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Build of the week: HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station

Features
By James Davenport published 19 October 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 1 of 15
Page 1 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 2 of 15
Page 2 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 3 of 15
Page 3 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 4 of 15
Page 4 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 5 of 15
Page 5 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 6 of 15
Page 6 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 7 of 15
Page 7 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 8 of 15
Page 8 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 9 of 15
Page 9 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 10 of 15
Page 10 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 11 of 15
Page 11 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 12 of 15
Page 12 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 13 of 15
Page 13 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 14 of 15
Page 14 of 15

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

Hans Peder Sahl, a modder from Denmark, set out to build a simple workstation, but the engineer in him couldn’t be stifled. What should have been a simple day or two project stretched into weeks, and the build evolved into something much more complex. The HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station takes an inherently pretty enthusiast chassis and through load of drafting, drilling, and cabling turns it into a build so compact and pretty that I get a bit woozy looking at the thing.

Beyond the intricate cabling, I’m most impressed with the custom watercooling setup. The translucent chambers on the back of the chassis are actually part of the flow. Liquid gets chugged out of the reservoir and through the top. It’s a mesmerizing component of the build, externalizing and giving proper due to an already impressive series of liquid cooling fittings.

To see more photos of the process, check out Hans’ build log. He’s an excellent photographer to boot, fully realized in the erotically charged video he made of the liquid fill process. Watch it after checking out the components.

HEX Gear R40 Engineering Station components:

Chassis: HEX Gear R40
CPU: Intel 5960x
GPU: 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980TI
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99M-Gaming 5
RAM: 32 gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 2666Mhz
PSU: Corsair HX850i
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB
HDD: Western Digital red 6TB
Fan controller: Aqua Computer Aquaero 5
Watercooling: EK Water Blocks, radiators, fans and pump - Custom made reservoir, case parts, sli bridge, and cable combs - Bitspower fittings

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Page 15 of 15
Page 15 of 15
James Davenport
James Davenport
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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. 

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The Nvidia FX 5800 Ultra graphics card on a dark surface
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