The creator of the TrashBench YouTube channel turned the ZimaCube 2 Pro NAS into a gaming PC by connecting a GeForce RTX 5060. The unusual build increased frame rates by up to 828% and set a 3DMark Time Spy record among devices powered by the Intel Core i5-1235U.
The ZimaCube 2 Pro uses a mobile Intel Core i5-1235U processor with two performance cores and eight efficiency cores, along with integrated Iris Xe graphics. In its original configuration, the device managed about 18 fps in Hitman 3, 13 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, and 31 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p and low graphics settings.
The creator first installed a professional Radeon Pro WX5100, which improved performance by roughly 40% on average, but that still was not enough for comfortable gaming. An RTX 5060 was then connected through a riser to the free physical PCIe x16 slot, which operates in PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.
The graphics card would not fit inside the case, so it was mounted outside using a 3D-printed frame and plastic cable ties. To power it, the modder removed the hard-drive cages and placed a 750 W SFX power supply in the empty bay, hiding it behind the magnetic front panel.
After the upgrade, Hitman 3 averaged 167 fps, roughly 828% above the original result. Cyberpunk 2077 jumped from 13 to 90 fps, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider rose from 31 to 124 fps.
An attempt to cool the processor further with a liquid-cooling loop brought no benefit and even reduced performance slightly. The Core i5-1235U was not overheating in the first place, while the RTX 5060 was already limited by CPU performance. With the ZimaCube 2 Pro starting at $1,299, the conversion is far less practical than a conventional gaming PC, but it clearly shows that even a NAS can be turned into a surprisingly capable gaming system.