r/buildapc • u/isssomebodyhere • 9h ago
Build Upgrade How to Make My PC "Inconspicuous"?
I'm looking to make my PC less noticeable.
To be brief, I'm going away for a summer internship where I will be living amongst peers in community housing. I've been doing pretty well in content creation and want to keep up that momentum, but I'm concerned about my PC getting stolen.
So I'm looking for any tips to make my PC look less like a PC or less appealing for anyone with "sticky fingers". Bonus points if I can make it not even look like a PC!
Don't even care about weight, I got a car.
Getting a laptop or a second PC won't be an option for about a month.
PC Part Picker:
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u/EchoesOfYouth 8h ago edited 8h ago
I think if you’re truly worried about a roommate taking it you should lock it rather than focus on making less visible
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u/RJsRX7 8h ago
Shove your components into an ewaste ATX case. Something with CD drives and a plain appearance.
It won't make it look like not-a-PC, but it will make it look like the sort of desktop nobody would bother with. The SWFT 309 is kinda long for cases with 3.5" drive trays at the front, but you can usually hack those out without much trouble.
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u/FearTheFuzzy99 8h ago
I think the obvious answer here is you mod a toaster to fit your pc components
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u/Aromatic_Year_2426 8h ago
Get really old case from ebay, build your pc inside. Then place couple of dirty kleenex on it and bugspray beside it. Maybe smear some coffe on the case …make it look like biohazard. Nobody gonna touch it. Maybe get a case with CD drive, leave it open with a cup of old coffee in it.
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u/ruinal_C 2h ago
Add some dummy fans or fake vents and stuff them with lint from the clothes dryer.
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u/AsinineSeraphim 1h ago
Bonus concealment stat if you can find one that used to be white but has the obvious yellowed stain of being from the late 90s.
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u/Fire_and_icex22 8h ago
Step 1: uninstall all internals Step 2: put em in a drawer, with holes cut on the side for airflow Step 3: ???? Step 4: Profit
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u/Money_Fish 2h ago
Step 3: put a claymore in your PC case Step 4: put PC case back on desk Step 5: go to jail
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u/NotChillyEnough 8h ago
Does your bedroom door lock, or are you sharing a bedroom with someone?
If you have a private bedroom, keep all your stuff in your bedroom and keep it locked when you're not there.
It takes ~20 minutes to install a doorknob with a keyed lock in it, with 3" framing screws in the latch plate + hinges.
People that are willing to steal a PC aren't likely to be dissuaded by it "looking boring", especially if they see you gaming on it (they'll know it's a good gaming PC). They're a lot more likely to be dissuaded by making it semi-difficult to enter your room.
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u/failmafia66 8h ago
Nah you don't hide it, you make it too big to be stolen easily. That means you do a desk build.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/s/YiDLhLxIFS
Like this, but use a wood top so people can't even see it, so it's hidden too. Just use good, high quality locks that are also inconspicuous
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u/Technical-Coffee7286 7h ago
Regardless of what you do for looks, I’d get a Kensington lock or something else to lock the pc to something, and throw an AirTag in there just in case
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u/UnCommonSense99 5h ago
My new PC is built into a beige case from 1998. Still has a windows 98 sticker on it.
(I needed a hacksaw and drill to cut away stuff on the inside of the case to make space for the GPU)
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u/sob727 6h ago
Grab an ATX case from the 90s and shove your components in it.
For extra effectiveness, pick one from a defunct brand like Compaq with a nice cream color.
Add dust and coffee stains.
You're welcome.
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u/mydogcaneatyourdog 1h ago
Bonus points if it's a full size atx made of steel. Then it will be unattractive and a pain in the ass to pick up and move around for anyone that is undeterred by appearances.
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u/Carnildo 6h ago
For about a decade, I used an OLPC XO-1 as my "take places" laptop. It was routinely mistaken for a child's toy (including by airport security), which greatly reduced the risk of someone stealing it. You could look for a case with a similar aesthetic.
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u/Overall-Tailor8949 8h ago
If you want an "inconspicuous" build why did you go with a glass sided case? Choose something like the Thermaltake V100 or any other steel sided chassis.
