Page 3 – The DIY Life

Raspberry Pi 5 Test Bench with Real-Time Stats & RGB Load Monitor

Michael Klements

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June 10, 2025

Raspberry Pi 5 Test Bench with Real-Time Stats & RGB Load Monitor

If you’re into testing and experimenting with Raspberry Pi accessories, then you’ll know the importance of a solid setup that’s both functional and accessible. In today’s post, I’ll walk you through the design and build process for a custom open-air Pi test bench tailored for the Raspberry Pi 5. It’s complete with a real-time stats display, RGB CPU load monitor, and push-button controls.

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the written guide;

What You Need To Build Your Own Pi Test Bench

Raspberry Pi 5 – Buy Here
Pi 5 Active Cooler – Buy Here
Pi 5 NVMe Hat – Buy Here
Pi 5 NVMe Hat Extension Cable – Buy Here
Lexar NM620 NVMe Drive – Buy Here
M2x10mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M2.5 Brass Standoffs – Buy Here
M2.5 Button Head Screw Set – Buy Here
I2C OLED Display – Buy Here
RGB LED – Buy Here
Tactile Pushbuttons – Buy Here
Female Breadboard Jumpers – Buy Here

Tools & Equipment Used:

Makera Cavera Air – Buy Here
Carvera Air Bits – Buy Here
USB C Screwdriver – Buy Here
Bambulab P1S Combo – Buy Here
FNIRSI Soldering Iron – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

Why Build a Raspberry Pi Test Bench?

The idea was to create something better than a simple Pi stand. I wanted something that looks great on a desk but is also practical for testing different HATs, accessories, and custom configurations. I needed a setup that would allow easy access to the Pi’s components while offering flexibility for cooling and external add-ons.

The result is a two-level stand with the Pi 5 on the base and a mounted HAT above it, making everything clean and organized while remaining functional. I still have access to the Pi’s GPIO pins and have a clear area above the Pi to fit a range of coolers.

Designing the Stand in Fusion 360

I started out in Fusion 360, designing the stand to hold a Raspberry Pi 5 flat on the desk and a HAT mounted above at an angle. The angled top mount can accommodate various add-ons like NVMe adapters or AI accelerators. You can still add external coolers and peripherals, which would be difficult with a HAT sitting directly on the Pi.

The stand was designed to be milled from aluminium for durability and aesthetics, but it can also be 3D printed. Alongside the main frame, I designed a small custom PCB that adds an OLED screen, RGB LED, and three programmable buttons to the mix.

Here are the 3D Print Files if you’d like to try print out your own stand.

Designing the Control PCB in EasyEDA

The control board was designed using EasyEDA, a free online PCB design tool.

Despite its small size, the PCB brings a lot of functionality:

OLED Display: Shows IP address, CPU temperature, and system resource usage.
RGB LED: Changes colour based on CPU load—green for idle, red for max load.
Three Pushbuttons: Mapped to custom actions like running scripts, toggling services, or rebooting.

All of this connects neatly to the Pi’s GPIO header via a short lead.

Here are the PCB gerber files if you’d like to make your own PCB;

Pi Test Bench PCB Gerber Files Download

Manufacturing the Components with the Carvera Air

To fabricate the components, I used the Carvera Air, a compact desktop CNC that Makera sent me to try out. I already had one from their Kickstarter campaign last year, so this expands on my workshop capabilties.

The Carvera Air is a versatile machine that can:

Mill wood, plastic, and aluminium
Laser engrave
Fabricate PCBs

So it’s a great addition to a home workshop or Makerspace.

Milling the Aluminium Parts

I began by milling the three aluminium pieces for the stand, the two identical sides and the central joiner.

First up, we need to create the tool paths for each operation required to make up each part. I did this in Fusion360’s manufacturing space. This also allows you to add virtual stock and simulate the paths that are created.

To make up the first leg, the Carvera Air performs autolevelling by probing the surface. I then used a 1/8″ endmill to face the parts. Then drilled holes using a 2mm drill bit for the joiner connection and finally, used the same endmill to contour the parts.

Tabs hold the parts in place during milling and need to be removed and cleaned up afterwards, but overall I’m really impressed by how well it came out.

We then need to repeat the process for the second leg and make up the joiner too.

Making the PCB

The PCB was also fabricated using the Carvera Air using their PCB Fabrication Pack.

This is a simple PCB, so it only requires a single-sided PCB blank. The Carvera Air again starts out by probing the surface of the blank so that it’s able to accurately engrave the traces.

The traces are then engraved using a 0.2mm engraving bit.

UV-curing solder mask is then applied and cured for 10-15 minutes using a UV lamp.

In hindsight, I probably put a bit too much UV mask on in each layer, so the finish isn’t great and it took a long time to cure between layers. It was first time using the solder mask and the end product doesn’t look too bad, it’ll be on the back in any case.

The solder mask is then removed from the pads that we’re going to solder onto using a mask removal tool. Then holes were drilled for the through-hole components with a range of drill bits.

Finally, a 0.8mm corn bit was used to cut out the board. Tabs again hold it in place, which will need to be removed and cleaned up afterwards.

The PCB components, OLED screen, RGB LED, resistors, and tactile switches, were then soldered into place.

Assembling the Test Bench

With all the components fabricated, it was time to assemble the Pi test bench.

I started out by tapping M2 holes in the joiner to bolt the aluminium sides to.

Four M2x10mm button head screws hold the legs onto the sides of the frame.

Next we need to mount the Pi. Four M2.5x6mm standoffs are used to hold the Pi securely. These can be installed with way around – I prefer having the threads facing upwards so that the Pi can just be placed onto them.

Brass inserts served as thumb screws, making it easy to remove and reattach the Pi without tools.

For the HAT, I mounted it directly to the frame using some M2.5x12mm button head screws and M2.5 nuts, since the NVMe HAT I used had no bottom-side solder joints. These same screws hold the control PCB securely in place alongside the hat.

Real-Time Monitoring and Controls

With the Pi test bench now complete, we can load the stats script onto the Pi and start using it.

The OLED display shows live system stats including the Pi’s IP address, CPU load, and temperature and other resource utilisation like RAM and storage.

I’ve set the RGB LED up to change from green to red based on CPU load, giving you instant visual feedback at a glance. It’s green when the CPU load is under 5% and then moves through a range of yellow and through to solid red at 100% utilisation.

The three buttons underneath the LED are configurable through Python scripts to control services, scripts, shutdowns, or toggling the OLED display, even when the Pi runs headless.

Final Thoughts

The extra weight from the aluminium stand, PCB, and HAT adds stability—preventing the Pi from sliding around when plugging in cables. And let’s be honest, it looks fantastic on my desk.

If you’re into Pi projects, want to test new accessories, or just want a clean, professional bench setup, this project is a great starting point.

Let me know in the comments section below what features you’d like to see added. Maybe an integrated fan controller? More buttons? USB hub?

If this build has inspired you, check out the Carvera Air from Makera. It’s an awesome addition to any workshop, letting you prototype your own PCBs and aluminium components quickly and accurately.

Custom CNC Waterblock for Raspberry Pi 5 – Complete Overkill (But It Works!)

Projects

Michael Klements

-

May 19, 2025

3

Custom CNC Waterblock for Raspberry Pi 5 – Complete Overkill (But It Works!)

Today’s project is a little ridiculous, but in the best way possible. I’ve built a custom waterblock for the Raspberry Pi 5, and I’ve gone all out. This block features a milled aluminium cold plate, an integrated clear acrylic distribution plate, a built-in pump, and hardline tubing leading to an 80mm radiator and fan.

