DIY engineer makes a mini PC from a scrap smartphone

The DIY engineer and YouTuber GameRig, who is known for modding gadgets, has shared one of his latest builds via his YouTube channel. In the video, he showed how he transformed an old smartphone into a mini PC.

For this build, he used the 6/128 GB variant of the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G, which is powered by the Snapdragon 855, which is built on a 7-nanometer process. He bought the phone off eBay for $30, as it had a defective screen; the entire process of turning it into a mini PC, however, relied heavily on Samsung DeX, Samsung’s desktop interface that lets compatible Galaxy phones connect to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and function much like a conventional computer.

To start with, he tore the phone down to the motherboard, power board, and battery using a heat gun and screwdrivers, then he ran a preliminary test to ensure everything was working fine. As for the casing, he designed and 3D-printed a 0.7-liter chassis to hold everything together.

Inside the container went the battery, power board, motherboard, a phone cooler, and a USB hub. He also mounted a power button for the device. The result was a tiny homemade mini PC that managed over 400 fps while running Minecraft.

Many viewers, however, criticized the heat management of the device, given that he didn't make any holes to allow for free airflow, while others pointed out the potential danger in having the battery housed inside the little compartment, advising him to remove the battery entirely.