The ULTIMATE RGB PC Build Guide!
Linus Tech Tips
·Linus Tech Tips
·2018-05-06
·
3,211 words · ~16 min read
0:26
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Draw your curtains and lock the door because in this historic and groundbreaking build guide,
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we indulge your every guilty pleasure,
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even your secret desire to see the old kitchen set one last time.
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Welcome to the $2,500 gaming RGB build guide.
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It's all RGB, all the time.
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Deal with it.
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We'll start as always at our safe, clean, static-free workstation by
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whipping out all the tools we're gonna need.
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A magnetic multi-bit screwdriver and a parts tray are for screw management.
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A pair of side cutters and needle nose pliers are for cable management.
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And these shoes ...
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These are for party management!
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Okay, but getting serious.
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I always recommend plugging your components in and powering your system up once
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outside of the case to verify that the system posts or powers on and outputs to a display.
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You can use your motherboard box as a free, non-conductive test bench.
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So our CPU choice shouldn't surprise anyone.
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There's nothing to be afraid of. The CQ30 is going to bring usиком件事情. So, this is just the first time we've used it.
2:02
There's nothing to be afraid of. The CQ30 is going to bring us impedance. So, this is just the first time we've used it.
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There's nothing to be afraid of. The CQ30 is going to bring us impedance. So, this is just the first time we've used it.
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Nothing RGB about the Core i5-7600K from Intel, but it's great for gaming, it's unlocked for overclocking,
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and it offers more performance per dollar than any other Intel chip, as we outlined here.
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For content creators, you might want to switch over to the i7-7700K,
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and everything else in this build will still be hunky-dory.
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So lift the retention ARM like so, then, holding the CPU by the edges,
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identify the corner with the gold triangle, align it with the blunted corner of your socket,
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place it in with no force,
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give it a little wiggle, lower the cover, and fasten the retention ARM again.
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The plastic cover should pop off all on its own.
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Put that somewhere safe, just in case you ever have to RMA your board.
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There are a few options available for RGB RAM, including Corsair's Vengeance RGB series,
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and
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the Shield RGB from new kid on the block, Zadac 5.11.
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But for this build, we chose a 64GB kit of Trident Z RGB memory from G.Skill.
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Unlike the competition, each DIMM sports five individually addressable LEDs,
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and G.Skill built-in ASUS Aura Sync support, so you can configure RGB waves and animations
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to your heart's content,
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which is a great way to get the best out of your GPU software.
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Pull back the tabs on all four RAM slots, then,
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position each DIMM so the notch on the bottom lines up with the notch in the socket,
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and press firmly until the tab on the end snaps back into place on its own.
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Rinse and repeat.
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If you're only using two DIMMs, go ahead and just use the gray slots.
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So as for the case,
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we looked at a bunch of options across
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and noticed a bit of a trend.
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The more you pay, the more RGB lights you get.
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So then, which case has the most lights per dollar?
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The answer is clear.
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You can't have more than Infinity,
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and that's why we chose the InWin 805 Infinity.
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It sports tempered glass side panels,
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and the front uses RGB strips and mirrors to create an Infinity Hall effect
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that looks even better in real life.
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Better in person than it does on camera.
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And, it's Aura Sync ready to boot.
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Now, the front of the 805 Infinity is completely impermeable.
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So for supplementary cooling,
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we're going to be using a three-pack of 120mm HD RGB fans from Corsair.
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Pull both tempered glass side panels off,
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and stash them, using both hands, somewhere safe.
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Preferably, right back in the box,
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where they're not going to get knocked over.
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You'll need to set aside the thumb screws,
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and the rest of the included hardware at this point as well.
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After that, install your nine motherboard standoffs,
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here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
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And then, we're going to swap out the rear exhaust fan.
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This little arrow indicates the direction of the airflow.
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Place the fan with the leads toward the top of the case.
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Then, you can turn your attention to the bottom.
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To remove that drive cage,
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take off the magnetic air filter,
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pop off the rubber feet, and stand, and these screws.
