TDP, so most low-profile air coolers will struggle to keep it cool. I tried a Noctua NH-L9x65, but temps were all over the place and the fan contacted the side of the case – which caused it to vibrate and make excessive noise. I tried a Scythe low-profile cooler (with a height of 55mm), but it had to work hard, so the 92mm fan was always running at full speed. So, I ordered a 240mm AIO to keep up with the 12600KF. I also had to order the CYBERWOOD top expansion bay to accommodate the radiator.

I had a used AMD 5700 XT on hand (purchased for $130.41) to upgrade my son’s gaming computer but decided to use it for this build, instead. It fits perfectly in the case – it’s 315mm and there is room for airflow. I had to order a gen 4.0 riser cable to get the most out of it, but the price was reasonable.

The case does not come prefinished. I spent an afternoon applying 3 coats of polyurethane finish to the wood panels, and lightly sanded between coats. It’s ¼ inch plywood and needs to be protected. I’ve seen CYBERWOOD cases that were stained, but this takes away from the wood’s natural beauty. I highly recommend leaving it raw and just using wood sealer to protect it.

I would build in this case again, but I don’t know if CYBERWOOD is still making this case. It appears out of stock on Amazon, but Newegg still has it listed. However, it’s priced between $125.99 and $226.99! I appear to have lucked out, when I found it for this price, and I plan to use, upgrade and enjoy it – as long as it doesn’t start a structure fire.

The total build cost was about $849.83.