A massive custom cooling setup has turned the sleek iPhone 17 Pro Max into a bulky metal beast, but the performance gains are hard to ignore. According to Tom’s Hardware, a user attached a series of large SSD coolers to the device to prevent thermal throttling – and the results stunned tech enthusiasts.
During a 3DMark Stress Test, the modified iPhone achieved more than 90 percent stability, a huge jump from the roughly 69 percent usually seen on stock units. That means the phone maintained consistent performance over time without slowing down under heat, a common problem during long gaming sessions or 4K video recording.
The design, however, is far from elegant. The cooling rig involves metal fins and thermal pads strapped across the back of the phone, making it look more like a desktop GPU than a smartphone. The modification appears to be inspired by high-end PC cooling solutions, particularly the kind used for SSDs and GPUs. It’s big, heavy, and completely ruins the phone’s streamlined aesthetics—though it does keep temperatures impressively low.
The experiment highlights an ongoing challenge for smartphone makers: how to maintain performance in increasingly powerful devices that have no room for large heat sinks or fans. Apple’s recent Pro models already feature a vapor chamber and improved heat dissipation systems, but these tweaks still fall short for extreme workloads like sustained video editing, AI tasks, or high-end gaming.
While the modder’s solution may never go mainstream, it raises interesting questions about the future of smartphone cooling. Could companies one day offer modular accessories or detachable coolers for professional users? Or will design priorities continue to favor slimness over sustained performance? For now, most users will likely prefer a slightly warmer phone to one that looks like a science project.
Still, the experiment demonstrates what’s technically possible. With better cooling, the iPhone 17 Pro Max can reach levels of stability usually reserved for gaming laptops. It’s a reminder that thermal management, not just raw chip power, is becoming the next big frontier in mobile performance – even if it comes at the cost of turning Apple’s flagship into a metallic monster.