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Being sure, of course, to stow your drive cages somewhere safe,
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in case you need to, oh, I don't know,
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add an RGB hard drive down the road,
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when and if they become available.
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Then, use the included hardware with your fans
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to install the two remaining RGB fans,
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with their leads oriented inward towards the motherboard.
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Before finally, replacing the case stand,
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and snapping on the air filter.
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Choosing the motherboard took a bit of shopping.
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We decided to go with ASUS,
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because we wanted our lighting effects
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to be as fully synchronized as possible.
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And at the time of writing,
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their Aura Sync RGB ecosystem offered the widest compatibility
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with third-party products.
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But that wasn't the end of the journey.
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ASUS offers a pretty extensive lineup of Aura Sync motherboards.
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In the end, then, we chose the motherboard, which is the Aura Sync RGB ecosystem.
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In the end, then, we chose the motherboard, which is the Aura Sync RGB ecosystem.
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The Aura Sync RGB ecosystem is a Maximus IX hero,
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with its discreet and neutral black PCB.
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It's got two included glow zones,
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both the PCH and the IO plate are lit,
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two auxiliary RGB headers to support all the chaos we're about to unleash,
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and support for NVIDIA SLI.
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More on that later.
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One shortcoming of this motherboard, though,
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is that it only has a single USB 2.0 header.
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And our case, cooler, and RGB strip,
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and our case, cooler, and RGB strip,
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are all fighting for that precious real estate.
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So for an extra 25 bucks,
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we grabbed this internal USB hub from NZXT
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and taped over the white LED to keep it from harshing our RGB vibes.
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Press firmly, then, in all four corners of the IO shield
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at the back of the case until they snap into place,
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then set the motherboard into place and slide it back,
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run the cable for the SLI bridge behind the board,
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and plug it into this header here.
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and plug it into this header here.
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Then, use the included screws with the case
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to fasten the motherboard to the nine standoffs.
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Now, while we have easy access to the board,
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is a great time to plug in everything.
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You can plug the 8-pin CPU power connector in
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to make cable management slightly less nightmarish later.
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Then, you're going to want to do the front panel connectors
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for the power and reset switches,
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and the power and drive activity LEDs,
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the front USB 3 and HD audio,
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over here,
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and an RGB strip way up here.
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We used double-sided adhesive to mount our internal USB hub right here,
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then connected it to the motherboard using the 9-pin USB 2 header here.
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Finally, we'll connect power for our three fans
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using the headers here, here, and here.
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We chose a big old 280 millimeter radiator for this build.
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Corsair's H110i should help back up the power,
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Corsair's H110i should help back up the power,
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Corsair's H110i should help back up the power,
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Corsair's H110i should help back up the power,
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and balance out the thermal impediments imposed by the case design that we referred to earlier.
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But much more importantly than that,
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it glows in every color of the rainbow.
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Inside the H110i box,
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we have two different mounting backplates.
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This is the one we'll be using.
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Mount the backplate to the back of the motherboard indentation side up.
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If the fasteners don't immediately align with the holes in your motherboard,
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don't freak out.
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Their position on the backplate,
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can be adjusted.
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Fix the backplate in place using these included standoff screws.
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Then leave this area alone for now,
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and move over to the radiator cage,
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where we'll remove the case's radiator mounting bracket
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by unscrewing these two screws,
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setting them aside for a moment.
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To assemble our cooler,
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we have three components that we need to fasten it together,
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using the long screws that came with it.
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The radiator,
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our recently freed mounting bracket,
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and our Corsair HD140 RGB fans,
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which we're going to use instead of the boring corporate slave ones that were included.
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Arrange and screw together these components,
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such that the fans are closest to the center of the case,
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the mounting bracket is closest to the front of the case,
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and the radiator is sandwiched in the middle.
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Be sure to orient the fans,
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so that they pull fresh air in from the front of the case,
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and blow it towards the motherboard,
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with the fan leads against the motherboard tray for optimal cable management.
