Makers are always creating some amazing using the Raspberry Pi but every now and then they go the extra mile and maker and developer Ideatracker, as they're known as over at Reddit, has, using a CNC machine, built an impressive aluminum case to passively cool their Raspberry Pi. This case serves as a great alternative to fans, keeping the temperatures low, and the noise too!
(Image credit: Ideatracker)
According to Ideatracker, this case was crafted from a piece of aluminum that cost $15. Ideatracker started work on this case design before the Pi 5 was available—as such it's compatible with both the latest flagship model as well as the older Raspberry Pi 4. This isn't the only metal case we've seen for the Pi. In fact, we reviewed a wild looking case known as the $80 Galactic Case by DeSalvo Systems which is machined from 6061-T651 aerospace aluminum.
The main goal of this particular Raspberry Pi project is to run Umbrel, an open-source operating system designed to work as a personal, self-hosting cloud system. Because it runs 24/7, cooling the unit consistently was a key concern. In the end. So Ideatracker decided to craft an aluminum case of their own, creating a silent, passively cooled server.
You'll notice in the example pictures that the Raspberry Pi being used is actually a CM4 module connected to a Waveshare CM4-IO-BASE-C board. It's connected to a 1TB SSD which hosts the operating system and provides storage space for the cloud system to use. That said, this case is compatible with regular, full-sized Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 models but each require different face plates for the ports which can be 3D printed, as needed.
The software used in this setup is Umbrel, like we mentioned before, which is booted from the SSD for better performance. If you were to recreate this project, you could theoretically use any OS you like. However, it's important to note that this case does limit wireless connectivity including both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as confirmed by Ideatracker in the project thread comments.
If you want to get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi project, you can check out the build video and full project thread shared to Reddit by Ideatracker.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
