The very moment I placed the brand new Spire Powercube 1418 on the kitchen top, my SO spotted it is a little wider than the usual layout of a PC case. Tilting her head to the side, she then offered that it is shorter than usual, a lot shorter. And that’s exactly why I like this shape of case. I built a PC for my sister-in-law just for her kitchen because it can be easily hidden.

She is a little messy with two children, so ‘stuff’ builds up and it has soon disappeared under a host of papers and macaroni paintings. For those more interested in the aesthetics of this case will not be disappointed. Understated, yet distinct is how I would describe the Spire Powercube 1418. So what’s its secret? The motherboard lays flat, rather than vertical. And that’s it. As it takes Micro ATX motherboards, the wider stance is more than compensated for by the vertical space saving. The Mini ITX also fits.

Spire Powercube 1418 PC Case

The power supply nestles right at the bottom and can’t be seen well from the large plastic side window. The case is also light, very light – just 5kg in fact. Spire says of its new baby: “The elegant and neat enclosure make it fit in any setting from home, business to public sector. The chassis is made from strong 0.60mm SPCC steel with a cool ventilated top and bottom panel for fresh air intake and optimized component cooling.”

There are no fans, and I am OK with that as it helps to keep costs down to the £40 or so, and people usually want to fit their own. Connectivity made easy through the top placed frontal USB2.0/3.0 and HD/AC97 Audio ports. As for drive bays, there is one 2.5 that is really tucked away nicely under the single 5.25 inch section for those who still want a disc drive. There is then two 3.5 inch toolless slots, again, nicely laid out inside the case, which does not seem to have a single sharp edge anywhere. And that’s something my fingers are grateful for. Even the four PCI slots are smooth.

Spire Powercube 1418 PC Case

The Spire PowerCube 1418 chassis comes in at 39.3×26.5×29.5cm (L*W*H) which means your graphics card can go up to 320mm in length, and the CPU cooler height maximum of 165mm. The sides come off, the top comes off, and the power plus reset button feel solid. One fan on the rear, one on the front, a dust grill on the bottom under the power supply, and best of all, one on the top.

And it has four big feet – maybe not top of everyone’s list, but it makes for better sound deadening. There is plenty of shiny black plastic for the usual fingerprints, but is easily wiped clear. The panels all slot together nicely – there is some exceptional quality to this case for the price.

Spire Powercube 1418 PC Case

A couple of holes in the motherboard tray help with a degree of cable management, so with a bit of effort, you will end up with a nice looking setup. It is stylish and very well made. Spire has outdone itself with its Powercube 1418. Find anything you don’t like? There’s a two year manufacturer warranty when it becomes available from November 2018. Dutch company Spire was founded in 1998 and has grown to become a global supplier of affordable cooling solutions, power supplies, cases and ergonomic peripherals.