I stumbled upon an intriguing little contraption called the Bdesktop Mini PC Aluminum Alloy Case, which transforms your humble Mac mini into the holey majesty of a Mac Pro. It’s ridiculously cute—because who wouldn’t want a mini Mac Pro? But here’s the kicker: the price is downright absurd. This case, which does little more than inflate your aesthetic ego, will set you back over 500 dollars. Yes, you read that right. It costs as much as an entry-level Mac mini 4. And need I remind you, this is just a case.
Rumors swirl that the Bdesktop case is a knockoff of other products. Naturally, this sent me on a rabbit hole search for similar items. Lo and behold, Chinese e-commerce sites like Taobao are bursting with them! Most are plastic varieties, but a few aluminum alloy options stood out—and they don’t cost $500+. Prices on Taobao range from 700 to 999 yuan (about 96 USD to 136 USD). These options are nameless, but let me break them down for you.
On Taobao, we found three aluminum alloy cases vying for the spotlight. The first is a dead ringer for the Bdesktop case—the same modular design, same magnetic panels, and even the cheesegrater rear panel. It’s essentially a clone, so there’s not much else to say about it. This one has a listed price of 700 yuan [CH] (96 USD).
The second one (999 yuan [CH]), however, steps up the game. While it looks similar to Bdesktop’s design, it does away with the cheesegrater rear panel entirely. Moreover, it redirects the front USB ports and 3.5 mm jack to the back, making them functional, albeit at a more inconvenient location. There’s also a space at the bottom for M.2 storage, letting you expand your Mac mini 4’s storage via a rear USB port.
Accessing the Mac mini’s power button still requires removing a side panel, but at least the rear I/Os remains fully accessible. This model also has vents to let the heat from the bottom (now the side) of your Mac mini 4 escape.
Anyhoo, those are not it. What caught our eyes is one so-called “refined version” (779 yuan [CH]) It is also aluminum alloy and appears to come preassembled. It does not use magnets to hold the panels together. It comes with a screwdriver and a set of screws to install the bottom panel, so I am going out on a limb to say that’s where you slot the Mac mini in. It also appears to have two USB ports up top but no 3.5 mm port. However, it looks like this has been routed to the rear, right on top of the rear panel.
If there are indeed port extensions to the outer case, then installation will not be as straightforward as sliding in the Mac mini 4. This design also ditches the Trypophobia-inducing cheesegrater design at the rear, and finally, it has a button on the outside to power on and off the Mac mini without the need to remove the panel. Oh, it is not clear if these cases come with the miniature version of the infamous, exorbitant castors.
You probably can find these on Aliexpress too, but they likely come at a premium. However, if you really must have one without resorting to buying from Chinese websites, you’ll be glad to know that there is a cheaper option by ZEERA going for a more affordable US$139.99 that sells to the States.
Images: Taobao [CH].