It’s complete overkill… and that’s exactly the point.

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the write-up;

Parts Used For This Project

Raspberry Pi 5 – Buy Here
Low Profile Pump – Buy Here
80mm Radiator – Buy Here
80mm Slim Cooling Fan – Buy Here
12mm Hardline Tubing – Buy Here
12mm Compression Fittings – Buy Here
Adjustable Power Supply – Buy Here

Tools & Equipment Used:

Makera Cavera Air – Buy Here
Carvera Air Bits – Buy Here
Bambulab P1S Combo – Buy Here
8mm Silicon Bending Insert – Buy Here
Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

Making With the Carvera Air Desktop CNC

The entire waterblock was machined using the new Carvera Air, a desktop CNC machine that’s genuinely expanded what I can do in my workshop. While Makera did send me this unit for the video, I was already a backer on Kickstarter last year and have been using mine to fabricate parts for my other projects. You might have even spotted it in the background of a few recent videos.

For this build, I pushed it to its limits by milling aluminium and acrylic with precision.

I’ve built a few water-cooled Raspberry Pi projects before, but they usually end up bulky. This time, I wanted to combine water cooling with a compact custom distribution plate, aiming to make something truly unique and much smaller.

The Waterblock & Cooling Loop Design

As always, I started designing the components in Fusion360.

At the heart of the system is a milled aluminium block that makes direct contact with the Pi’s heat-generating components. The CPU is the main target, but I’ve also sized thermal pads for the RAM, USB and Ethernet controllers, and the power circuitry—taking full advantage of the additional cooling capacity.

Designing The Heat Block for the Waterblock

To complete the waterblock, stacked on top is a two-layer acrylic distribution plate. This plate not only channels coolant over the block but also houses the pump itself.

Designing The Acrylic Plates for the Waterblock

I used a low-profile pump with an acrylic top and reverse-engineered the cutout to fit it seamlessly. The pump mounts directly into the plate with M4 screws and some M3 countersunk screws secure the acrylic layers to the aluminium base. I also custom made gaskets to ensure a good seal between the layers.

To keep everything clean and compact, I designed a small 3D-printed stand for the radiator next to the Pi. I opted for hardline tubing for aesthetics, though I didn’t bother trying to model the bends in CAD, that was a challenge for later.

Machining the Components on the Carvera Air

I began making the waterblock with the aluminium cold plate, which would take the longest to mill. Setting up the toolpaths in Fusion360 was a process in itself. A note for those using the free version, it doesn’t allow exporting multiple tool operations into a single CNC file. To get around this, you can either combine the GCode manually or used Makera’s new CAM software.

The 10mm aluminium stock was clamped onto the Carvera Air’s bed. While this machine doesn’t have an automatic tool changer, there are some excellent 3D printable tool holders that help keep everything organized.

Before cutting, the Carvera Air performed auto-leveling with its probe.

The machining process involved several steps:

Facing the stock with a 1/8″ flat endmill to the final thickness.
Drilling holes for the acrylic plate screws and Pi mounts.
Surfacing the heat pads and cleaning surrounding areas.
Contouring the outer shape, with tabs to keep it secured.
Flipping the plate to mill the internal cooling channels.

The final result came out great—especially for a desktop CNC. This was my first time milling aluminium, and while there are visible tool marks, the surface finish is smooth and clean.

Complete Aluminium Cold Plate for the Waterblock

Next up was the acrylic distribution plates, milled from 10mm clear cast acrylic. The first plate was machined with:

A 2mm flat endmill for the o-ring groove,
A 1/8″ endmill for the pump cutout and screw holes,
Pocket milling and outer contours.

The second acrylic layer followed a similar process, with the addition of thread milling using an M4 tool to tap the four pump mounting holes. I then countersank the screw holes using a chamfer bit.

The final step was threading the inlet and outlet ports by hand using a 1/4″ BSP tap. Makera currently offers thread mills in some metric sizes, but a BSP-compatible tool could be sourced elsewhere. I also tapped the M2.5 and M3 holes in the aluminium base at this stage.

Assembling the Waterblock

Assembly of the waterblock started with creating four custom o-rings using 1.5mm cord that I cut and joined with super glue. These will seal the aluminium base, distribution channel, and inlet/outlet ports.

Once the seals were in place, I clamped the acrylic plates together. One side is secured with M3 screws, and the other side is held by the pump itself. The pump is a compact 12V model whose geometry I had replicated in CAD. After inserting the base and impeller, I fixed it in place with four M4 screws.

Clamping Plates Together With Screws to Form the Waterblock

With the block assembled, I moved on to completing the rest of the loop.

Hardline Tubing and Radiator Setup

To dissipate the heat from the waterblock, I added an 80mm aluminium radiator connected via 12mm hardline tubing. Despite never working with hardline tubing before, a bit of trial and error yielded some good results. A Milwaukee heat gun did the job, though it lacked a trigger lock, which made things trickier.

Eventually Had Two Cooling Tubes That Worked

To add a fill port cleanly, I used a compact tee on one of the radiator ports. This provided a simple and tidy way to fill the loop without adding unnecessary bulk.

After tightening all the fittings on the waterblock and radiator, I mounted the entire assembly onto the 3D printed stand.

Filling the loop was surprisingly satisfying, especially with the fluorescent green coolant.

The pump and fan are powered via an adjustable 12V power supply, which lets me tweak their speeds for noise control. There’s no reservoir in the system, so working out the air bubbles took some patience. But the compact design made it worth the effort.

Installing the Pi and Testing the Waterblock

Once the loop was running smoothly and leak-free, I installed the Pi 5 onto the block. I used thermal paste for the CPU and 1mm thermal pads on the other components. I designed the heat sink pads to sit 0.8mm below the components to allow compression and ensure solid thermal contact.

The Pi mounts securely with four M2.5 screws.

Time to answer the big question, does it actually work?

With everything powered up, I ran CPU Burn to stress the Pi’s CPU. It was overclocked to 2.8GHz (up from the stock 2.4GHz) to push the cooling system to its limits.

Thermal Testing The Water Cooled Pi 5 and waterblock

To start with, we need a baseline. I ran the same test on the same Pi 5 without any cooler and then again with the official actove cooler and got the following results;

Stock Pi at 2.8GHz (no cooling): it started with a base temp of 44°C and started thermal throttling in under 30 seconds.
With the Active Cooler: it started at 37°C and peaked at 68°C after 5 minutes.

So the Active Cooler does a fair job at keeping the overclocked Pi cool but it still gets quite warm.

I then moved on to testing the Pi 5 in my new custom loop;

With this custom loop: base temp of 24°C (just 3°C above ambient), peaking at 32°C under full load. That’s a full 36°C drop compared to the stock unit and 5°C cooler than the active fan solution at idle.

The oversized aluminium block made a big difference by directly contacting the CPU heat spreader. With so much thermal headroom, I was also able to lower the pump and fan voltage for quieter operation without sacrificing cooling performance.

Final Thoughts

This was definitely an over-the-top build—but that’s what made it so much fun. It was my first time building a distribution plate and working with hardline tubing, and both exceeded expectations. The Carvera Air handled the aluminium and acrylic with ease and gave me confidence in taking on more CNC-based projects.

Distribution Block With Pump And Heatsink

If you’re interested in trying something like this yourself, I highly recommend checking out the Carvera Air on Makera’s website.

