ibuypower lcd panel factory

LCD Spec: 19” transparent TN LCD side panel display with 1280 x 1024 resolution enabling the complete customization of the side panel. Users can configure the digital display to feature video wallpaper, images, or system temperatures in real-time

Once the steel panel is punched, the iBUYPOWER team sets forth on embedding the 5:4 LCD in the new-formed hole. The LCD is purchased as sort of an all-in-one solution, then parts are extracted as needed. Wiring for the panel feeds into an expansion slot box, which is another existing display splitter solution that"s been encased in a plastic shell made by iBUYPOWER.

Videos are played back from the host machine, though the panel can technically also act as a monitor (e.g. extended display or cloned, which we show in the video). Contrast isn"t ideal for normal monitor use since you"re still seeing the system internals, but it does work. Things look a bit better in person than on camera; our cameras seem to have some trouble seeing through the light guide.

At this point, the team knows that manufacturing is feasible. The folks at iBUYPOWER are trying to figure out the manufacturing cost, getting it to an affordable consumer level, and determine if there is demand for the product. Minimally, the Snowblind can be used as sort of an H-Tower equivalent – an exhibitor rig for showcasing eSports sponsor adverts or generally attracting booth visitors. Ideally, though, iBUYPOWER hopes to find a way to make the enclosure publicly available.

One of the most esoteric elements to CES this year was in the iBuyPower booth. iBuyPower is a system integrator rather than a components manufacturer, so it comes across as surprising when they have an ultimate hardware exclusive, and their Project Snowblind is it. Last year at CES iBP demonstrated the Snowblind concept: using a transparent LCD panel on the side of a PC case as a window into seeing the components, but also with the ability to run a set of moving images and video while the machine is on. It is the ultimate RGB add-on. For 2018, the latest version was on display.

The latest version comes in at a resolution of 1024x1280, which is similar to last year but with better clarity and response. Through speaking with iBP, they do have the ability to fashion it into any ‘regular’ sized panel environment. It turns out that this technology was co-developed with Intel on board, so it’s unlikely to be an option on an AMD system.

iBP only provides this feature on its Snowblind systems, rather than as an individual add-on. The reason is that the Snowblind system is so-called because it focuses on white components, and adds in the high-power white LEDs around the edge of the transparent display in order to actually see the LCD screen. Without this in place, it would almost be unreadable, hence the limitation of its availability. When discussing with iBP, the full overall cost of the feature does add around $150-$200 to the system.

iBuyPower currently offers Snowblind under its Signature PC series, with Snowblind, Snowblind Pro and Snowblind Extreme versions. All systems use Intel Coffee Lake 8th Gen K-series processors, and NVIDIA graphics cards. For any GPU that doesn’t already have an appropriate backplate, iBP creates one to help with the lighting.

The Snowblind Element from iBUYPOWER is what you would expect from an NZXT chassis. It is the addition of the LCD side panel that takes it from good to great. If you are looking for the ultimate in dynamic aesthetics, the Snowblind series is hard to beat.

iBUYPOWER is a brand that I think anyone who has been part of the PC community is aware of. iBUYPOWER is a system integrator or SI as its commonly referred to. They offer prebuilt systems suitable for gaming and general use, while also offering some exciting customization options and even the occasional unique and exclusive custom designs. One such model is the Snowblind series, which took an NZXT chassis design and integrated an LCD layer. This feature allows the systems GPU to control an image that is displayed on the side panel with the filter enabling internal components to be viewed through the image on the side panel.

The Snowblind series was initially conceptualized and applied to Snowblind based prebuilt systems from iBUYPOWER. However, iBUYPOWER is now offering the chassis in a DIY form for users who want to build their custom system with an active display filter built into the main window panel.

Key features of the Snowblind Element chassis primarily will be the LCD side panel; however, it being an NZXT based chassis, it has similar fitment of components to what we have seen on a chassis such as the H510 Elite.

Motherboard fitment ranges from ITX up to ATX. The 3.5" and 2.5" storage fitment are numbers at two each. Since the HDD cage does not use trays, they cannot be repurposed for 2.5" drives. The 2.5" drive trays are on top of the PSU shroud, which means they will be visible inside your system through the LCD panel window. The PSU fitment is full ATX, and there is reasonable room to fit most at up to 255mm. The PSU is rear entry via a bracket system. The PSU area is covered by a shroud, which helps to give a more reflective white surface to push light back through the side panel along with creating a more agreeable aesthetic than a PSU at the bottom.

There are also more expensive options, but the one thing the Snowblind series has going for it right out of the box is the LCD panel solution. Any other chassis would require custom work that most may not be comfortable with. With that said, this is going to be exciting as we test the Snowblind Element and asses its performance and features versus the competition in the conclusion.

The main outer box is a brown cardboard box like you would expect a custom system build form iBUYPOWER would ship within. It does not have any relevant information besides the logo and, of course, a shipping label. There are also notes on fragility and informing shippers that computer components are inside, which I can assume is in the hopes the shipper will be kind to the package knowing the sensitivity of components.

