This is Dan's documented 2023 commission, built by Steve and Marcel through The IT Guy before Elements launched. The build details and original photographs are from that project, not a specification of the current H2.0 concept.
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The brief was a machine, not a shopping basket
The customer wanted a powerful gaming and productivity PC with a look that could not simply be bought off a shelf. An Intel Core i9-12900K and GeForce RTX 3090 were at the heart of this particular build. Both were to be included in the custom water-cooling loop, alongside radiators, a pump, fans and an LCD status display.
Marcel's build notes begin with measurement. The chosen case had to accommodate every major part and leave room for tubing, fittings, power connections and service access. The team planned the layout before ordering the remaining components. That matters with a custom loop: a radiator that nominally fits a case can still obstruct a motherboard connector or make a tube run impractical.
The finished specification
The final project sheet records the hardware in Dan's machine. It is a historical specification, not a current shopping list or fixed-price Elements model.
| Processor | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|
| Graphics | ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 OC, 24 GB |
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero |
| Memory | 64 GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-5200 (2 × 32 GB) |
| Storage | 2 TB NVMe SSD |
| Power supply | Corsair AX1600i, 1600 W, 80 Plus Titanium |
| Case | Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL ROG Certified |
| Cooling | Custom hard-tube CPU and GPU loop with active GPU backplate cooling |
Windows 11 Pro, an LCD status display, thick radiators and a D5 pump also appear in the project records. The parts and layout were selected for this particular machine; a new build would be specified around today's requirements and availability.
The custom work happened around the hardware
Several parts needed fabrication or modification. The team made a pump bracket and graphics-card support from mild steel sheet, measuring, cutting, welding, finishing and painting them for this case. They widened the graphics-card bracket to accommodate an active water-cooled backplate. To create room for thick radiators, they relocated the CPU power connectors to the rear. They also moved the status screen's mini-HDMI and power connections to its side so its cables could be concealed.
None of those jobs makes a processor faster on its own. Together, they let the cooling hardware fit securely, keep the loop serviceable and deliver the appearance the customer asked for. They are also a reminder that a bespoke build needs time for design, fabrication and checking, not just assembly.
A loop has to be tested before it is trusted
After fitting the pump, blocks, radiators and shaped tubing, the team pressure-tested the loop for leaks before filling it. The filled system was then run under office workloads, benchmarks and games. Marcel's archived notes name OCCT, Unigine Superposition and Metro Exodus among the checks.
The recorded ranges below describe that one machine in those tests. They are not temperature promises for a new Elements build: room temperature, fan settings, workload and component generation all affect the result.
| Workload | CPU | GPU | Coolant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmarks, several hours | 60–70°C | 50–65°C | 30–35°C |
| Gaming, several hours | 40–50°C | 50–60°C | 30–35°C |
These figures are useful as part of the project record because they show that the team checked more than whether the PC powered on. They should not be compared with another build without the full test conditions.
What this build taught us to ask first
Before choosing a custom loop, we ask what the PC must do, what the customer wants to see, how much case space is available and how the machine will be maintained. Sometimes a simpler air-cooled build is the better answer. When the loop is part of the brief, its physical design, access and testing become as important as the headline parts list.
The 2023 build is an example of what a genuinely bespoke project can involve. Today's components, availability, price and exact loop would be chosen afresh. Our water-cooled PC page explains the current route; the custom PC build guide helps you prepare a brief.
Dan and Nicola's feedback
Nicola described Dan's brief as a high-end PC for gaming and work. In her December 2023 Facebook recommendation, she praised the custom brackets Marcel made for the graphics card and pump, and said the finished machine reflected Dan's vision.
“the build surpassed all of Dan’s expectations making it a PC he could only have dreamed of.”
Nicola McKeown, Facebook recommendation for The IT Guy
The review describes this 2023 project through The IT Guy, before Elements launched.
See the original project
We shared a short reel of this customer project through The IT Guy in November 2023, before Elements launched. Watch the original build reel on Facebook ↗. The reel is the historical project; the illustrated model images elsewhere on this site are design concepts.