If you enjoy projects that combine CNC machining, 3D printing, and pushing small single-board computers to the limit, subscribe to my Youtube channel or follow my blog. Feel free to leave a comment down below on what you’d like to see water cooled, or what I should build with the Carvera Air, next!

LattePanda Mu – A Tiny x86 Compute Module with Big Potential

Michael Klements

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May 5, 2025

0

LattePanda Mu – A Tiny x86 Compute Module with Big Potential

The LattePanda Mu is an ultra-compact x86 compute module designed to offer powerful performance in a tiny form factor. Based on Intel’s N100 processor, this board brings full Windows 11 compatibility and a wide range of connectivity options through its edge connector.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the LattePanda Mu Starter Kit, including the compute module, Lite Carrier Board, and bundled accessories. We’ll dive into its specifications, test performance under Windows, run benchmarks like Geekbench and 3DMark, and explore its power consumption and thermal performance to see how well it stacks up against other small form factor PCs and SBCs.

Here’s my video review of the LattePanda Mu;

Where To Buy The LattePanda Mu?

LattePanda Mu Starter Kit – Buy Here
LattePanda Mu Module Only – Buy Here

Equipment Used

FNIRSI Power Supply with Display – Buy Here
Infiray P2 Pro Thermal Camera – Buy Here
Sound Level Meter – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

Unboxing the LattePanda Mu Basic Kit – What’s Included?

The LattePanda Mu Basic Kit includes everything you need to get started using the LattePanda Mu module:

LattePanda Mu compute module
Active Cooler
Lite Carrier Board
Battery
Mounting screws for cover plates
Two acrylic base plates

The LattePanda Mu module itself is impressively small, measuring just 60mm by 70mm. While it can’t operate on its own and requires a carrier board, its compact size still makes it ideal for embedded or portable applications.

In terms of cost, the LattePanda Mu module costs $139 for the base N100 8GB model and goes up to $259 for the N305 16GB flagship. This makes it quite a lot more than something like the Radxa X4 that I showed recently, and especially considering that the X4 has all it’s ports ready to go while you’ll need to add a $39 carrier board to the cost of the Mu to use it. So you’ll likely need to be making use of the Mu’s available additional IO and interfacing features to justify the cost.

LattePanda Mu Module Tech Specs

The LattePanda Mu is available in three different CPU and RAM configurations. The unit tested here is the most basic of the three and is equipped with:

Processor: Intel N100 (4 cores, up to 3.4GHz, 6W TDP)
Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics at 750MHz
Memory: 8GB LPDDR5 RAM (4800 MT/s, soldered)
Storage: 64GB onboard eMMC (soldered)
Display Support: Up to three simultaneous outputs (3x HDMI 2.0, or 2x HDMI 2.0 + 1x DisplayPort 1.4)
Expandable IO: 9x PCIe 3.0 lanes available via the 260-pin SO-DIMM edge connector

Higher-end models include up to 16GB of RAM and/or an upgrade to the more powerful Intel i3-N305 processor.

The Mu is designed to be flexible for custom integration. LattePanda offers design documentation and services for developers and OEMs looking to build bespoke carrier boards for specific use cases.

Lite Carrier Board Features

The Lite Carrier Board included in the starter kit exposes the essential features of the LattePanda Mu. While it doesn’t expose all of the IO capabilities of the module, it provides the essentials to get up and running.

Key features include:

Connectivity:
- 2x USB 3.2 ports
- 2x USB 2.0 ports
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- DC barrel jack (12–20V input)
- USB-C power input (45W PD, 15V/3A – power only)
Expansion Options:
- PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
- 2x M.2 M-Key slots (for 2230 NVMe SSDs or WiFi modules)
- Gravity I2C and UART 4-pin interfaces

Although it does also support power input through the USB Type-C port, it is a little disappointing that this doesn’t support the PCIe port; you can only use that with the DC input. Also, although the DC port is stated as being able to accept 12-20V, it looks like you have to use a 12V adaptor if you plan on using the PCIe port – so power is likely routed straight to the PCIe port. This is not all that clear in the product pages or on the carrier board, it just says that the PCIe port is only available if you use a 12V DC power supply, not that you can’t use a higher voltage.

The DC barrel jack input is a nice addition as it’s range allows for the direct connection of a 4-cell lithium battery pack without requiring additional voltage regulation, which is really useful for mobile devices and projects.

Cooling is handled by the included active cooler rated at 35W of heat dissipation. For quieter or passive setups, LattePanda offers optional 10W and 15W passive heatsinks.

First Boot and Testing

The Mu comes preloaded with Windows 11, and it boots straight to a clean desktop environment. From the system monitor, we can see our N100 CPU with 4 cores, then we’ve got 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM running at 4800MHz, 64GB of eMMC storage and integrated Intel UHD graphics.

Video Playback on YouTube

1080p and 4K YouTube video playback performed flawlessly, with no stutters in windowed or fullscreen modes. This makes the Mu well-suited for home media applications.

3DMark Night Raid Benchmark

Next I ran a 3DMark Night Raid benchmark, which is a good benchmark to run on integrated GPUs.

The LattePanda Mu scored quite well;

Total Score: 4,663 (average over 3 tests of: 4,656)
Graphics Score: 4,905
CPU Score: 3,646

Geekbench 6 Benchmark

I then ran a Geekbench 6 benchmark on the CPU, which also scored fairly well;

Single-Core: 1,116 (average over 3 tests of: 1,121)
Multi-Core: 2,976 (average over 3 tests of: 2,980)

Storage Speed Test

Lastly, I tested the onboard eMMC storage speed using AJA System Test. The eMMC storage is quite slow, writes start off around 240MB/s but consistently drop to around 140MB/s when writing a 1GB file. Reads are consistently around 260-280MB/s for a 1GB file. This is ok for the operating system but you’d benefit from rather booting from an attached NVMe drive.

Write: Starts at ~240MB/s, drops to ~140MB/s on sustained 1GB file writes
Read: ~260–280MB/s consistently

Fan Noise and Thermal Performance

Fan noise depends a lot on what you’ve got running and what your power settings are. With a low load on the CPU, the fan is barely audible. It runs at under 34 decibels. Under full load, the fan spins up and is then quite noisy, getting up to about 46 decibels. If you aren’t putting a heavy load on it for long periods then one of the passive coolers is probably a better desktop option.

Thermally, the active cooler does well, keeping the CPU under 55°C at full load, and the surface of the cooler is about 8°C warmer than ambient.

Power Consumption

Power consumption is really good for an SBC running an Intel CPU.

Idle (Desktop): <6W
Full Load (CPU + GPU): <22W
Power Off (Shutdown): ~0.25W

It uses a little under 6W when idle on the desktop and when maxed out on all CPU and GPU cores we get a little under 22W. Interestingly it still uses about a quarter of a watt when shut down completely.

PCIe Expansion

I then tried plugging an NVMe adaptor into the PCIe port to try it out. Through that, I was able to add a 2280 size 2TB Crucial P3 Plus drive to the Mu. This drive gets significantly faster read and write speeds than the onboard eMMC storage, getting around 780MB/s.

You can also use this port to add faster networking adapters or even a GPU.

Final Thoughts on the LattePanda Mu

The LattePanda Mu is a compact, flexible x86 compute module with solid performance and a wide range of IO options via its edge connector. It’s ideal for developers, embedded applications, and projects that benefit from PCIe or multiple display outputs.

It is power-efficient and really compact for its capabilities. The included cooler is great if you’re not using the board under full load somewhere where the fan noise would be an issue; if it is, then the large passive cooler would probably be a better option.