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Place the completed unit inside the case,
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the fan leads should be passed through the side of the case,
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the radiator should be hidden behind the front panel,
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and these little legs on the mounting bracket should nest inside these receptacles.
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With everything set,
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fasten the mounting bracket to the case again,
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using the screws you set aside before.
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Now finally,
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connect the pump and block to the CPU.
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Start by removing the plastic cover that protects the included thermal compound,
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then place this mounting bracket over the block,
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and align it with the standoffs you installed earlier.
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Then use the included thumbscrews to secure all four corners,
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being careful not to over crank them.
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Plug in the included mini USB cable,
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then run the pump power connector,
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and the two fan power cables over to the rear of the motherboard tray.
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Connect the fan power leads from your HD 140mm fans,
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to those leads coming off the pump,
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plug the nine pin USB connector into the hub,
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and you're good to go.
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Now, RGB power supplies do exist.
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Thermaltake actually has a whole lineup of them.
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But if we got one of those,
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it wouldn't sync with the rest of our fans,
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and gosh darn it,
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this is Linus Tech Tips.
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So what did we do?
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We voided the warranty,
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of a Corsair RM650X,
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and swapped out the fan for yet another Corsair HD 140mm.
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To be clear,
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this is a really janky solution,
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and we wouldn't recommend it.
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The fan leads didn't have the same number of pins,
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the screw holes didn't line up at all,
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and it is very easy to get shocked,
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or even killed,
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if you open up a power supply.
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So, if you want a non Thermaltake RGB PSU,
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write your local congressional representative,
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or ask Corsair to make an official one.
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Because space is tight
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between the power supply interface and the fans,
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we're going to plug everything into the PSU
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while it's still loose,
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and then mount it once everything's connected.
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You already ran the eight pin connector
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when we cheated a bit on the last step.
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So now, plug in the 24 pin connector,
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being cognizant of the space you'll need
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behind the motherboard tray for cable management,
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and then plug in two SATA cables,
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and one four pin Molex cable,
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and run them through the cable management hole here.
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We'll use the Molex to power our USB hub.
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Then, plug in your PCI Express connectors,
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and let them hang out here.
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Slide the power supply in grill side up,
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so it sucks hot air out of the case,
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and exhausts it from the back,
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where you'll use four screws to fasten it to the chassis.
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Our drive selection for this system,
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was a no brainer,
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because at the time of planning it,
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there was literally only one option.
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So when our new friends at Zadac 511,
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graciously offered to provide us
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with one of their Shield RGB 240 gig SSDs,
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which according to ASUS's website,
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are compatible with Aura Sync,
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though we haven't been able to get the two talking just yet,
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we said, yeah boy!
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This case has a few options
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for two and a half inch drive ports,
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and you can choose to use one of them,
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or you can choose to use one of them,
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or you can choose to use one of them,
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and we'll talk about that in a bit.
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So let's get right into it.
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So we've got our drive placement,
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but we chose to put ours here.
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Though I can't help but imagine how awesome it would have been
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to have two of these puppies in RAID over here.
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Attach the drive to the mount,
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using four of these small screws,
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and then slot them out onto the chassis.
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Plug in one of the SATA power connectors,
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keeping it in the ASUS family.
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For our video cards,
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we went with their ROG Strix GTX 1070,
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a big card with big disco appeal.
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But what could be better than this bad boy,
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crunchin' numbers and blastin' rays?
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How about two of them?
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Crunchin' numbers and blastin' rays,
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connected by this totally lit AF RGB SLI bridge.
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Bam!
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I'll be honest,
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this thing right here,
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is the sole reason that this build uses SLI.
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I mean, how could we not?
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You're welcome.
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Start by taking out these PCI slot covers.
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Then, align the first card,
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carefully with the motherboard's PCI Express 16X slot,
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and the openings on the back of the case.
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Push the card in firmly,
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until the tab snaps shut.
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Then, put the case screws back in,
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lockin' that sucker down.
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Repeat these steps,
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for a second card.
