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Album of the Year #24: Run The Jewels - RTJ4

Artist: Run The Jewels
Album: RTJ4
Date Released: June 3rd, 2020
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Artist Background
The duo consisting of Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, and legendary underground produceMC El-P, known together as Run The Jewels, originally came together as a result of Adult Swim executive Jason DeMarco who introduced the two in 2011. After his 2011 album PL3DGE peaked at #115 on the US charts, Killer Mike told Jason that he wanted to make his own AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Jason informed Mike, “If you want AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted modernized, the only producer I know who comes close to the Bomb Squad-level of production is El-P”. The duo’s chemistry was immediate, as El-P went on to produce all of Killer Mike’s 2012 last solo album R.A.P. Music, and Mike featured on El-P’s final solo album Cancer 4 Cure. Mike and El’s respective albums released within a week of each other in May 2012, and the two embarked on a twenty-city US tour in the following months. After returning from tour, the pair had found a friendship growing between themselves, and made the decision to put other projects on hold and focus on the chemistry that had been sparked. Recording at an upstate NY studio beginning in April 2013, the duo re-appropriated the phrase “Run The Jewels” from the LL Cool J track “Cheesy Rat Blues", and released their self-titled collaborative album, for free via digital download, only a mere 2 months later in June 2013.
36” Chain vs. Pistol & Fist
Run The Jewels discography currently exists in a distinct pairing. With Run The Jewels as their debut, this record set the group's tone as a light-hearted, braggadocious duo with as much confidence in their abilities as swag in their punchlines. Just over a year later, the sequel Run The Jewels 2 took the foundation set from their freshman effort and dialed the insanity up to 11. RTJ2 pushed the boundaries of their aggression and flows to new heights; with incredible energy in their verses, and absolutely impeccable beats, blending El-P’s signature industrial sound with sharp synth arpeggios, chopped Zach De La Rocha vocals, and absolutely bonkers Travis Barker drums.
It was then nearly 3 years before Jamie and Mike followed up their breakout RTJ2, with Run The Jewels 3 being released again ahead of its scheduled release date via free digital download, this time on Christmas Eve 2016. Instead of these two attempting to outdo the pure insanity and in-your-face attitude found in their predecessor, Mike and El decide to evolve themselves as a group. The duo had noticeably pulled back on the swag and dick jokes which made such a splash on RTJ2, instead choosing a more subdued, electronic approach to their beats, as well as a clearly stronger political approach in their lyrics. This change in sound and style is demonstrated in the album cover’s artwork. The first two records featured the distinctive RTJ “Pistol and Fist”, with the fist tightly gripping a chain. The chain, in my opinion, represents the swag and braggadocio that drove the aggressive nature of their first two albums. In RTJ3 the chain is removed, leaving only hands that have transformed from bleeding and bandaged, to a pristine gold.
This brings us to early 2020. It’s been nearly 4 years of living in a post-Trump America, and El-P announces that Run The Jewels fourth record has been completed. Mike and El live-stream the first single “yankee and the brave” on Instagram on March 22nd, 2020. Lyrically and sonically, RTJ4 exists as the successor to Run The Jewels 3, with Mike and El again taking the good from their previous effort and launching it into the creative stratosphere. El-P’s beats are again leaning towards the synthetic, electronic side, this time with the intensity dialed all the way up to 11. From a lyrical perspective, RTJ takes the politically-charged lyrics from their predecessor, and again, up the ante, laying down some of the hardest hitting and politically poignant bars either of these two have ever spit.
Album Review
2020 was a year that none of us will soon forget. An unprecedented global health crisis kept the majority of us inside for months at a time. RTJ4 was announced on May 12th, 2020, with a release date slated for June 5th, 2020. However, with 2020 as the gift that won’t stop giving, the end of May was highlighted by the unjust killing of George Floyd. The phrase heard around the world, “I can’t breathe” instantly became a rally-cry for the oppressed to finally take to the streets to demand systemic police reform, as Floyd’s death was not the first time this phrase was uttered in an unjust police killing. In fact, a 2020 study by the New York Times showed that at least 70 people have died in police custody after using the same phrase over the past decade. As millions of American’s began organizing protests and demonstrations in the wake of Floyd’s death, Run The Jewels made the decision to release their latest chapter two days ahead of the scheduled release. El-P tweeted, just minutes ahead of the drop, “Fuck it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit, so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there and thank you for giving 2 friends the chance to be heard and do what they love”. In line with all past Run The Jewels releases, the album was made available for free digital download, two days ahead of its scheduled release date, on June 3rd, 2020.
THE RETURN (we don’t mean no harm but we truly mean all the disrespect)
RTJ4 opens with the first single, “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)”. Using the team names from their respective hometown baseball teams, Mike and El use the opening track to prove that they’re not just a hip-hop duo, they’re brothers, for better or worse. El-P kicks this installment off with rapid-fire, machine-gun esque snares, matching Killer Mike’s aggressive flow and tightly packed rhymes, before El jumps in to trade some dense rhymes as well. Mike and El depict themselves as outlaws, with Mike surrounded by cops with only one bullet remaining. He contemplates suicide instead of allowing the police to take him alive, until El-P jumps back in, offering Mike a way out, with a getaway car waiting outside. This tense situation is depicted lightheartedly in this song’s music video, which was released via Adult Swim and features the duo animated.
The trade-off between Mike and El’s short verses are reminiscent of late-80’s EPMD flows, while the production sounds like boom-bap that’s been sent to us from the future. This distinctive blend of old-school rap roots and forward thinking production is what continues to separate Run The Jewels from absolutely all of their contemporaries. While so many artists are continually playing catch-up with the latest trends, RTJ are side-stepping the trendy and moving forward with the mind-bending.
FLEXIN’ (ayo one for mayhem, two for mischief)
The second single “ooh la la” samples a Gang Star track "DWYCK (feat. Nice & Smooth)" as the basis for the chorus. I say “samples” as that’s how it is credited in the album’s liner notes, however it’s truly an interpolation of Greg Nice’s bar, slowed down slightly, and sung by El-P and Greg Nice himself. El-P is a true old-head at heart, and it’s abundantly obvious in his work, even going as far as to recruit legendary producer DJ Premiere to handle the scratching on the back end of this banger.
Out of key piano chords are looped to quickly create an unsettling aura surrounding the track, before El-P’s voice cuts through the infectious piano like a whip. Pounding, up-tempo drums are introduced after the chorus’ first iteration, creating what is possibly El-P’s first danceable beat. Lyrically, Mike and El-P initially seem scattered on this track, however the music video quickly makes their point very obvious.
”we imagined the world on the day that the age old struggle of class was finally over. a day that humanity, empathy and community were victorious over the forces that would separate us based on arbitrary systems created by man.
this video is a fantasy of waking up on a day that there is no monetary system, no dividing line, no false construct to tell our fellow man that they are less or more than anyone else. not that people are without but that the whole meaning of money has vanished. that we have somehow solved our self created caste system and can now start fresh with love, hope and celebration. its a dream of humanity’s V-DAY… and the party we know would pop off.”
The video envisions a society celebrating the fact that the class system we currently exist within has finally imploded. Money is worthless, and we have rejected the desire to bind ourselves to the constraints of capitalism. All creeds and colors unite to burn the system that has so effectively controlled us for over a century. It’s a party, and if there was a song to celebrate the end of the world as it is currently known, “ooh la la” is that song.
Mike’s last verse features a few metaphors and comparisons celebrating the destruction of capitalism, saving the most poignant for last:
I used to love Bruce, but livin' my vida loca
Helped me understand I'm probably more of a Joker
When we usher in chaos, just know that we did it smiling
Cannibals on this island, inmates run the asylum
Premo’s expertly cut scratches lead us into the equally hard hitting sample flip of “Misdemeanor”, by Foster Stevens as the basis for the beat to “out of sight”. Lending yet another nod to the old-school greats that laid the foundation for RTJ, “out of sight” samples the same track as The D.O.C.’s “It’s Funky Enough”, only adding a bouncy, electronic synth atop the inverted chord hits, and uptempo, industrial drums, to create an absolutely infectious groove for Mike and El’s dynamic chemistry to shine, rapidly jumping between each other’s two line flows in the first verse.
“out of sight” shows each MC providing insight into how each of them earned a living and achieved their current status. Mike and El’s opening verse each details themselves robbing people in order to eat. El alludes to the fact that he crossed his accomplices in crime for the whole bag, while Mike details the fact his assailant tells him it’s an “honor” to be robbed by his mother’s only son.
While El-P’s production is the obvious stand out on first listen, Killer Mike comes through with one of the most sonically pleasing and technically proficient verses of 2020.
We the motivating, devastating, captivating
Ghost and Rae relating product of the fuckin' '80s
Coke dealin' babies, never regulating, bag accumulating
It would not be overstating to say they are underrating
The pride of Brooklyn and the Grady, baby
We don't need no compliments or confidence
Our attitude and latitude is "fuck you, pay me"
The dense, intricate rhyme schemes smack you in the face, almost distracting you from Mike’s delivery and blistering flow on the verse; flexing his legendary status while paying homage to his drug-dealing past. This absolutely stunning display of technical skill, story telling, and complex rhyming illustrates how RTJ seamlessly integrates the best of both old school and new school hip-hop.
“out of sight” also features a guest verse from 2 Chainz, and he continues to lay the braggadocio on thick. Considering Tity Boi’s dedication to trap stylings, his verse feels right at home on the flex track, despite it’s late 80’s tribute sample, a considerable departure from his usual sound palette.
Up until this point, I haven’t mentioned any of the El-P’s lyrics specifically. El-P is a great rapper, but Killer Mike… Well, Killer Mike is an incredible rapper. He’s the guy who draws you in. El-P is the one who lays the foundation for greatness and Mike is the show stopper, and that’s generally the case for most RTJ tracks. But on “holy calamafuck”, El-P seems determined to make people stop and ask, “Who the fuck is this?!”.
A sharp, yet nearly minimalistic drum kit backing a heavily distorted synthesizer melody lays beneath rhymically knocking cow-bells. This aggressively set stage allows Mike and El to flex as the dynamic duo they are, until the beat suddenly takes a turn for the chaotic. A gnarled, ultra-menacing synth overtakes everything while Mike screams into the abyss, until a distorted snare, enormous 808s, and skeletal hi-hats cut through and launch the beat switch into another dimension. The minimal, yet incredibly dark soundscape allows El-P to snap in a way I have never heard from him previously. His rhymes schemes are reminiscent of an old MF DOOM lyric notebook, while his topics flawlessly combine flexing, psychedelic use, and his well-cemented legacy in the hip-hop community. Cutting and pasting a few of his bars into this review could not convey a fraction of how stunning El-P’s performance on “holy calamafuck” is.
Slightly later in the track list, making liberal use of the Ether song “Gang of Four”, “the ground below” samples and loops the sharp guitar riff and adds aggressive, pounding drums as the basis for the beat; this is finally reminiscent of the forward-thinking, stridulous production El-P has built his reputation on. Capitalising on the classic RTJ moment, Mike and El both flex in their own unique ways. Mike compares himself to Godzilla taking on Tokyo, and El-P demands respect for his name as the legend he is, threatening to smack dying children for mispronouncing his name with his middle finger to the world; his complete disregard for human life and confidence in his abilities are summed up at the end of his verse.
You see a future where Run the Jewels ain’t the shit
Cancel my Hitler-killing trip
Turn the time machine back around a century
SO¢IAL JU$T-ICE (until my voice go from a shriek to whisper...)
While the first few tracks aren’t without their social and political themes, the back-end of RTJ4 is where Mike and El start to bust out the heavy topics. “goonies vs. E.T.”. starts off light, with El-P pointing to the irony of how once he finally started to make it “big” in the industry, the world began to descend into chaos due to climate changes, increasingly obvious social injustice, and political madness. He culminates his frustration with our disregard for the Earth with a fantastic quotable.
Fuck y’all got, another planet on stash?
Far from the fact of the flames and our trash
That is not snow, it is ash, and you gotta know
The past got a wrath, it’s a lover gone mad
Mike’s verse takes the light-hearted frustration expressed by El-P, and turns the aggression to the next level. Aiming his sights against the ruling class and their society that’s been designed to oppress people for profit, who have very meticulously painted themselves as celebrities and idols to the American public. Mike accepts that he will be villainized by these people for speaking against them, but he welcomes the nefarious role, knowing that the working class will eventually eat the rich, no matter how much they are stomped into the dirt.
And this is just the warmup.
If it’s possible for a song to represent a moment in time that captures the absolute shit storm that has been 2020, “walking in the snow” is that song. It’s release coincided perfectly with the protests for George Floyd which were sweeping the nation. Killer Mike’s verse directly references the phrase “I can’t breathe”, the last words of Eric Garner, which also happened to be the last words of Floyd as well. The fact that this verse was reportedly written in November 2019 perpetually underscores the importance of the content and perfectly represents how persistent this problem is. “walking in the snow” is a true encapsulation of both a defining moment in time and an ever-persisting issue.
But he doesn’t just stop at the racial injustice. Mike goes on an absolute rant about the American education system; how it’s not designed to teach people, but to discriminate against poor populations, limiting their legitimate opportunities, and therefore disproportionately leading them into a criminal lifestyle. He calls out the media as fear-mongers, and the apathy of the American public in the face of indecency. Fortunately for Mike, by the time we finally had the chance to hear this masterpiece, we were already on our feet, using this album as a war cry to mobilize against a tyrannical government that militarized against its own citizens simply for asking that we recognize systemic racism and demanding change. Killer Mike has the best verse of the year, no doubt in my mind.
The only drawback is that Mike’s verse is so fucking good that it completely overshadows El-P’s, which is also amazing. A menacing guitar riff and haunting synths kick the track off into a bouncy groove, where El-P unleashes a flurry of internal rhymes that does not relent for about half his verse. Even adding layers of social commentary within the densely packed bars, El refuses to quit and continues on his political tirade; criticizing ICE’s detainment center practices and the “pseudo-Christians” who support them, with a bar that now lives in my head:
Pseudo-Christians, y’all indifferent, kids in prison ain’t a sin? Shit
if even one scrap of what Jesus taught connected you’d feel different
what a disingenuous way to piss away existence, I don’t get it
I’d say you lost your goddamn minds if y’all possessed one to begin with
The combination of two of the best verses spit by any rapper(s) this year and production help from El-P and long time RTJ collaborator Little Shalimar, create a bouncy, aggressive, deeply truthful banger. “walking in the snow” not only encapsulates the crux of 2020 with lyrics that will become more powerful as they age, but will also forever be associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and the determination to expose continuing racial and societal injustices.
The sonic palette of RTJ4 holds an extremely unique place in El-P’s discography. Jamie is the definition of a self-made 90’s hip-hop legend. This is the dude who put New York underground hip-hop on the map with Company Flow, and he did it with his unique flavor of dark, noisy, dense, boom-bap. Whether he was doing it with the help of Rawkus, or completely independently during his Definitive Jux run, El-P has never made music with the intention of becoming famous. Funcrusher Plus, Fantastic Damage,I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, and Cancer 4 Cure are all highly revered as industrial, technical, abrasive, and completely unsuitable for the radio or a party. The fact that three songs on RTJ4 could easily be heard on the radio, at a party, or in a TV series credits scene is frankly, astounding. In a 2002 interview/documentary on El-P’s budding record label Def Jux, he stated that his friend bet him $500 that he could not make a beat that was “happy”. At the time of the interview, El-P said that he had not won that bet yet. While I might not qualify the beats on RTJ4 as “happy”, if you showed El-P the beat for “JU$T” in 2002, I believe he might have won that bet.
Pharell opens “JU$T” with the pre-chorus, spitting varied examples of how we’re all slaves to our current system throughout the track, over echoing snares and bouncy 808s before bright synth chords and up-tempo hi-hats burst in while Killer Mike delivers the chorus, pointing to the fact that the majority of the people featured on American currency owned slaves at one point in their lives. Mike’s verse touches on the fact that he has committed crimes to get where they are today. Mike is publicly open about his past as a drug dealer. So why is he a criminal, but Benjamin Franklin isn’t? These are the people who built our country, and they built it on the backs of slaves. He illustrates this theme with a more recent examples:
You believe corporations runnin marijuana? Ooh (how that happen?)
and your country gettin ran by a casino owner (ooh)
pedophiles sponsor all these fuckin’ racist bastards (they do)
When corporations are able to sell cannabis legally, but the government continually incarcerates people who trap, our president is a notoriously fraudulent businessman, and the people who helped put him in power run a pedophile ring, yet none of them face consequences and are allowed to continue to profit and remain in power while people suffer; well, we might be closer to slaves than previously imagined.
Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha also makes his mandatory feature appearance at the end of “JU$T”. As the only artist to feature on three Run The Jewels albums, Zach is essentially an unofficial member of the group at this point. His fiery verse is spit with the same “Rage” energy that set him apart in the mid-90’s, ending the track questioning his place in a capitalist society as a recipe for his inevitable demise, since his “breath”, or art, as his weapon to express himself is still being exploited for other’s profit.
Continuing with RTJ4’s heavily synthetic sonic palette, “never look back” features wavering synth leads resting above the slow-jams snappy snares and thumping bass, while a haunting voice echoes in the background. This unsettling aura provides additional gravity for Jamie and Mike to continue self-reflecting on defining moments in their childhood, and as well as how far they’ve come from those moments. Mike and El are both self-made men, and while they have a certain fondness for those gritty moments that defined them, moving forward in life is undoubtedly more important.
Skeletal drums reminiscent of a slowly pounding heart opens “pulling the pin”, before rhythmic hi-hats and textured, watery synths fluttering in the upper register resting above a bouncy synth lead, and punchy 808s, burst in. The track digs itself into a slower, marching groove and shows the duo figuratively doing exactly what the title implies. Painting a portrait of a society that has turned on itself, Mike and El are ready to pull the pin and start over.
The duo both detail their despise for the ruling class, pointing out multiple examples of how the elite have designed our society to keep poor people in their class. Simultaneously recognizing their own hypocrisy for profiting in a system that inherently discriminates; Mike reflects on his own success, knowing that living the lifestyle he enjoys is one built on oppression, and expresses the guilt that has caused him. El-P opens with a brutal metaphor for police, implying that they’re the root cause of the “wretched state of danger” our society exists within, and that the only effective corrective action is to numb yourself with drugs. Despite his advice, Jamie knows this is not a permanent solution, but one that causes more self-inflicted wounds.
The final piece of the puzzle that is RTJ4, “a few words for the firing squad” begins to close the album with ever crescending strings, and loud, thunderous drums which never seem to resolve, continuing throughout their verses. While the drums that lead to nowhere can be sonically unpleasant, the unresolved melodies are intentionally representative of their current mindsets. Their verses are reflective and grim, but simultaneously optimistic and envisions a world where tragedy is a less common occurrence.
El is grateful for what he has now but recognizes his entire life has been skewed by traumas, so out of place feels normal for him. He reflects on his current success, noting that the worst people tend to end up with the most, which makes becoming “rich” something not as desirable as it once was.
Mike opens up about the death of his mother who died while he was on an airplane, admitting his struggles to not cope with his trauma with opioids. However, his wife provides him the most important reason to stay clean “but my queen/say she need a king/not another junkie rapper fiend” while a heartbreaking saxophone solo highlights the gravity of his lyrics.
The track ends with what sounds the like wrap-up voiceover to a TV show, a conceptually satisfying ending, as the opening track “yankee and brave (ep.4)” began with El-P stating:
”This week, on Yankee and The Brave”
This voiceover paints the duo as brothers on the run from the law and crooked cops, and while this does close this “episode” out as intended, the critic in me is bothered by the slightly kitschy outro to such a spectacular album. The voices singing over and over, “Brave, brave, braaaaaave, Yankee and the Brave” would be, simply put, better left on the cutting room floor. The ending of this track alone is what knocks my score of this album down a few points. Despite its stellar lyrical content, with drums that never seem to reach that “holy shit!” moment, and the easily skippable outro, it’s upsetting to me that an album this great ends on such a low note.
Overview
RTJ4 is by far my favorite album of the year. El-P’s cutting edge approach to their sound, blended with lyrical content that continues to be more relevant by the day, the duo have come together with what is objectively their most accessible album to date. RTJ4 is the natural evolution of sound and subject matter for the duo; taking the foundation set by Run The Jewels 3 and evolving it into a more concise, more accessible, and more conceptual album. While I still personally prefer the “fuck the world” intensity and experimental nature of Run The Jewels 2, RTJ4 opens themselves up to a whole new world of exposure, and when you’re as talented as these two, you know they’re going to capitalize on it. RTJ is currently at their apex, and they’ve created an album that will make many new life-long fans going forward.
9.2/10
Discussion Points
  • How does this compare to other RTJ releases? How about in comparison to the member’s solo works?
  • Does the overwhelmingly positive critical reception of this album surprise you?
  • How will this be looked back on in 5 years?
  • What are your favorite lyrics?
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GME Tribe: A Story About How Ryan Cohen is About to Kick Down Sherman's Door and Drink His Milkshake 🚀🚀🚀