It’s priced higher than some SBCs that offer comparable performance. At $139 for the 8GB model (plus $39 for the carrier board), it competes with devices like the Radxa X4, which offers onboard ports at a lower price. If you’re just after a budget-friendly N100 system, an N100 mini PC may offer better value.

LattePanda Mu Running With Fan On Lite Carrier Board

Where the Mu really shines is in custom or embedded applications, especially where you can take advantage of its edge connector, multiple PCIe lanes, and flexible power input options, like direct 4-cell battery support.

Overall, it’s a well-built, capable module with specific strengths for the right user.

Zimaboard 2 Review – A Sleek, Silent Upgrade for Your Homelab

Projects

Michael Klements

-

May 5, 2025

2

Zimaboard 2 Review – A Sleek, Silent Upgrade for Your Homelab

Today we’re taking a look at the new Zimaboard 2, this is the second generation Zimaboard from Icewhale, the company that have also brought us the Zimablade and Zimacube. With upgraded hardware, a new aluminium chassis, and IceWhale’s CASA OS pre-installed, the Zimaboard 2 is targeted at homelab and personal cloud enthusiasts. In this review, we’ll unbox the new board, compare it with the original Zimaboard, put it through some performance and thermal tests, and see how it handles additional storage.

Here’s my video review of the Zimaboard 2;

Where To Buy The Zimaboard 2

At this stage, the Zimaboard 2 is being crowd-funded on Kickstarter, so is only available to backers of their campaign;

ZimaBoard 2 – Buy Here
QNAP Switch – Buy Here

Tools & Equipment Used

FNIRSI Power Supply with Display – Buy Here
Infiray P2 Pro Thermal Camera – Buy Here
Bambulab A1 Combo (To Print Lab Rax System) – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

Unboxing the Zimaboard 2: What’s Included

The Zimaboard 2 ships in a well-designed cardboard carrier that doubles as a holder for the board and up to two 2.5″ drives. Inside the box, you’ll find the Zimaboard 2 in a protective sleeve and a separate accessory pack.

The accessory pack contains:

A dual SATA cable
A multi-region 12V/3A power supply
A quick start guide

Right out of the box, the Zimaboard 2 looks and feels like a premium upgrade to the original. It now features a cast aluminium casing, giving it a sturdier, more refined appearance while remaining completely passively cooled — there are no onboard fans or ventilation holes.

Zimaboard 2 Aluminium Passive Heatsink Bottom

Zimaboard 2 Aluminium Passive Heatsink Top

Tech Specs and Comparison to Zimaboard 1

Key Hardware Upgrades:

CPU: Intel N150 (4 cores, up to 3.6GHz) vs. the original’s Celeron N3450 (up to 2.2GHz)
GPU: Upgraded integrated graphics with 24 execution units (vs. 12) at up to 1GHz
RAM: 8GB LPDDR5 @ 4800MHz (vs. 8GB LPDDR4)
Storage: 32GB eMMC (unchanged)
PCIe: Gen 3.0 x4 slot (vs. Gen 2.0 x4)
Networking: Dual 2.5G Ethernet ports (up from Gigabit Ethernet)
Ports: 2x USB 3.1, mini DisplayPort, SATA III ports (6Gbps), 12V barrel jack

Physically, the board is just 1mm longer and 4mm thinner than the original, but noticeably more robust thanks to the new aluminium housing.

Port placement remains nearly identical, making it easy for users upgrading from the original, but there are some differences.

On the front we’ve got the same mini DisplayPort, but then we’ve got improved dual 2.5GB Ethernet ports and beneath those are two USB 3.1 ports. Next to those is the power supply barrel jack input. On the side is a PCIe 3.0 x 4 slot, which is an improvement on the 2.0 x 4 port on the original.

On the back of the board, we’ve still got two SATA ports alongside a central power port. These are the same SATA 3.0 ports that can do up to 6 Gbps.

Internally, there isn’t much on the bottom of the board other than the CMOS battery and clear CMOS button near it.

On the other side, the Zimaboard 2 has an improved 4 core Intel N150 CPU. This has the same number of cores as the original Celeron N3450 CPU, but they now boost to up to 3.6GHz instead of 2.2GHz. It’s also got 3 times the cache and 9 PCIe gen 3 lanes instead of the 6 gen 2 lanes on the original.

The top shell is quite thick, so probably has a good thermal capacity.

It also has an improved integrated GPU, now with 24 execution units over the original 12, which boosts up to 1Ghz.

Storage remains the same, we’ve got 32GB of eMMC storage and RAM stays at 8GB but is now DDR 5 instead of DDR 4 and runs at an increased 4800MHz. Both are soldered to the board and therefore aren’t upgradeable.

First Boot Into CASA OS

Like its predecessor, the Zimaboard 2 is meant to be run headless. Setup is simple: plug in the power and connect an Ethernet cable. WiFi is still absent, so a wired connection has to be used.

Once booted (after a few minutes), you can access the dashboard by entering the device’s IP address in a browser. IceWhale provides a handy utility called Zima Client to help locate the IP if needed. It’s best to assign a static IP address through your router for easier future access and to set up network storage.

The board came preloaded with what appears to be the Zimacube version of CASA OS — likely to be updated following the Zimaboard 2’s full release. You’ll need to set up a local user account to begin using the dashboard.

CASA OS is essentially a web-based Docker frontend built on Debian, designed for homelab and personal cloud setups. It’s a clean, customizable dashboard that includes:

System monitoring
App Store with 50+ preconfigured Docker apps
VM and storage management
PeerDrop for local file sharing (more on that later)

System usage was minimal on idle, with CPU at near-zero and RAM usage at 11%. Using btop, you can view per-core CPU loads, memory usage, active processes, and network activity.

Power Consumption

To assess power consumption and thermal performance, an Ubuntu virtual machine was set up to run a CPU stress test. Here’s how the board handled the load:

Idle: 7W at 3% CPU use
Full load: 16W with VM stress test

This is the bare board without any additional drives, PCIe cards or peripherals attached to it.

Testing The Zimaboard 2’s Thermal Capacity

Thermally, the passive heatsink enclosure does quite well under full load. With the same stress test running, putting the CPU under full load, we get the following results;

7 minutes: CPU ~70°C, case surface 56°C (room at 20°C)
15 minutes: CPU at 77°C
30 minutes: CPU at 87°C, case at 68°C
41 minutes: Hit 90°C, test stopped

Despite these high temps under sustained load, the system stayed stable and silent. Once the load stopped, temperatures dropped quickly. So provided you’re not subjecting the Zimaboard 2 to a full load for long periods of time, the passive heatsink works quite well, and it’s great that it’s silent.

Adding Storage Drives & Using It As A NAS

To expand storage, the Zimaboard 2 was installed in a 3D-printed 1U shelf and fitted out with:

1 x 2TB NVMe drive (on the PCIe port)
2 x 1TB 2.5” SATA SSDs

The board features four M3 mounting points to install it into a case or rack. I used these to secure it to my 1U shelf.

Upon reboot, all three drives were recognized in CASA OS.

The NVMe drive was formatted for general storage. The two SATA SSDs were combined into a RAID 0 array using CASA OS, ideal for non-critical media storage (e.g. for a Plex server).

File access via the Files app was seamless, and the storage was also visible under the Storage tab. Drives were mapped to a PC for use as a basic NAS.

