218-pound PC built inside a cast-iron Victorian radiator — cooling an RTX 5090 'probably out of the question'
Published: (February 24, 2026 at 06:26 AM EST)
2 min read
Source: Tom's Hardware
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Billet Labs has finalized its cast‑iron Victorian radiator gaming PC build. Alex, the London‑based PC‑cooling innovator, shared an hour‑long video detailing the project and explaining why “cooling something like a RTX 5090 is probably out of the question.” Instead, the team settled on an RTX 5080 paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D as the sweet spot.
Image credit: Billet Labs
Watch the build video on YouTube
Build Overview
- The radiator‑as‑a‑PC weighs 178 lb (81 kg) empty and 218 lb (99 kg) when filled with coolant.
- Alex emphasizes the “insane” thermal mass and the striking aesthetic of the piece.
Design Challenges
- The Victorian radiator has no flat surfaces or pre‑drilled holes, making mounting difficult.
- The goal was to keep the artifact’s visual appeal intact while hiding components “as invisibly as possible” on the bottom.
3D Scanning & Custom Mounting
- The bottom of the radiator was 3‑D scanned to create an accurate digital model.
- Using the scan, a two‑part 3‑D‑printed plastic chassis was designed to hold the PSU, motherboard, GPU, and other parts.
- The chassis attaches to the radiator’s central spine with half‑pipe fixings.
Cooling System
- Although initially imagined as a fanless solution, the chassis includes space for three ultra‑thin 120 mm fans.
- Alphacool water blocks were selected for the RTX 5080 and a prototype AM5 CPU block.
Component List
| Category | Part |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte AORUS Pro B850i (Mini‑ITX) |
| PSU | Enhance ENP 7660L‑VT 600 W Platinum Flex ATX |
| Cooling | Victorian radiator, copper pipe, pump, water blocks, three slim fans |
Power Button
A sprung antique brass gear lever was sourced and mounted into a side vent, providing a period‑appropriate power‑on mechanism.
Benchmark & Thermal Performance
- In a “torture test” drawing ≈ 520 W for over an hour, the coolant temperature stabilized under 30 °C.
- The RTX 5080 peaked at 75 °C during the most demanding workload.
Sourcing a Cast‑Iron Radiator
Finding an authentic Victorian radiator in 2026 is challenging, but modern cast‑iron radiators are still available from retailers such as Amazon.