Come gather ‘round GME management wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown and accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth saving, then you better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’.
Story time for the GME crew. All those who are certain tHis iS bLoCkBusTer or the paper hands that sold yesterday can just keep scrolling. We wish you the best of luck in the best of all possible worlds: this one, dear Pangloss.
**I’ve tried to submit this three times now and the moderators keep rejecting it. Maybe because I use too many naughty words? I guess I’ll try to clean that up a bit, which runs counter to all my instincts.
Did we have a good day Wednesday after that Q3 call? No, we did not. Do you know who lost over $20M (at least on paper) yesterday? Mr. Ryan Cohen. How do you think he felt about that CC and that inexplicable shelf registration that is, as one stocktwits commentator put it, a “poor man’s poison pill” and as obvious of a FU to Cohen and shareholders that the Board could have possibly designed? Do you think he was happy to see that?
I think he was thrilled to see it.
And now I’m going to tell you why.
This is a long post, so I’m going to give the TL/DR sum up for you Paste Eating Rocket Kids, and this will serve as a warning that there are, in fact, a lot of words that you may choose to read or not. So if I still see one goddamn comment about this being a lot of words and where’s the rockets maaaaan, I might just transport myself through this internet connection and [removed to satisfy the delicate sensibilities of the robot moderators].
So here’s the TL/DR: I believe that Cohen is executing a plan to take out the GME Board. And I think that Sherman just walked right into Cohen’s trap because he’s a dumb, selfish Boomer with a huge ego and a Broken Brain. And Cohen is going to be a legend because of it after he executes this plan, triggers the MOASS, and takes control of GME to convert it to a tech-first gaming juggernaut.
Now, if you’re in on this GME shit, you likely know the outlines of the story here. But here’s a good link to refresh your memory about why we’re all here:
https://www.reddit.com/wallstreetbets/comments/k4csaa/the_real_greatest_short_burn_of_the_century_part/
And for further background, my recent post about the battle here between George Sherman, out-of-touch Hired Gun B&M Boomer CEO with the Boomer-est of all possible Boomer names, and Ryan Cohen, Boy Genius, Actual Good Guy, and Man With The Chewy-fication Plan: https://www.reddit.com/wallstreetbets/comments/k9apx5/gme_q3_call_thoughts_on_the_clash_between_cohen/
So: are we ready to start READING and THINKING, children? Good.
Now what were you doing in the summer of 2020? I don’t give a shit what you were doing. But I do give a shit about what Ryan Cohen was doing. And there is a decent amount of evidence that Ryan Cohen spent the summer of 2020 hiring a bad ass lawyer and crafting a pretty solid plan to wrest control of a struggling Mall-based gaming retailer from its out of touch Boomer Board and CEO so he can turn it into an ecommerce juggernaut like his baby Chewy. And I think we are about to enter the next phase of that plan here shortly.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s first all get acquainted with Christopher P. Davis, Esquire, the attorney listed on each of the 13Ds filed by RC Ventures.
Chris Davis, Activist Attorney Extraordinaire and His Successful Use of the Consent Solicitation to Remove Dipshit Boards/CEOs
To cut to the chase, Chris Davis (who is definitely NOT the same dude playing first base for the Orioles) is a badass NYC attorney recently recognized as one of the nation’s premier shareholder activist lawyers. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kleinberg-kaplan-partner-chris-davis-recognized-by-chambers-usa-as-leading-shareholder-activist-lawyer-301090571.html.
So what was Chris Davis doing in the summer of 2020? So glad you asked. He was celebrating a major win he helped engineer on behalf of a “first time activist Michael Gorzynski” for a wholesale replacement of the sitting Board at HC2 Holdings, Inc (sounds fancy). He helped engineer this takeover via a “high stakes consent solicitation rather than the more typical proxy contest.”
Learn more about this here: https://www.kkwc.com/insights/kleinberg-kaplan-advises-mg-capital-management-in-its-consent-solicitation-and-successful-settlement-with-hc2-holdings/
Here’s a few more links if you care to learn more about that and how it all went down (spoiler alert: the activists settled for two seats on the Board and then the new Board very quickly ousted the dipshit Boomer CEO, Phil Falcone)
http://www.shareholderforum.com/shfk/Library/20200611_II.htm
http://www.shareholderforum.com/access/Library/20200219_Deal.htm
In sum: if you look into Chris Davis, you can see that this guy is dialed the fuck in and knows how to get activist shareholders a win—even in very challenging circumstances.
The Summer of ’20 Out-of-the-Blue Boy Genius Media Campaign and Cohen’s 13D Filing in August
I’m going to return to the “consent solicitation” thing at the bottom and why I think it matters here, but I don’t want to lose momentum on the timeline and evidence. And the consent solicitation is Advanced Level Shit that I barely understand anyway. But I think it’s likely to be goddamn important so I’ll get to it.
Now, where were we? Oh yes, the inexplicable media campaign.
RC Ventures files its 13D on August 18th announcing that Ryan Cohen is now the proud owner of 5.8M shares or 9% (later increased to 9.8%) of That Cluttered Video Game Geekery You Used to Pass on Your Way to Jamba Juice or Wherever People Go in Malls. Uh, ok man. But then this is when the SP of this Future Blockbuster™ starts its real run as more catch on that Cohen has taken a huge stake and that is also part of the portfolio of Mr. Big Short himself and a bunch of institutions and they actually have cash and are definitely not going bankrupt and oh have you heard about the insane short percentage of float and the upcoming console cycle that invariably corresponds to a sharp spike in SP? Well have you? But to return to the point: RC was and is the largest shareholder.
But prior to the date Cohen filed his 13D, there is a renewed media campaign focused on Ryan Cohen, Ecommerce Billionaire Genius who built Chewy, kicked Amazon’s ass, and then sold it for $3.35B way back in the heady mask-free days of ‘17. Why the sudden re-emergence of Mr. Cohen in the summer of 2020 in such a prominent way with this glowing media campaign about a guy who sold a very successful pet supply business over three years ago? Fawning media exposure like that doesn’t just happen (or not usually). It’s engineered. Or, more charitably, helped along by people who know people and can introduce those people to Interesting Topics to Write About. And my guess is that Chris Davis, bad ass activist attorney based in New York City, Knows People and had a little something to do with it.
Here are the links to all of the glowing media pieces starting in the summer of 2020 (all absolutely worth a read to get to know who this guy is and what makes him tick):
June 5 (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-05/chewy-founder-cashes-out-bets-on-apple-wells-fargo
August 4 (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/04/chewy-co-founder-ryan-cohen-this-is-the-side-hustle-id-start-now.html
August 16 (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2020/08/16/entrepreneur-chewy-founder-ryan-cohen-shares-his-best-advice/?sh=41e1370e5840
October 15 (Business Insider) https://www.businessinsider.com/chewy-ryan-cohen-warren-buffett-lessons-apple-investment-2020-10
And a lot of the speculation I’m wheeling and dealing here was introduced by our man Justin Dopierala at Seeking Alpha way back in a September article not too long after the 13D filings: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4373819-gamestop-chewys-founder-ryan-cohen-finds-whats-next
But for now let’s “put a pin” on Mr. Dopierala, as George Sherman or some other Corporate Robot Dipshit might say, as he will be important to the story here again soon.
The November 16th “F U Old Man” Letter
If you haven’t read this ballsy letter Cohen wrote to the Board last month, you really should. We’ll wait for you. https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/RC_Ventures_Letter_to_GameStop.pdf
OK, ready again?
I don’t want to question Cohen’s possible writing abilities or give away too many tricks of the lawyer trade here (AI should take care of that in about a decade), but that letter was 100% written by Chris Davis. I’d literally bet my entire portfolio on that fact alone. That’s why you hire gunners like him. The letter has that has deliciously direct and aggressive lawyerly tone—the kind you use when you want to send a very clear message to some asshole without spelling it all out. I fucking love this letter. It was one of the main reasons I put the rest of my chips into the GME basket. I doubt I’m alone there.
And what did we learn from this letter? Well: a lot. But I’m going to focus on a few quick things. First, we learned that over the Summer, Cohen had “private conversations” with the Board and Sherman about the need to pivot toward becoming a technology-driven business with a new strategic vision. And he calls out Sherman and the Board directly for lacking this vision, using Mainstreet-Friendly pejoratives like “c-suite” and “boardroom.” He takes a direct shot at Hired Gun Sherman’s Boomer-Ass Business Record (Advanced Auto Parts! Cool!) and his obvious bent towards what he knows: Boring Ass Low Margin B&M Bullshit Companies and straight-up calls him a dumb-ass old man (“twentieth-century focus!”) who Just Doesn’t Fucking Get It. He alleges that he and the Board have presided over “massive value destruction” (almost makes it sound intentional, or at least grossly negligent) and have never taken “full accountability” for all their fuck-ups and intransigence.
Some folks have suggested that, sure, Cohen wants change and yeah he seemed like he had a bit of a bee in his bonnet, but if he doesn’t get some good movement in those areas, he’ll just sell his 6.5M shares to tank the stock and take his ball and go home to play with his dog, who loves him No Matter What. In this interpretation, the letter is just Cohen Asking To Speak To The Manager and then if the response is not to his liking, well then, He Will Just Take His Business Elsewhere, thankyouverymuch.
I do not think that is what is going on here. Not with Ryan Cohen and Chris Davis. This letter is Ryan Cohen Crossing The Fucking Rubicon.
He did the honorable thing and took his vision to the Board and Sherman. How genuine he was in that effort, I have no idea, as my thesis is that he has had a takeover plan in place since he hired Chris Davis. But whatever the initial motivations, it was the honorable thing to do to discuss his vision with Sherman and the Board before he and Chris Davis eventually rip their fucking hearts out (which, spoiler: I believe he is getting ready to do as we speak).
Reasonable minds can disagree here, but I do not think you write a letter like that unless you have a plan to handle all possible responses to it. He just torched his collegial relationship, such as there ever was or could have been, with that CEO and that Board. He flaunts Chewy’s world-class infrastructure and market cap versus their lame ass sub-$1B Dying Mall Store Bullshit. And he makes a very public rejection of a seat on the board (and the reason given: because you fuckheads would just ignore me and drive me nuts while you continue doing Dumb Boomer Shit with my money all goddamn day), which made it 100% clear to me that this is Cohen Serving Goddamn Notice that unless they get serious about the scope of their turnaround and start listening to him and convey this new direction to shareholders asap, that he’s coming for them. He even alludes to his own turnaround plan but then tells them to do their jobs like the Big Capable Adults they are.
And then Cohen attaches this letter to an amended 13D to ensure that all shareholders see it and also see that he still holds all of his shares. Within hours, the WSJ had an article on this: https://www.wsj.com/articles/gamestops-new-billionaire-investor-calls-for-tech-centric-makeover-11605565458?mod=hp_lista_pos5.
And guess what’s neat? If you are an interested shareholder or a habitual reader of the Wall Street Journal (I, sir, am not) and you saw that article, you might have wondered what this Cohen guy is all about? You know, Mortimer, the dog guy—made billions. And thanks to the recent out-of-the-blue marketing campaign that was definitely NOT engineered by Chris Davis as part of a takeover plan, your subsequent Google searches, and the recent articles they produced, likely made you think: this guy is a fucking whiz kid and I like the cut of his jib.
Cohen Quietly Meets With Funds/Investors
In the weeks leading up to earnings, sharp observers also notice something: Ryan Cohen is meeting with various large shareholders for some reason. There were several reports of this on stocktwits (links are lost to eternity in that cluttered hellhole unless some astute commentator can find and link in the comments), so some salt is a necessary accompaniment here (I like to cite my evidence), but we have at least one confirmed meeting with the head of DOMO Capital: Mr. Justin Dopierala. Now, Justin happens to be a pro-GME writer (and a sharp one at that) at Seeking Alpha. You know, that paywall website where people purporting to know what they’re talking about get paid peanuts to write purposefully inane articles for maximum clicks from other idiots? That one. Well Justin is one of the good ones there, and DOMO Capital is also a large shareholder of GME. (Conflict of interest, you say? Shut yo’ mouth!).
On November 30, at 9:19 AM (the payin’ for inanity crew can go see this – the comment is still there), Dopierala made the following comment on another SA article:
***
“I've recently had the pleasure of having a 1 on 1 video meeting with Ryan Cohen that lasted over an hour.
Going forward, I no longer feel comfortable commenting on the topic (of Ryan Cohen), so please understand when I do not respond to any of your questions on this specific topic.
Ryan is a very intelligent man, and I remain as bullish as ever on GameStop's future."
***
So what can we extrapolate from this?
Ryan Cohen likely reached out to DOMO Capital/Dopierala to discuss his strategic vision. I do not know if he announced his plans directly, or what the purpose of the call was (see the very below on how I think this all could relate to a consent solicitation to recall the board) but I’m sure, at the very least, the text, if not the subtext, was heavy as fuck on that Zoom call. And why do I think Cohen contacted him and not the other way around? Because Dopierala, a writer for SA that I’m sure would love to publish even an anodyne Q&A with Ryan Cohen to Get Him All the Clicks, didn’t get an on-the-record interview. Not even some softball about whether his dog prefers his Apple investment decision or his Wells Fargo one. No: he got the concession (assuming he did) to simply acknowledge that a discussion took place (buried in a comment on some other dude’s SA article), but he explicitly says he’s not going to talk about anything related to Cohen going forward. No sir, no how. But if Cohen is just a regular old fellow shareholder (Cue Ryan: “And Justin, please: the pleasure is all mine”), then why the fuck are you making a cagy comment and acting like you Have A Big Fucking Secret and Oh God I Wish I Could Tell You Something But I Just Cant! with that comment, Justin? The Man Doth Protesting and Shit, I say.
Here’s the article link for you Seeking Alpha Super Sleuths: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4380313-gamestop-likely-already-digital-revenue-sharing-sony-up-to-10
And even yesterday, Dopierala can’t help himself. In a discussion about Cohen’s tweet yesterday (you saw the tweet right? What kind of GME-to-da-moon! investor are you anyway? https://twitter.com/ryancohen/status/1336775515101949963), Dopierala gets all Jim Carey As The Riddler on us in a response to “EricinPDX,” (some dude living in the Portland Airport) who writes:
EricInPDX
I take his tweet as a total negative .. the Jim Cramer thing.
I have no position at the moment.
Our man Dopierala then responds “then you are wrong yet right.”
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4393394-gamestop-cohen-right-to-downplay-ps5-xbox-series-mistakes-core-digital-problem
So I think he’s having a little fun talking like a slightly less backwardsy Yoda saying: yeah, that Cohen tweet was obviously negative because he’s highlighting how fucked GME seems after that Q3 call (and also, check out how Chewy’s doin’ in that clip!). But it’s also not negative because it means Cohen is about to rip Sherman’s still-beating heart out and Shock And Awe our asses with a vote. And I, Justin Dopierala, head of DOMO Capital, can be a little wink winky about this because, oh I don’t know, on our hour long call Cohen maybe used puppetry to act out “Bryan Flohen’s” plan to call a vote and supplant the Bad Man “Gerald Shorman” while asking “Would You Theoretically Be With Bryan Flohen?” with a few well-timed arch of the eyebrows. Or he got his explicit consent to his plan (see below re consent solicitations). We just do not know.
In conclusion: We know that Cohen met with shareholders in the period between the day he sent that letter and the date of the Q3 call. We just do not know what was said. But we do know that Dopierella, either out of a sense of journalistic ethics (Stop laughing you guys! Seriously!) or out of concern about possible SEC lookie-loos, decides to be up-front about his inability to even utter the name Ryan Cohen from now on.
General George “Custard” Sherman’s Lame-Ass Empire Striking Back
Let’s recall the letter now. I’m guessing a rich, egotistical pampered-ass hired gun Boomer CEO named George goddamn Sherman didn’t like someone who reminds him of his asshole kids talking to him like that.
We all know what happened next: the Q3 “Say Omnichannel One More Time Motherfucker!” call. As I mentioned in my prior post on this (link above if you care), Sherman pulled the boomer-ist of boomer moves in an act of self-sabotage that is likely to be studied in business courses once this whole story plays out. You see, that letter that Cohen/Davis sent was a trap. And Sherman and the Board and their Big Fucking Corporate Brains clearly lack an inner Admiral Ackbar.
Cohen sent that letter three weeks before the earnings call. And demanded that they conduct *another* strategic review and present a plan to shareholders outlining how they are going to fully pivot into a new technology focused company. Cohen knows they have no intention of doing this. He’s apparently been hectoring them all summer about it. And I’m guessing he talked to Sherman enough to know that the dude is just not on the level (as all of us who listened to that fumbling bland-ass corporate caveat-speak on that call got to experience as well). So he knows, like we all did, that Q3 earnings are likely to be middling at best. But unlike me, who clearly thought that the one way out of this for Sherman and the Board was to give some exciting guidance on Q4, maybe even a share buyback (as they are authorized to do) and some more info on the Microsoft deal, likely revenue, other possible similar deals with Nintendo and Sony. I don’t know, but Something. No, Cohen and Davis are way smarter than me and know Sherman a bit better and probably assumed that Sherman is likely to whiff on a response to his letter. And lo and behold, whiff he does. Nothing. We get no response to the letter and no real plan to transform GME into a tech-driven gaming company (Sherman: “but, but…I said Omnichannel you guys! What do you want from me beyond bland corporate robot speak!?”).
But what else happens? Sherman and the Board inexplicably authorize a shelf registration for up to $100M worth of ATM shares. This from a company that just bought back shares, is authorized to buy back more, paid down debt early—and now is about to be flush with Sweet, Sweet New Console Cash. What in the everlasting fuck?
And in case you were inclined to give Sherman and the Board the benefit of the doubt here, the reason was simple and straightforward and included within the S3 filing itself. And that is: “Hey Cohen: Fuck Off. And if we have to dilute our shareholders to get you to fuck off, by God that’s the kind of shortsighted ME-first move that got George Sherman where he is today! So go find another company to hassle you ungrateful Millennial Start Up Dog Store Bro and let the adults handle this.”
Here is the provision in the S-3 (under the heading: Anti-Takeover Provisions):
Authorized But Unissued Shares
The authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
So instead of crushing the call and giving some dope guidance about Q4 and trigger the MOASS so we all revere the name George Sherman for All Eternity, Sherman and the Board make a lame-ass move to try to protect their jobs and--lo and behold!--THIS is the main takeaway of the report and call. And what drives the precipitous dive in SP AH and yesterday. A dive so steep that it removes well over $100M in market cap in value, the kinda-lame amount that you’re trying to stick Cohen with (and dilute all of us) so you can keep your Big Fancy-Man Job and the bonus you’re counting on so you and the misses can jet off to Sandals Jamaica like you always do. George: Whoops? Knew we should have gone with a higher number! A lame ass “poor man’s poison pill” as u/snowk88 on stocktwits put it (shout out because he also helped me flush out this thesis a bit and clued me in on Chris Davis’s work for MC).
So back to how I started this missive, back when we were all younger and maybe a bit more naïve, right? Anyway. Yesterday Ryan Cohen lost over $20M on paper because George Sherman thought the best way to handle that Punk-Ass Millennial was to use shareholders as a hostage in any possible fight over control of this company he’s been building his entire—oh, eh, the last 18 months because he’s just a hired gun that goes where the money is and waits for his ka-ching moment before splitting because who gives a fuck he’s George Sherman and You’re Not. But guess what happens when you do that? (Hand down, George: you’ve had your turn). You ENRAGE the shareholders who you want to have your back and vote for you in any possible proxy fight or takeover offer! What strategery! You must have been involved in planning the Iraq war, George.
But guess who was likely laughing their ass off yesterday at their colossal good fortune at this misstep? Ryan Cohen and Chris Davis. Because now Sherman has opened the door even wider than it was before and made it that much easier for Cohen to get the votes and kick down his fucking door.
And yesterday, to no one’s surprise, the SP falls almost 20% and even Jim Fucking Cramer piles on and tells all his braindead Boomer TV watchers that this is The Next Blockbuster like all the other Super Sophisticated Analysts out there.
And now we see the #WeWantCohen and #InstallCohen hashtags (which you all should consider using frequently if you dig all this and think Sherman needs to go).
What are you thinking if you’re Ryan Cohen? Take your ball and go home time? Or: maybe that it’s time to Show George Sherman that You Do Not Fuck With a Super Nice Guy With Really Good Ideas That Are Usually Respectfully Presented (Unless You Piss Me Off) Like Ryan Goddamn Cohen?
I’m thinking it’s the latter. Taking all of this, I think Cohen and Chris Davis have been planning some kind of takeover, possibly even via consent solicitation like Davis did in his MC matter, since the summer and that George Sherman’s ironic attempt to save his own skin is about to backfire stupendously to help Cohen lock in the votes he needs. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy—excuse me—I mean: Smug Asshole.
Epilogue: The Consent Solicitation
Ed: the consent solicitation is not likely in play here. But Cohen is definitely still coming for Sherman and Co - we just don't know exactly how yet.
Now, just what in the hell is a consent solicitation and why does it matter? I confess that I didn’t know shit about this until I started READING ALL THE WORDS, but our friends at theactivistinvestor.com have some useful information to help those of us with tiny little baby brains understand what it is and why it may be relevant here (relevant excerpts below, but it you really want to geek out on this shit, I would recommend clicking the link, reading the words and THINKING BIG THOUGHTS). And also, hoping that some folks can respond in comments to help flush this out further because it’s late and I’ve already written too many words.
But, before I drop some k-n-o knowledge from our friends at theactivistinvestor.com, just to remind you: GameStop is a Delaware Corporation.
Now imagine being magically whisked away to…Delaware! (Hi. I’m in Delaware).
*******
From: http://www.theactivistinvestor.com/The_Activist_InvestoConsent_Solicitations.html
[Ed: removed quoted text] *****
CPT Hubbard here again. I’ll release you momentarily. But study those steps a bit and ponder where Cohen might be in that process. And also recall that we know that Cohen had an “off the record” meeting with our man Dopierala from DOMO Capital and we have no idea what they talked about. Could Cohen have been getting shareholders consent? No idea. But it certainly seems possible. If that is the case, the 60 day clock is ticking. Which means that, assuming Dopierala was stop #1 (probably doubtful, but it’s the one data point we have), we should know something by at least late January if Cohen is actually initiating a consent solicitation on this incompetent Board and probably a lot closer to mid-January (Sorry Jan call holders) since I assume Cohen started reaching out around the time he sent that letter on Nov 16th.
To which I say to Cohen: Little old me and my 20,000 shares consent! We consent most emphatically, sir. And no one will ever accuse you, Mr. Cohen, of not seeking consent. You may retain this for your records.
To conclude, Cohen is Young, Scrappy and Hungry and He’s Not Throwing Away His Shot. And Fuck George Sherman.
“I’M FINISHED”
**To be clear: this missive is for information purposes only and I would advise against following my example in any way, shape or form, as this pandemic has quite plainly knocked a screw loose if I'm here writing novelas to a bunch of Paste-Eating Rocket Kids.
submitted by CPTHubbard to wallstreetbets [link] [comments]

