Hi, first post and all so sorry if this is a dumb question…
But I was just wondering; does the new Pibow 3 case (the full version, not the coupe) provide proper ventilation for the Raspberry Pi 3? I’ve read that the newest iteration of the Pi seems to run a lot hotter than previous versions, and yet to look at there seems to be fewer vents on the case itself. I’m not planning on pushing the processor to it’s limits or anything, but I’m just thinking is it worth investing in a heatsink or maybe the coupe model to prevent the thing from frying itself after prolonged use?
I don’t think there is any problem for normal day-to-day use. If you are worried at all then a heatsink is a very cheap way to buy yourself a piece of mind however :)
I’ve been using mine all evening, and while I’ve not exactly been pushing it to the max, it’s certainly been working.
Mine is encased in a pibow coupe and has had a hat sat on top of it for the entire time its been turned on, with no heatsink. I’ve just touched the processor and while I can feel its warmer than room temperature it’s not by much.
Great, think I’ll go for the heatsink then :) but just wondering if there’s any ventilation in the clear top layer of the case to provide an escape for the hot air from around the sink itself? The old cases seemed to have the RasPi logo drilled out to allow for passive airflow, but from the photos the new one looks pretty contained with the solid sheet of acrylic.
The top layer has a couple of cuts for camera and display DSI to go through. The bottom has a couple of vents.
Honestly, as an exercise I have been monitoring my Pi3 today, no heatsink, and the temperature did not even reach 60 degrees. Sure, I did not stress it hard, but my opinion is that it’s a non-issue, whether you encase the board or not.
… now if you overclock it and run Quake III on it for hours, then sure, heatsink and maybe custom case may be advisable. Any other case, apart if you fit a HAT such as the Unicorn that will generate additional heat, nope.
EDIT: of course I’m not considering hot climates and extreme conditions, which may call for specific measures.
To add my insanity to the fire ( possibly literally in my case ) I ran a Pi 3 with a Unicorn HAT on top inside a metal Anidees case. It got toasty warm, but didn’t falter.
This was in Sheffield, though, where even inside the office our piratey breath immediately freezes into adorable puffs of snow and liquid water is a rare and highly prized luxury.
Haha ace, thanks for the reassurance, looks like everything’s gonna be ok then :) ! On a side note; Sheffield freakin’ rules! I visited a mate who’s at the uni there for the first time the other week and completely fell in love with the place - Bungalows and Bears was a spiritual experience!