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MichaelDLR.

The PC Build.

It started outside a friend's house on moving day, headed for the trash. "It doesn't work," they said. It only needed RAM.

The original CyberPowerPC case opened up, with the Intel i5 and stock cooler(opens larger photo)
Before.As it came, opened up for the first rebuild.
The current AM5 build lit blue and red with the Arc B580 installed(opens larger photo)
After.Today: AM5, Arc B580, full ARGB.

How it changed.

  1. The original CyberPowerPC case opened up, with the Intel i5 and stock cooler(opens larger photo)

    1. Beginning

  2. The same case with red ring fans, a be quiet! cooler and the Intel Arc A770(opens larger photo)

    2. Ryzen + Arc A770

  3. The new NZXT H9 Flow on the desk on its first night, lit blue(opens larger photo)

    3. Into the H9

  4. The H9 Flow glowing red with ARGB fans across the side, top and bottom(opens larger photo)

    4. Full RGB

  5. The current AM5 build lit blue and red with the Arc B580 installed(opens larger photo)

    5. Today

Stage by stage.

  1. 0

    Early 2024

    Rescued

    Spotted outside a friend's house on moving day, headed for the trash because "it doesn't work." It only needed RAM.

    • Intel Core i5-8400
    • B360M Bazooka
    • 48GB DDR4
    • Radeon RX 580 Armor 4G
    • 1TB WD Blue HDD
    • Channel Well 500W
    • CyberPowerPC case
  2. 1

    Nov 2024

    The Ryzen swap

    New platform, a real SSD and a better cooler, rebuilt over Thanksgiving. The original parts became a PC for my nephews.

    • AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
    • ROG Strix B450-F
    • Samsung 990 EVO 2TB
    • be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 2
  3. 2

    Dec 2024

    GPU + power

    A 16GB Intel Arc card and a power supply with headroom to run it.

    • ASRock Arc A770 Phantom 16GB
    • PowerSpec 750W
  4. 3

    Mar 2025

    New case, full RGB

    Moved everything into an NZXT H9 Flow and spent months getting the ARGB right.

    • NZXT H9 Flow
    • AsiaHorse AMICI ARGB fans
    • VE-HUB ARGB/PWM hub
    • Sleeved PSU extensions
    • Dual 27" 1440p monitors
  5. 4

    Oct – Nov 2025

    AM5

    A DDR5 platform and a cooler that could handle the 7600X's heat spikes in October, then the Arc B580 at the end of November.

    • AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
    • ASUS B650E MAX Gaming WiFi
    • G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5-6000
    • Thermalright PS120SE
    • Acer Arc B580 Nitro 12GB
  6. 5

    2026

    The freeze saga

    Windows froze at login. Two weeks later I traced it to Intel graphics drivers. In the meantime, an X3D upgrade.

    • AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D
    • Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX V2
    The current build with the Ryzen 5 7600X3D, lit blue and red next to the monitor(opens larger photo)
    The build today: Ryzen 5 7600X3D, Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX V2 and the Arc B580.