ATHX Accuses Hardy of Attempting to Obtain ATHX's Manufacturing Abilities

**Links and Updates below*\*
Thank you to the Mod team for pinning this. I'll start posting updates on a daily basis.
-------------------
This is from the Court's Transcript of ATHX's Motion to Compel
"Plaintiff accuses the company of going on a fishing expedition. That is not true. The company identifies several of its concerns in its response to the demand, which is Exhibit 2 to the complaint. Among the things we intend to show is that plaintiff's demand is part of an orchestrated campaign to obtain the company's manufacturing rights in MultiStem, obtain highly proprietary and sensitive information, and/or ensure that such manufacturing rights are not being contracted to someone other than Healios or entities with a significant investment in Healios. "
To me, this means that Healios knows the great value of MultiStem and is attempting to acquire the proprietary information for itself.
---------------------
2/3/2021 (filed 2/1/2021) - Hardy's Publically Filed Motion to Compel (first appearance)
2/3/2021 -ATHX filed a [PROPOSED] Order Re Motion for Status Quo (so, it's not granted by the Court yet), indicating that the Parties have reached an agreement and their agreement is as follows:
1. ATHX agrees to provide Hardy at least 15 business day notice BEFORE entering into Partnership or before presenting such partnership to the board of directors for approval;
2. However, ATHX does NOT agree to provide the IDENTITY of the potential Partner until at least two business days before the Company intends to enter into such a transaction or present the option to the board of directors;
3.Hardy commits NOT to speak with a potential partner about the partnership without acquiring APPROVAL from the ATHX board first;
4. In light of the above, ATHX will not oppose Hardy's motion;
5. Additionally Hardy, Healios, and/or any entity associated with Hardy or Healios CANNOT interfere with ATHX's negotiation or entry of said Partnership; and
Here's the language:
6. This order remains in effect UNTIL the resolution of the action.
The following were uploaded on the docket:
2/2/2021 - It's 4:15pm PST, and no updates yet. I will circle back tomorrow.
2/1/2021 - No new filings or updates.
Here's how the docket reads:
1/29/2021 - [Proposed] Order Granting Hardy's Motion for Status Quo:
1/29/2021 - Letter from Judge Setting Hearing for Hardy's Motion for Status Quo:
1/29/2021: Parties filed a Stipulation and [Proposed] Order Governing Procedures for Remote Depositions: https://ibb.co/zmNVmhZ
1/29/2021: Additional documents appeared on the docket.
1/28/2021: No substantive updates.
1/27/2021: Revised Case Schedule: https://ibb.co/gR3mXFP
1/26/2021: Letter to Court Re Hardy's Deposition:
1/26/2021: Verified Amended Complaint Re Inspection of Business Records
1/25/2021: Proposed Order to Compel Gil's and Ismail's Depos (among other things):
1/19/2021: Letter from Hardy's counsel to ATHX - https://ibb.co/w4K36C8
1/14/2021: Hearing Transcript for Motion To Compel:
11/30/2020: Exhibits to Corrected Complaint:
Note: There is a slew of prior docket filings. If there is anything specific you folks want me to upload, just let me know.
submitted by Aggravating_Yak4500 to ATHX [link] [comments]

So, I finished it.

Yeah i finished watching all seasons of community yeasterday in the night and wouldn't i been so tired you can bet this post show feelings would have appeared in the sub sooner.
So, to keep it short, of all the comedies i have seen right now, community has to be the best one, sure there other top comedies i haven't seen yet like The Office, The Good Place and What do we do in the Shadows (the show, the movie is great), but so far it has to be Community, New Girl, how I Met Your Mother, the rest behind, thought i haven't seen that manycomedies, maybe 9 or 12. Back to community.
So I started my journey with Community back in October (2020), seasons 1 to 3 went flying,maybe i burned out, maybe it was knowing that after S3 each following season was cancelled and then renewed and the show lost its popularity so itwas also the reason for the reduced number of episodes, maybe it was because they weren't so good.
In any case while i saw the first 3 seasons in a month i was the final 3 seasons in 4 months and half.
But each episode managed to make me be in tears, of laughting too much, at its best or made me give an outloud "HA!" at it's worst, atleast one time.
If i had to say what made melove the show the most was that it wasn't limited by it's surrounding, like one would think, they are at the university, mostof the time at least, how much they can do? Well I certainly didn't expect massive paintball battles, they entering a videogame or the christmas episodes. I just didn't expect any of that and what a joy it was.
And heck during the first three seasons the actors and writers made a fantastic work of how each of these very dfferent people ended up interacting with each other in a tender, caring, believable way.
Danny Pudi is the soul of community simply as that. And he's the first fictional character that comes to represent nerd culture that to me doesn't feels patronizing, cringe or whatever people that thinks a nerd is without knowing it.
Alison Brie made a very very sweet and sexual character with Annie and it was great how she being the youngest (maybe it was Troy, but for sake's argument lets act like she is the youngest even if she's not) yet she was often the voice of reason and the most make sense even with a heavy handed backstory.
Joel McHale nailed the cynical, natural leader, "I'm too good for all of this" attitude evenif with time one could say he ended up loving Greendale the most.
I loved Gillian Jacobs in Love, and i started liking Britta and her "street-smart" life experience but by the end of the show i gre greatly annoyed at her character (more on that below).
Chevy Chase was the second best thing at making comedy for me, and it felt great, even if apparently he was a pin in the ass to work with and Pierce wasn't so much a character him being... him. Enough said, he retired when the standerd was golden.
Yvette Nicole, honestly it really hurt when she left because i always loved when the spotlight was on her, because it was a dime dozen, really if a character received the short end of the stick it was her. Despite being as funnyas the rest it felt like like Harmon didn't expect much of the character or simply didn't knew where to go with it.
Donald Glover, i liked Troy well enough and he was funny alright but if I had to choose the one I liked the least of the original seven without a second thought i would say it was him. Now he's funny and it was cool how the sports kid turned out to really like nerd stuff and the chemistry with Abed was great, but his character felt like a shadow, in the last season Abed mentions how his comedy decayed after Troy left, and it was kinda true, the "Troy and Abed" segment and their secret salute were great, but where Abed survived without Troy well enough, i on't feel it would have been the same in a show with troy and not Abed. Still felt sad when he left. More on that later.
Jim Rash was the third best thing at making humor in Community and what a wonderful tihng it was but with like Britta as the series went of he seemed to turn from the dean that cares about Greendale, yes silly, yes excentric, but he cares and he takes his show seriously, by the end it felt like he was a parody of that.
Ken Jeong was great at first, and i despaired at him not being in the group till what? Season 5? Well be careful with what you ask.
I loved Keith Davis and Jonathan Banks in this, sure they spots weren't stellar but overall i think they did well with so little time and i felt bad that one was introduced at the final season and the other didn't stick. I felt both filled well something at the middle of the road between Pierce and Shirley.
Now I don't like to mark an actor as bad when i have only seen an actor in one role, since it could be easily been the script but seriously, if i had to mark a character of the main/recurring cast as unecessary it was Paget Brewster (of which i barely remember he in very minor roles of other things), her character was lifeless, zero personality and sure, it was nice to have someone with common sense but in a final season were the show was balls depp in crazyness and zero fucks that just feels like a party popper.
I missed professor Duncan and Magnitude not returning for this final season, i even liked the idea of Duncan being part of the main group, certainly more than Chang or Frankie.
Now this is the part were not everything is acclaim and compliments.
If i had to point my main problem with 'Community' it is the stupidity or more exactly how stupidity became the norm, sure, it is a comedy, doing silly and nonsense things is the standard, i just feel like Community embraced all this very well by the end. Sure Greendale is a community college and apparently those are really bad in the USA, or at least the stereotype it turned from a place with not the best education or facilities but you could take it seriously, most of the time by the end of it one has to ownder how the fuck the place hasn't been closed a dozen times over. Like really, the dog episode was just too much, really, a fucking dog gets a degree? Sure the episode made me laught at somepoint but once it passed and youthink about it, it is like so eye rolling and makes you want to scream "the fuck is wrong here?". Seriously i know there were silly classes from the get go, but there3 were serious ones too, bythe end of the serie it seems only sillyness remained and god help you get a job with a degree of Greendale.
This is best represented by three characters that i had in great esteem at first but ended being an absolutely annoyance by the end of it. Those are Britta, Chang and Dean. Lets talk in order.
Heck Britta case is self evident, i can't remember if it was in S4 or S5 that it was mentioned how in the previous season Britta was acting so stupid and i noticed it way before the show addressed it it but i was thankful it made a note of self critisism, even if all that they did was tone it down a bit (just a bit). Sure every character was deconstructed to some degree. Jeff wans't a full on asshole and cared about people, Abed managed to make friends and show care for people despite being autist or something similar since it is never outright stated. Troy being a nerd. Then we have this badass girl that was the only one not sucking it up to Jeff arrogance, actual activist and sure while not an stable life she was fine with it, she dealt with it, then she became the punching bag of the group, when you know a character is being more stupid that Pierce you know there is something wrong with them. We ended the series with a childish woman, who talked and acted like a kid, that neeed 6-7 years to finish a 2 years degree in a shitty place, was proud even when there was nothing to be proud about, from being one of the voices of reason in the group she ended up competing with Chang for who could be the stupidiest. in the end she was just being an annoyance and for that i would have prefered that anybody else would have come back instead of her remaining in the show. There were glimpses of the old Britta from time to time, like when tried to help Troy and Abed with their separation, but those were few and far between.
Chang, much of what i said about Britta could be said about Chang, so i'll try to keep it short. You have a guy that teached one of the most reasonable classes in the whole college, who seems to take it somewhat seriously, certainly more seriously than Jeff and his glass of bourbon or whisky, you see him being the most recurrent character besides the director, so you think "Wouldn't be cool to see him as part of the group?" nice idea, ppor execution, sure it was fun to see him wanting revenge, having 'changnesia' and you understand why he's acting all stupid then be ready to execute his revenge's revenge only for cancel it once he was accepted. But then he's finally part of the group and it becomes a contest between him and Britta for whom can be the most childish,heck the sure hang around the group but it didn't felt like he was part of it, he was just that guy that seeks attention and the way to go is to repeat in a funny tone what someone else just said, pathetic. Heck the moments he was all serious and smart made it all the more painful to see him acting all stupid again.
Finally is the Dean one would have to say, with him stalking Jeff, his excentric wardrobe and behavior one would have to see it coming but no, you have in the first seasons this fellow that took its job seriously that tried to run a school that everybody else wanted to see fail, yeah he may not have been the best for the job, but he was the only one willing to step in it, by the end of the series one has to wonder how is he not the one guilty of all the school problems and the reasonable conclusion is that he is. Like early series director was pissed and punished the group for making the school's banner a butthole, i can't see series finale Dean not agreeing to such banner. It was quite telling when you find catharsis in Frankie and then the wholegroup lossing their shit at the Dean and saying how useless he is at his job. But the damage was done.
To resume some things, the series also lost its focus and plot, there was no character development (if my analysis of the previous three characters is anything to go by, it is more like character indevelopment) the jokes where fine but it felt out of tune many times. Heck thew paintball episode of S6 was verymeh overall when i feel those episodes where the highlights of the their previous seasons.
Like it was cool to see Jeff wanting to teach at Greendale, only for him to not actually give a fuck about it, Britta, i don't know what she was doing or what she wanted by the endof the series, Chang was... there, Abed kept to his movies but from a certain point all that happens behind the camera, heck only him and Annie were the ones of the final group that had a sense of what they wanted and actually working for it (oh andi guess Elroy too). The kiss at the end between Annie and Jeff felt like a consolation prize as to why their relationship never bloomed and it felt very whacky and non existent by the end, plotpoints and character development were forgotten from nowhere.
If it sounds like i'm being too harsh it is because i love this show, and despite all i don't feel there is a single episode that is bad and unworthy of rewatching (yes even the dog one that as far as i remember has to be the worst one). Troy leaving for example it is quite telling that i felt it even if the one i found the least interesting in the group left it was sad and heartfelt because to some degree i cared about Troy, even if it was because he was important to other characters, because at the end of the daythat is what a community is all about, caring and bieng cared by others. And again, even despite all i consider this the best comedy show i have seen so far. It gave what is to me the best performance of Brie Larson and i actually wanted to see more of Rachel and Abed (but i would have never liked to see her in the group).
Heck i can't blame the show, for all of it since being cancelled and the renewed for three consecutive seasons must feel like someone is pulling a prank of bad state on you and by S6 you can feel how the script and the actors feel burned out to some degree.
If i have to rank the seasons it would be.
1st: S3 (if this season was the one at which Britta was the msot idiotic then 1st goes to S2)
2nd/3rd:S1/S2
4rd: S5
5th S4
6th: S6 (i won't review each season in detail but i'll say that overall S6 has the most amount episodes of low quality of the series, but Eps10 to 13 felt like old community episodes, which makes it all the more sad because it felt like Harmon and the cast wanted to send off the show with a bang and it was clear that at least Dan Harmon wanted more of the series and maybe the actors too)
That is all i have to say about the show for now.
#andamovie.
submitted by 88Question88 to community [link] [comments]

