PC building has remained fundamentally the same over the last three decades. You pick the same 8 components, assemble them into your dream build, and waste hours optimizing every little aspect of it. What has changed, however, are the underlying trends surrounding the esthetics, and the modifications we make to our rigs. From gigantic cases and custom watercooling loops to delidding and all-RGB builds, some PC building trends aren't "cool" anymore.

5 Full-tower cases

Stopped being popular 15 years ago

Full-tower cases used to be all the rage till the early 2010s, when people wanted tons of space for their hard drives, multiple CD-ROM drives, and elaborate cooling setups. Plus, a lot of users preferred keeping their towers on the floor, as opposed to the newer practice of keeping them on the desk, next to your monitor. Relatively compact mid-towers and mini-ITX cases are easier to keep on your desk, and are just as easy to build in.

Almost no one needs enormous cases anymore — hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and floppy drives are extinct in most setups. And complex custom watercooling loops have given way to AIO liquid coolers and air coolers. No matter how many radiators you want to install, or the number of fans you want to cram in your case, there's a mid-tower that's up to the task. Besides, mid-towers and SFF cases look sleeker and blend in better with the rest of the setup.

4 All-RGB builds

Ridiculous, Gaudy, Bygone

"To each their own" is something I always believe in, but excessive RGB is one of the PC trends that rapidly exploded before becoming a no-no in the last few years. From enhancing the looks of the PC to becoming the butt of jokes, RGB has been on a journey. Done tastefully, RGB lighting can still make a build look classy, but when you take it to the extreme, "rainbow puke" isn't an inaccurate summation.

Manufacturers aren't stopping, though — RGB went from components to monitors, and even on GPU support brackets. You can find RGB deskmats, heatsinks, cables, and even chairs if you want. Combined with gaudy lighting that some people like to flood their PC room with, the entire scene quickly resembles a nightclub, and not the sophisticated kind. While RGB components, devices, and accessories won't disappear anytime soon, all-RGB builds have certainly dropped in popularity.

3 Overclocking CPUs and GPUs

Overrated, more like

Overclocking used to be the badge of honor for builders who went the extra mile to squeeze every ounce of performance from their builds. It was almost expected to push your CPU and GPU to their realistic limits; otherwise, you were leaving performance on the table. Today, however, overclocking has stopped being relevant. The gains aren't there anymore, and PC building has gone mainstream.

Manufacturers started pushing CPUs and GPUs almost to their limits right out of the factory to target the new-age builders who prefer components that "just work." Overclocking became a niche hobby (more so than before) that yielded far too little for far too much effort. Some builders still do it on principle, but I see many more people undervolt their hardware instead of overclocking it. It reduces operating temps, extends component lifespan, and even gives you a small performance boost.

2 Custom loop watercooling

Much ado about nothing

While custom watercooling loops look superb, and provide cooling for not just the CPU, but multiple components simultaneously, most people just don't benefit enough from it anymore. The budget builder has no choice but to pick a $35 air cooler or $50 AIO; the mid-range builder upgrades to a better AIO or air cooler; and the high-end builder spends the extra budget on other high-end parts.

Custom loops are now relevant only to the enthusiasts of the enthusiasts — content creators or builders who can spend a ton on esthetics. A custom loop can still transform your PC visually, and even offer thermal benefits over an AIO, but the performance benefits are slim, and the cost and effort are high. Most CPUs and GPUs, even the high-end ones, can be tamed with AIOs, and it's far easier to craft a good-looking build without a custom watercooling loop.

1 CPU delidding

The risk-reward ratio is skewed

The only thing more complex on this list than custom watercooling is delidding your CPU. Removing the IHS to expose the CPU die for direct-die cooling (or replacing the TIM) has inherent risks. You can easily break your CPU permanently, and it obviously voids the warranty. The objective here is better thermals — something that just isn't possible without getting rid of the IHS. However, the gains aren't worth the risk.

Modern chips are comfortable running near their TJMax, the temperature beyond which the CPU starts to throttle performance. They are designed to provide the maximum performance out of the box, and if you're really chasing lower temps, you can invest in a decent cooler and undervolt your CPU. Resorting to delidding isn't for everyone, and numerous accounts on Reddit show broken CPUs as a result of incorrect delidding.

PC building doesn't need to be complicated

You don't need to make life difficult for yourself just because you're building a PC instead of buying a pre-built. Things like delidding your CPU, crafting a custom loop, or even overclocking your hardware aren't relevant anymore, at least not for most people. PC building goes through trends just like any other sphere of life, and stuff like all-RGB builds and full-tower cases stopped being popular years ago.