Raspberry Pi enthusiasts or those of you that have been able to get your hands-on a Raspberry Pi 4 mini PC. Might be interested in this unique desktop style case designed by the engineers at SunFounder in the form of the Pironman Raspberry Pi 4 case. As you can see from the images, the style is a rectangular shape similar to its larger desktop computer tower system counterparts.
This miniature version provides everything you need to cool your Raspberry Pi 4, thanks to the Ice Tower Cooler fitted with 5mm copper pipe and a silent RGB fan. The temperature control system only spins up the fan when the temperature rises above your set level. Those wishing to know a little more about the fan, its noise level is 22.32 dBA during its fastest spin cycle.
Aluminum Raspberry Pi 4 case
The aluminum tower case has been specifically designed for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and is unfortunately not compatible with the older generation Pi 3 mini PC. If you are looking to use your Raspberry Pi as a desktop computer or for heavy processing, the Pironman Pi case offers a great solution thanks to its included cooling system and custom settings. The team at SunFounder has kindly allowed us to review the case hands-on and luckily I had a Raspberry Pi 4 8 GB mini PC ready for installation.
Inside the box
When I first opened the box, my first thought was well there’s a lot of components to put together. But after laying everything out and following the excellent instructions provided, it took approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete the full build. Including loading a Raspberry Pi OS onto an SD card and downloading and updating the Raspberry Pi to accept the Pironman configuration files to control the programmable 0.96″ OLED and on-board lighting provided by an LED strip.
If you purchase one of the outstanding Pironman Raspberry Pi 4 cases, I would take a few minutes just to accustom yourself to the individual parts and also briefly read through the instructions. Once you have started building, just make sure the wires orientated in the right direction and thread their way through the correct openings as you construct the components.
SSD support
Thanks to its ability to accept a M.2 SATA SSD drive, the enclosure could be used as a small network attached storage NAS solution thanks to its excellent cooling. The case itself is constructed from aluminum, providing durability and an elegant aesthetic. The inclusion of a tower cooler with a 5mm copper pipe ensures optimal temperature regulation when combined with the silent RGB fan, which can maintain a Raspberry Pi at a temperature of 39°C under full CPU load at a room temperature of 25°C.
TRIM and UASP support
The SSD can be installed by opening the bottom of the case, and it supports TRIM and UASP. However, it’s worth noting that NVME/PCIe SSDs are not compatible with this case and the Pironman Pi case can accommodate M.2 SATA SSDs lengths from 30mm to 80mm, with a width of 22mm. The storage interface supported is SATA only, and it’s worth saying that a M.2 SSD is not included with the case.
Programmable OLE display
One of my favorite aspects of the case is the programmable 0.96″ OLED display. This screen provides real-time information regarding the Raspberry Pi’s CPU usage, temperature, and IP address. The OLED screen can be woken up or turned on/off using the provided power button, which also enables safe shutdown of the Pironman.
Infrared receiver
The Pironman case also comes with an integrated infrared receiver, enhancing its media center capabilities for software such as Kodi or Volumio. Additionally, its user-friendly design includes a flexible micro SD card slot for easy usage, and it reserves the Raspberry Pi’s 40-pin interface for project development.
- M.2 SSD can be mounted by opening the bottom of the case.
- Supports TRIM and UASP. NVME/PCIe SSDs are NOT supported.
- You can mount a variety of M.2 SATA SSDs (width 22mm): 30, 42, 60, and 80mm.
- Storage interfaces: SATA ONLY
- M.2 SSD and Raspberry Pi 4 is NOT included.
- Price : $79.99
The Pironman case also comes with an integrated infrared receiver, enhancing its media center capabilities for software such as Kodi or Volumio. Its user-friendly design includes a flexible micro SD card slot for easy operating system swapping, and it reserves the Raspberry Pi’s 40-pin interface for project development.
In summary, the Pironman Raspberry Pi 4 case offers a wealth of features and the build process is enjoyable even if it is a little longer than most cases into which you can simply drop your Raspberry Pi mini PC. I would highly recommend the Pironmana wide variety of different applications, such as home media entertainment, retro gaming stations or 3D printing workstation. Not forgetting it makes a fantastic-looking Pi case with enhanced cooling that you can showcase on your desk.
Source: Pironman Raspberry Pi 4 case features exceptional cooling and programmable OLED
