Community Edition OBT Sold Out: What Now?

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The Open Benchtable is sold out! Now that we have no more (well, technically there are still three or four left) Community Editions to sell, we want to know what your thoughts are on the next steps. Should we produce another batch of the custom community editions? Or just have the BC1 version up on the site so anyone can still join the Open Benchtable community with the sleeve available separately?

The Open Benchtable team has had a fairly challenging year or so. Getting the product right, doing the research, absorbing the feedback from Overclockers and enthusiasts and finally bringing it to market took plenty of effort and determination. It’s also been a great experience and one that, at the end of the day, has produced a product which we feel proud of. According to end-user feedback, it is also a very nice piece of kit. However, it is clear that we have now reached a crossroads of sorts.

We have now arrived at the place where we no longer have remaining stock of the Community Edition OBT. The Open Benchtable will still be available in the retail channel in the form of the BC1 from Streacom, so potential buyers need not panic just yet. You can find the 32 shops where the table is available in our forum. We will however ponder the next move. Should we restock the Community Edition OBT and continue with the laser engraved product numbering, or should we leave sales to the retail channel and keep the Open Benchtable alive as a project and a community only?

Firstly let’s make sure there’s no confusion about the difference between the BC1 from Streacom, the Community Edition that has been available directly from this site. In essence the two products are identical. They are all manufactured by Streacom to exactly identical specifications. The Community Edition was created to give members of the Open Benchtable community an opportunity to have a special version, kind of a way to say thanks to the support we’ve had in the last year or so. The things that made the Community Edition special were that it came with a black sleeve and had a laser etched serial number and logo.

So what about the Open Benchtable project? The Open Benchtable project is essentially two things. A collaboration between HWBOT, OC-TV and Streacom, the three entities which helped create the product. It also refers to the community that helped create it; the group of Overclockers who gave valuable feedback and advice regarding how the final version was created, plus those who are still helping to develop accessories and other devices that can be used to enhance the overall experience.

At this point in time, we have three options to continue to offer the Open Benchtable via our website:

  1. Create a new batch of community editions with sleeve and custom engraving
  2. Offer the Streacom BC1 for purchase via the website (and put a link up to purchase the sleeve separately)
  3. Offer the BC1 and sleeve as a single package

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or in the Open Benchtable discussion forum at HWBOT.

(PS: we know a lot of people are looking for spare parts – they are coming!)

Elite Overclocker DrWeez Unboxes and Previews the Open Benchtable

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Today we can bring you a great video stream that was produced by Elite Overclocker DrWeez from South Africa. The video basically gives you a step by step look at the Open Benchtable, starting with a comparison between the latest revision and an early prototype that DrWeez acquired last year. He then shows how it all works, putting together a test rig for his latest Extreme Overclocking session. What you have in the end is an Extreme Overclocker’s perspective on the OBT. Check out the video below.

The Open Benchtable was designed to be used by a variety of different user types, addressing a range of situations where a portable, lightweight benching solution is required. One such user scenario is that of Overclockers, not least because it was primarily developed by several members of the overclocking community. DrWeez is the current No.1 Overclocker in South Africa, recently competing in the World Championship Final and other high profile contests around the world. He was fortunate enough to be one of the overclockers who tried the initial prototype OBT, which puts him in prime position to assess the latest design of the Community Edition. The intelligent, integrated design of the feet, stand-offs and screws for example is something that he found really impressive.

The main motivation for unboxing his Open Benchtable and getting it setup as his primary test-bed is that DrWeez intends to do some testing and preparation for a 4-way graphics card setup involving four GTX 980 Ti cards. The OBT is of course designed to support four graphics cards, and will make a solid foundation for the session. The initial video above shows DrWeez getting familiar with the basics of the OBT, mounting his motherboard and figuring how much insulation use, how to mount the AiO etc. We hope to see a follow up video where we get to the OBT in action with some LN2 in future. Watch this space.

Order your Open Benchtable now while stocks last for just $149 USD (Community Edition – incl. Open Benchtable + traveler sleeve).

Order Now

Open Benchtable Shipments Delayed Due to Chinese New Year

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Today we bring you news that we are expecting shipping delays for Open Benchtable orders due to the arrival of Chinese New Year. The Open Benchtable is manufactured and shipped direct from the Streacom factory in China, a fact that means that shipments will unfortunately be halted for the duration of the festive season. Open Benchtable orders placed now will not be processed and shipped until the second week of February. We kindly request your patience regarding this issue.

As you may already know, Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday season of the year in China and Taiwan. It’s similar to Christmas in the West, being a time when families make an effort to travel home and come together for a full week of festive fun. Unfortunately for anyone looking to purchase an Open Benchtable, it means having to be a little patient as the country basically closes down, making manufacturing and shipping impossible during this period.

In the meantime however, from our offices here in Taipei, Taiwan, on behalf of the OBT team we’d like to wish you all a happy Chinese New Year, or Xin Nian Qui Leur (新年快樂) as we say here. We hope the year of the Rooster is a prosperous and fortuitous one for all who bench in the open!

 

Order your Open Benchtable now while stocks last for just $149 USD (Community Edition – incl. Open Benchtable + traveler sleeve).

Order Now

Hothardware: “OBT, Open-Source Open-Air PC Building Done Right”

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It’s been a while since our last blog entry, mainly because we’ve been busy with International CES 2017. The Open Benchtable featured on both the HWBOT Performance Matters Kick-off Event as well as the first stop of the HWBOT World Tour in Las Vegas, United States. During our preparation for the event, Chris Goetting from Hothardware had a look at the Streacom BC1 Open Benchtable and he came to a positive conclusion.

The assembly process is described as “quick and easy” and the table is praised for needing no fluff or gimmicks to deliver. That’s exactly the mind-set we designed the benchtable with! The review closes with a Editor’s Choice for Hardware Innovation and Excellence award. Thanks!

Check out the full review over at Hothardware.com.

If videos are more your thing you’ll be pleased to know that Hothardware also made a livestream using the Open Benchtable for a PC build. The stream is about one hour and twenty minutes long, but gives you a prime insight in the building process of a system with the Open Benchtable as foundation. We’ve embedded the YouTube video for your pleasure below. Enjoy!