Ice Machine Repurposed as GPU Cooler Reduces RTX 3060 Temperatures

YouTuber TrashBench stripped a Nvidia RTX 3060, fitted a custom retention frame for liquid-cooling tubes, and routed a water loop through a countertop ice maker. He installed a submersible pump, replaced the machine’s thermostat with a continuously-on unit, and added a plastic bowl to fully submerge the evaporator coils, allowing hot water from the GPU to be chilled before recirculation.

Ingenious modder converts countertop ice machine into an RTX 3060 GPU cooler with a beer fridge thermostat — mod reduces temps by up to 62% in games, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 22°CDigital TrendsSomeone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw

The idea came from modder Mr. Yeester, who cooled a CPU with a smaller ice machine. TrashBench has previously used car antifreeze, a freezer-enclosed bench, and transmission fluid to chill GPUs, making this the latest extreme-cooling test.

Ingenious modder converts countertop ice machine into an RTX 3060 GPU cooler with a beer fridge thermostat — mod reduces temps by up to 62% in games, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 22°C

Stock cooling in *Cyberpunk 2077* kept the RTX 3060 at ~60 °C (hot spot ~75 °C). A water-cooled loop lowered the average to ~44 °C. The ice-machine loop achieved 22–23 °C under load (Digital Trends) and 21 °C in XDA-Developers’ test, with idle temperatures as low as 6.8 °C. Tom’s Hardware reported up to a 62 % temperature reduction versus stock.

Someone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw

Condensation formed on the GPU and nearby components, forcing the test to stop. XDA-Developers and Digital Trends warned of electrical hazards and deemed the setup unsuitable for regular use. Permanent alteration of the ice maker’s control logic further limits practicality.

Digital Trends

TrashBench stressed the build is a proof-of-concept, not a tutorial. He described himself as “not an electrician” and called the project “stupid,” emphasizing its experimental nature. He explained that the stock thermostat’s intermittent cycle prevented sufficient cooling, prompting the swap to a continuously-on thermostat and the submersion of the evaporator coils. He reported stable temperatures but warned that condensation remains a concern.

Ingenious modder converts countertop ice machine into an RTX 3060 GPU cooler with a beer fridge thermostat — mod reduces temps by up to 62% in games, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 22°C

XDA-Developers measured an idle temperature of 6.8 °C, while Digital Trends only reported load temperatures (22–23 °C) and did not publish idle data. Both sources agree on a load range of 21–23 °C, but exact figures differ. No long-term reliability or failure data for the modified ice machine are available.

Someone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw

• “This is not a tutorial. I am not an electrician. Everything here is stupid.” — TrashBench, YouTuber

Someone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw

• “It worked, but it is not practical The results are impressive, but the setup also showed exactly why this should stay in the “fun experiment” category.” — Digital Trends

Digital Trends

• “The bad news is that where there's chilled water, there's condensation.” — XDA-Developers

Someone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw

• “He used an external thermostat, the kind he said he normally uses for a beer fridge, to keep the compressor running continuously.” — Digital Trends

Digital Trends

• “An Ice Machine Shouldn’t Cool a GPU.” — TrashBench

Ingenious modder converts countertop ice machine into an RTX 3060 GPU cooler with a beer fridge thermostat — mod reduces temps by up to 62% in games, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 22°C

TrashBench suggested the cooler could support aggressive overclocking, but reiterated safety and condensation concerns keep it in the proof-of-concept realm. No commercial version or further development has been announced.

Someone cooled their RTX 3060 down to 21°C with an ice machine, with one major flaw