SunFounder's Pironman cases for Raspberry Pi are a huge hit. This bestselling device converts the naked Raspberry Pi board into a miniature tower PC. The RGB lighting, OLED display and glass casing make it look cool. Full HDMI ports, NVMe ports and active-passive cooling options enhance the functionality of the Pi 5.

This great gadget is too expensive for some people to buy at $76 for the Pironman and $95 for the dual-NVMe NVMe Pironman Max.

SunFounder knows it and that's why they have introduced Pironman 5 Mini at $45 but have removed the OLED display, full HDMI ports and reduced the number of fans. Dealbreaker? Maybe. Maybe not. But I have come across a new case that has most of the features at a much lower price.

Elecrow's Pitower

Like SunFounder, Elecrow's has been offering gadgets and accessories for Raspberry Pi and other embedded devices for years. Their CrowView Note and all-in-one starter kits have been popular among SBC enthusiasts.

They have just revealed a new product, a mini PC case for your Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Orin Nano. Yes, that doubles the excitement.

And all this comes at a lower price tag of nearly $40 (more on this later). That sounds tempting, right? Let's see how good this case is.

Features meet affordibility

Let's take a look at the appearance of Elecrow's mini PC case. It is slightly bigger than the Pironman cases and has a more boxy looks somehow.

The OLED display and power button are at the top. The micro SD card outlet is at the bottom and to accommodate it, the case has taller feet.

There is nothing in the front of the device except a transparent acrylic sheet. The main look of the case comes from the side that gives you a broader look at the circuits. It looks magnificent with the RGB lights. The GPIO pins are accessible from here and they are duly marked.

There are three RGB fans here. Two in the back throw air out and one at the top sucks air in. This is done to keep the airflow in circulation inside the case. The official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler is also added to provide some passive cooling.

All the other ports are accessible from the back. In addition to all the usual Raspberry Pi ports, there are two full-HDMI ports replacing the mini HDMI ports.

The NVMe board is inside the case and it is better to insert the SSD while assembling the case. Yes, this is also an assembly kit.

Assembling the case

Since Elecrow's tower case is clearly inspired from SunFounder's Pironman case, they also have kept the DIY angle here. This simply means that you have to assemble the kit yourself.

It is while assembling that you can decide whether you want to use it for Raspberry Pi 5 or Jetson Orin Nano. Assembling instructions differ slightly for the devices.

There is an official assembly video and you should surely watch it to get a feel of how much effort is required for building this case.

In my case, I was not aware of the assembly video as I was sent this device at the time the product was announced. I used the included paper manual and it took me nearly two hours to complete the assembly. If I had had the help of the video and if I had not encountered a couple of issues, this could have been done within an hour.

Did I say issues? Yes, a few. First, the paper manual didn't specifically mention connecting one of the FPC cables. The video mentions it, thankfully.

One major issue was in putting in the power button. It seems to me that while they sized the hole according to the power button, they applied the black coating later on. And this reduced the size of the hole from which the power button passes through.

I don't see the official assembly video mentioning this issue and it could create confusion. The workaround is to simply use an object to remove the coating. I used scissors to scrape it.

Another issue was putting in the tiny screws in even tinier spaces at times. The situation worsened for me as the paper manual suggested joining the main board and all the adapter boards in the initial phases. This made putting the screws in even harder. As the video shows, this could be done in steps.

My magnetic screwdriver helped a great deal in placing the tiny screws in narrow places, and I think Elecrow should have provided a magnetic screwdriver instead of a regular one.

User experience

To make full use of all the cool features, i.e., OLED display, RGB fans, etc., you need to install a few Python scripts first.

And here's the thing that I have noticed with most Elecrow products: they are uncertain about the appropriate location for their documentation.

The paper manual that comes with the package has a QR code that takes you to this Google Drive that contains various scripts and a readme file. But there is also an online Wiki page and I think this page should be considered and distributed as the official documentation.

After running 12 or so commands, including a few that allow 777 permissions, the OLED screen started showing system stats such as CPU temperature and usage, RAM usage, disk stats, date and time. It would have been nice if it displayed the IP address too.

