Build Your Own: The Customizable, Illuminated Dream Machine

How-to
By Don Woligroski
published

We set out to build a PC with completely customizable LED lighting. And when we say the PC, we mean the whole thing. The mouse, keyboard, gamepad, enclosure, memory, fan controller, and even power supply are loaded with configurable color controls.

Lighting Controller And Enclosure

Lighting: NZXT Hue RGB LED Controller

This is the piece of hardware that sparked my idea for this story. NZXT's Hue consists of a simple six-foot-long LED sleeve that adheres to a case's interior. The controls are housed in a 5.25” drive bay, providing easily access for adjusting brightness, color, and even effects (referred to as modes).

Modes make the lights flash, pulse, fade, and change colors. Considering a reasonable $33 price tag at Newegg, this component definitely has the biggest impact on our build's aesthetic for the lowest buy-in.

Enclosure: Thermalktake Level 10 GT

Acknowledging that chassis choice is highly subjective, Thermaltake's Level 10 GT is one of the most unique and attractive PC enclosures I've ever worked with. It's designed to be a less pricey version of the $1,000 BMW-designed, ultra high-end Thermaltake Level 10, reviewed by Thomas Soderstrom in 2010.

Despite an $800-cheaper price tag, the GT's build quality is still excellent. Its unique semi-modular design makes component installation an absolute pleasure. Five externally-accessible 3.5” hot-swappable SATA drive bays are a luxury that add to this case’s style and function.

Perhaps more relevant to this particular build, the Level 10 GT comes factory-equipped with customizable LED lighting. Fan lights can be set to blue, green, red, two patterns that alternate between the three colors, or off. In addition, the case features a small window to the CPU area, which is ideal for showing off lit-up components.

For $200 on Newegg, Thermaltake's Level 10 GT is one of my favorite enclosures, and an excellent home for our illuminated dream build.

Don Woligroski
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66 Comments Comment from the forums
  • kingnoobe
    Shame on you.. How dare you copyright stuff (at least that's what the video says).

    The case does look awesome, but it would be nice to see the video lol.
    Reply
  • stoogie
    iunno looks pretty lame to me, its just a couple of leds, i have 15 fans in my haf 932 and theyre all green and it glows alot more than the pc you have made here, if u want to customize, get leds/cathodes/lighting kits, and light up not only your case but the environment, or get watercooling with neon liquid of a different colour or even UV colour, make a custom glass case etc, thats how a dream 'illuminated' mod should be. for example the guy who created a glass desk which had the pc in it and was fully illuminated, THAT is what this article should be about, not about how to install a fan.
    Reply
  • de5_Roy
    nice build. :)
    imo custom illuminated water cooling woulda been nice too.
    the fan controller was kick-ass.
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    reminds me of the combo beer holder & ash tray i had in my last comp's 5" bay

    edit: funny, that was thermaltake too
    Reply
  • shikamaru31789
    I'm not usually a fan of lighted setups, most of them are really gaudy looking, but I actually like your setup. Maybe I'll try to make a tasteful lighted setup like this for my next build.
    Reply
  • shikamaru31789
    BTW, when can we expect the Sub-$200 CPU comparison. Cleeve said we could expect it by the end of the month and it's now officially February (EST). Hope you guys post it tomorrow.
    Reply
  • Rockdpm
    I have the NZXT hue and its worth every dime i paid for it
    Reply
  • bit_user
    Stay away from blue lighting. It messes up your circadian rhythms. Blue light is how your brain knows that dawn is nearing. Whenever there's a blue LED on a device I use late at night, I put tape over it.
    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    shikamaru31789BTW, when can we expect the Sub-$200 CPU comparison. Cleeve said we could expect it by the end of the month and it's now officially February (EST). Hope you guys post it tomorrow.
    I am looking forward to this as well... considering its been over two weeks since the best of Jan 2013 list that mentions this was posted.
    Reply
  • Rockdpm
    There is a CPU cooler you can adjust the colors on.. Its called the CM V6GT...
    Reply