I designed and made a 3D-printed "heat extractor" for my PC to stop it cooking my room. Surprised me by cooling my components too. Would anyone actually want this?
We’ve all seen the complaints about the heat produced by our PCshttps://i.redd.it/m5c0l37xpmjh1.jpg. I just upgraded mine and started noticing it more so I did something about it. I know there are some DIY solutions out there, but they don’t look good and don’t seem to function as well as they need to. I've been working on a solution that keeps the heat out and looks like it is supposed to be part of the PC. I’m calling it the HeatShift TEU (Thermal Extraction Unit), and I've finally reached the point where I'm curious whether this solves a problem for anyone besides me.
The problem was pretty simple: during longer gaming sessions, my PC was basically a space heater. My room would regularly climb 5–6°F, and I could feel hot exhaust blowing around my desk. So I started experimenting with ways to capture the PC's exhaust and send it outside through a window. The first prototype was hilariously crude, basically a homemade hood and dryer duct, but it proved the basic idea was possible. From there I've been designing and 3D printing progressively better and more functional versions.
This is now V4.
The TEU sits over the top/rear exhaust area of the PC and uses modular sections so it can be configured for cases with different numbers and locations of exhaust fans (even down the back/side panel). The capture system is sized to accommodate case fans up to 140 mm, rather than requiring separate 120 mm and 140 mm versions. The sections are magnetically sealed to minimize leakage, vibration, and make assembly easy and satisfying. The system feeds into a 4-inch duct connected to a variable-speed 205 CFM inline fan that exhausts through a window. I have also made a modular window kit system, much like the little walls for a window AC unit.
The install is the part I'm most happy with: because the pieces are magnetic, there are no screws, brackets, or tools. It snaps into place and comes apart the same way. You basically arrange the sections your case needs and let the magnets do the rest.
The goal was just to stop dumping heat into the room. It did that. But it also did something I didn't expect: it made the whole system run noticeably cooler.
Here's what I measured on my own build (RTX 3060, same game, same settings):
- GPU at 98% load: ~72°C before. With the TEU it stayed 62-65°C.
- CPU stayed under 60°C, and the other motherboard sensors dropped too.
For full load benchmark tests:
- Stress test (FurMark2 + Cinebench, both pinned at 100%): the room only rose 0.5°F over the whole run, and that was on a day it was 93°F outside.
- Across the benchmarks, all components ran about 3-5°C cooler with the system than without it.
So I'm currently seeing roughly a 7–10°C reduction in GPU temperature, around an 8–9°C reduction in CPU temperature, and the room is no longer steadily turning into a sauna while I play. These are just my own prototype test results, definitely not controlled laboratory testing, but they're encouraging enough that I want to keep developing it and collect more data.
The current V4 is also dramatically more functional and aesthetically pleasing than where this started. The modular extensions allow the capture area to be changed for different fan layouts, while interchangeable pieces, magnetic mounting, and removable components mean the entire system doesn't have to be designed around one specific PC. The inline fan is a little louder than the PC fans, but not bad at all. A less powerful fan would likely work as well as it would need to. A smoother 4in duct would also likely help noise, something I am looking into.
Where I want to take it next:
For now, I'm going to stop redesigning the core unit and put some real hours on V4 to find problems through normal use. If the design continues working well, I'd like to explore interchangeable outer panels/skins. The structural airflow system would stay the same, but the visible surfaces could potentially be swapped for different colors and themes; translucent RGB versions, industrial designs, automotive-inspired versions, seasonal designs, custom designs, etc.
I also want to continue experimenting with capturing more heat from around the GPU/PSU area, improving universal case compatibility, refining the window kit, and eventually figuring out what manufacturing something like this would actually cost. I'm not selling anything right now. This is still very much a working prototype built on my 3D printer.
I'm mainly trying to figure out:
Would you actually use something like this for your gaming PC? And if not, what would stop you?Size? Noise? Having a duct going to the window? Appearance? Price? Something I haven't thought of? I'm especially interested in hearing from people whose gaming PCs noticeably heat up their rooms.
If there's enough interest, I'd like to keep documenting the development and potentially see whether this could eventually become a real product. Please tell me what you think, what could be better, what you'd want to see from a product like this, what themes/designs would be interesting to you and any questions you have.
I've included pictures of the different prototypes because the evolution from the first ridiculous setup to V4 has been half the fun.
Thank you!