Like Pironman, Elecrow also has RGB lighting of fans out of sync by a few milliseconds. Not an issue unless you have acute OSD. The main issue is that it has three fans and the fans start running as soon as the device is turned on. For such a tiny device, three continuously running fans generate considerable noise.

The problem is that there is no user-facing way of controlling the fans without modifying the scripts themselves.

Another issue is that if you turn off Pi from the operating system, i.e., use the shutdown command or the graphical option of Raspberry Pi OS, the RGB lights and fans stay on. Even the OLED screen keeps on displaying whatever message it had when the system was shut down.

If you shut down the device by long pressing the power button, everything is turned off normally. This should not be the intended behavior. I have notified Elecrow about it and hopefully their developers will work on fixing their script.

Barring these hiccups, there are plenty of positives. There is an RTC battery to give you correct time between long shutdowns, although it works only with Raspberry Pi OS at the moment. The device stays super cool thanks to three fans maintaining a good airflow and the active cooler adding to the overall cooling. The clear display with RGB lights surely gives it an oomph factor.

Conclusion

There is room for improvement here, and I hope Elecrow updates their scripts to address these issues in the future:

• Proper handling of lights/fans shutdown instead of relying on the power button.
• Provide options to configure the RGB lights and control the fans.
• Include IP address in OLED display (optional).

Other than that, I have no complaints. The case is visually appealing, the device remains cool, and the price is reasonable in comparison to the popular Pironman cases.

Coming to the pricing. The device costs $32 for the Jetson Nano version and $40 for the Raspberry Pi version. I am guessing this is because the Pi version includes the additional active cooler.

Do note that the pricing displayed on the website DOES NOT include shipping charges and customs duty. Those things will be additional.

Alternatively, at least for our readers in the United States of America, the device is available on Amazon (partner link) but at a price tag of $59 at the time of writing this review. You don't have to worry about extra shipping or custom duty fee if you order from Amazon.

Raspberry Pi Pico 2 starter kit from Elecrow is an educational device that integrates multiple sensors and components onto a single board for learning electronics and programming. Built around the dual-core Raspberry Pi Pico2 RP2350 chip, the kit includes 17 sensors, 20 RGB LEDs, and a 2.4-inch TFT color touchscreen in a portable case format.

The kit is designed to eliminate the need for breadboarding, wiring, and soldering, allowing users to focus on programming concepts and sensor functionality. It comes with 21 structured tutorials that progress from basic to advanced levels, using Arduino IDE as the programming environment.

In this article, I'll share my experience with this starter kit.

Technical specification

The kit comes in the form of a briefcase-styled plastic case. It weighs less than 350 gram and has a size of 19.5x17x4.6 cm.

At the core of this kit lies Raspberry Pi Pico2 RP2350. There is a 2.4 inches TFT touch screen surrounded by seventeen sensors. These sensors are connected to Pico 2 already son you don't need to do any manual connections to access them. It is powered by a type C port and the same is used for transferring the project files to the board.

My experience with Elecrow Pico 2 Starter Kit

The kit comes preloaded with a few games and a program that lets you enable the LED lights and change their patterns. The games are Dinosaur Jump (the one you see in Chrome) and Snake.

The games are not as interesting as I would want them to be. Dianousr moves way too slow in the first stage. Even my four-years old didn't have enough patience to play this 'slow game'. While the Snake game is better, there is a slight delay in button press and the response on screen.

But this is not what the kit is for. It is for exploring programming all those sensors on the board.

Easier if you are familiar with the Arduino ecosystem

Here's the thing. If you are familiar with Arduino board and their ecosystem, things will be a lot easier for you. I have been using Raspberry Pi for years but never used an Arduino or other microcontroller like the Pico board here.

I learned a few things for sure. You have to 'burn' the project code on the board and you have to do it each time you have a new project. Which means if you ran a program that sounds the buzzer and next you want to try a program that interacts with the ultrasound sensor, you have to put this new code on Pico 2.

Elecrow does provide more than one documentation, but they are inconsistent with each other. The getting started guide should be improved, especially for beginners. It took me some time to figure things out based on the two documents and some web searches.