A Detailed Guide For Building Your Own Gaming PC

Building a PC is actually more entertaining than you think. However if you don't like to do research about a part's specs, then you might not find this helpful. This is how you will truly value your PC, this way you will look at your PC and know its worth, instead of looking at a box shape with some lights.
This guide is useful when building from scratch, since it will go through all parts one by one in the best possible order to greatly reduce the amount of times you have to go back and change parts. (You might not even have to go back and change parts at all).
If you need to upgrade and/or still looking for parts, skip to the respective section for the part, you will profit aswell from reading this guide.
"The most important part is to HAVE FUN!" -Waffler11
​
Before we start, there are a some things that you have to be clear about:
  1. This guide will not Build the PC for you. This is a guide for you to know what to look for and which parts are most suitable for your build.
  2. Read every single thing you don't know about each part's specs, obviously you don't have to go crazy with all things. I will be mentioning things that YOU NEED to look for, but the more curious you are the better.
  3. This will help you easily determine most incompatibilities and help you build everything part by part so you don't have to go back to a specific part and change it over and over.
​
Organization
  1. Google for your preferred web page for building PCs. I don't want to seem like promoting a Webpage in particular, but PcPartPicker worked great for me and they give you warnings regarding incompatibility. (Other websites might do the same).
  2. Ask yourself: "For what am I building this PC". To run a game in particular? perhaps to have the best of the best? who knows? Only you. It is based on this that you will build your PC and estimate a budget (notice how I said estimate a budget, because it will vary as you learn more about PC parts).
  3. Once you know what you want your PC for, you will have to preplan. This is having an idea of what GPU you need to run certain games, and is actually the most notorious part of a PC, so think of one, but might not be the definitive GPU (you might even want to change GPU brands).
  4. What if you want to choose the Monitor first? No problem at all, you can also choose your desired GPU based on the Resolution and Refresh Rates you wish to play. In this case if you want to know which monitor will be the best for you, scroll down to the "Monitor" part of the Guide. (Keep in mind that prioritizing the Monitor means you have to try to keep the GPU that can run at the desired Resolution and Refresh Rates while also keeping in mind any bottleneck from both GPU and CPU)
Notice: Some RGB counterparts will be more expensive, so if you want a lot of RGB on your PC, you know what to expect on that budget. More on this as the guide goes on.
​
First Part: CPU
Forget about that beautiful case you saw somewhere or those cool shaped RAMs or the flashy Motherboard, CHOOSE A CPU FIRST.
How To Choose A CPU For Your Needs
  1. First of all, know your options, Intel and AMD are both very good, check out for those 2.
  2. Please take your time to read about the CPU specs. Things to look for are Cores, Threads, Base Clock, Boost Clock and their general performance in your trusted benchmark webpage. All these specs differ from Generation and Model.
  3. You don't have to worry between AMD, Intel and Nvidia CPUs and GPUs not working properly together or being incompatible, they will work smoothly in any combination.
  4. Consider for the future about Single, Dual and Quad Channel. This is for the RAM, I suggest you read about these now and choose a CPU which supports these Channels. Having more than Single Channel will increase the RAMs brandwidth, leading to increased Memory Read, Write, Copy and Brandwidth.
  5. Stock coolers usually comes with a stick thermal paste already applied as well as some coolers from other brands that you but some may not have the paste applied, so its good that you read if they will have it already applied or not.
  6. Thermal Paste: Keep in mind that eventually you will need to reapply paste if you move the cooler, if you notice an unusual increase in your temps or after a few years. In which case you can get a good Thermal Paste, they are are relatively cheap, make a big impact on your CPU temperatures and are easy to apply. So there is no harm getting a Thermal Paste, just make sure you get a quality thermal paste. And yes, some reduce temperatures better than others but also the way you apply it and the amount you apply helps reducing temperatures, look for the best way and quantity.
Notice: You don't necessarily have to prioritize the GPU over the CPU, this is just in case you plan on only playing less demanding popular games like, CS:GO, LoL, Valorant, etc. they don't require the best of GPUs out there so you can go for a better CPU.
​
Second Part: Case
Cases comes in many sizes, the 3 most popular ones are: Full Tower, Mid Tower and Mini-ITX. Check out each of these case's sizes and spacing. Some cases of the same size category will vary in sizes, and some times not fit the motherboard of the specific size category. For Ex: An ATX case might be smaller than most ATX cases and an ATX motherboard might not fit properly, so also checking the cases's dimensions where the motherboard will be placed, it is important to be aware of these scenarios.
  1. Keep in mind the size of your GPU (since it takes a lot of space) to make sure it fits on your case. New Gen GPUs are being manufactured in a bigger size.
  2. It's time to choose the manufacturer, they will mostly vary in Aesthetics however keep in mind, you should probably want to make sure the case has good "Airflow", the name itself tells you what it is, but look it up if you are not sure. Best way to make sure the case has good airflow is to check reviews... multiple reviews, and good ones where they will specify what room temp they had during the test so you get an idea.
  3. Make sure you get a modern case, you won't regret it but you might want a modern case so you can use all of the motherboard's ports and not waste a single penny also when upgrading the motherboard, since you are more likely to change the motherboard before the case (this is another reason why the case is the second part).
  4. Check what's in the box for the case you want to choose, it might not come in with enough fans than you expected, or maybe it won't come with some of the things you see in some pictures.
​
Third Part: GPU
You probably did not expected this but, there is nothing complicated about GPUs.
  1. Look for features about each GPU brand and model, there are brands and model with their own features that is why I can't list them to you, depends on what brand you choose.
  2. You have already chose a Brand because you knew which one would run the game you want to play, or maybe you changed brands and models. Either way, now it's time for you to look about the specifications: Base Clock, Boost Clock & Memory Size. (I want you to look at this because they vary depending on Brand, Model and Series and they give you an idea on which you would rather choose)
  3. Now you most likely already decided your Brand, Model and Series for the GPU, check out the Display Connectors and keep that in mind, we will need this for the monitor.
Notice: The more Memory Capacity the GPU has does not mean better performance.
​
Fourth Part: Motherboard
Ah yes, the motherboard, remember the CPU you chose? and the case you chose? here is where you will be limited to your motherboard choosing. (choosing the right motherboard might take awhile specially with all the features one motherboard can have and all the different variations). Also you might come across SLI (for Nvidia) and/or CrossFire (for Radeon). Before you get hyped, games need to be SLI/CrossFire compatible and not to mention that sometimes it will not work with different GPUs Architecture. So instead of spending money for this feature in a motherboard and for 1 extra GPU, your best choice is for a single high-end GPU. (Also with the amount of power and performance on the new gen GPUs, SLI and CrossFire are less worth.
*IMPORTANT: Please read motherboard specs and features, literally anything you don't know, look up what it is, this is critical for building a PC. Looking for everything will also let you easily identify incompatibilities. Some motherboards does not include Sound Card and/or Wi-Fi cards.
  1. First, and I mean it, first you must make sure that your motherboard fits the case, motherboards commonly come in mini ITX and ATX, look those up in google and make sure which size is the one for your case (obviously you will realize a mini ITX motherboard can actually be used on a mid tower or bigger).
  2. Now you will choose a motherboard with the right Socket depending on the CPU you chose.
  3. Now make sure that the motherboard's BIOS is up to date with the CPU you chose, or you will get firetrucked up yours. Pro Tip: google "Best motherboards for [CPU of your choosing]".
  4. Another important thing to consider for a motherboard, if it supports Dual Channel & Quad Channel.
  5. Great, with all those 4 filters, you can freely look for a nice looking Motherboard for your PC build and read the specs, yes please read them you won't regret it. Specially since I almost bought a motherboard dedicated for custom water cooling, I was about to pay extra for nothing.
  6. Some other important things to look for in a motherboard are the amount of VRM and their quality. The amount of Memory Type and also how much Memory Speed is supported, the storage drives slots available. Another lesser thing to look for in a motherboard, is that each motherboard brand offers their unique features, check them out if you feel like and see which one you like the most.
Notice: Wi-Fi Cards are not mandatory, they are more of an option.
​
Fifth Part: RAM
There is more to look for a RAM than you might think, don't just look for a RAM based on the amount of GBs it has. RAM comes in different Memory Type and have different Memory Speed and CAS Latency, check out what role both of these terms play in a PC to choose your preferred one.
  1. You can buy individually RAM usually comes in pair, properly named as "RAM Kit", which some are 8GB (2x4) or 16GB (2x8) or 32GB (4x8) or 32GB (2x16) etc. If you still haven't figured it out, let me explain: Ex. we have 16GB (2x8). The "16GB" is the total memory capacity, this total memory capacity is divided into 2 different RAM sticks, each one with 8GB capacity. (Think carefully which kit you choose, since your Motherboard has limited RAM slots).
  2. Which RAM to choose? one that does not exceeds the Motherboard's max Memory Capacity and that is the right Memory Type for your motherboard while also making sure the RAM can run with the CPU. Another pro-tip: google "best ram for [CPU of your choosing]".
  3. Remember about Single, Dual and Quad Channel. Be sure to check if both the motherboard and CPU are compatible with Dual Channel and/or Quad Channel.
  4. Once you have chosen a RAM brand, and want to increase your RAM Memory Capacity, you have buy the same brand of RAM and RAM Model.
  5. You can freely choose the RAM's Aesthetics you like the most (also, RAM can be more expensive just because they have RGB). There is a catch though, look up if any Brand's RAM model has any known issue with certain motherboards or CPUs. Since looks might be deceiving.
​
Sixth Part: Storage
Probably the simplest part, SSD is a lot more faster and expensive than the HDD, so much faster that if you have an SSD and you don't install windows on the SSD you must really enjoy looking at your OS booting up.
  1. SSD is faster for gaming, yes, game loading times is not mainly determined by GPU, its by storage drives. But SSD gets expensive as you get more Storage capacity, so you can have SSDs and HDDs both in the same motherboard, if your motherboard has the designated storage slots for the drives.
  2. Look for these terms: Form Factors for Storage Drives, SSD, HDD, Write/Read speed, Random write/read IOPS.
  3. Check special features for each individual storage drive from each brand.
​
Seventh Part: Cooler
This will be long because of all the different things to cover.
First of all, Search what OverClocking a CPU is. You don't need to know how to OverClock yet, as it also depends on which CPU you chose, but if you are interested in OverClocking, I recommend you learn how a CPU Clocks and Voltages works together, then you learn how to OverClock.
Answer these questions:
Does your CPU comes with a stock cooler?
Yes No
Do you plan on OverClocking your CPU? You must buy a Cooler
Yes No
Highly recommended to buy a Cooler You don't need to buy a Cooler
(If you are reading from mobile, there is a table that won't properly show. The table determines whether you should buy or not a cooler based on your plans)
*If you don't want/need to buy a cooler you can skip to the next part*
There are Air Cooler and Water Cooler (AIO). AIOs are water coolers already built that will only require screwing to mount and do not take up much space, perfect for RGB builds. However, AIOs might not fit your Case and some Air Coolers are not compatible with your motherboard.
  1. First choose if you are going with Air Cooling or AIO, both are good ways to cool the hottest of CPUs, so don't think Water is worthless or Air is worthless.
  2. Check out which cooler you like the most and take these into consideration: How much they can cool the CPU during load and idle times while considering how much noise (dBA) they produce the harder they have to work to cool the CPU. (The amount of noise is personal preference, if you want a quieter place or don't mind the little noise)
  3. After choosing one, make sure it fits your case and/or it is compatible with your motherboard. Best way to check this is looking for Reviews, Youtube videos for the specific case and cooler or asking on Reddit or the Cooler's webpage might provide that information. (Yes, if you know the measurements of the case and the Coolers it should fit, but there could be some exceptions or a little piece from the inside which will block the cooler, best bet is the 3 previous suggestions).
Notice: I do not talk about custom water cooling, there is no specific way to install it so you would have to carefully measure and get the individual parts. Also installing such cooler is a lot harder very expensive and you would have to really enjoy working hard to give it maintenance. I would suggest you stick with traditional coolers.
​
Eighth Part: Power Supply Unit
Hopefully the webpage you chose to build your PC is able to estimate your fully built PC's Watts consumption, from this estimate you will choose a proper PSU. Before we go on, forget anything you read about PSUs, this part has a lot of mixed "opinions". Once you read more and more about PSU you can have your own opinion about PSUs.
  1. Look what are the differences between a Fully Modular, Semi Modular and Non Modular PSU. (Fully Modular becomes more expensive, but opens up for more compatibility and any future parts upgrade, this is a very important thing to consider, however you might not need a Fully nor a Semi Modular PSU).
  2. It is important to check the PSUs Certification. Any Certified PSU is a safe choice, you might want to read why PSU are certified and what each type of certification means.
  3. Now like any other part, PSUs also comes in with different features depending on the brand and their different models. Also keep in mind the most important things to look in a PSU is the amount of output pin slots and the size of the PSU will fit your case.
​
Monitor
You sure have one in mind, but listen carefully, read about every terms in a monitor, know what those 1ms Response Time and 144hz Refresh Rate you often see on the specifications mean.
  1. Be mindful when choosing a Monitor Size, a 27" 1080p monitor looks like it has less Resolution than a 24" 1080p monitor, and this is because of the PPI. Look up what that is and then you can have an idea of what would be the ideal Monitor Size and Resolution.
  2. There are 3 different panels for monitors: IPS, VA, & TN. Each of this panels offer different functionality. It is something important to take into consideration.
  3. Now, if your GPU has an HDMI 2.0, to fully take advantage of your GPU, get a Monitor with an HDMI 2.0, maybe your GPU has DisplayPort 1.4, which offers more bandwidth than HDMI 2.0, then you would want to consider buying a monitor with DisplayPort 1.4. Look all about the different Video Connectivity Protocols. Keep in mind that you don't need to have the exact same protocol on both ends, for Ex.: You can connect the DisplayPort cable, from the 1.4 on your GPU into the 1.2 into your Monitor and work fine.
  4. Again, each Brand and their models have different features and design, look around which one you like the most.
​
That is all about the crucial parts of a PC, you can then add another GPU, or another case fan, or a toy, even a toy, like an anime figurine or whatever, seems to be trendy now a day.
Hopefully you found this useful in any way possible, and I would be a very proud to know you read everything just to build your PC, your "Baby" if you will.
​
I'll leave these useful web pages that I personally think you should know about while building a PC.
CPU-world.com - Use this to check out all information about a certain CPU. (Don't let the weird names and numbers scare you)
Pangoly.com - A website to Build your PCs and is also very good when you want to compare different part options.
Obviously you can also use YouTube and Reddit for reviews and/or specific questions, comparisons and statistics.
​
Please consider leaving any kind of feedback, if there is something that should be reviewed/changed on this guide, do let me know so I can work on it ensure this guide as flawless as possible. Other than that comment anything you did like, as always following this subreddit's rules, I will be more than happy to read all comments/questions. I would also appreciate anyone else answering other users questions as you would be helping me out while I am busy on something else.
​
Message for this post: Some may have felt let down by the guide, most of you appreciated it and I did not expect this guide to blow up like this. I personally made this from my own experience and my goal was to encourage people to research everything themselves when building a PC. when I did it myself, I enjoyed it very much. The title seems misleading yes, it is a lot of "google this and that" and less of a glossary for you to know what each thing is. But I am not going to leave it like this. Thanks to all the feedbacks I have been getting in the comments, all the incorrect points and other points I missed, I will fix them and soon enough this guide should be good for anyone reading this. I ask you to not stop commenting out these important details, let us together finish this guide, after all I started to grow fond of the buildapc subreddit and I want the best for everyone here. Thank you all for the support and critics.
submitted by Bushott to buildapc [link] [comments]

