Redditor turns Android phone into a desktop PC in a stroke of genius, sandwiching it between two huge CPU coolers so it runs Witcher 3 at 1080p ultra

A Redditor has ingeniously transformed their Nubia Z70 Ultra Android phone into a makeshift desktop PC by sandwiching it between two substantial CPU coolers. This feat, which earned a commendatory Reddit post, enables the device to run PC games at playable frame rates on a Linux desktop. To achieve this, the phone's screen was removed and replaced with a custom acrylic case front, with the phone itself nestled snugly between the CPU coolers, making direct contact with the Snapdragon chip's casing. This configuration maximizes cooling efficiency, allowing the device to run taxing workloads.

The Redditor, known as ntsow, operates the device through a full XFCE Linux desktop via Termux, accompanied by GPU acceleration and Windows apps/games. While the cooling system allows the Snapdragon chip to be pushed hard, it also maintains sustained and taxing workloads. The device can run Windows games impressively well, thanks to the 24GB of onboard RAM. The Witcher 3, for instance, runs at 20 to 30 frames per second (fps) at Full HD resolution with ultra details.

This innovative hardware mod is particularly lauded for running Windows games at playable frame rates, a feat that is genuinely impressive. It's worth noting that the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip used in this project is older than Qualcomm's top-tier mobile silicon. The newer Gen 5 processors offer higher performance, with clock speeds of 4.6GHz compared to the older 4.3GHz. However, even with the older chip, the Redditor's creation showcases the potential of turning phones into powerful computing devices.