The web-based documentation does not mention that version 4.2.0 of the Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040/RP2350 has to be explicitly added to the board manager in Arduino IDE. It is mentioned in the user manual PDF, though.

Elecrow provides source code for around 15 projects. Wiki on the web mentions a different source code link and the PDF user manual mentions the source code on GitHub.

It doesn't end here. Most of the sample project codes on GitHub have different name for their folders and the .ino files. In the Arduino ecosystem, both .ino code file and folder that contains it must have the same name; otherwise, the sketchbook won't be visible in Arduino IDE.

In my opinion, things would have been smoother if I were familiar with Arduino and the documentation was a bit more straightforward.

Sample projects are simple and fun

I did manage to overcome the initial hurdle and was able to run several of the provided projects.

Now, the provided user manual does an excellent job at explaining the sample projects. It explains the objective of the experiment, actions that should be performed, working principles, and key elements of the program.

Projects are mostly simple and explore various sensors present on the kit. Simple projects like LED controlling with a button, oscillating the servo motor, showing room temperature and humidity, measuring obstacle distance with an ultrasound sensor, etc.

The projects that involved an infrared receiver didn't compile. I'll debug the issue later and if I am unable to fix it, I'll perhaps open a bug report on Elecrow's GitHub repo.

To experiment, I even changed the code slightly. I can see that there is potential to modify the existing code into something else. For example, if the room temperature reaches a certain level, the servo motor starts rotating. There is potential here to explore and have fun.

Above all, exploring this device made me familiar with Arduino. New skill unlocked 💪

Conclusion

This is a suitable option for schools, as they can have a bunch of these kits in their STEM lab. Children can start working on modifying the codes for their lab projects instead of struggling with wiring and soldering. The briefcase-style case also makes it easier to store without worrying about disturbing the wire connections. Perhaps there could be a discount on bulk orders; I am just guessing.

Parents who have a little bit of Arduino experience or the willingness to learn can also get this as a present for their children. With a little guidance, they can build new things upon the existing sample projects, and that will help them explore the exciting world of electronics and programming.

To the makers, if they could improve their getting-started guide and provide code consistent with Arduino IDE requirements, it would surely flatten the learning curve.

This kit is available for $37.99, which is a fair price for what it offers. Do refer to the official manual beforfe starting, if you purchase the kit.

The last time I reviewed the Pironman 5, I thought that it was the most amazing Raspberry Pi case that can be purchased. That's because people have 3D printed Pi cases and they match the wavelength of awesomeness.

Almost a year later, SunFounder came up with a new version, Pironman 5 Max. And they increased the awesomeness of an already outstanding product.

Due to light reflection, the picture above doesn't show its beauty properly. Look at the image below and admire the beauty.

This gorgeous looking Raspberry Pi case is the best $90 investment for your Raspberry Pi 5 setup. If money is not an issue, I think anyone who wants to use Raspberry Pi 5 on their desktop should consider it because it offers more than just its stunning looks.

Let me dwell on its features as well as share my experience and opinion on them.

Pironman 5 Max specification

But before that, let me share what you get with this case.

• Dual NVMe M.2 slots: Can be used for RAID 0/1 setup or single SSD plus AI accelerator. They are powered by PCIe Gen2 switch.
• Tower cooler (for passive cooling) with PWM fan (adjusts as per CPU temperature).
• Two additional RGB fans that can be configured.
• Tiny OLED display with tap to wake function
• Two full-sized HDMI ports.
• RTC battery support
• All GPIO pins remain accessible through the in-built extender.
• Sleek black looks with part metal and part acrylic body.

Build your case

Like many other SunFounder products, this too has a DIY touch. The case needs to be assembled. Which is not complicated but still take a look at the official assembly video to get a gist of what kind of effort it will take.

I used the paper manual, as there were no assembly videos when I received it, and it took me nearly an hour to get it up and running.

Assembly needs to be done carefully. If you put the wrong end of the FPC cable in or if the attachments do not fit in properly, you’ll have to struggle with opening the case again to fix it.

In my case, I had the fan connection wire in front of the fan and it started making awful noise. I quickly fixed it by tucking in the wire, but these things may happen.