Bootlego knockoff Lepin review and a few suggestions

Bootlego knockoff Lepin review and a few suggestions
Hi all, been building since august 2019 (had a few Legos when I was younger) and got interested again but due to living in a country where one month pay is some bigger set Lego was not an option. So I found Lepin of course and from there went to buy King Chiron to try "is this stuff anything like Lego?". Since then I built quite a few sets and been wanting to share ( I followed this reddit from the start of my ventures) my opinions and findings about different brands and specific sets. The faq and the rest of guides here are really helpful to start, especially since there was an update a few months ago that got it up to speed so to say, but as I researched a lot and I ended up on a few Chinese sites and forums I'd like to add the stuff I found out. I will write about different manufacturers, their pros and cons but also specific sets I built ( I don't make a lot of pictures but will post something and will answer any questions about those sets, but for the best reviews I suggest you look at the profile of user tarataqa , there are a lot of pictures. Also while writing about some people from this reddit I would like to add a thing I don't really appreciate, user MinifigIntelligence keeps posting reviews that get a lot of clicks and likes but he does not state (or I have not seen it, if he does sorry) that those are not his reviews, they are reviews from wechat profile CK and it seems he only google translates them (not even putting the work to get us a better translation), I appreciate that he brings those reviews to English speaking community but he should give credit).
I have a weird way of buying sets so can't really help with that much. I bought only 1 on aliexpress, quite a few from a local guy that bought a lot of lepin sets in 2017/18 in boxes (he thought he could sell a lot but that did not go great) and he gave them really cheap, the rest I bought in China (mostly from Loy at ywobb!!!) and have them shipped via containers cause it's a lot cheaper. Review of the seller on aliexpress will be in chiron review ( POP TOY Store
https://a.aliexpress.com/\_mMZBMGV ,in short- he was great) and I don't think I need to write anything about YWOBB as he is a well known seller and deserves his number 1 status.
Also I would like for all of us who use this reddit (especially lurkers like me) to post a review of every set they get and build so we have more info (this is mostly for smaller sets that you can't find real pictures for). I know it can be a hassle or you just don't post on the internet ( like me, I maybe made 20 post my whole life across different platforms ) but for the sake of community it would mean a lot ( small sets especially again!!! ), just a few words and pictures, or even say that you have that set and are willing to help if there are specific questions. (maybe make a big thread where we ask does anyone have a specific set we are interested in to share experiences) And while making suggestions for reviews, I would also suggest some uniformity, to put some guidelines, for example title to be "manufacturer ( fe: unknown manufacturer, lion king... ) set number, set description (fe: empire over jedha, ghostbusters hq... )", and if it is a Lego clone put "Lego 10270" in addition. In the post, put where and when you bought it ( different batches can have fixed issues ) , do you follow Lego instructions ( there can be substituted parts or different building order in bootlego manual ) , any problems and of course your opinion (possibly with a grade of 0 to 5 in quality) and pictures. I think that would help a lot of people :) Next I would like to address a sensitive topic - MOCs, that is moc instructions. First to say - like most people here, I am for contributing to the designer, they spend a lot of time and have talent to make something so they should be appreciated. But I would also like to say that not all people who buy some moc set can really justify spending extra 20-30$ or sometimes even more on instructions (especially if they already get them in sets like MK). I first can't currently justify giving designers their asking prices but I plan on donating in the future full price or at least a part for their hard work as I think most people are willing to do. To get to the point of this part - I think we should also be a sharing community ( of course just trusted, active members, and not openly ), if someone wants to look at the original instructions for various reasons ( better point of view, some change from original design, differentiating colours...). As I said this will probably be sensitive with many people but think of it this way - 1. most popular mocs will come with instructions so why not help someone if he is having trouble following them and can't buy original; 2. Chinese bootlego generates a lot of profit for designers, if there is no Chinese bricks a few people will buy instructions to bricklink or to just have those instructions, but with the emergence of different manufactured moc sets I can bet a lot more people buy those instructions ( even though a lot of designers would probably not admit that and some even hate anything not Lego, but thankfully that is changing with more and more designers having official partnerships ); 3. morals - can we really judge someone for trying to make a moc set he bought, as close as possible to the original design, when we buy stolen designs... So for those in need I am willing to share some of the MOCs I have and I hope when you can you will pay for them like me :) .
Lepin / King / Queen / J brand ( Jack ) / Lion King / Zebra Blocks / I think a few more names and most recently without a name but with recognisable set codes ( format, not the numbers themselves ) and more importantly recognisable series names ( like star wars are star union, or technic cars are racing champions, some creator expert sets are let's go travel or similar )
Not many words needed to introduce them but I will write most about this brand as it has the widest range. The brand that basically started with mass cloning of current Lego sets. Quality: a lot of people think it's the best, especially before gobricks became popular, but there are a lot of people, especially on Chinese forums, that don't like the quality of this brand. For me, and a lot of others if we look at it objectively, currently it's an upper class brand, maybe 4-4.5 out of 5. It varies from set to set and batch to batch ( they tend to leave molds for too long and then bricks start being worse, they had that problem around 2018. mostly ). For those who buy older lepin stock - sets from 2015-16 are noticeably worse (3.5-4 at most) , after that it varies but are much closer to today standards. Pros: Some of the aspects are the best in clone world. 1. For me most transparent parts are better than even gobricks. 2. Colour uniformity and colour itself (compared to Lego) is top notch almost always. 3.When building modulars for example, stacked bricks that make walls are really good, sometimes better than on a Lego set (ghostbusters set from lego in specific). 4. They make a vide variety of sets, both retired and current, and usually copy new sets quite fast 5. Newer sets are almost 100% correct sorting - by step and no missing pieces. But unlike in earlier Lepin don't expect a lot of leftovers, and if there are some they are mostly small pieces (they include a separate bag with a few small pieces, but mostly you get a few more in addition to those). 6. Quite important for me - the prints (and to some extent stickers). All prints (and stickers) are like original Lego or try to be. So almost no changed emblems ( they change lego to lepin, and lego set number to theirs, and on UCS sets they change for example Star Wars to Star Wnars or something ) or anything that is trademarked. So if it's a mustang name with a mustang emblem in Lego it's in Lepin also. 7. Minifigures - older ones are possibly a con but anything newer than 2017 is mostly good. Correct printing, mostly sharp printing, if there are dual molds it is painted or I think even dual molded sometimes, and copied minifigures (in terms of design of the block). Mostly correct hair and accessories. There are also minifigs in a con list!
Cons: So be wary that I am very detail but also that not all of this stuff is a real con, more like different than you would get in a Lego set. 1. Baseplates - older lepin had huge problems, but today's are still not great. They are a little bit thicker than Lego ( you can connect them without problems ) and a lot stiffer so the corners tend to go up (especially on corner buildings). Heating with a fan or water can help but there will almost always be slight banding. 2. Plates - almost all plates have tolerance problems, it seems they are not "3 plates to 1 brick" accurate. It's mostly a minor problem and mostly not noticeable so don't get scared by the first sentence. I notice it most on 1x1 round and normal plates. Round ones are a little taller than they should be (a few people complained about this in the new haunted house where you stack those plates) but I think they have different batches and not all of them are too tall, but next to that they are not centered ( don't know how to explain, just take one and look at it from above). The normal 1x1 plates really have tolerance problems, especially seen when you have to stack them - I cant get them aligned, if I get 2 sides aligned the other 2 are not perfectly aligned also, BUT mostly not noticeable. When you stack big plates (example, when making a second floor of a modular) the construction tends to bend a little, it's not a big problem, just mechanically bend them in other direction a little bit with your hands and when you stack them where they should be they will hold. 3. Replacement parts - they put quite a lot of substitutes, especially in recent years, and what's worse when they do make a mold for that new part, they don't put it retrogradely in sets ( example: 1 set is out in January and has a replacement, some other set gets released in September and they open that mold, set 1 will not have that part even in sets manufactured in October or ever ). And for some parts they are really bone-headed about opening new molds. Below I will add some of the parts that are typically not correct. Do note that most of them are older mould versions from Lego! They probably made a mistake when they first copied that part and just went with it (most Lego parts don't change number with new mold, so for example old mold is 1234a and new is 1234b, and Lepin almost always copies 'a' variant). 4. Minifigures - if the legs are printed or has just a partial small print you will always get 2 different legs - left one is matte finished and right one is gloss. This can be a problem if it is painted, other than that unnoticeable. Some hairpieces are stubbornly replaced even though a lot of sets use them. They almost always come completely disassembled (for me not a problem) and can be a little stiff or loose (for loose parts of any kind, not just minifigs, use a bit of clear nail polish on a part, let it dry and then put it together). Some hands (not arms, but the ends of arms) have replaced colours, for example if they need to be tan they will come in light flesh. 5. Flesh (or medium dark nought I think) colour is replaced for dark flesh. I don't think I have parts that are supposed to be flesh colour but I do have 2 minifig heads that are changed to dark flesh. Weather they also change normal parts I don't know (we will see in new 2021 modular, as that comes with some parts in flesh colour so be on a look out) 6. Glitter colours are not copied mostly. If they are they put something like freckles of silver paint but mostly they don't put anything. Glitter parts are almost always transparent, and you can fix not having glitter by applying clear glitter nail polish (just don't find one with specks that are too big). 7. Technic - most of the older posts are saying to stay away from lepin technic sets but I don't agree. Technic parts, mostly pins, are worse than Lego (tighter) but from 2017 onwards that difference is small, and even older sets are ok. Beams and panels can have some moulding lines on them but are mostly invisible (for me, when you look at the finished model). Gear 12 (the medium, black one) is I think badly moulded and can cause a little bit of problems in complex builds. 8. Power functions and pneumatics - for pneumatics see my post about Mercedes arocs (short - for me it worked). In the respect of power functions I don't have much experience. They use 2.4ghz instead of IR for the receivers, and they mostly copy power function parts (they even copied some powered up parts and had an app), newer Control parts or however they are called are not copied to date. I have a few PF sets that are original Lepin and I will write in their respective reviews what I found but all in all to me it seems (never had Lego PF to compare) they are a little slow and weak, and on older ones the connectors are bad (really bad), and servo has just 3 positions (Lego has more intermediary positions). But they have worked on all my sets, not best on every but read specific set reviews. 9. Crooked printings, mostly for clocks and some emblems. But I think most are correct now in newer sets. 10. Stickers - tan, dark tan and usually dark red are wrong shade compared to bricks. In general cutting process is not great so stickers can be a little crooked or uneven but not too much. The quality of paper was worse before, now they use thicker paper but still I have never had problems with them. 10. Tiles - mostly 1x2 have either tolerance problems or burr (the leftover from molding) sticks out on 1 side and when you tile a floor you get uneven sides ( when you can't put a 1x2 next to other tiles just rotate it, it will go in but there will be a bit of a gap ). Also sometimes tiles are a little bit scratched and not really glossy (minor problem).
Xingbao and Urge
Xingbao is under same parent company as Lepin (when I say lepin I mean current version and not Lepin per se) but to me it seems they use a little bit worse quality of bricks (maybe the ones that they reject from lepin brand) but they are mostly like Lepin level. They have either original designs or MOCs (either stolen or "official" partnerships, quotation marks because it seems xingbao did not respect the promises given to designers). In older sets they used legolike minifigures but in newer ones they changed them. They use a lot of printed parts (original ones, mostly asian oriented). Newer company, Urge, uses mostly xingbao bricks but I don't know if they are under same company (there were talks in recent times that they are looking for or even found a new supplier). Most sets are stolen MOCs, quite a few from brickative. They have a wide selection of bricks so the copies are quite accurate but the quality is lacking. Plates and tiles are the biggest problem in terms of tolerances and scratches ( can be quite a problem especially when you combine some weird building techniques used in MOCs ). Overall quality for me is just passable 3.5/5 (if no one else is making it then I would buy it) but they are on the expensive side. Last few sets seem to improve a little bit but not significantly. They use normal minifigures.
Bela / Lari / Winner
Winner seems to be a branch of bela that makes original designs, mostly smaller and technic stuff. Not many reviews that I have seen but people are usually very satisfied. Bela and Lari (newer name) are maybe the second biggest manufacturer in terms of range. They make a lot of smaller and "less popular" sets and series that no one else does (Scooby Doo sets!). In the past everybody said to stay away from them. And they definitely were behind Lepin in terms of quality but they are a lot better now and I would say comparable to Lepin (king, lion king), in some aspects a little worse and others a little better. They even change their older sets that are still made to update new moulds and new technologies they adapted. Pros: 1. Wide variety of sets and also parts, they make a lot of new moulds ( but not all ), even have glitter bricks and dual moulded special parts ( for example ninjago tornados for minifigs) 2. Almost perfect sorting and rarely missing pieces but almost no leftovers. Cons: same as in lepin, not all of them real cons 1. The most important - colour. Some of the colours are not correct (in respect to Lego) in a way they are a little pastel and watery (don't know how else to describe). Most noticable are sand green (pretty bad), light bluish gray and medium dark flesh. The rest are sometimes very good sometimes a little watery (dark bluish gray) but mostly good. The differences are notecable but I would not say horrible and would suggest to try it, especially if no one else makes that set (scooby, a lot of star wars sets). 2. Minifigures - they are mostly well done BUT they usually have mirrored prints. On some figures it's not noticeable if you don't look for it but on others it can be a problem. Also some older figures don't have correct paints on them (for example if arms are dual moulded they paint them but the paint can be a little different then the rest of the body, same goes for v cut on the neck). 3. Some sets ( I think older, as I had it on my Mystery machine but saw some reviews that did not have this problem ) have incorrect tiles and plates, in the sense that some tiles don't have grooves on the bottom and some plates do have them. 4. Stickers are a little bit worse then Lepin and sometimes don't have correct colours. They sometimes change stickers and printings but mostly they are like original. 5. If there is a bigger construction made of plates they tend to warp quite a lot 6. Usually no step sorting. They started with sorting by step only in recent sets and only big ones. I saw a lot of people had problems following so I will write here - step number 1 in book is bricks from bags A and so on (2-B...)