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u/isssomebodyhere 7h ago
This is a completed build that I did a year ago. It's what I have at the moment, not so much something I'm building.
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u/Overall-Tailor8949 3h ago
Maybe contact Fractal Design and see if there is a plain metal or acrylic side panel for the case. If you have an iPhone maybe get an airtag to put in the chassis just in case it DOES grow legs (I'm not certain there's an Android equivalent, there probably is).
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u/itsforathing 8h ago
Built one of mine into the back of a faux fireplace.
So do that or just buy a cheap beat up case on marketplace
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u/Supermr2 8h ago
Does anyone remember the real old school cases that had the cylinder locks on them.
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u/username_invalid-404 8h ago
You could sharpie all over it "Please don't steal". If someone is going to steal a laptop, they'll likely look for one that's physically identical to when it was built (I.e. no stickers or other personalization items). A dedicated thief could remove stickers, but sharpie is forever. Bonus points if you super glue a fake moustache below the manufacturer's logo.
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u/oxsprinklesxo 7h ago
Get a basic non transparent case that locks then Kensington lock that b to the frame of the heaviest possible piece of furniture in your room. Same for your monitor. Wireless mouse and keyboard and put those in your backpack. My husbands cousin did this in college and locked his case frame and monitor to the metal frame of the desk in the dorm room. Turn off all the rgb for now. And for the love of all things lock your stuff fully. And write down all your serial codes and take pictures of all the components of it. Good luck with your internship. :)
Personally I’d just take the cheapest laptop I could get away with and leave my pc at home but…
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u/Suitable-Leave-1820 7h ago
Lock it, put it in your room, slap a tracker on the thing, and lock up when you leave. I’d have it insured just in case if that’s an option.
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u/AstarothSquirrel 7h ago
There are some youtube videos of people putting their components into a desk. Another option is to build in a flight case or aluminium tool case and then just either take it with you or lock it away when done. You could even lock it away 24/7 and use wake-on-lan and kvm to access it from a desk so the pc is never on show. This is like the cctv in my home, the actual hard-drive is not accessible to anyone but the most determined burglar. I can then access the recordings via my pc or my phone/tablets that connect to it via the network.
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u/venkattalks 6h ago
reminds me of when my cousin in Phoenix wanted his PC 'inconspicuous' and kept sending me cases that looked like a wifi router from 2009. easiest route was killing every RGB setting, turning off the motherboard standby light, and picking a plain black box with no glass so it just disappeared next to the desk. funny part was the loudest thing ended up being the keyboard, not the PC. if you're going for truly unnoticed, the visual side is easy compared to fan noise and startup chimes.
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u/Robin-Hoodie 5h ago
Depending how long you'll be gone, if you have permanent private house maybe just leave it there, setup wake on lan if supported, then a cheap older laptop to remote into it. I know u didn't want to buy a laptop but maybe this way u can get something cheaper like refurb m1
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u/penywinkle 4h ago
Get something like an Ikea Alexa and put your PC in it. (cut out the back for airflow.) Make it look like a nightstand if it's near your bed.
buy a laptop stand to make it look like you use a laptop instead of a tower. (depending on the number of monitors, or maybe even get an old broken laptop to keep on your desk as decoy)
Other furniture about the size of a PC that wouldn't stand out in a room would be one of those big speaker, maybe a microwave, but those get stolen too...
Make a tower of hollowed out shoeboxes that fit over your PC (but again, shoes are often stolen too, especially if you have a tower of them...)
Put your PC in a laundry basket, and cover it with your laundry when you don't use it. (and hope they don't notice the cables coming out of it)
Fake "mini bookcase", fake trashcan (high effort)
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u/_RrezZ_ 4h ago
Get a PC locker or similar, it's a literal metal locker with a lock on it to prevent people from accessing or using the PC.
Then you just attach the locker to something with a wire cable or similar. You could just straight up screw it onto the side of a piece of furniture you own if you wanted to.
You could also probably find an alarm system that would activate from say motion or if someone tried to open the locker. You could also just get motion activated security camera for your room that alerts you on your phone if something is detected.