The broad opposing side of the packaging now shows the LCD side panel in full effect. This is, of course, a rendering as the things showing on the LCD are semi-opaque in real-world usage and not as solid or bold as shown here. But they are quite visible depending on the angle and the white level of the internal components. The same warning and logo and series moniker are in place as the large opposite side.

The internal protection for the Snowblind Element is very good with soft type squishy foam taking the impacts. The glass/LCD panels are covered with cling film, and the entire chassis is wrapped in a plastic bag to ensure that abrasion damage is mitigated.

Looking up front, we see that the Snowblind Element has a transparent rectangular portion of the front glass, which highlights the front cooling mounting. This means whether you keep the white lit LED fans up front or opt for RGB fans, you can see them from the front. Below the opening, we have the iBUYPOWER logo, which is lit in white by LEDs inside the panel. The only non-glass portion of the front panel is the bottom strip, which appears to be purely aesthetic.

Looking at the main panel, which is the LCD that covers the build chamber is simply blacked out with only a slight hint of what"s inside. When powered on, this will become more friendly to viewing as the internal LEDs are super bright and will punch light through the filter. However, with the system off, it will be quite challenging to see anything inside. Do note that the panel has hinges in the rear and allows the panel to swing open. The panel is held closed with two slide latches that almost blend in up front.

Out back, the Snowblind Element looks like most chassis we have seen with some small differences. Firstly there is a black circle up top; this is a button used to turn on or off the internal LED lighting, which allows you to see the LCD side panel designs being played. You will also notice that the two slots customarily used for a GPU are already cleared of their slot covers since this chassis is designed to be a prebuilt system. There is also a slot with two video ports, which are inputs for the side panel LCD.

We now peek at the other large panel, which covers the cable management area. The panel found here is solid steel and painted white to match the design of the chassis. Two captured thumbscrews affix the panel to the chassis.

Digging into the Snowblind Element, we find when removing the front glass panel that there is a sizeable magnetic filter spanning most of the front of the chassis. There is also a 2-wire cable connecting the front panel logo to an internal lead supplying power for the logo LED. Puling the filter and you get a clearer look at the fans installed along with their built-in fan holder bracket, which likely is used to speed up the assembly of these systems as prebuilds, which are done by hand. To install our AIO, we will be removing this bracket and these fans in favor of the LL fans that come with our H100i Platinum SE white cooler.

Opening the chassis, and we have a view of the inside of the side panel. The hinge pins are pointed downward, and the panel can be lifted and away if you need to do so. Do note that the wiring for the internal screen interface is well integrated, so I would avoid removing the panel and built-in module if possible. The interior LED array you see surrounding the panel is very bright white to help push visuals through the filter due to the natural way an LCD works. You need a lot of bright light to get light through this panel, so it is also recommended to have as many white-based components in the system for the best functionality of the LCD side panel.

Here we have the PSU shroud for the Snowblind Element. The PSU shroud has well-appointed cable passthrough holes for both the SSD bays along with the front panel cables. Also, here is an opening further outward, which allows for passing cables to the GPU if needed. The front of the PSU shroud has a louvered area, which I am admittedly not sure what its purpose is beyond aesthetic. Lastly, is the dual SSD trays which are retained with slide mounting points, and a thumbscrew to lock it into place.

Looking at the rear I/O area from the inside, and we can now see the preinstalled fan. This fan, as mentioned previously, is a 3-pin DC powered 120mm unit. Below this, we have the expansion slots in which the LCD panel module will take one. At the top of the rear, we see the LED control button used to turn off the lighting if so desired.

Here we see the standard screw set, which would be needed to install a system. The main component here is the DisplayPort to DVI cable, which is used to feed the data to the installed module for the side panel display.

The manual for the Snowblind Element is a simple, quick start guide for the side LCD panel. There are no instructions for a user to follow for component installation. If you buy the Snowblind Element, you have to have your wits about you or find some videos online as there are no instructions provided for the build.

Now that we have completed the build, we get to check out how it turned out. As you can see, we replaced the fans and their bracket with a front mount 240mm AIO which is themed white to match the white aesthetic of the build and provide a little extra reflectivity for the side panel function.

Here you can see that this is not our standard test build, as we opted for white parts to best match how iBUYPOWER builds the rig; this helps ensure as much reflective surface for light to punch through the side panel. We deployed ASUS white components in the Strix RTX 2080 Ti and the ASUS X299 Prime Edition 30 to round out the build, which should load up some heat in this aesthetically focused chassis. As you can see, even with such beefy components, there is plenty of room to get everything in place.

The rear looks as it did before, except all the spots are now filled. The GPU feeds down to the side panel module to give the panel display. This will be set up as an extended display and rotated to portrait mode.

Powering the rig on, we see that with the lights off and a short shutter that the filter for the LCD is strong. The front RGB fans having a transparent window means you can adjust your lighting to match the theme of your build even from the front. You can see some of the data across the bottom of the side LCD panel, but I think we should take a better angle here.

