A Reddit user going by the handle d4pz has built the RGB lighting solution of our dreams/nightmares, consuming 1200 watts of power just for the lighting. Under normal circumstances, 100 watts worth of RGB would be considered overkill, but d4pz has shown us that it's definitely possible to go much, much further than the typical RGB lighting setup.
The RGB lighting solution comprises twelve 100-watt LEDs controlled by an Arduino rather than a desktop motherboard. This is partly because the LEDs don't have the RGB ports and connections standard for PCs; instead, they rely on good old-fashioned soldered cables. This lighting solution is powered by a 1,600-watt Platinum power supply from Super Flower, presumably the Super Flower Leadex Platinum 1600W.
However, LEDs aren't 100% efficient, and these ones might be especially inefficient since they require two liquid cooling loops, each equipped with a 360mm radiator. d4pz doesn't offer any specific figures, but we can probably assume those liquid coolers handle a few hundred watts of heat in total. He was also concerned about the cables melting (à la Cablegate), but a thermal camera test revealed all was fine in that department.
So, what crazy components did d4pz put inside this PC? Maybe something equally crazy in power consumption, like a Core i9-14900K and an RTX 4090? Well, there was so little power and room left for other components that d4pz just didn't put any other components inside the case.
So maybe PC, (which stands for personal computer), isn't quite the right name for this device. After all, the only computer inside the case (a Lian Li O11 Dynamic Evo) is the Arduino for the RGB lighting. Nevertheless, this proof-of-concept shows that you can always go beyond what's thought possible, and surely, the path for eye-searing RGB solutions has now been paved. Who knows, this system might even be visible from the space station with the naked eye.
