mono All-In-One (AIO) 21in Monitor PC Chassis

The mono AIO chassis takes the All-In-One PC to the next level, allowing you to build a beautiful and powerful PC to your own specification… all within the monitor case!

Also see our fully-built mono All-In-One Desktop PC.

The advantages of an All-In-One (AIO) PC design are clear to see - they look great, have fewer cables and are very compact. But the downside is usually a lack of power in comparison to a conventional desktop PC. Most all-in-ones can only accommodate laptop components and from a performance point of view this means they are usually slower in comparison to their desktop equivalents. But all this changes thanks to the mono AIO chassis. At a cost of not much more than a high quality monitor, your PC can be ingeniously built into the rear of the display.

The mono AIO chassis

The mono AIO chassis features a single ultra-thin pane of glass that protects the screen, giving it an elegant glossy look and enhancing colour sharpness. Along the lower edge of the monitor, a stylish white bezel sits flush along its width. Under the bezel and just right of centre there are controls for power and brightness. Hidden from sight on either side are two 3 watt stereo speakers which are connected to the motherboard audio out using the supplied internal audio cable. Of course, the use of external speakers is also possible by connecting them to the motherboard instead of the internal audio cable.

When the rear cover is removed, the AIO PCB becomes visible. This board is the brains behind the AIO and is powered by a conventional PC ATX power supply. As well as the aforementioned audio cable, a DVI cable also runs from the PCB. This cable feeds out of the rear of the cover to connect to the graphics card, or motherboard on-board DVI port if no graphics card is installed.

AIO Style. Desktop Performance.

As mentioned above, most AIO PCs use laptop components but the mono chassis has been designed to discretely accommodate “full-fat” desktop internals, allowing no-compromise performance to be enjoyed. There is space for a full-size ATX PSU, Mini-ITX motherboard, full size graphics card, a slim slot or tray-loading optical drive and a 3.5” hard drive or 1-2 2.5” SSD/HDD drives.

The chassis can achieve this because the rear of the monitor has been designed with this approach in mind. Once the black plastic cover on the rear of the monitor has been removed, the desktop components can be installed. If you think that building a PC system based on the mono AIO is too daunting or potentially time-consuming, please take a look at our fully built options.

Photos showing the rear and side views

No More Clutter

One downside to a conventional desktop PC is that there are often plenty of cables that need to be connected to various parts of the computer, such as the main unit, mouse, keyboard, monitor and speakers to name just a few! With an all-in-one design, the number of cables is drastically reduced. Because the PC is integral to the monitor, only one power cable is needed and no extra video or audio cables are needed.

Component Choices

The mono AIO chassis has been designed to accommodate components normally found in a Mini-ITX desktop PC. Due to the compact nature of the AIO there are a few specific requirements that need to be considered.

Motherboard - The AIO chassis is only compatible with Mini-ITX form factor motherboards.
Processor - We recommend Intel’s latest processors or one which is compatible with the chosen motherboard.
CPU Cooler - Coolers with a height up to 65mm are compatible. It is important not to choose a cooler that is too wide as it needs to fit within a certain space. We have found the Scythe Shuriken to be ideal.
Power Supply Unit - Any PSU that is 150 x 140 x 86mm in size, (i.e. ATX) is suitable. Modular PSUs are usually longer and are therefore incompatible.
Graphics Cards - A graphics card isn’t essential because most modern motherboards include on-board video which gives perfectly good performance. However, gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the ability to install a dual width graphics card with a length of up to 245mm.
Storage - The mono has a drive bay which accommodates a single 3.5” drive. It is possible to mount a 3.5” drive and a 2.5” if the 2.5” drive is attached to the top of the 3.5” using adhesive pad or velcro. Alternatively if a Twin Mounter is purchased it is possible to install two 2.5” HDD/SSDs in the drive bay instead.

The left hand photo below shows where the relevant components are installed and also other important parts of the chassis. The photo on the right is an example of a fully installed PC built into the back of the monitor. Click the images to see enlarged versions.

View with rear cover removed, showing component installation locations

Mono AIO shown with components installed (not included)

Looking diagonally from the right, the rear chassis is not usually visible, especially with the larger screens. A wireless Microsoft keyboard and mouse (not included) are shown here to give an idea of scale against this 21” version.

From the left side you can see the graphics card and motherboard ports. A headphone stand is included with the chassis (other components are not).