Origin Neuron (2019)

With the GeForce GTX and RTX video-card line refreshes from Nvidia earlier this year, we’re starting to see a wave of revised gaming desktops from mass-market and boutique makers alike. One of the longest-operating latter players, Origin PC, has released a refresh of its skinny-midtower build, the Neuron ($2,399 as tested). With an understated, attractively minimal case, it’s great for space-strapped gamers, but the performance for the price in our test model was a step behind some recently tested options, such as the MSI Trident X. Origin gives its customers lots of options to customize a build, but know that you’re paying a premium to stuff it all in a slick PC this skinny and well appointed, relative to the performance stats alone.

Refreshingly Reserved, in a World of RGB

In a world where RGB has been done to death and has now entered the afterlife, some longtime gamers are looking for something a little more refined and sophisticated than a tower that just lays on the lights. To that end, the Neuron is an exercise in restraint. Origin has opted to include only two low-glow white LEDs behind the motherboard, matching the matte-white case that surrounds it.

That said, Origin being the custom-build company it is, you can also opt for a series of RGB-laced options, including RGB case fans, an RGB “Frostbyte” CPU cooler, Kingston DDR4 2,933MHz memory with RGB lighting (no 3,000MHz option available with the bling), and the case itself.

Speaking of the chassis, while most of what you see on the Neuron could rightfully be described as “basic,” one elegant touch is the panel that houses the component-facing side of the unit. An all-glass panel opens up with a simple pop of a magnetic latch, making it easy to access the boards within while also feeling a bit classy as you do it.

At 16 inches by 6.75 inches by 15.25 inches, the Neuron falls just in between the mini and medium-size cases, and it is smaller than Origin’s previous iteration of the Neuron line by a couple of inches on each side. Because it sports a MicroATX motherboard, we give it points for being on the smaller end of the scale versus other pre-built systems in this price class.

The glass part of the case can also be customized with UV-etched patterns, which, if you spend an extra $249 on top of that, can be “textured.” (Our test model came with only a standard clear glass panel, with no extras applied.)

Finally, one “interesting” design choice (read: confusing) is the inclusion of magnetic, non-permanent rubber feet on the bottom of the case. The feet are easily removable, a nice touch, but also tend to slip and slide independent of the chassis on our testing desk. The magnets that hold the feet in place aren’t as strong as the grip of the feet to the desk, which means if you just push the tower in one direction with your hand, it moves while the feet stay planted (or fall off completely, if pushed far enough to one side).

The idea here is that you can place the feet either on the bottom of the unit (while it’s in a vertical position) or on the broad side of the case (if laid down horizontally, with the glass window up). But given how few people would opt for their desktop to take up much more space with the horizontal option, I’d have preferred fixed feet, or at least ones held more firmly in place.

Simple to Dive In

As we mentioned in the previous section, Origin has made it simple to get into the guts of the Neuron with a hinged-glass panel that only requires a slight pull on the magnets to open. The build quality of this system feels well above average, adding a luxurious element to what might otherwise be a ho-hum outer look, depending on how you spec it out.

The case houses a MicroATX MSI B450M Bazooka motherboard, which…