Cooling your Pi

Your Raspberry Pi 5 needs a cooling system and the official inexpensive active cooler does a decent job at that.But if you want to use Raspberry Pi as a desktop or for intensive tasks, it starts getting hotter before choking up completely.

SunFounder has been making accessories for Raspberry Pi ecosystem for a long time and their Pironman 5 Max handles it with a mix of passive and active cooling.

Pironman 5 Max has a tower cooler to passively cool your device. And then there are RGB dual fans to add active cooling.

Surprisingly, the RGB fans were set to run by default. But you can easily configure them to start when the temperature gets hotter.

I put them at cool mode, as it hardly reaches beyond that for casual computing thanks to the effective passive cooling. You can control the RGB lighting on the fan to have them always on, always off or turn on only when the fans are running.

There is a tiny lag between the lights of the two fans. Unless you have intense OCD, you won’t be bothered with that.

Leveling up the ports

Cooling is just one aspect of this magnificent Raspberry Pi case. It converts your barebone Pi 5 into a mini PC by adding extra ports.

The Pi 5 still uses mini HDMI ports. But the Pironman 5 case converts them into full HDMI ports. Now you can use your regular HDMI cables. That’s a relief. All 4 USB ports are neatly accessible in the back.

The micro SD card slot is conveniently located at the front along with a dedicated power button. You can press the power button to turn it on. While running, press it once to bring up the shutdown menu or double-press it quickly to turn it off immediately.

There is this tiny OLED display that gives a quick overview of your system resources. You can see the IP address, disk storage, CPU temperature, and RAM consumption. This is also configurable from the handy dashboard.

The OLED screen needs tap to wake or shake to wake. It displays for a few seconds and goes to sleep again. Saves a tiny amount of power. I find it convenient that it displays the IP address of the PI. Helps a great deal when I want to SSH into it.

It also has an IR receiver at the front for your experiments. You are not losing the versatility of your Pi as all 40 GPIO pins are easily accessible from the side. And they are neatly labeled too.

This Pironman 5 Max features a dual NVMe PIP board, which is an upgrade on its previous edition, which had only one NVMe slot. So, here, you can put in two SSDs and have a RAID setup, or you can have one SSD and one AI accelerator.

Keep in mind that this is a PCIe Gen2 switch and thus you are not getting PCIe Gen3 speed like the previous Pironman version. However, that should not be an issue, as it’s good enough for random I/O operations.

I have used two SSDs to experiment with a RAID setup. I will share that in a separate tutorial.

Beautiful RGB lighting and more

The RGB lighting adds to the charm of the case. There are 4 LEDs located at the top that throw the lights down. By default, it is blue mood lighting. You can configure their color and lighting pattern to match up with your desk and room setup.

You can also control its intensity, which is a good thing, as the semi-transparent dark glass may not always show the lights in their full glory.

A tiny but useful feature is the inclusion of RTC battery and thus giving the real time clock to your Raspberry Pi. Your Pi doesn’t need to be connected to internet to give you the correct time.

Remember...

Pironman does not support all kinds of SSDs. Go through their list of supported SSDs first.

Pironman also has a list of compatible operating systems. The script and dashboard that let you control the RGB lights and other behavior work only with these operating systems, and you have to install the scripts explicitly.

Conclusion

Ever since I started using these Pironman cases, my Raspberry Pi not only stays cool, it also looks super cool.

Now a price tag of $95 could seem like a lot but Pironman Max is not just a case, it transforms your Pi into a mini PC with a miniature gaming rig look. You get full HDMI ports, power buttons, an OLED display, and two SSD slots. It enhances the capabilities of your Pi.

Another good thing is that they also take care of taxes and import duty. You can order it from their official website. The new version is not available on Amazon yet.

If your budget allows it, this is surely worth investing in your Raspberry Pi setup.

Alternatively, if you are on a budget, explore some other tower cases for Raspberry Pi.

In fact, there is a new mini version of the Pironman in making that costs half the price and offers half the features.

Pironman 5 Mini

The mini version has only one NVMe slot and one RGB fan. There is no OLED display or passive tower cooling. But it still adds value at half the cost.

Pironman 5 Mini

And that’s my opinion. What about you? The comment section is all yours.

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