Storage Performance

NVMe:
- Write: ~240MB/s
- Read: ~260MB/s
SATA RAID 0 array:
- Write: ~230MB/s
- Read: ~260MB/s

These are quite good results, especially over a 2.5G network connection, making the Zimaboard 2 very capable as a networked storage server.

Final Thoughts On The Zimaboard 2

The Zimaboard 2 delivers a meaningful upgrade over the original. With faster CPU and RAM, better graphics, and a sleek aluminium case, it looks and feels like a premium homelab device. The inclusion of dual 2.5G Ethernet ports and a PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot opens up many more possibilities for custom setups.

Thermal performance is impressive for a fanless design, although the case does get hot under prolonged full load. Storage expansion is easy, and CASA OS continues to offer a smooth and beginner-friendly platform for managing containers, apps, and storage.

One standout feature is PeerDrop, which enables file sharing between devices on the local network using just a browser — a handy Apple AirDrop-style tool that works across all platforms.

The Zimaboard 2 is a powerful and quiet mini-server board, ideal for DIY NAS, media servers, and homelab projects. Pricing is still unconfirmed at the time of writing, but if it lands between $180–$240, it will be a competitive option. Any higher, and it may start to overlap with more capable mini PCs.

Let me know what you think of the Zimaboard 2 in the comments section below.

Introducing Lab Rax: A 3D Printable & Modular 10″ Rack System

Michael Klements

-

April 7, 2025

45

Introducing Lab Rax: A 3D Printable & Modular 10″ Rack System

Today, I’m excited to introduce Lab Rax, my latest 3D-printable project—a fully modular and customizable 10-inch server rack system for homelab enthusiasts. Whether you’re managing Raspberry Pi setups, mini PCs, or networking gear, this rack is designed to keep everything organized, adaptable to your needs, and look great on your desk.

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the write-up;

What You Need To Assemble Your Own Lab Rax

M6x10mm Button Head Screws (16 Required For Frame + Additional For Racks) – Buy Here
M6 Brass Inserts (8mm OD, 4mm Length) – Buy Here

For Bolted Version

Metric

M6x12mm Button Head Screws (16 Required For Frame + Additional For Racks) – Buy Here
Optional Black Version of Above to Match Print – Buy Here
M6 Nuts (16 Required For Frame + Additional For Racks) – Buy Here

Imperial

#10-32 x 1/2 Button Head Screws (16 Required For Frame + Additional For Racks) – Buy Here
Optional Black Version of Above to Match Print – Buy Here
#10-32 Nuts (16 Required For Frame + Additional For Racks) – Buy Here

Equipment Used

Bambulab A1 Combo – Buy Here
Omtech Polar Laser Cutter – Buy Here
Brass Insert Tool – Buy Here

What Makes Lab Rax Special?

Fully 3D Printable

Lab Rax is designed to be completely 3D printable, except for a few fasteners and brass inserts that hold it together. It’s optimised for common 3D printer bed sizes of around 250mm square, meaning you don’t need a large-format printer to produce it. The design also requires minimal support material, just four thin strips on the edge pieces, so there’s very little filament waste and hardly any post-processing needed.

Modular Design

The side panels and posts come in increments from 1U to 5U (5U being the largest that fits a 250mm print bed). You can also combine two sections to create any combination of units up to 10U. You can technically add a second joint and extend the rack beyond 10U, but the strength of the 3D-printed parts becomes an issue when going beyond that with a rack full of equipment.

Cost-Effective

Pre-made 10-inch mini racks typically cost between $80 and $150 for the frame alone. In contrast, a 5U Lab Rax frame uses about 580g of filament and an additional 360g for side panels (if you choose to add those). A single 1kg spool of PETG is enough to print out a complete rack and side panels and costs around $15. Add about $6 for the brass inserts and M6 screws, and the total cost is only $21 – nearly a quarter of a commercial version’s price.

Lab Rax Dimensions & Compatibility

There is no strict standard for 10-inch racks, but Lab Rax follows the most commonly accepted dimensions.

It uses the standard 44.45mm rack unit spacing that is used on larger 19-inch racks, with holes 236.525mm apart and a usable width of 222mm between posts. This makes it compatible with most commercially available 10-inch hardware.

I opted to use M6 screws over 10-32 screws because they are easier to find in Australia, Asia, and Europe. Lab Rax is designed to use M6x10mm screws both for securing the racks and assembling the frame, so you don’t need to buy a bunch of different screw sizes.

Update: I have now put together a bolt-together version that used standard nuts instead of brass inserts. This is compatable with M6 and #10-32 hardware.

Customing Lab Rax

One of the best things about Lab Rax is its customizability! Being 3D printed, you can choose from a wide range of filament colors. I’ve used PETG for durability and heat resistance, but PLA works fine for setups with minimal heat, like a few Raspberry Pis and a small networking switch.

For the two sides, top and bottom panels, you can either 3D print them to match or contrast the frame or cut them from 3mm acrylic or plywood. This allows for clear or tinted window panels or even stylish wooden accents.

Printing Out The Components

I printed all the parts using the Bambulab A1 Combo, which has a 256mm x 256mm print bed. A full 5U frame and side panels prints across 10 plates in about 26 hours.

Download the 3D print files

Download the additional sizing options

Download the Bolt Together Version (M6 and #10-32 Compatable)

This includes;

Four vertical posts, printed in a set of four.
Four edge pieces, two handles, and four feet.
- The feet can also be printed separately in TPU for vibration dampening if you’re running fans or harddrives in your rack.
Four individual horizontal pieces: These only fit diagonally on the bed, so they need to be printed individually, but they print quite quickly—about 1.5 hours each.
Four individual panels, a set for the two sides, and a set for the top and bottom. The top can be printed with a fan cutout for a 120mm fan.

The next section has a full bill of materials to ensure that you have the right quantities.

Using the AMS Lite on the A1, you can print in multiple colors to further customise your rack. You can add coloured accent layers, like I’ve done on the vent and fan panels, or add text labels to identify rack components.

I also tested two styles of side panels: a set of 3D-printed panels in grey on my first rack and a set of laser-cut 3mm tinted acrylic panels on my second rack. I personally prefer the acrylic panels for a sleek look.

Bill of Materials

Now that we’ve had a look at the design and 3D print requirements, here is a full Bill of Materials to help out with ensuring that you have all of the components you need to build your Lab Rax frame;

Item No	Description	Quantity
1	M6x10mm Button Head Screw	24
2	M6 Brass Insert (8mm OD, 4mm Length)	24
3	M6 Brass Inserts (To Mount Equipment)	6 per rack unit (U)
4	Vertical Post	4
5	Horizontal Edge (Either Solid Or Vented)	4
6	Edge	4
7	Handle	2
8	Foot	4
9	Side Panel	2
10	Top Panel	1
11	Bottom Panel	1

Assembling Lab Rax

Lab Rax is assembled using M6x10mm screws and brass inserts. Each of the four posts and four edge pieces need two brass inserts, which are melted into place using a soldering iron. There are also brass inserts in the top and bottom of the edge pieces to mount the handles and feet onto.

There is the option of either using nuts on the back of the M6 screws to secure the racks or you can add brass inserts to the vertical posts so that they can just be tightened from the front, sort of like a captive nut used on a 19″ rack. I made my first up to use nuts and the second one I’ll make up using brass inserts.

With those melted into place we can start assembling the base.

Two of the side edge pieces and two horizontal pieces are assembled around the 3D printed or acrylic base panel, with a single screw at each joint. I’ve used solid horizontal pieces around the base, and I’ll use the vented ones at the top. These are also interchangeable so you can use any combination you’d prefer.

