Once in a while the worlds of mainstream TV and enthusiast PC building merge, creating something that can only be described as a slightly odd experience. Intel has produced a show called Rig Wars, a kind of ‘Master Chef’ for PC modders. It’s certainly worth a look, if only to see how Intel’s marketing team are trying to reach out to today’s generation of potential ‘K’ SKU users.

The show kicks off by introducing three experienced modders from the US. They then have tackle their first challenge which is to simply building a PC from scratch as quickly as possible. Just as you would expect with a Gordon Ramsey-style competitive cooking TV show, the contestants race across the room to grab their box of PC components which they have to unpack and assemble as quickly as possible. The first to successfully boot in BIOS is the winner.

In true Master Chef style, the show overlays retrospective interviews with the contestants where they explain their innermost feelings and the emotions the contest put them through. One guy laments not having his electric screwdriver with him. In fairness the show’s format and style does its best to make DIY PC building as interesting and edgy as possible.

Looking at the comments, the hosts do get some flack for the slightly wooden and scripted presentation, but I will be tempted to see Episode 2, where I hope they may even get down to some overclocking. Catch the video here on the Intel YouTube channel. If you’re real sucker for punishment there is also an hour long episode here in Swedish from two years ago which features our man Gubben.