This Steam Deck now has water cooling, thanks to this completely absurd DIY mod

It's the inherent right of every serious tech modder to rip apart their expensive kit, no matter the consequences. One modder has taken that mantra to heart by taking their Steam Deck and adding a custom water-cooling loop to it, hacking away the Deck's back panel for access, and securing the whole setup to a desk.

Is this a sensible way to keep your Steam Deck cool? For most gamers, probably not – it's already one of the best handheld options out there with adequate cooling for most use cases. While it can get a little hot under load, we aren't recommending that most gamers get out their tools and start putting together DIY mods like this one, although it's still a pretty cool concept to see work.

Shared in a post on Reddit, user u/2GGBoy7 unveiled this unusual DIY Steam Deck mod. Using parts from an old PC build, the gamer added a 240mm custom water loop to their Steam Deck, with part of the Deck's backplate altered to allow for the tubing. The loop uses a pump and radiator attached to a desk, removing the handheld's portability in the process.

With the improved thermal potential unlocked by the water-cooling loop, the modder overclocked the Steam Deck using a patching tool to push the Steam Deck's TDP from a stock 15W to 27W. Unfortunately, only a modest 100MHz boost to the CPU and GPU was good enough for use in the long run, along with a -10mV undervolting, leaving the system "stable, responsive, and cool" as a result.

The result? While playing intensive games like Helldivers 2, the Steam Deck's APU hits 131°F (55°C) under load, while the Deck sits at 80°F (27°C) while idle. According to the modder, the Steam Deck never goes above 140°F (60°C), even during long and intensive gaming sessions.

Of course, this is an absurd, unpractical, and as the modder admits, "obviously overkill" mod that doesn't seem to add much to this particular handheld's performance, even if it does improve its thermal potential. It's certainly a cool "what if?" project, but we won't be recommending it as an option to try out on your own Steam Deck.

If you're in the market for a sensible upgrade, however, check out our best Steam Deck accessories guide, with options from a new dock to extra storage on offer.

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