Building a computer as a hobby is a passion of our Tech author Jan Hartmayer. Everyone around him turns to him, and he has already built over a dozen gaming PCs for various people. However, he had to learn firsthand what it’s like when everything goes wrong.
The task was actually simple: It was supposed to be pink. I had long planned to build my girlfriend the gaming PC of her dreams, and when the time came, I received this clear directive. It was important to both of us that performance matched aesthetics. However, I never thought that this particular PC would cost me so much time and nerves.
Maybe I should have waited for the Steam Machine to save myself some trouble during the assembly.
50 Shades of Pink: How the Case Selection Became a Nightmare
The first problem: Finding a case in pastel pink and the right size was nearly impossible. Especially since I didn’t even know before researching HOW many different shades of pink there actually are.
It wasn’t that the requested color was unfindable or that my partner had special requests. It was just that I absolutely had to overdo it and wanted to cram a 35-centimeter long RTX 4090 into the smallest case possible.
Because in my ambition, I wanted to make no compromises in gaming performance. My partner should also have as much performance while gaming with her absolute desired aesthetics as I do.
Once we clarified our expectations for the case, I set out to find the perfect case. I found several different models, but they all had the same problems:
- The graphics card simply didn’t have enough space.
- The shade didn’t match the one requested.
I even considered painting a differently colored case myself and applying a coat of lacquer. However, initial attempts showed: I can paint a surface, but it won’t have the perfect finish if I do it myself.
After several days of research, I finally found the holy grail of pink PC cases. The Thermaltake The Tower 300 Case in Bubble Pink. It had everything I could wish for. The aesthetics were right, there was enough space for the mega GPU, and all that in a relatively compact footprint.
I’ve Never Broken So Many Parts
Once I received all the components, I could finally start assembling. For me, it was the first PC where I didn’t install the motherboard and graphics card horizontally as usual, but vertically instead.
This resulted in me having to install and uninstall parts multiple times because I placed them in the wrong order. That’s annoying, but manageable. The first frustration hit me when I wanted to start the computer.
I experienced a moment that all PC builders fear the most. I pressed the power button and puff, nothing happened. No startup, no lights, just silence. This led me to troubleshoot, and it turned out that my power supply was defective. Well, that can happen, I told myself. After being sent back and exchanged with the manufacturer, the PC finally turned on.
But with the startup came small clouds of smoke from inside the pink dream. Once noticed, I quickly unplugged the computer and resumed troubleshooting. It turned out that my water cooling had a broken power cable. Great, another part was defective.
By this point, I was almost desperate and wondered if I had damaged the parts myself. But I didn’t give up and tried again with different water cooling. This time there were no smoke clouds, but the pump still wouldn’t turn on. That meant the computer wasn’t cooled and crashed after a few minutes due to overheating.
Two Water Coolings and a Power Supply Later
After several hours of troubleshooting and on the brink of madness, I finally found the problem. The pump cable of the water cooling was connected to the wrong slot on the motherboard.
That’s a simple mistake that has never happened to me before, and I completely overlooked it. Had I checked the motherboard manual earlier, the problem would have been resolved in minutes. Today, I remember every time I see water cooling, and hopefully, I will never make such a beginner’s mistake again. So learn from my mistakes and take a look at the manual, even if you’ve performed the same step dozens of times. If anyone needs more help, they can also refer to our five beginner mistakes in PC building that should be avoided.
But in the end, I was at my limits both mentally and was close to just giving up. But honestly, I really wanted to finish the project and fulfill my girlfriend’s wish. In the end, we were both very satisfied with the result, and I was able to provide her with an appealing pink computer with plenty of power. Furthermore, my partner is happy every time she powers up the gaming rig, and that alone is thanks enough for me. Just like I wanted, our author Jasmin wanted to build a stylish gaming PC some time ago and shares her experience: With my gaming PC, I only focused on aesthetics because I have no idea about hardware.
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