- A Redditor built a PC chassis with Lego bricks
- Computer houses repurposed cryptocurrency mining rig
- It also includes a built-in monitor and keyboard
Computer enthusiasts can be a creative bunch, and PC makers create intriguing custom rigs built with all sorts of interesting specifications. But few have created a gaming desktop out of Lego bricks, like one intrepid Redditor did, and it could redefine what we mean by the term “Smart Bricks.”
Posting on Reddit, user OkDebate6649 documented his attempt to build a functional gaming PC housed entirely inside a Lego brick chassis. The computer has been “designed in a modular way,” its creator explained, “so it can be used with monitors I made before” and includes a screen and a built-in keyboard.
The device is centered on an AMD BC-250 motherboard. These products were originally designed for cryptocurrency mining and feature what is essentially a stripped-down PlayStation 5 APU comprising six Zen 2 CPU cores, 24 RDNA2 compute units on the GPU, and 16GB of memory.
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Its performance is roughly similar to that of an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, making it suitable for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings. “It’s not a very powerful PC,” OkDebate6649 admitted, before adding that it “runs stably at around 75°C (45°C idle).”
It’s far from the most robust gaming PC out there today. But when it looks as cool as this, I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t mind. In fact, the Reddit comments are full of enthusiastic fans, with people calling it “ridiculously wild” and an “absolutely sick build.” User Lorenzo_95 was effusive in his praise, saying: “I’m afraid you have to stop posting, you’re too cool, it’s unfair to the rest of us.”
Runs on Linux, looks like a Mac
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Interestingly, if you want to use this motherboard in a computer like OkDebate6649 did, you must run your system on Linux, as the board is not compatible with Windows 11. And it seems that Redditor leaned in the anti-Windows direction by applying a Linux skin that mimics Apple’s macOS operating system.
And they didn’t stop there. The entire Lego chassis has been designed to look like an old-school Macintosh of the type sold by Apple in the 1980s and 1990s. The computer itself is housed in a cuboid Lego box with the monitor, whose casing is also made of Lego bricks, on top. An old Apple logo and a rainbow sticker signal another link to the Cupertino firm.
Since the BC-250 is a reused mining board, OkDebate6649 had to make some adjustments. Traditional CPU coolers didn’t fit, so the creator had to remove the heatsink from the motherboard and place a 120mm fan on top. With the keyboard and monitor included, the entire system weighs 11kg, so it’s not particularly portable either.
If you’re wondering if the Lego case can withstand the heat of a powered-on gaming PC, OkDebate6649 is confident that it can. As they explained: “I have added protective measures in areas exposed to heat. If you look at the third photo, you can see that I applied protection where the motherboard backplate makes contact.”
With creative builds like this floating around, there’s plenty of inspiration if you’re interested in building your own custom PC. Combined with the recent Noctua “Superdome” computer, it’s a good time to be a fan of this type of work.
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