Raspberry Pi cases are ten a penny, but the crowdfunded Argon One stands out for one very heavy reason: the majority of the case, bar a plastic base, is made from a single piece of aluminium. It gives the case heft, but serves a real purpose too: the Raspberry Pi’s system-on-chip (SoC) is connected to the body of the case via a pillar of aluminium – turning the entire case into a giant heatsink.
It’s a great idea, and definitely works, but means the case has restricted compatibility: only the Rasbperry Pi 3 Model B and Model B+ will fit, with other models having their SoCs in a different position. If your Pi does fit, you’ll find the Argon One works a charm – though a built-in fan appears to make little practical difference to temperature levels.
The only real fly in the ointment, though, is that a daughterboard which provides a smart power button on the rear and power for the fan – joined by a second that moves the analogue AV and HDMI ports to the rear with the others – causes enough voltage drop to trigger ‘undervolt’ warnings and throttling on most power supplies. Only Argon Forty’s own 5.25V/3A supply, or an equivalent, avoids this – information that came too late for backers of the original Kickstarter campaign.
The full review, and a lot more beside, is available at your nearest newsagent, supermarket, or for free download under a Creative Commons licence from the official website.