We can then add the four vertical posts, again requiring a single screw at each joint.

With the vertical posts as guides, we can slide the two 3D printed or acrylic side panels into place.

Then add the top two horizontal pieces.

We can add the top panel into the gap and close it up with the last two edge pieces.

To finish the rack off, we can add the two handles to the top and the four feet to the bottom. These also use the same hole pattern, so you can put handles on the bottom as a stand if you’d like to or feet on the top to stack two racks together.

And that’s the basic rack complete.

Expanding and Customizing the Rack

I mentioned earlier that you can configure the rack to any number of rack units from 1U to 10U and reuse most of the parts. The only parts that need to be swapped out or added to are the four vertical posts and the two side panels.

Model Files For Extension Side Panels & Joiners

If we reprint the 5U posts as smaller sections, we can make up a 3U rack and if we combine the 3U posts with the 5U posts using the designed joiners then we can make up an 8U rack.

If you aren’t using two of the same length posts then it’s a good idea to put the side panels in the opposite way around to the posts so that the joints don’t line up as this gives it a bit more rigidity.

Side Panel Joints Not Aligned For Strength

3D Printable 10″ Rack Accessories

To populate the rack, I designed several accessories:

Blank and Ventilation Panels: Cover unused rack units or allow airflow.
- 1/2U Ventilation Panel
- 1U Ventilation Panel
Fan Panels: Options for 5x40mm fans or 2x80mm fans
- 1U 40mm Fan Panel
Shelves: Designed for switches, mini PCs, and UPS units
Patch Panels:
- 1U 12-port Keystone Patch Panel
- 1U D-Type Patch Panel
Raspberry Pi & SBC Mounts:
- 1U tray for 3 Raspberry Pi 5s
- 2U tray for 7 Raspberry Pis or mixed SBCs

As I find new hardware to add to my rack, I’ll continue to add to the accessory collection. I’m also open to suggestions or request, so leave a comment down below if you have a particular requirement.

Final Thoughts On My Lab Rax Project

So that’s an overview of my Lab Rax project – a modular, fully 3D printable homelab solution that you can customise to fit your needs. If you’re interested in building one yourself, I’ve put all of the Lab Rax system components and the racks and trays shown in this video up on Makerworld.

I’d love to hear your feedback! Let me know if there are any features you’d like to see added or if you’d be interested in a 10-32 screw version. And if you build your own, tag me on social media or drop a comment on Makerworld or my blog – I’d love to see your creations!

This Tiny 3D-Printed Gaming PC Actually Runs Counter-Strike!

Michael Klements

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March 24, 2025

4

This Tiny 3D-Printed Gaming PC Actually Runs Counter-Strike!

This tiny gaming PC is smaller than a can of Coke, runs Windows 11, and can even play Counter-Strike 2! While this might not be the most practical gaming setup, the Radxa X4 is an impressive single-board computer (SBC) for its size and has plenty of potential.

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the write-up;

What You Need To Build Your Own N100 Mini Gaming PC

Radxa X4 – Buy Here
Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe – Buy Here
Power Supply – Buy Here
40mm Northbridge Heatsink – Buy Here
Waveshare Pi 5 Port Adaptor – Buy Here
40mm RGB 5V Fans – Buy Here
Waveshare 7.9″ Display – Buy Here
Mini Keyboard & Mouse – Buy Here
PLA Metallic Iron Gray – Buy Here
M2.5 x 6mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M2.5 x 8mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M2.5 x 12mm Button Head Screw – Buy Here
M3 x 8mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M2.5 Brass Inserts – Buy Here
M3 Brass Inserts – Buy Here
M2.5 x 6mm Standoffs – Buy Here
2mm Clear Acrylic – Buy Here

Tools & Equipment Used:

Bambulab A1 Combo – Buy Here
USB-C Pencil Screwdriver – Buy Here
Fnirsi HS-02B Soldering Iron – Buy Here
Fnirsi FNAC-28 USB Tester – Buy Here
Omtech Polar Laser Cutter – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

What Is the Radxa X4?

The Radxa X4 is a single-board computer powered by an Intel N100 CPU. It’s nearly the same size as a Raspberry Pi 5, with the only difference being a slight step out where the GPIO pins are located.

The N100 processor features four efficiency cores that run up to 3.4GHz, with integrated Intel UHD graphics capable of reaching 750MHz.

It is available in a range of RAM and storage options. This particular version of the Radxa X4 comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 64GB of onboard eMMC storage, though I’m using it with a Sabrent Rocket NVMe drive as the boot drive for additional performance.

Connectivity wise, it’s got a 2.5G Ethernet port, WiFi 6, three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port.

In terms of raw hardware, the Radxa X4 significantly outperforms the Raspberry Pi 5 while remaining quite affordable. I paid $90 for this 8GB version, which is just $10 more than the 8GB Pi 5, and it includes the 64GB of eMMC storage (which is a $9 add-on).

As I showed earlier, it’s even got a 40-pin GPIO header which is powered by an onboard RP2040 chip, so you can tinker with electronics projects with it too. This is conveniently mountable through the adjacent pushbutton.

Cooling Challenges On The Radxa X4

Unfortunately, it’s not all rainbows. While the X4 has excellent features, it does come with a fairly significant issue – cooling. The N100 processor gets quite hot, and on the Radxa X4 it is on the bottom of the board, which doesn’t help!

They did this because it doesn’t fit in among all of the ports on the top of the board, but we all know hot air rises, so having the heatsink underneath the board is not the best place for it. It also makes it clumsy to use because the assembly is either going to be resting on the heatsink on a desk, or if the heatsink is at the top, then the board is upside down.

The board is upside down in the Radxa X4’s official heatsink case, which makes it difficult to access things like the GPIO pins.

I’m going to hopefully help out with the cooling issue by mounting it on its side.

I also needed to find a suitable heatsink for it, which was a challenge in itself. Traditional CPU coolers are too large for the board, and Raspberry Pi coolers don’t fit the X4’s mounting arrangement. I ended up purchasing a 40mm square northbridge heatsink from AliExpress, which looked like it could do the job.

Custom 3D Printable Case Design For The Radxa X4 and Monitor

Now, obviously, I couldn’t just leave the board exposed, so I designed a custom 3D-printed case using Fusion360. The goal was to give it a full-sized gaming PC aesthetic while keeping it functional.

I also designed a monitor stand that holds a 7.9″ Waveshare display to look like a scale ultra-wide monitor to compliment the mini gaming PC.

The case has a clear acrylic side panel to keep the internals visible and a clear panel on the front as a kind of fan guard that allows airflow into the case down the sides.

Two 40mm fans provide cooling to the CPU, blowing across the heatsink and out of vents on the back of the case. The heatsink is held in place with some custom brackets that I’ll cut from clear acrylic as well.

With the Radxa X4 positioned vertically, we need a way to bring the ports out to the back and for that I’ve used a Waveshare port adaptor that is meant to be used with the Pi 5. The ports on the X4 are the same, so it works on both.

To complete the gaming PC look, I also scaled down a version of an RTX3080 that I previously built a Pi 4 into. This will be attached to the back side of the port adaptor.

Printing the Case with the Bambu Lab A1 Combo

To print the case, Bambu Lab have sent me their A1 Combo to try out.

I’ve been using their X1C and P1S for the past year and a half, and compared to my old desk full of Ender 3s and spare parts, the upgrade has been a game-changer. These two printers are significantly faster and more reliable than my old printers.

