The PCBuild subreddit has long been a place where particularly capable hobbyists are happy to show off their skills, and one of the latest additions to the community is getting a ton of attention.
I don't know how common cast-iron radiators are in the rest of the world, but in Canada, they're still found in plenty of old homes, dutifully heating rooms in the cold months. They're designed to expel heat in the most efficient manner possible using an array of fins, similar to how many PC cooling components operate.
Well, what happens if you not only use a Victorian-era cast-iron radiator to cool your PC, but instead build the entire PC right into the radiator? That's exactly what YouTuber and Reddit user Billet_Labs has accomplished here with an incredible custom gaming PC that looks like it's straight out of an alternate steampunk reality.
The user says the cast-iron build includes an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, an NVIDIA RTX 5080 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM. It quickly becomes clear after getting a look at the bottom of the PC that the entire thing is custom. Custom motherboard, custom brass and copper water pipes, a custom pump for the cooling loop, custom gauges, and more. You get the idea.
On the side, the I/O is clearly visible, with the GPU's ports on the left side, the main motherboard ports in the middle, and a power plug on the end.
Cast-iron radiator water-cooled gaming PC build 9800X3D/5080/32GB - 99kg from r/PcBuild
I don't care if you're not big into PC building; this thing is an absolute work of art. Billet_Labs began by 3D printing a chassis to attach to the bottom of the radiator, which allowed them to install three fans, a motherboard, a PSU, and a GPU in the tiny space.
It was then time to build a custom cooling loop, which seems to have taken the most time. I can't imagine the work that went into this one step. Altogether, Billet Labs says this PC build took three months to complete, "mostly full time," with filming involved. I urge you to check out the hour-long video on the Billet Labs YouTube channel.
So, the PC looks great, but how does it perform? Billet Labs provides a chart with thermal information, and it appears to do a stellar job of keeping the components cool under load.
I'm certainly not the only one impressed with this custom PC build. Reddit comments are overwhelmingly positive, with most users expressing their appreciation of the build's complexity. It's the same story over on the Billet Labs YouTube channel, where the video has already picked up nearly 100,000 views in just a couple of days.
🗨️ How much do you love this custom PC?
What do you think about this custom cast-iron PC? Have you ever built a gaming PC into something completely irrational? Was it a success? Let me know in the comments section!
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