Submerging Consoles in Mineral Oil: A Gaming PC Build Experiment

The Mineral Oil PC Build Dream

• 💡 For years, the creator desired to build a mineral oil gaming PC, envisioning a cool aesthetic of a PC submerged in a fish tank.
• 🧠 Mineral oil was chosen for its unique property of being non-electrically conductive despite being a liquid.
• 🚀 The experiment aims to submerge expensive electronics, including a PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, in mineral oil.

Gathering Supplies and Modifications

• 🛒 A 40-gallon fish tank, hundreds of dollars in pet supplies (including RGB gravel), and 10 gallons of mineral oil were acquired.
• ⚠️ Modifications were made to consoles to allow for temperature probes, especially for the Xbox Series S which required significant disassembly.
• 🔌 Cables for USB, HDMI, and power were routed out of the tank, with the assumption that wireless signals would not function underwater.

The Submersion Process

• 💧 The process involved pouring large quantities of thick mineral oil into the tank, with the creator noting the oil's viscosity.
• 🎮 Despite initial nervousness, the consoles were submerged, and the creator expressed excitement about the aesthetic.
• 🛠️ The setup included running cables and ensuring probes were correctly placed for thermal testing.

Performance and Thermal Results

• ✅ The Xbox Series S remained fully functional and showed a significant temperature improvement, dropping from 134°F to 89°F.
• ⚡ The PlayStation 5 was also functional, playing "Gran Turismo 7" smoothly, with temperatures improving from 126°F to 101°F.
• ⚠️ The Nintendo Switch showed some screen bubbling initially but remained functional, with temperatures dropping from 91°F to 83°F, though some games experienced issues.

Conclusion and Reflections

• 🏆 The experiment successfully created a fully functional, submerged triple-console setup.
• ✨ The primary accomplishment was creating a unique and visually striking console setup, with a slight improvement in thermal performance due to mineral oil's cooling properties.
• 😅 The creator humorously noted the expense and the need to justify it as a business expense for tax purposes.