Mike Schropp of Total Geekdom has found a surprising new use for LEGO bricks: housing high-end PC components. In his most recent project, Schropp used over 2,200 of the feet-destroying bricks to assemble a custom-made LEGO housing for a fairly top-shelf gaming PC.
The build takes full advantage of its unique design, using the versatility of LEGO to route wires and isolate components to improve air flow. This led to some unconventional layering of components. The build's CPU, for example, is directly above, almost touching, its power supply. Stranger still, the build’s three drives share the central column with only the motherboard and its custom-mounted video card.
Remarkably, the build shows more than acceptable cooling performance. Schropp’s thermal tests show that the mean temperature of the uppermost area of the case peaks at 27.1 degrees Celsius (roughly 81 degrees Fahrenheit), despite the lack of liquid cooling, a widely preferred alternative to air cooling. Schropp attributes this to the custom fan array used in the build, which smartly runs air through independent vertical cycles.
And just look at that cable management.
Thanks, Kotaku.