Jisi / decool / Becool / Brickcool
Mostly sold under jisi and decool. They are a well known brand that have a relatively big range - they do a lot of batman sets, other superhero sets, bigger technic sets, also a lot of smaller other sets. They also sometimes steal MOCs. About quality - a lot of people say, especially for technic pieces, that they are better than Lepin but I would only partially agree. The technic pieces are mostly better but they are looser and sometimes too loose or can't support the build very well, and for system pieces - they have better tolerances but sometimes a lot of scratches, also transparent part are good enough but not great. So overall I would say the quality is about the same as better king sets, 4.5/5. Some places say they use gobricks but that is only partly true – they use them in some sets ( rarely ) and just some parts ( unlike others who use mainly gobricks ), so don't expect to find gobricks when you buy this brand if it's not stated in specific set review that they use it.
Pros:
  1. Good selection of parts. They rarely use replacement parts. They even have 1x2 transparent bricks without tubes.
  2. Minifigures - they also make standalone minifigs that are good so the sets also have better minifigs than most manufacturers. In newer sets they change emblems on minifigures ( for example 1989 batman does not have original bat logo ). Also they are a little bit different than lego – hip part ( that goes in to the torso ) is differently moulded and a little weaker and looser than normal minifigs.
Cons:
  1. They are relatively slow in releasing sets
  2. Prints and stickers - anything trademarked and almost all stickers are heavily changed. Only some older sets don't have changed emblems
  3. They sometimes don't get colours right and sometimes they change colours on purpose (like parts of 1989 Batmobile are in chrome instead of pearl dark gray)
Lele / Zhegao
An older brand that started with Lepin, Bela and SY but always seemed to be inferior and had slower progress than them. Older sets always had problems with colours (not accurate to Lego and not uniform) which was very obvious with tan bricks that were pinkish. Prints ( especially on minifigs) were not good, bad details and bad quality check. But in the last year they seem to have gotten a lot better (and released a subbrand Zhegao) in terms of both quality and colours. Zhegao does stolen MOCs and a lot of original designs. They also released an unlicensed series of 3 sets – clone of Hogwarts castle with 2 expansions to make the giant 20 000 bricks hogwarts grounds.
Pros and cons: as I have not built any sets ( just saw a few reviews of more popular ones ) I won't write anything except it seems they are around 4 (maybe even 4.5)/5 and that zhegao minifigures in Brickative stolen MOCs are pretty ugly.
Le Ji / Leji / LJ / Kupai / newer sets are without a name
They first appeared as Kupai a few months after Lepin raid, and there were talks that they bought old SY/Sembo moulds (the reason why sellers first put Kupai under SY) and the quality was not great. In the following months they released a few more set that had improved quality but still lower than King ( but they opened new moulds for almost everything ). Then they went a little silent but it seems they were again upgrading their quality so now it seems they are on King level ( still haven't built anything from them but will soon) and some pieces even better (because of many King problems) with less replacement parts. These days they are releasing quite a lot of sets – almost all modulars ( so you can avoid Lepin if it doesn't suit you ) and a lot of Harry Potter stuff.
Pros:
  1. Good quality with a wide range of bricks and a few replacement pieces
  2. They copy prints and stickers
Cons.
  1. They are pricier than King
  2. Transparent pieces can be good but also can be pretty bad
  3. Minifigures seem to not be great but passable
    SX / Double Elephant / newer sets can be without a name
They exist for several years but they mostly made smaller sets that are inspired by lego sets or were copies but not complete. In the last year they started making real clones and bettered their quality but they don't release a lot of sets. They make new moulds for almost all parts so no replacement parts. Overall quality is around 4/5 but some specific parts can be as low as 2/5 and transparent parts are not good. Also they make their own instructions (great cover pages!) but usually just mix the building order compared to original.
SY / S (/Sunny Day) / Sembo / Dinggao
Currently these are 2-3 separate brands (will stay that way probably) who could be tied but also could be completely separate. Let me explain – Sembo has 1 owner and is the main brand, then they started selling some sets under SY or S and even putting out Lego clones. Sembo became a brand for original designs ( and they relatively recently signed a contract with China state to recreate official military vehicles ). They use their own ( pretty high quality and relatively wide range ) bricks and also Gobricks ( more and more in recent times it seems). SY used mostly their bricks (same as Sembo) with only a few sets that used Gobricks (partially), and this was a go-to clone in China ( but they had relatively small production capacity so often went out of stock). The last brand is Dinggao and they use Gobricks. There were also some unlicensed sets that were under SY ( most notably Hogwarts castle 70068 that used a lot of gobricks and 90001 fishing shack, but now there is a new 70068 castle that seems to be of lower quality so don't get fooled as it seems it's not theirs). As Sembo decided to go legit they sold of SY/S to someone ( there is talks that is some relative) and it was renamed to Sunny Day (still use same logo). They for now seem to be doing smaller original sets and stolen MOCs. Dinggao used to make Lego clones of a relatively small number of sets ( they usually include small gift version ) but now they make original designs mostly and I don't know if they are sold or still under Sembo. So pros: 1. Quality is excellent 4.5-5/5 for their bricks and also for gobricks (5). 2. Great printings, pieces, animals and especially minifigures ( they have their own minifigure production that is one of the best, incredible details in prints and all around printing, they make a lot of different book models with a lot of minifigs) 3. Good transparent pieces 4. Good colour compared to Lego Cons: 1. They change stickers and prints with logos and colours of stickers are sometimes off 2. Clones are mostly sold out and it's questionable if they will produce again
​
Gobricks
Mould King / MK / Yuxing
Rael / Leier and 18k
Xinyu ( Happy Build ) and Pangu / PG
SixSix
CADA / Double Eagle
They are getting more and more popular in the west due to making official sets from different designers, having PR presence and official store. Regarded as one of the best technic part makers. They have original designs and in recent times collaboration with some popular lego moc designers. They have some parts that Lego does not make. Instructions and buiid procces can sometimes be too complicated and not well explained, they also tend to make a lot of errors in printing the instructions and packaging of sets.
Dk
Newer brand that uses mostly Cada bricks so nice quality.
Qhzile / Joker / gm (G&M) / zhimeng? / sets are without a name / I think they have a few more names
Horrible brand! Think about the sets you have in your NO-GO list ( stranger things, NES from Joker...) well it's them. A lot of replacement parts ( even for a lot of standard pieces ), not good quality ( maybe 2.5-3/5 ), changed building orders and instructions... In recent times they focused more on cloning and put those clones under a lot of different names so be wary. Under brand Qhzile they usually release stolen MOCs, mostly technic but those parts are also quite bad.
Enlighten / Qman / Keepplay
Original Lego cloners turned legit. They have copies of some of the cult Lego sets or have sets that would fit old popular series ( Pirates, Castle...) but most of those sets are officially retired so they are hard to find. There are mixed reports about quality where some say they are really bad and others that they are really good but most newer reports say that the quality is one of the best in China. Also they have their logo on studs. They also make really nice minifigures. Qman and Keepplay are all original designs and focus on eastern culture.
Wange
They make mostly buildings and architecture sets but original designs. They are even sold in western countries under different names. Quality seems to be not so good and builds are usually not very stable.
Panlos
Quite a big brand. Up until recently they mostly made small original or lego inspired sets with medium quality. Recently they released a few bigger sets ( Sanctum Sanctorum and Arkham Asylum ) and also I think they made new moulds so now the pieces are much better. Overall quality is maybe a little bit below king but it varies from part to part – tiles seem to be much better and shinier but some other pieces have tolerance problems. They do nice printed parts.
Lebo
Seems to be a really small workshop even though some are connecting them to some bigger brands. Newer brand and only have a few sets. They have almost no replacement parts but their tiles don't have grooves and plates do have them. Also emblems are not original. Quality is mid tier.
Panda
Newer brand and only released a few sets. Quality is around 4/5 but varies a lot between parts as it seems they use multiple suppliers (colour uniformity also is not the best). Use replacement parts. Transparent parts are not good. Biggest problem is quality control (seen at the first few batches of bookshop modular).
Kazi / GBL / Bozhi
Older brand that makes parts under Bozhi brand ( they also made Lego CMF series minifigs but I think they stopped ) and sell original designs under Kazi mostly but also train oriented sets under GBL. Kazi has a few new designs that look really nice. Quality seems to be around 4/5 and they have quite a few parts that don't exist in Lego.
Sluban
Relatively well known brand and do original designs. Did not have any contact with them and besides reports of mid quality don't know anything else. If someone knows more please add
Lz
Smaller brand, they do mostly technic cars. Saw only a few reviews and people were satisfied.
Gejia
Newer brand. Most notecabely they made Barracuda Bay that is closer to original Ideas entry than the final product. They made a lot of old moulds but have problems with quality and consistency. Based on those reviews I would say quality around 3.5-4/5.
A blocks
Newer brand that copied new pixel art sets ( or whatever they call them ). Don't know if they are affiliated with anyone. Quality seems to be good enough.
Yile
Older brand. Don't know if they are active now or changed the name. They mostly did cars and the quality is quite good, sometimes better than lepin counterpart.
MITU / MI / ONEBOT / XIAOMI
Xiaomi is everywhere so they naturally have blocks also. They make mostly technic original builds but are quite pricey. The quality is great. Saw a few in Mi stores, don't know if any seller is offering them.
KSZ
Don't know much, they make mostly buildable figures and by reviews seem to be quite good at it.
Vonado / Buildmoc
Don't know if they are a manufacturer ( by the number of things they offer they must be ) but are becoming really popular. They have their webpage and 2 stores ( from the title, but they change them a lot ) on Ali. They offer 10% on their page for new users I think. They have almost all even remotely popular MOCs and also a big selection of bricks for a great price on their Ali stores ( just be cautious if the price is for 10pcs or not, also some parts are pictured one way but can be different – dual molded parts are usually 1 colour, printed animals come without prints, some pieces are mirror moulded even ). First spare pieces – big selection, mostly good colours and fine quality so about 4-4.5/5. For MOCs they make substitute parts for some older or rarer parts. From the reports they have middle to good quality and provide missing pieces. They give instructions but they are compressed so lower quality and recently they state that you need to buy instructions from seller but I think they would provide them if you ask ( be sure to buy original if you can ). They also don't use printed parts or stickers.
A lot of other brands that are either smaller, worse or I have not seen much about them as after Lepin raid there was an incredible amount of new brands and subbrands, but if you know we can add.
LEGO
I will just add for them that they are overrated in terms of quality. Had luck so got a Ghostbusters HQ set for a price of Lepin one. They do have some advantage ( 1-8% compared to King ) in some parts ( especially plates and tiles tolerance and shininess, and transparent parts have just a bit extra ) but coulour uniformity was bad and even brick finish was not awesome, and there were some scratches. So I would say gobricks have a little better quality compared to lego ( gobricks also have different batches and depend on which manufacturer is buying ) and King is >90% ( in better sets more like 99% ) quality.
But all in all Lego sets have the best build experience as everything „just clicks“ and even if you have problems customer support is incredible.
Regarding quality opinions you must take into account that all of us are different and will judge a set differently ( just look at tarataqa's reviews, I don't know if there was any set she (I think it's a she) wrote was bad, while some people wouldn't touch f.e. King bricks) so the quality ratings and opinions are just baselines, it's better to take a look at the pictures and judge for yourself.
Also take into account that these sets are sold much cheaper than you can get them ( usually Lego clone modulars are around 35$ ) and come in huge boxes that are often really well done. So yes you pay around 3 times cheaper than Lego but it's actually 5-8x cheaper for a pretty similar experience.
In short: 1. most current sets are pretty good (especially when you compare prices to Lego) but it's best to stick to known brands ( go to ywobb and look at tier 1 brands ) and even then there can be differences in specific sets ( best not to buy straight away, 1st batches usually are the worst as they rush them ). Gobricks are for now the best quality so you can't go wrong trying them if you did not like for example a King set 2. Use brick4 to see if there is a copy of the set you want, there can even be a review (scroll down the page on brick4, click the link and google translate it, easiest on chrome). Also you can translate this page ( forum ) where they are pretty active and have newest sets a lot sooner than the rest of us can https://tieba.baidu.com/f?kw=%E5%9B%BD%E4%BA%A7%E7%A7%AF%E6%9C%A8&ie=utf-8 3. You can also find news on WeChat ( reviews and everyday updates on new set announcments but there is not much need as Astrobricks sums it up really well!). Also I can help anyone with light kit instructions from Mould King sets ( the ones with weird QR code ) 4. Post your reviews!!!
PS: I need to edit a few times to add new things and complete others. English is not my native language so if something is not clear please tell me so I can correct it. Also anyone is welcome to help make this more complete.
If anyone could help me - I need someone who has leji 99014 corner cafe modular, if you can contact me that would be great
Processing img 7gi9p35rxf661...
submitted by arsenal2LikeAllForum to lepin [link] [comments]

