STEAM DECK Mod thread

[AURMEND]

Thanks to Devin Sidell he was able to revers engineer the Steam provided CAD files into the top and bottom shell.


I am now Modding the steam deckwith my own deisgn. i will be updating the file for more acuurate dimensions.
Aurmend's Fusion 360 Steam Deck Mods the goal is to make a standard where people will add on to and modify the steamdeck.

The cutout and the mounting points

 

[AURMEND]

Gonna need some help, the goal is to cust as little as possible on the steam deck when adding more cooling performance

Need to know the fan specs EDIT: 50*50*10 5V
Now i need to find one that's 20mm thick and 25mm thick just Incase.

As for the CPU cooling i need to know the dimensions of the heatpipe and the heatsink. Or find one for sale so i can recreate it in F360

Yes I'm going to liquid metal this when it finally arrives.

 

[AURMEND]

after some consensus there are two options.

1: OEM Fan stacking. The fans will have some with some space between them so the OG Fan can use the OG air inlet (meaning it will draw in hotter air like it's supposed to and the new fan will get 100% fresh air.

2: Extrude the fin stack all the way into where the fan to be and have a regular50mm fan blow into the fins and out the steam deck to is original outlet.

EDIT: Vote for which COOLING MOD

 

[k0n]

I thought about harvesting the board and mounting it on a Noctua L9 or something like that. The remaining parts could be sold or used as spare parts. This was my backup plan in case it would be a disappointing handheld, but it didn't disappoint.

Now I think that much better cooling is pointless unless there is a way to OC the GPU. A bottom shell where part of the plastic is replaced with plane aluminium would be my goal.

 

[AURMEND]

I thought about harvesting the board and mounting it on a Noctua L9 or something like that. The remaining parts could be sold or used as spare parts. This was my backup plan in case it would be a disappointing handheld, but it didn't disappoint.

Now I think that much better cooling is pointless unless there is a way to OC the GPU. A bottom shell where part of the plastic is replaced with plane aluminium would be my goal.

I could replace the shell part with aluminum or copper but then need to figure out the WiFi antenna. Hmmm, it's doable but it will get hot.

 

[Valantar]

I could replace the shell part with aluminum or copper but then need to figure out the WiFi antenna. Hmmm, it's doable but it will get hot.

Where are the WiFi antennas located? And I agree with @k0n that the most sensible SD cooling mod is replacing the middle part of the back with some kind of heatsink. That way you preserve its portability while improving cooling.

 

[k0n]

The antennas are underneath the battery/screen. The aluminim plate/heatsink could be about the size of the screen. Covering the board, fan, heatsink and battery. Anything more would requiere a more complex shape and heat up your hands.

The plane plate could also be used to further pass on heat in a docked mode...

 

[AURMEND]

I'm waiting on the steam deck to arrive, I'll mod it accordingly

 

[AURMEND]

So where can I buy a replacement heatsink when i inevitably break mine.

I'm also going to order a replacement thumb stick to see if i can mod it and make it like a Xbox elite controller replaceable thumb sticks

 

[Legion]

Steam Deck Parts | iFixit

OEM Valve Steam Deck parts for DIY repair. Batteries, screens, and small parts all tested and guaranteed with fast shipping and easy returns.

www.ifixit.com

 

[AURMEND]

Steam Deck Parts | iFixit

OEM Valve Steam Deck parts for DIY repair. Batteries, screens, and small parts all tested and guaranteed with fast shipping and easy returns.

www.ifixit.com

Doesn't have it but someone is building a mono block