Ayaneo Pocket Ace mod drops button noise by 24% and boosts G3X Gen 2 to 4,500 pts in 3DMark with undervolt

Tech YouTuber What Obie Plays recently dug deep into the Ayaneo Pocket Ace, showcasing both acoustic and thermal performance mods for the Snapdragon G3X Gen 2-powered handheld. For the uninitiated, the Pocket Ace is a handheld Android gaming console with a 3:2 aspect ratio display. As for the mods, it received custom TPU rings and electrical tape tweaks that brought down ABXY and shoulder button noise from around 44 dB to 39-40 dB, a 24% decrease in perceived sound levels.

While the sound mods were effective, Daniel’s attempt to improve thermal stability by replacing the stock thermal paste and pads didn’t yield the expected results. Despite using XPC thermal pads and Thermal Grizzly Cryonaut Extreme thermal paste, the device posted a lower average of 3,600 points in 3DMark Wildlife Extreme, compared to the 3,700 score on stock setting. Meaning the device actually ended up losing some performance after the thermal mod.

This outcome contrasts with the YouTuber's earlier mod on the Pocket Evo, where similar thermal tweaks resulted in a consistent 4,500 score with over 99% stability. They mentioned that the Pocket Ace's smaller cooling fan and heatsink size could be the limiting factors in this case.

However, undervolting proved far more effective. After rooting the device and using KonaBess to apply a tuned voltage profile, the Ayaneo Pocket Ace reached around 4,500 points in 3DMark with approximately 90% stability, a clear win over stock results, while not quite matching the thermal consistency of the Pocket Evo, which features a larger heatsink and fan.

Daniel concludes that while thermal modding may not be worth the effort, undervolting and noise-dampening mods are worthwhile upgrades for any Pocket Ace owner willing to open the device. They describe the overall repairability as moderately difficult, mainly because the battery must be removed to access the left controls, an unnecessarily complicated design choice, in their view.

You can check out the complete teardown in the video linked below if you want a guide on how to do it yourself and an in-depth look at the process.