Build of the week: a $20,000 steampunk computer

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web’s most dedicated PC building communities.  

I don’t know what steampunk is anymore, but it sure isn’t punk! 

4000 words on the definition of punk later…

And that’s why you always wash your hands! Anyway, semantics aside, this is a pretty cool computer. In fact, I find it a relief. In a sea of custom PCs striking out to be the most absurd, nonsensical, what-if science experiments, something simple like a steampunk-styled chassis feels like coming home. 

Put together by Derick Magnusen of Senpai Studios, this PC is worth $20,000, and not just because the liquid cooling loop is made of copper tubes. You can mine copper for free if you know where to look, my uncle tells me. Same for mushrooms. He finds a dead body once a year up Gold Creek. No, the specs make up the bulk of the cost here, completely overkill in every way. 

It’s basically two computers in one. Four Titan Xps, two Intel Xeons—my wallet is already packing up their things. Can’t blame them in this James Economy! Hard times these days, what with all the impulse curry purchases and the influx of forgotten subscription payments.

But I suppose that because PCs like this exist, a marvel of craft and consumer technology, capable of—you know it—running Crysis, I bet! Also capable of paying off a good chunk of my student loan debt, but we’d all rather crush botanical anti-aliasing more than my lifetime curry payments. I’m in a hell of my own making, but this computer looks good at least. 

For more information on Magnusen's process, check out this interview with his sponsor

Verktoy Cu components list: 

Chassis: Case Labs S8
CPUs: 2x Intel Xeon E5-2670 V3 (2.8Ghz 12c/24t each)
Motherboard: Asus Z10PE-D8 WS 
GPUs: 4x Nvidia Titan Xp
RAM: 8x16GB Kingston DDR4 2133Mhz ECC
Storage: 4x Intel 750 NVME 1.2TB (3x PCI-E, 1x 2.5”)
PSU: Corsair AX1500i

James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.