A hardware enthusiast has transformed a Nubia Z70 Ultra smartphone into an unusual desktop gaming PC capable of running The Witcher 3 at 1080p using the Ultra graphics preset.
The experimental system uses two full-size desktop CPU coolers to prevent the phone’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor from slowing down under sustained workloads. It also supports an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, runs a Linux desktop and can launch some Windows applications through compatibility tools.
The project is far from a practical replacement for a conventional gaming PC. However, it demonstrates how much performance a modern mobile processor can sustain when heat and the physical limitations of a slim smartphone are removed.
A smartphone sandwiched between two CPU coolers
The project was created by Reddit user ntsow, who wanted to find out how far a smartphone could be pushed if it were no longer treated like a conventional mobile device.
The selected phone was a Nubia Z70 Ultra equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.
The creator removed the phone’s display and mounted it on the front of a transparent acrylic enclosure. This allowed two desktop heatsinks to make more direct contact with the shielding around the phone’s main components.
Fans provide airflow through the heatsinks, while a power bank helps prevent power-related performance limits. Some components not required for the desktop experiment, including the phone’s cameras, were also removed.
The complete build and performance figures were shared in the creator’s original Reddit post.
The Witcher 3 runs at 1080p Ultra
The modified smartphone can reportedly run The Witcher 3 at a resolution of 1920 × 1080 using the game’s Ultra graphics preset.
Performance generally ranges between approximately 20 and 30 frames per second, depending on the scene and graphics workload. The phone’s Adreno GPU remains close to full utilisation during gameplay.
The results do not put the system in direct competition with a modern gaming PC or console. Still, running a demanding Windows game at those settings on hardware originally designed for a smartphone is technically impressive.
The game is not running as a native Android application. The system relies on compatibility and translation tools to make Windows software work on the phone’s ARM-based processor.
According to Tom’s Hardware, the project uses tools including Wine, Box64 and Hangover to support Windows applications and games.
These additional software layers introduce processing overhead, meaning the same game would generally perform better on hardware running it natively.
99% stability under sustained load
The dual-cooler setup makes its biggest difference during extended workloads.
In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, the modified Nubia Z70 Ultra achieved a best-loop score of 6,980 and a lowest-loop score of 6,910. This produced a reported stability rating of 99% across 20 loops.
Test | Reported result |
|---|
Best loop | 6,980 |
Lowest loop | 6,910 |
Stability | 99% |
Test loops | 20 |
Overall 3DMark score shown | 10,533 |
The small difference between the best and worst loops suggests that the processor maintained nearly consistent performance throughout the test.
An ordinary smartphone usually reaches its maximum performance briefly before reducing processor speeds to control heat. This process, known as thermal throttling, protects the internal components and prevents the phone’s exterior from becoming dangerously hot.
The two oversized CPU coolers provide much more thermal capacity than a slim smartphone chassis, allowing the Snapdragon processor to maintain higher clock speeds for longer.
The phone also works as a Linux desktop
The project is more than a gaming benchmark. The creator’s broader goal is to use one smartphone as an Android device, Linux workstation and Windows gaming machine.
A full XFCE4 Linux desktop runs through Termux on top of Android with hardware-accelerated graphics. The system supports an external monitor, keyboard, mouse and compatible Linux applications.
Android remains the underlying operating system. The device is not running a native Windows installation or a conventional dual-boot configuration.
The Windows games operate through compatibility and translation layers, while the Linux environment runs alongside Android. This gives the modified phone many of the functions of a small ARM-based desktop computer.
Why phones cannot normally sustain this performance
Flagship mobile processors can deliver powerful short bursts of performance, but smartphones face strict size, temperature and battery limitations.
A desktop computer can use large heatsinks, multiple fans and higher power limits. A phone must fit its processor, battery, cameras, display and cooling hardware into a thin and portable body.
Manufacturers must also keep the exterior safe and comfortable enough to hold. As a result, mobile processors often reduce their performance during long gaming sessions or demanding workloads.
This experiment removes many of those physical restrictions. It shows what the Snapdragon 8 Elite can sustain with excessive cooling, but the resulting machine is no longer portable enough to function as a normal smartphone.
Impressive, but not a practical gaming PC
The modified Nubia Z70 Ultra is unlikely to replace a conventional computer for most users. Its large coolers, custom enclosure and complicated software configuration remove much of the convenience associated with a smartphone.
Windows game compatibility can also vary. Translation layers may introduce graphical errors, instability and lower performance. Dismantling a phone to create a similar system would also invalidate its warranty and could permanently damage the device.
The project should therefore be viewed as a technical experiment rather than a modification ordinary users should attempt.
Even so, it provides an interesting look at the potential of modern mobile hardware. The results suggest that heat—not just processing capability—is one of the biggest barriers preventing flagship phones from delivering desktop-like performance over extended periods.
As mobile processors become faster and Android desktop features improve, less extreme versions of this idea could eventually become practical. For now, the dual-cooler Nubia Z70 Ultra remains an entertaining demonstration of how far smartphone hardware can be pushed.