Intro to custom loops in the T1

Hey everyone, over the past few months I've noticed people are interested in building a custom loop in the T1 but are not sure where to start. I decided to make a guide to help people build their own custom loop.
There is already a great guide on this sub, check it out before reading this. It has practically everything you need to know with some very useful renders, I just wanted to add some of my own experiences to complement this guide.
Be sure to Filter by Tutorial or by Test Fit for very helpful posts regarding the T1. Chances are your question/issue has already been answered.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why should I build a custom loop instead of using an AIO?

An AIO is the best solution for most people. It will deliver great performance with a relatively easy installation process and is considerably cheaper than a custom loop.
If the following reasons interest you, then you should build a custom loop:
If you want your build up and running ASAP, you should definitely use an AIO instead. A custom loop takes some time to build and some might consider it a tedious process. The last thing you want is to get fed up with the build process midway.

Can I use a 3090/3080 in my custom loop?

3090:
Possibly but most likely no, a single radiator loop will yield high temperatures, and a dual radiator build has not been tested/shared by any member of the community yet so it's not 100% certain if it will work:
In a single radiator build, a 3090 can be used but it will completely saturate a 240mm radiator, and the GPU temperature will be high. With undervolting and setting an 80% power limit, Ali from Optimum Tech got his 3090 to run at around 70C with fans running at 1500RPM (this speed is not silent), Without the power limit set the GPU was hitting almost 80C and the 5950X was reaching 90C which is unacceptable for a watercooled build.
A dual radiator build with a 3090 should be possible but the build itself will be much more difficult than a single radiator build. With two radiators the GPU temperature will be cool but we can't be certain until someone actually tries this in the future. Fabio shared his dual radiator custom loop build recently. He uses a Titan RTX which is a 280W TDP card, 70W less than the 3090 but the temperatures for this build look good.
3080:
A single radiator 3080 build is possible and does yield good temperatures with some undervolting. There is no performance loss with this undervolt. Temperatures and fan speed are in a good range.
AMD:
A 6800XT is definitely possible because it already uses less power than a 3080. However a 6900XT build may or may not be possible, we will have to see once third party reviews and thermal testing is provided.

How expensive is a custom loop?

Expensive. A CPU block costs practically as much as an AIO, and that's only one piece of the puzzle. You can expect to spend $400+ on the custom loop itself, possibly even more.

How do I plan my loop?

