It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of e-ink displays. Usually, I'm checking out ESP32 and Raspberry Pi projects that use the technology in some way. They don't update very often, but that just makes them perfect for status displays and dashboards. And they use so little power that you barely notice them on your energy bill.

However, I've never seen one used in a PC build before. So, when I saw that someone managed to integrate one within their PC case, I knew I had to check it out. Turns out, the e-ink display isn't just there as a pretty setpiece; it actually acts as the sensor monitor for the system to keep up to date on your temperatures.

The Engine Block is a 5090 PC that uses an e-ink display as its status monitor

I think I'm in love

Over on the PC Master Race subreddit, user InvaderJ showed off their newest project. They made a PC using an Xhuttle case and a 5090, designing it so the GPU sits vertically. The idea was that the PC would sit in the living room and still look pleasing to the eye even when it's turned off.

However, the best part of this build is its e-ink system display:

I wanted a dynamic system monitor but refused to use an LCD because when it's off, it's black, and I already had two large black elements. A third would have thrown off the balance! So I grabbed a ReTerminal e-ink display and built a custom stats system that uses partial screen refresh to update temps, usage, and clocks every 5 seconds.

The coolest part about this e-ink display occurs, weirdly enough, when the PC turns off. Because the e-ink display has a matte screen and a white frame, the entire thing blends in with the rest of the PC when it loses power, thus preserving InvaderJ's desire for the PC to maintain its appealing aesthetic even while it's turned off. Very cool.