PC Gamer Tests Thermal Impact of 20 Anime Figures Inside a Gaming PC

A PC Gamer writer conducted an experiment to measure how cramming anime figurines inside a gaming PC affects thermal performance and frame rates. Using an iBuyPower RDY Y40 Valorant system with an RTX 4070 Super, they established a baseline and then gradually added figurines while monitoring GPU temperatures and benchmark scores.

The baseline test on a September day with 34°C ambient temperature showed the GPU reaching 83°C under full load in FurMark 2. The 1080p benchmark scored 11568 with 195 fps, while the 1440p benchmark returned 7812 with 132 fps.

After adding figurines one at a time, the results showed minimal performance degradation. At the 1080p preset, frame rates remained relatively stable, even peaking at 198 fps with eight figures inside. The 1440p benchmark dipped to 130 fps at the eight-figure mark but sat at 132 fps after adding more plastic. At 20 figures, the 1080p benchmark peaked at 84°C, representing only a 1°C increase from baseline.

The experiment was ultimately limited by physical space rather than thermal concerns. Taller figurines required wider bases for stability, and clearance between components and fans became increasingly tight. The writer began stacking figures to maximize space and eventually enlisted figures from other sources, including game-related collectibles like Amiibos and a Sonic figure, to reach the 20-figure total.

Despite the surprising stability of temperatures and frame rates, the writer cautioned that 60-second benchmarks may not reflect real-world gaming sessions running demanding titles for hours. They suggested that while a few figurines pose no meaningful performance risk, cramming 20 figures inside a PC case remains excessive from both a display and airflow perspective.