There is no one-size-fits-all custom loop, it all depends on your needs. You will need to decide how to route your tubes, which fittings need to go where, and the overall design. Your best bet is to look at other finished builds on this sub and get an idea from them (some builds shared at the end of this post). After looking at different builds and getting a general idea of what you want your loop to look like: the only thing left to do is jump in, get your hands dirty and do it yourself. It might be intimidating at first, especially after looking at your receipts for fittings and components, but once you start the build everything will start to make sense.

Do I need a reservoir?

No, a reservoir is not needed for a custom loop and a typical sized res won't even fit in the T1 (With a couple of exceptions, see below). In a typical watercooled build a reservoir is used as storage for excess liquid and a place for air to collect in the loop so it doesn't affect coolant flow rate or cooling performance by creating hot spots. If your loop is bled properly with no air, a reservoir is unnecessary.

Are there any alternatives for a reservoir?

Yes, people have used a flow meter like this as a makeshift reservoir. It's small enough to fit in the T1 and works as intended. Check out this post for an example. If you are using a DC LT 2600 as your pump (explained later) you can use a DC LT 40 pump top/res combo.

How do I fill the loop without a reservoir?

There are a few options, ranked in terms of ease:
  1. The easiest method is to use an external res and quick disconnect fittings to fill up the loop. Fabio posted a tutorial on this sub a few months ago, it's easy to follow and pictures are available in the comments.
  2. Connect an external res to a flow meter mentioned earlier and use it to fill up the loop while running your pump. Check out this post. Since the external res is at the highest point in the loop, the air will naturally flow to the highest point.
  3. Install a T fitting at the very top of your loop. The air bubbles will naturally rise and settle at the top of your loop. Once the air has risen to the T, fill the loop from the opening in the T. If necessary, tilt the case left, right and upside down to help the air flow through the loop. This method can take some time to fill up the loop completely.

What kind of tubing should I use?

You have the option of using a hard tube or soft tube. This guide will cover soft tubing only. Hard tube builds look really cool, but building a hard tube loop comes with a bit of extra difficulty for a beginner because of bending the tube and routing.
I recommend using soft tubing for your first build because it is easier to work with and more forgiving. If you never built a custom loop before, the added complexity of routing hardline tubing will make your experience slightly more difficult, although it's not as hard as it seems once you get a general idea of what to do. In the end it's up to you, but make a firm decision because switching tubing will require new fittings and it won't be cheap.

What size tubing should I use?

There are two reasonable options in the T1 for soft tubing: 10mm-13mm (3/8"-1/2") , or 10mm-16mm (3/8"-5/8"). These numbers refer to the inner diameter and outer diameter of the tube. 16mm might not seem like a lot but in the T1 where every millimetre counts, it is substantial.
Most people would recommend the 10mm-13mm tubing for easier routing and more options, like routing through the gap between the motherboard and PSU (not possible with the larger size tube). If you want a bigger tube or to use EK's Zero Maintenance Tubing (ZMT), then the 10mm-16mm tubing is the way to go. It's about preference, the size of tubing will have no effect on cooling performance.

Choosing Parts

Radiator

There are many radiators to choose from, anything <= 27.5mm in height will fit in the T1 without any top panel bulge. The cooling potential is relatively the same, with maybe a few degrees variance. At a thickness of <= 27.5mm, a higher FPI (Fins per inch) will generally mean slightly better cooling performance, but honestly it's not enough to make a massive difference. Here is a list of some radiators in no particular order. Each radiator has been used in at least one build and will fit in the T1, they're all good radiators and you can't go wrong with any of these:
EK CoolStream Classic SE 240 (Very popular, used in a lot of builds)
DarkSide LP 240 (My radiator, fits with fan anti-vibration pads removed)
Magicool G2 (Very similar to DarkSide LP 240)
CoolWorld 240mm (I also own this but haven't used it yet, seems well made and good quality)
Alphacool ST25
XSPC TX 240 (Great for a dual 240mm radiator build, uses Magicool G2 & TX 240)
XSPC TX 120 Use as a second radiator (Great for a dual radiator build, uses Alphacool LT240 rad + TX 120)
HJ 240 Slim (Useful for dual 240 rad or single rad CPU loop)

Pumps

There are two popular options in the T1: a DDC pump or an Alphacool DC LT 2600.
DDC Pump:
A DDC pump is a powerful pump and also very quiet. You will need a pump top or a CPU block like the Aquanaut (discussed later) to use the pump in a custom loop. Personally I would recommend a DDC pump because of the power and silent function.
The DDC pump you want to use is a 3.2 PWM model, any brand is fine, because the internals of the pump are all made by the same company. For example the only difference between an EK pump vs an Alphacool pump is the bottom housing and branding, which have no effect on the cooling performance.
You can run a DDC pump at a very low speed and not have it affect performance. I run mine at 20%, it is completely silent and the flow rate is excellent. One thing to note is that a heatsink is not necessary for these pumps. Running the pump at low speeds generates very little heat. If you would like the peace of mind, the EK heatsinks provide good cooling and still fits in 3-slot mode.
DC LT 2600:
The Alphacool DC LT 2600 is a popular option because of its size and quiet operation. You will need a pump top for this, the DC LT 40 is a great option. It is not as quiet as a DDC pump, there is a very slight humming sound but it's barely noticeable.
Some people on this sub have warned about quality control for this pump and have had mixed results.
My first custom loop was with an Alphacool LT Solo CPU/Pump block combo, which uses the DC LT 2600 and I didn't have any problems with it. But your mileage may vary. The one thing to note about this pump is the flow rate is low, it is enough for a single radiator loop, but if you plan on using 2 radiators, the flow will stall and will not work.

Pump Tops

DDC Pump Tops:
Aquanaut: Discussed under CPU Block
Bitspower Magicube:
I have only used an Aquanaut with my DDC pump. I have not used any pump tops with it, but there are a few builds on here that use the Bitspower Magicube top and have confirmed it fits. If you're interested in using your own CPU block with a DDC pump then check out this pump top.
Alphacool Eisdecke:
This pump top is also recommended by users on this sub because of slimmer stop plugs it's a few mm slimmer and has extra inlets and outlets for filling, bleeding and draining
DC LT 2600:
DC LT 40:
The DC LT 40 will fit in multiple spots in the T1 and acts as a mini reservoir, which makes filling the loop easier. You can use other pump tops but I have not had any experience with this so you will have to do your own research if you choose this route.
DC-LT Plexi Top:
This is another option for a pump top, it is wider, similarly price to the DC LT 40 and transparent.

CPU Block

Aquanaut:
The Aquanaut is a CPU pump block / DDC pump top combo made by Nouvolo, a company with a solid presence in the SFF space. I use this CPU block for my build and it is great. The DDC pump sits on top of the Aquanaut, and on the other end there is a cold plate that mounts to the CPU and cools it directly. There are a few builds on this sub that use the Aquanaut and they all report great results. I would definitely recommend it. Assembly is straightforward and it makes DDC pump installation a breeze.
One thing to note: In 3 slot mode, the block will require low profile fittings or there will be side panel bulge. Fittings <= 25mm tall will fit without any bulge. The Koolance low profile 90s are ideal in this situation. Check out this guide for more info.
EK Velocity Blocks:
There are a lot of builds on this sub that use Velocity blocks. It's easy to see why, they look great and they provide excellent performance. If you use these blocks, you will need to install a pump somewhere else in the build.
Budget CPU Blocks:
Optimum Tech did a video regarding budget CPU block performance. The block cooled the CPU very well considering the price and were only a few degrees higher than the mainstream CPU blocks. If you want to save some money you can go with a Barrow CPU block like this. If you're worried about ordering from AliExpress: I have ordered from this store in the past and had a good experience.
Alphacool LT Solo Block:
This is a CPU block/pump combo, inside the CPU block there is the DC LT 2600 pump. I used this in my first build and it delivered good results for a simple CPU only loop. It's enough to power a CPU + GPU single radiator loop.

GPU Blocks

These are pretty self explanatory, get a block that fits your card. Remove the shroud and heatsink from your GPU (GamersNexus has comprehensive teardown videos if you're having trouble), clean off any old thermal paste. Install the provided thermal pads for your waterblock on the memory and VRM. Apply new thermal paste to the GPU core, screw in the water block. Swap the terminals (inlet/outlet ports) on the GPU block if you have a clearance issue. That's about it.

Tubing

Tubing is tubing, if you're buying your tubing from a reputable vendor you won't encounter any problems like leeching or excessive kinking, not much else to say here. Choose either 10mm-13mm or 10mm-16mm depending on your preference. There is also EK ZMT matte black tubing in 10mm-16mm if you like that aesthetic.

Fittings

The size of fittings you choose directly correspond to the size of tubing you have. If you have 10mm-13mm tubing, then you need the same size fittings, otherwise it will not create a tight seal around the tube and you will have leaks.
In terms of what fittings to buy, you generally will need 2x 90° fittings for the CPU block as well as 2x 90° fittings for the radiator and straight fittings for other components. Although this will vary depending on how you plan your loop.
Extender fittings are very handy. Male to male, male to female, female to female. You will find all three very useful when completing the loop. It doesn't hurt to buy a couple of these extenders in 10mm or 20mm lengths.

Temperature Sensors

Generally you want at least one temperature sensor in your loop so you can monitor coolant temperature. With a temp sensor you can set a fan curve based on coolant temperature instead of CPU temperature, which means you won't have your fans randomly ramp up speed because of CPU temp spikes.
The passthrough sensors like this offer a more reliable reading. The stop plug fittings are much cheaper but usually report a temperature reading that is off by a degree or two. If this isn't an issue for you feel free to use the stop plug temperature sensors.
You can place the sensor wherever you like the in loop, it doesn't matter that much. Popular spots are the radiator inlet or outlet.

Fan Controllers

Temperature sensors need to be plugged in to something. Only high end motherboards have a temperature sensor header, you can't plug these into fan headers. If your board doesn't have a temp sensor header, you will need a fan controller.
Most are too big for the T1, except the Aquacomputer Quadro or Octo.
The Quadro is an excellent fan controller with a powerful software suite. This dashboard speaks for itself. The Quadro offers 25W of power (Noctua fans use 0.6W), meaning you can rewire your DDC pump to a 4-pin fan header and plug it into the Quadro safely and control the speed through the software suite instead of through the BIOS.
All the fan curves and settings are stored on the fan controller itself, so the settings are applied immediately after you turn on your PC. This is great if you use an OS other than Windows.

Coolant

Required Maintenance:
It is recommended to replace your coolant once a year. Make sure you plan your loop with filling/draining in mind so this yearly task is not tedious. The easiest way to drain a loop is to have an opening at the bottom of the loop for the coolant to drain from, and an opening at the top of the loop for airflow. You simply open the two ports, coolant comes out the bottom, air fills the loop from the top, let gravity do all the work. It's possible to drain the loop from a single drain port but it will require a bit more work.
Premix:
Choosing a coolant can be intimidating but it's actually fairly straightforward. I recommend using a premixed coolant, like an EK Cryofuel premix. It is hassle-free and there are a lot of color options (including a clear liquid) to choose from. You simply have to fill your loop with the premix and it's ready to go.
Concentrates:
You can also use concentrates. You have to mix these concentrates with distilled water. Concentrates are used for making your own colors that aren't available as premixes. You mix concentrates with dyes to get the exact color that you are looking for. I don't have much experience with this since I find premixes already offer a wide range of colors so you will have to do more research on your own if this interests you.
In the past some users have mentioned gunk buildup in their loop using solid pastel colored concentrates, but if mixing is done correctly this shouldn't be an issue.
Distilled Water:
You can also use distilled water as a coolant. Do not use tap water or boiled water, the minerals in the water will clog your loop. If you use distilled water, it is very important that you mix your distilled water with a biocide. It ensures that there will be no organic growth in your loop, you don't want to find algae or bacteria living in your loop. You will have to disassemble each and every component and clean it by hand. Gross. Another thing you will need is an anti corrosive solution so the water does not rust any of the components. To be honest, at this point you might as well just buy a clear premix and save yourself the trouble. Although if these coolants are not readily available where you live then distilled water with a biocide + anti corrosive will work well.
​

Installation

Installation is actually not too difficult. Researching and choosing your parts might be more tedious. It's best to watch an installation video on Youtube or even a JayzTwoCents or OptimumTech build for a general idea of how to install tubes and fittings. Once you have watched a video or two its time to dive into the build. This is the fun part.
After you finish the installation: test for any leaks before booting up the system. A leak can fry your motherboard or other components. If you're lucky you will only need to wait a few days for the components to dry and it will be reusable but why risk it. To do this use a leak tester or after filling the loop place paper towels underneath any fittings and run only your pump for a few hours, 24hrs is recommended.
If your pump is powered by a 4-pin header, you can use a USB to 4-pin adapter and plug it into a power bank or laptop to run the pump.
If your pump uses a molex power connector, unplug all cables from every component and the PSU. Plug the 24 pin cable and molex cable in to your PSU only. Plug the molex cable in to the pump power connector. Use a paper clip to bridge the PSU_ON pin and a GROUND pin to run the pump on its own. Plug the power cord into the PSU and turn it on. See these resources for which pins to ground: 4 & 3, 4 & 5, 4 & 17. More information can be found here.
Some tips for installation:
​

Here are some custom loops to help plan your build:

There are some good photographers on this sub. So many beauties, it was hard to choose which to post. I didn't include every custom loop build on this sub because there are a lot, don't take it personally if your build isn't on here:

Soft Tubing

https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jeft1h/rtx_3080_custom_loop_external_radiator_ready/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/ib6h54/custom_vrm_cooling_on_x570_board/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jvc0pf/adjusted_build_after_getting_a_3080_fe_after_2/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/in6559/first_240mm_custom_loop_in_the_t1_certainly_not/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/ifu7eq/more_detailed_pics_as_promised_what_an_amazing/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jikmyv/just_another_watercooled_formd_t1_build_on_this/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/ih16ec/darkness_build_v2_formd_t1_v11_w_ryzen_3950x_rtx/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/ixvbuh/unfortunately_its_time_to_move_on/

Hardline Tubing

https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jssclh/share_my_build_its_a_great_case/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/ipw3fy/more_waterbending_goodness/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/iaozkm/finally_the_build_is_done_i_even_dont_want_to_put/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/iww1l6/almost_completed_workstation_build/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/iefwx2/finished_hard_tubes_t1_with_2_pumps_and_2/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jr0s4t/my_almost_finished_480mm_of_water_cooled_t1_loop/
https://www.reddit.com/FormD/comments/jirg5e/after_months_of_being_super_jealous_of_everyone/
TL;DR:
Feel free to share anything I may have missed or ask for help.
submitted by EasilyConfused7 to FormD [link] [comments]

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