Gaming PCs are designed to be pushed to their performance and thermal limits, with plenty of fans or water cooling to keep cool, but this silent gaming PC build from Reddit takes things to a whole new level. The intriguing design takes advantage of the DIY aluminum case’s surface area, turning it into a huge heatsink to keep it cool.
This replicates what you might see on a smaller scale when you’re using some of the best CPU coolers, but with the heat from all of your PC’s components being spread out across the case itself to reduce the impact. The best gaming PCs in the world don’t have a cooling system quite like this one to cool a power-hungry Intel CPU and Nvidia graphics card, but if this unique DIY project proves anything, it shows that totally silent, top-end gaming PCs are entirely within reach.
This build was shared in a post in the r/sffpc subreddit by WalkingSql. In the comments, the Redditor shared that the aluminum build is a prototype, with some aspects still under review. He details the build process in a number of pictures in a later post, showing how the different components came together in this 24lbs (11kg) PC.
The components used here makes this a top mini gaming PC in its own right, with an Intel Core i9 13900K, undervolted to help with the thermal demands, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, limited to 240W. There’s an ITX MSI motherboard in use, and although the OP doesn’t share any additional information about the specs, the CPU and GPU combo clearly make this a top-tier build in most gamer’s eyes.
This gaming PC doesn’t completely rely on passive cooling, but it’s close. Four Noctua fans are still used, running at a low speed (under 900RPM), to help remove some of the heat. However, according to the OP, half of the PC’s heat is being dissipated through the case itself.
Thanks to the quality of the Noctua fans, the noise is kept to an absolute minimum, with the noise level reaching 34-35dBA under load in a video shared by the Redditor – no more than a whisper. At that level, CPU temperatures hit 167°F (75°C), while the GPU temperature reaches around 176°F (80°C).
I love small form factor gaming PC builds like this one, but I know from my own experience that building it is one thing, but keeping it sufficiently cool enough is enough. I wish WalkingSql luck as the Redditor continues to improve on their very impressive DIY concept, with plans already in place to add even more cooling fins to improve the case’s heat dissipation.
If you like the idea of owning a tiny gaming PC yourself, check out our best gaming mini PC guide, where we run through the best options for gamers who want to play, but lack the space for a huge gaming rig.