The A1 series is Bambu Lab’s entry-level printer lineup, with the A1 Mini priced at $239 and the A1 Combo (with AMS Lite for multi-color printing) at $529.

The A1 is incredibly easy to use; it loads the filament automatically, calibrates itself and does automatic bed levelling before every print. It even monitors the belt tensions and will notify you if a belt needs adjustment.

The AMS Lite is a stripped-down version of the AMS, the main difference being that it is not enclosed. This means you can’t store filament that absorbs moisture like PETG on it long-term, but it otherwise offers the same functionality.

I opened the case and monitor stand up across two beds in Bambu Studio. I’ve coloured the Radxa logo on the back of the case in blue to match the heatsink.

I then sliced the plates and sent them to the A1.

I printed the case in metallic PLA, which came out great. The quality and speed of the prints are impressive for a traditional bed-slinger printer.

With the case and monitor stand complete, we can move on to the graphics cards. Because it is so small, and I’d like to try to get the text to come out, I’m going to swap nozzles on the A1 over to a 0.2mm nozzle. This is also an improvement over the P1 and X1 printers, which involve quite a bit of effort to swap nozzles. The whole hot-end on the A1 is held in place by a single clip, so it’s a quick process to swap nozzles over. It would be great if they were able to put an RFID tag onto the hot-ends on their printers so that the printer automatically knows what the nozzle size is.

I really like how the GPU came out. The text on the side is readable, although the white doesn’t show up as clearly as I hoped, and there is a step in the side where the text is. It looks like too much filament is extruded in this area, so it probably needs a bit of dialing in. But the text on top is clear, and the heatsink fins came out looking great!

The assembled GPU looks amazingly detailed for its size.

Multicolour printing produces quite a lot of waste, but if you’re smart about the layout and print order, you can minimise it. Try not to have different colours span across too many layers.

Next, I need to cut out the clear components. These are all cut from a sheet of 2mm clear acrylic.

Assembling The Radxa X4 Mini PC Case

To assemble the mini PC, we need to start by installing some brass inserts in the body of the case. These are melted into place using a soldering iron. We’ve got M2.5 brass inserts for the Radxa X4 and adaptor to be mounted onto and then some M3 inserts for the two fans and the side panel.

Melting Brass Inserts Into Monitor Stand

Next, we can mount the fans onto the front of the case. These are each secured by two M3x8mm button head screws from the inside.

Six M2.5x6mm brass standoffs go into the brass inserts to mount the Radxa X4 and adaptor onto.

We can then plug the port adaptor into the Radxa X4 and install it into the case. I’ve made up an extension for the fans to plug both into a single set of 5V pins with some extra length to allow them to be plugged into the GPIO pins before the board is installed in the case.

The adaptor is then held in place with some M2.5 x 6mm button head screws.

Radxa X4 and Port Adaptor Installed In Case

We can apply some thermal paste to the CPU, and the heatsink can be positioned over the X4using the acrylic brackets. The whole assembly is then clamped down with some M2.5 x 8mm button head screws. Be careful not to overtighten the screws or you might break the acrylic arms.

Next, let’s attach the GPU to the adaptor, which I’m just going to do with some double-sided tape.

We can then install the front and side panel.

The front panel is glued into place with some super glue and the side panel is held in place with two M3x8mm button head screws.

And that’s the case complete, now we just need to finish off the monitor.

The display holder attaches to the monitor stand with two M3 x 8mm button head screws and then the display holder screws onto the back of the display with four M2.5 x 12mm button head screws.

The monitor is powered by a single USB cable so we can plug that and an HDMI cable into the Radxa X4, and add a mini keyboard and mouse to finish it off.

Now The Big Question: Can We Game On It?

Technically yes. It runs Counter-Strike 2 on low settings and gets about 20-30fps at 720p. It’s not a pleasant experience, even with a proper mouse, it’s almost impossible to press more than one key on the keyboard at a time, and the crosshair is about the size of a human hair, so aiming isn’t easy either.

I did manage to get a couple of kills, though!

But for a PC that is the same size as a Pi 5, I think that’s quite impressive.

Other Use Cases For The Radxa X4

Obviously, the Radxa X4 is not built to game on, but its form factor and features leave it with a lot of potential for other use cases like;

Home automation
Media server applications
Retro gaming
Tiny workstation setups
Low-power home servers

It only draws 17-20W under load during gaming with the monitor attached, making it an excellent option for an energy-efficient mini PC.

Power Consumption Is Less Than 20W While Gaming

Final Thoughts On The Mini Gaming PC Build

The Radxa X4 is a powerful and affordable single-board computer with plenty of possibilities. While gaming performance is limited, its low power consumption, form factor, and expandability make it an excellent choice for home projects.

I’ve put the enclosure up on Bambulab’s Makerworld so you can print your own if you’d like to. Take a look at the Bambulab A1 and A1 Combo if you’re thinking about getting started with 3D printing. The A1 is a great budget-friendly option, and you’ll actually spend your time printing rather than repairing the printer!

What do you think of my Radxa X4 gaming PC? Could you see yourself using it for a home project? Let me know in the comments section!

Build a Smart Family Planner with a Raspberry Pi 5

Projects

Michael Klements

-

March 10, 2025

4

Build a Smart Family Planner with a Raspberry Pi 5

Do You Struggle to Keep Track of Your Family’s Schedule?

Today, I’m going to show you how to build a simple, smart family planner using a Raspberry Pi 5, a touchscreen display, and a 3D-printed stand! It features a calendar, weather updates, and even plays back photos that sync from your family members’ phones, all powered by free software.

There are some commercial versions of these family planners available, but they’re quite expensive. On top of that, they often hide important features like photo playback behind monthly subscriptions, so there’s an ongoing cost to consider too.

So, let’s get started building our own!

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the write-up.

What You Need To Build Your Own Family Planner

Raspberry Pi 5 – Buy Here
MicroSD Card – Buy Here
SunFounder 10.1″ Touch Display – Buy Here
M2.5 x 12mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M6 x 50mm Hex Head Bolts – Buy Here
M6 x 40mm Hex Head Bolts – Buy Here
M6 Hex Nuts – Buy Here

Tool & Equipment Used:

USB-C Pencil Screwdriver – Buy Here
Bambulab X1C – Buy Here
Bambulab P1S – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting my projects, at no additional cost to you.

Components Used To Build The Family Planner

As the brains behind the planner, I’m going to be using a Raspberry Pi 5. This is a little overkill for this project, but I intend to use the same device for a separate Home Assistant dashboard and some other tasks running in the background, so I’d like to have the extra power available. If you’re just using the planner functionality, then a Pi 3, 4, or even a Pi Zero 2 W will work too.

Next, we need a display, and for that, I’m going with this 10.1″ touch display by SunFounder. This is a 1280×800 IPS display with a 178-degree viewing angle, so it’s a good fit for this type of project.

This particular model is nice and easy to use because it’s designed specifically for the Pi 5, so it includes all of the necessary cables to connect the Pi to the display.

It also caters for the Pi 5’s 5V 5A power requirements, so you don’t need to run separate power supplies. It even includes speakers, so you can make use of audio prompts or voice feedback if you’d like to.

Because the display package includes the power supply and all of the cables we need, the only other item required is a microSD card for the operating system. I’m using a 32GB Sandisk Ultra card, which is more than enough for this project.

I’ve flashed Raspberry Pi OS onto the microSD card and configured it to connect to my home WiFi network. We can put that straight into the Pi and then mount the Pi onto the back of the display. This is done using little standoffs on adjustable rails, so you can mount any SBC with a square bolt pattern onto it.