Taking a direct look at the side panel and you can now see the custom layout I created for the LCD, and of course, I had to pimp our logo a bit in the central portion. So note that to get some of these gauges working, you will need ancillary applications such as Coretemp and MSI afterburner so that the Rainmeter app can pull the data required.

I saw the Snowblind system when iBUYPOWER first introduced it some years ago. For the longest time, it was only offered as a prebuilt system. Several modders have taken on the task of integrating their panels, and while it is possible, it does not come without risk and some skill required. The Snowblind Element comes with the panel included and done in a neat way that feels like it would be easy.

The first thing must be the LCD side panel. With the world now inundated with tempered glass panels, it is nice to see something that can be aesthetically dynamic. The thermal performance comes in next with great overall results here.

The next thing would be the overall aesthetic aside from the LCD panel, which is beautiful and serves the build well. The build quality is not bad, as I did not find any areas where I felt the component quality was lacking. The quality of the finished LCD panel comes up with the quality of materials as the fit and finish are fantastic.

There are some things I think could be better on the Snowblind Element. First would be the HDD cage, which I would like to see use trays so that users with 2.5" storage can use the cage if they choose to omit spinners. The cooling fitment could use some expansion to enable larger liquid-cooled builds with this excellent feature set. Including a manual with a DIY chassis is elementary. Since this is one of iBUYPOWER"s first standalone chassis I have had hands-on time with, I hope in the future they include an appropriate manual. I am glad they included the guide for the LCD setup, but a build guide is desirable for new users.

Do note that at the time of writing stock of the Snowblind Element was limited but still available, however its less expensive cousin, the Snowblind S, is still readily available. iBUYPOWER confirmed that presently they are low on chassis only stock and will determine soon if they will add more. If you want this feature as a full system, iBUYPOWER can do this as well, with a Snowblind series prebuilt gaming rig.

If you are serious about your computer gaming then you owe it to yourself to check out the offerings of computer manufacturer iBuyPower. Their high-tech gaming machines will blow away any ordinary PC you are currently using, and give you a big edge when the competition gets intense.

The primary difference between a regular computer and a gaming machine is that the graphics card and processor will be more powerful on the gaming computer. There is nothing that prevents you from using a gaming machine, such as an iBuyPower PC, as your everyday machine. Gaming computers are more expensive though, and if you do not need the increased performance you might want to buy a standard computer.

iBuyPower is a computer manufacturer based in City of Industry, California. They have been in business since 1999 and have operations in Europe and Asia. The company specializes in the gaming desktop and laptop market and has designed some very distinctive products.

eSports is a focus of iBuyPower and they fully support the expanded coverage and growth of competitive gaming. The company sponsors a team that engages in eSports tournaments and is dedicated to increasing the visibility of eSports in the entertainment industry.

The company has a wide range of desktop and laptop computers that are optimized to give you the best gaming experience possible. Their machines feature top-notch components from industry leaders like Intel and NVIDIA. Let’s take a look at two of the products that help make iBuyPower stand out from the crowd of gaming machine manufacturers.

Another product from the creative minds of the iBuyPower engineers is the Snowblind desktop gaming computer. In addition to being a high-powered gaming machine that offers the user many configuration options, it has a distinctive, side-panel LCD screen built into the unit. The screen can be used to display animations, images, and videos. You can drag anything displayed on your monitor to the side screen.

The machine comes equipped with a 1TB hard drive and has 5 disk bays for expansion. Top-notch graphics cards and CPUs are part of every Snowblind computer that iBuyPower sells. It runs the Windows 10 OS and can be configured in numerous ways to suit any gamer. With its unique look and powerful performance, this is a gaming machine that will let you compete with anyone.

For more on the Snowblind check out these links: PC Magazine — The Snowblind gets 4 stars from PC magazine for its price, performance and unique LCD screen

You can usually find deals on iBuyPower computers that can save you a substantial amount of money on your purchase. Look for an iBuyPower coupon code at sites like coupon.com and offers.com.

IBuyPower’s involvement in eSports has not always been free of controversy. The company sponsors eSports teams, and one of them was the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. The team was engaged in a match versus the team from NetCodeGuides in August of 2014. The iBuyPower team was heavily favored in the match, yet inexplicably lost by a score of 16 to 4.

Investigative reporting uncovered that members of the iBuyPower team had placed large bets against themselves prior to the match and then deliberately lost. Other individuals connected to the team were also implicated and the result was that several members of the iBuyPower team were suspended from league play.

The suspensions were at first termed “indefinite”, but the end result was a 2 to 3-year ban for the perpetrators of the rising scandal. iBuyPower has not sponsored a team in CS:GO since the incident.

So now you know a little about iBuyPower and some of the products that they manufacture for the serious gamer. If the performance of your gaming computer is important to you, then you should check out what they have and how it can help improve your game.