CNC machined aluminium case for ultimate cooling and performance boost: Raspberry Pi

Makers are constantly coming up with innovative projects using the Raspberry Pi, but someone goes above and beyond every now and then. One such creator, Ideatracker, crafted a remarkable aluminium case using a CNC machine to passively cool their Raspberry Pi.

Image Source: Ideatracker

This case offers a fantastic alternative to traditional fans, effectively keeping temperatures low while also reducing noise. According to Ideatracker, the material for the case cost just $15. Notably, the design was developed before the release of the Raspberry Pi 5, meaning the case is compatible with both the latest model and the older Raspberry Pi 4.

This isn't the first metal case for the Raspberry Pi. Previously, another metal case titled the Galactic Case by DeSalvo Systems featured aerospace-grade aluminium. The primary objective of this Raspberry Pi project was to run Umbrel, an open-source operating system designed for personal, self-hosted cloud systems.

Since it operates around the clock, consistent cooling was crucial. Ultimately, Ideatracker decided to design their aluminium case, resulting in a silent, passively cooled server. As per the reports, the Raspberry Pi used is actually a CM4 module connected to a Waveshare CM4-IO-BASE-C board. It's paired with a 1TB SSD that hosts the operating system and provides storage for the cloud system.

This case, however, is also compatible with the standard, full-sized Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 models. Each model requires a different port faceplate, which can be 3D printed as needed. As mentioned earlier, the software powering this setup is Umbrel, booted from the SSD for improved performance.