ASUS DSL-AC68U / RT-AC68U Large Heatsink Case

thingiverse

Asus's DSL-AC68U and RT-AC68U are notorious for their extremely high operating temperatures. My DSL-AC68U CPU ran well over 105°C most of the time, despite ASUS insisting that this is within the device's operating parameters. Such temperatures made me feel very uncomfortable. The problem with the DSL-AC68U is that you cannot install a fan anywhere near it or the VDSL line SNR plummets. I tried various fans (models and sizes), shielding them, placing them in different positions; best-case scenario, I lost 20-25% of my synchronization speed. I engineered this case to solve my problem. It allows for a large heatsink to be mounted on or completely replace the tiny heatsink that is on the CPU. I used the stock cooler of an old AMD AM3 CPU without its fan, and voila, my maximum CPU temperature fell down to 66°C. Any similar or smaller heatsink should do the trick. The retention mechanism is very simple and works regardless of the heatsink's shape. This case should be compatible with the RT-AC68U also, in case someone wants to use passive cooling. You will need two M3-M4-M5 screws long enough to hold the heatsink you plan on installing, four nuts, and four 3-3.5mm (wide) 15-18mm (long) tapping screws for securing the two halves together. I recommend printing the back of the case and the retention bracket in PETG or another temperature-resistant material, as PLA will soften at such temperatures.