DeepCool mini-PC prototype uses desktop CPU cooler outside the case
Full-size air cooler outside the case.
DeepCool has apparently found a very direct way to improve cooling in a small form factor PC. Instead of redesigning the chassis around a lower-profile heatsink, the company simply cut a hole in the top panel and pushed a large desktop CPU cooler through it.
The prototype was shown at Computex 2026 and spotted by Club386. The system uses a compact chassis with a DeepCool Assassin V tower cooler installed above the main body of the case. It is still technically an SFF PC, although the cooler now occupies the space usually saved by choosing a smaller case.
This design avoids one of the main limits of mini-PC builds, which is cooler height. Since the heatsink sits outside the chassis, the CPU cooler is no longer restricted by the internal case dimensions. The cooler also has direct access to fresh air, which should help CPU temperatures compared to a closed internal layout.
But why?
The top panel needs a large opening, so dust will have an easier path into the system. The exposed heatsink also makes the system taller in practice. This is not a clean console-style build anymore, unless the console in question has a desktop cooler sticking out of it.
DeepCool also showed a modular part of the design. According to the report, the chassis can be stacked with another compartment for a large graphics card, connected through a PCIe riser cable on the side. This would separate the GPU from the main CPU and motherboard section.
This probably won’t appeal to every SFF enthusiast, since the giant cooler sticking out of the top defeats part of the point. But for anyone with a mini-PC slowly cooking inside a TV cabinet, it might make sense.
Sources: Club386