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Then, plug in the 8-pin PCI Express power connectors,
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that we plugged into the power supply earlier.
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And now,
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it's time for the crown jewel.
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Connect the two video cards,
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with the SLI bridge.
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If you put it on backwards,
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you'll know.
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Then,
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this cable that we sneakily ran under the motherboard before,
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plug that into the SLI bridge.
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That's gonna power its RGB lighting.
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Onto lighting.
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Our three pack of Corsair,
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HD 120 RGB fans,
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came with a fan hub,
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which we can use to coordinate the colors,
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on all six,
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of our system fans.
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The order matters here though.
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You have to connect them,
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in the order that you'd like,
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certain color effects to be displayed.
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We're going to attach our fan hub,
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to a lighting node pro module.
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Which we'll also use,
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to power its four included LED strips,
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and then we'll plug both of those,
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into our second SATA power cable,
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from before.
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Finally,
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we'll connect the node to our USB hub,
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and as for a spot to mount both of these things,
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yeah,
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we'll figure that out after we,
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clean up our cables a little.
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Onto cable management.
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Because both sides of this case,
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are tempered glass,
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we don't have the luxury,
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of simply covering up,
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our mess we made in the back,
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with a bulging right side panel.
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So we're going to try to run,
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as many of the cables,
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as we can,
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around the perimeter,
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tucking them into the inseam.
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We'll also use black cable ties,
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to bunch up,
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as much of the clutter as possible,
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and route it,
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in as straight lines,
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as we can.
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So while we had to settle for,
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two separate RGB ecosystems,
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ASUS's and Corsair's,
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inside the case,
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at least everything on top of the desk,
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is under one umbrella,
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Corsair's.
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We've got the K65,
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10 keyless RGB keyboard,
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the M65 pro RGB mouse,
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atop an MM800 RGB mouse pad,
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and finally,
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the RGB void headphones,
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which,
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could use a little more RGB,
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I think.
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But forget about that,
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let's get all this stuff synced up.
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First,
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we need to power on the system,
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watch it spring to life,
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and wipe the tears,
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from our eyes.
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It's,
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beautiful,
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but also untamed,
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and chaotic.
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We'll fix that later.
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First, we need an OS.
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To install Windows,
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create a bootable USB drive,
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then reboot the system,
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while mashing F8 immediately,
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to get into the boot device selection menu,
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where you'll pick,
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your USB drive.
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Once the setup process has begun,
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mash next,
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until you land on the desktop.
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Head to Intel,
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NVIDIA,
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Corsair,
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ASUS,
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and InWind sites,
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to update your drivers,
17:57
and while you're over there,
17:59
you might as well download,
18:00
the latest version,
18:01
of the various,
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lighting control softwares,
18:04
that you will need.
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Yes,
18:07
that does seem like a lot of them,
18:09
and it is,
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but the good news is,
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Corsair has announced,
18:12
that they'll be consolidating,
18:13
Q and Link at least,
18:15
into a single software,
18:17
in the near future.
18:19
But even with our imperfect mish mash,
18:22
of different utilities,
18:23
we did manage to create,
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a few cool things.
18:27
Remember guys,
18:28
the point of RGB,
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isn't to blast,
18:31
rainbow unicorn barf,
18:33
into people's eyes,
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at all times.
18:36
But with that said,
18:37
we do totally endorse,
18:38
that use case for it.
18:39
Most people like it,
18:40
for the flexibility.
18:41
So you can,
18:42
rock your favorite team's colors,
18:44
during the playoffs,
18:45
or get festive,
18:46
during the holidays.
18:48
So conclusion time then.
18:50
You know what?
18:52
I think it's pretty safe to say,
18:55
that now that our build is done,
18:58
I can't help but think,
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gee,
19:01
could there ever be,
19:04
a more beautiful machine than this?
19:07
Probably not.
19:09
So it's time to turn the lights out,
19:11
and bask,
19:12
in it's outrageous,
19:14
rainbow dash wizardry.
19:16
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