The 'world's first' water-cooled Steam Machine is a Frankenstein's monster of neon pink tubing and external hardware

Upon release, I had criticized the Steam Machine for its high price. However, the idea of the creator community doing something interesting with it sparked my curiosity. Enter the first water-cooled Steam Machine, a creation of Stefan Warecka. Dubbed the Not-so-steamy Machine, Warecka claims it holds the title of the world's first example.

The video showcasing the build process, shared on Reddit, begins with Warecka attacking the Steam Machine's cardboard box with an angle grinder - an unconventional start, to say the least. Despite the unconventional approach, the finished product is a visually striking Steam Machine, featuring a fan-cooled radiator mounted to the back, a custom CNC-ed water block, and extensive external tubing.

The tubing is filled with a neon-pink liquid solution, giving the machine an otherworldly appearance. The APU temperatures reportedly drop by 20-30 degrees, although a full video detailing the build is expected to be posted on their YouTube channel. The Cyberpunk 2077 demo running in the background suggests potential performance benefits, but benchmarks are yet to be published.

While the neat form factor of the standard Steam Machine makes it easy to tuck under a TV, this water-cooled version takes a different approach. Techmagnet suggests that the next step should be to open up the machine again and work on VRM cooling, a challenging task given the tiny MOSFETs that run at the limits of thermal design.

While I appreciate the fun and creativity behind this project, I do hope the creator takes precautions while using the angle grinder.