The case of this PC with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a solid radiator

A fan of compact PCs and a fan of silent, fanless solutions documented to create his new project. We are talking about the Monochrome 2 system based on a high-performance processor AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Strix Halowhich does not require an active cooling system and operates silently.

The creation of the passive system began in late June, even before the author received the processor and all the necessary components. According to his posts on the forum, TheJiral did a lot of preparatory work in advance: he thought about components, cables, and additional equipment. The Monochrome 2 is based on the Desktop Framework — a modular computer that can be easily adapted to your own needs.

Housing as a radiator

The key idea of Monochrome 2 is to use the case as the main radiator. This solution has long been known among enthusiasts, and it is the most suitable for compact SFF systems. The case panels in this design are in direct contact with the hot components, and the massive fins dissipate heat through natural convection.

However, passive cooling came at the cost of compactness. While the standard Framework Desktop has a volume of only 4.5 liters, Monochrome 2 has grown to 7.5 liters. The weight has also increased significantly — the case with the massive radiator fins weighs 4.5 kg.

One of the first components purchased was the HDPLEX 250W GaN AIO ATX PSU passive modular power supply system. Although initially there were concerns that 250W might not be enough power, they disappeared after it turned out that GMKtec EVO-X2 mini-PC with the same processor received a 230 W power adapter.

The first launch of the system based on the Framework motherboard took place a few days ago. TheJiral opted for Linux by installing the openSUSE distribution. After a few modifications to the thermal interface and minor tweaks, the build was successfully completed. The next step is testing, especially with regard to the thermal conditions.

First tests and comparisons

Comparisons with other systems are not so easy to make, but there are some benchmarks. For example, the Framework Desktop system with active cooling scored 2966 points in the single-core test and 17574 in the multi-core test on Geekbench 6. The passive Monochrome 2 demonstrated 3116 and 20785 points, respectively. The difference seems to be in favor of the new system, but it’s worth considering the differences in OS and benchmark version.

In the game Cyberpunk 2077, the Framework PC with a cooler averaged 22 fps in the 1080p Ray Tracing Ultra preset. The passive system showed 31 fps, presumably with the same preset. There is an assumption that TheJiral used FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) technology.

These results do not yet give a complete picture, but we can say that passive cooling works reliably. The author of the project shared the temperature data: in 100W mode (Balanced Mode), the system was stable within acceptable limits. When overclocked to 120 W, the TDP of the PC reached the limit — after 2 hours of continuous load, the temperature stopped at 98.8 °C, which TheJiral called “too nerve-wracking” experience.

More details and tests are expected to come out in the coming weeks from outgoing branch.

Source: tomshardware