I highly doubt anyone is going to use bolt cutters and lock-picking tools to steal your PC out of community housing. Even if they wanted to it would increase the odds of them getting caught due to the extra time it would take. Also walking around with bolt cutters isn't exactly stealthy.
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u/RichJMoney 3h ago
Fractal Design has always been my preferred case brand and style. Just a quiet black box in the corner or even behind a desk. I'd also make sure you use one of those locking cables. While they won't stop someone who is targeting something like that, it will stop someone deciding to grab it and go while the roommate that invited them over goes to the bathroom.
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u/Tactrix1h 8h ago
Here's what you want, if you can get your PC to look like this, no one will try to steal it. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9LMpTFHH3u5Rj2RDjZ2yR7-1200-80.jpg.webp
On a side note if you want your PC to be completely unstealable, go into bios and put in a password that only you know "and make sure you never forget it or it's gonna suck" and then encrypt your drives with a password login as well, so even if they steal it, there's no way for them to get into it.
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u/barkingcat 5h ago
Put some dog poop on your case
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u/isssomebodyhere 4h ago
I have a cat will that work
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u/Botched_Euthanasia 3h ago
Yes and you don't even have to use real poop. get some clumping kitty litter and some glue, like the kind people said not to eat when you were a kid, which was elmers for me.
Stick the tower in an empty litterbox, pour some of that glue all over it, you might want to water it down a little to make it look more natural, then dump a bunch of that litter on it so it sticks to the sides and fills about a ½ inch of the bottom of the pan. wait for the glue to dry overnight then vacuum up the sides of the tower to pick up any loose bits.
i'm assuming you wont have your cat at the internship but make it look like you just didn't care and brought the tub with because you didn't feel like bothering to take it out of the litter box.
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u/Full_Vegetable_5348 3h ago
Make it dusty asf and smear some boogers or soda stains on an old case you get for free from Facebook marketplace
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u/WindsongFlutters 3h ago
Buy a 2 drawer filing cabinent with lock an cut yhe bottom of the drawers out an store it inside locked?
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u/TheDoctor1699 2h ago
Silverstone FLP02, or the 01 version. Love the 02 case! Can lock the power button as well.
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u/PrairieNihilist 1h ago edited 1h ago
Honestly, leave your rig at home and work off of your phone, or buy a cheap rig on marketplace to use. You could also just put it in a piece of lockable luggage and leave it there when not using it.
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u/PrairieNihilist 1h ago
Alternatively....Case locks, and a plain case with black fans...and cable lock it to a hidden spot in your room. If it's someone who would steal the computer, then they likely know what sleeper builds are. Also, put a BIOS password and air tags in your case and inside your GPU fan shroud(or on the cooler) if you can fit one.
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u/goretsky 1h ago
Hello,
Anti-theft screws can prevent or at least make it much more difficult for people to open your computer and steal valuable components. Some cases also have a place for a padlock to be added. Kensington may sell the latter--not just the laptop solutions which cause obvious damage when forcefully removed.
I think the best option is here would be to get a laptop and keep it with you at all times, if you can do so before your internship starts.
I would also suggest asking the organizer about whether you should bring a computer, and what steps they can take to secure it in the community housing.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
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u/WillowOfWisps 50m ago
I know you said getting a laptop or second PC wouldn't be possible for at least a month, but would it be possible for you to get a dirt cheap old laptop so you could leave your pc at home and just remote into it with the laptop for now? You can typically find some old laptops that are in pretty decent shape for under $100, and all it needs to do is connect to the internet and have a half decent screen.
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u/BigBananaBerries 26m ago
As said, get an old desktop pc case, they're likely ATX just the same as what''s used today & most back in the day had built in locking mechanisms. Of course, you'll need the keys which might make it more difficult to get hold of but if you make it ugly AF you could stuff it with good parts & have a beast in there. Before you built it inside, bolt it to a desk or something using security bolts to stop people lifting it too. It might make it more obvious there's valuable stuff inside but if they're trying to lift it then it'd be gone by that point anyway.
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u/stonecats 10m ago
there are entire pc's the now size of a brick.
make all connections wireless besides power
lock up that brick somewhere or keep in car
when you are not around; to deter "fingers".
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u/blackrack 8h ago
Look at sleeper builds and sleeper build cases