The Pi is secured with three M2.5x18mm brass standoffs, and a clear acrylic cover plate goes over it.

I’ve added a small stick-on heatsink. I’m not sure if this is going to provide enough cooling to the Pi yet, but it’s easy to replace if needed. The acrylic cover has a place to mount a 40mm fan as well.

We can then plug in the HDMI cable, the power cable, and the USB cable for the touch display.

The board on the back of the display has buttons to control the display menu and speaker volume, as well as a power button that turns off the display and power to the Pi.

And that’s the hardware basically done!

Assembling the Family Planner’s Stand

SunFounder has a 3D-printable stand and an enclosure available for this display, but the stand doesn’t suit my needs, and I think the enclosure makes the display look quite bulky.

So I decided to design my own stand with an adjustable arm to position it exactly where I want it. The stand can also be hung from the underside of a surface like an overhead kitchen cabinet, which is how I’ll be using it long-term.

I’ve put the 3D print files up on Makerworld – Download print files

I printed the components in black and grey PETG. I used PETG rather than PLA to provide better long-term strength.

The stand goes together easily with just three M6x50mm bolts holding the joints together. These can be adjusted and tightened using the 3D-printed end caps.

It would actually be best to use two 40mm bolts and one 50mm bolt, but rather than buying two sets, I’ll cut the longer ones down or put caps on them afterwards.

The stand attaches to some brass standoffs on the display with four M2.5x12mm button head screws.

Setting Up The Family Planner Dashboard Software

The two software options that I like are Dakboard and MagicMirror.

Dakboard is much easier to set up and run, but it is a bit more limited than MagicMirror. MagicMirror is open-source, free, and has a large community behind it, so it has hundreds of available modules and a lot of flexibility. However, this also means that it takes much longer to install, set up, and run.

Dakboard is great if you want a simple calendar interface with a few basic add-ons. The base features are free to use, including up to two calendar integrations, a choice of predefined layouts, and integration with photos, weather, and a news feed.

Additional calendars, custom layouts, and more integrations are available through two paid tiers. While these aren’t particularly expensive, they defeat the purpose of building our own device. If you feel like the free version of Dakboard isn’t enough for you, then I’d encourage you to try MagicMirror as an alternative.

I’m going to use the free tier of Dakboard as I primarily want to have a shared family calendar available to view.

To get set up, create an account, and you can then work through setting up your predefine screen by running through these tabs.

First, choose a layout. I like the calendar on the left and the weather on the right.

Then, choose a background. There are options for integrations with Apple Photos, Google Photos, OneDrive, Dropbox and a host of other services too. You can even set a Youtube video as the background if you’d like to.

I’m using a shared Apple Photo album that is set up on my family members’ phones.

Shared albums are quite easy to make. You just go into the Photos app on your device, scroll down to shared albums, then hit create, give it a name and invite participants that can contribute photos to the album.

To make it accessible through Dakboard, you need to go to Shared Album Details, then make sure that Public Website is enabled and then press Share Link to get a link that you can copy over to Dakboard.

We’ve then got some calendar display settings that affect the way your calendar shows up. I’ll show you both the monthly and agenda views. I like the standard monthly view and the agenda view across 7 days. I also like including the event location and end times.

With the free tier, you can connect two calendars. You only really need one as we run a shared iCloud calendar across our family phones, and we can add, change or remove events from any device. There are also similar options available with Google Calendar.

Setting this up is also quite easy to do. First, you need a Calendar to link. You can use an existing calendar or create a new shared calendar with other family members.

Once you have created your calendar, click on the i alongside it to edit it. In this menu, you can enable it as a Public Calendar and then get a share link like we did with the Photo Album. We then copy this URL across to Dakboard.

I added a second calendar link to a Google Calendar showing the Australian public holidays, just as an illustration.

That’s the basic set-up done. You can also add the date and time, weather, news, a to-do list, and some custom text.

To view the screen, we then click on this link at the top.

Try playing around with different settings to customise the screen to your needs.

Once you’ve got it set up the way you like, we can link our Raspberry Pi to our account. Go to displays and devices, then create a new display. I’ve called mine Kitchen. Then go to this web address in the Pis browser to link it.

With that set up, your Pi should now be able to display your family planner dashboard.

Automating the Family Planner Functions

Rather than opening up the browser and then the link each time the Pi boots up, we can set it up to do this automatically.

First, we need to create an autostart directory by entering this command:

mkdir -p /home/pi/.config/autostart

Then make sure that you’re working in the directory by entering:

cd /home/pi/.config/autostart

Then, create a new text file in this location with these lines:

nano test.desktop

Add the following lines to the file and then close it by pressing Ctrl + O:

[Desktop Entry]
Type:Application
Exec=chromium --kiosk https://dakboard.com/display/uuid/<replace with your url>

Exec= → This is used in .desktop files to specify the command that should be executed when the application runs.
chromium → This launches the Chromium web browser.
--kiosk → Runs Chromium in kiosk mode, which means:
- It opens in full-screen without any toolbars, address bars, or buttons.
- The user cannot close or navigate away using normal controls.
https://dakboard.com/display/uuid/<replace with your url> → This is the URL that Chromium will open in kiosk mode.

Let’s reboot the Pi and see if it works.

Now, we’ve got a family planner running on the Pi, displaying our shared family calendar and cycling through the photos from a shared album on our phones.

The last thing you might want to do is set the Pi to shut down at night to save power and increase the lifespan of the display. You can do this by adding a shutdown line in crontab, which will turn the Pi off every night at a set time.

Enter this command to open up crontab:

sudo crontab -e

Then, add this line to the end of the file:

0 21 * * * /sbin/shutdown -H now

0 → Minute (Runs at minute 0)
21 → Hour (Runs at 21:00, or 9:00 PM)
* → Day of the month (Runs every day)
* → Month (Runs every month)
* → Day of the week (Runs on all days of the week)
/sbin/shutdown → Calls the system shutdown command
-H → Halts the system after shutting down (stops hardware but does not power off)
now → Executes the shutdown immediately when the cron job triggers

The Pi doesn’t have an easy way to wake up again, but I’ve worked around this by using a smart plug. The plug turns off 10 minutes after the Pi is scheduled to shut down and then turns on again in the morning, which in turn boots the Pi back up.

Final Thoughts On The Family Planner

Building a smart family planner with a Raspberry Pi 5 is a fun and practical project that helps keep everyone organised without relying on expensive commercial options. With a bit of DIY effort, you get a fully customisable dashboard that suits your family’s needs, whether it’s tracking schedules, displaying photos, or checking the weather. With Dakboard and MagicMirror, you can tailor the experience to fit exactly what you’re looking for.

Let me know what you think of this project in the comments section below, and let me know if you’ve tried MagicMirror or any other software that you’d recommend for a home planner!

Ultimate Raspberry Pi 5 Desktop Server with UPS, NVMe Drive & Stats Display

Michael Klements

-

February 17, 2025

7

Ultimate Raspberry Pi 5 Desktop Server with UPS, NVMe Drive & Stats Display

Today I’m taking my Raspberry Pi 5 to the next level by building the ultimate desktop server. This build will feature an NVMe drive for fast storage, a UPS to keep it running during power cuts, and a real-time OLED display to show system stats. I’ll also be designing a custom 3D-printed case for it, complete with active cooling for overclocking.

Here’s my video of the build, read on for the write-up;

Components Used To Build The Ultimate Pi 5 Server

Raspberry Pi 5 – Buy Here
MicroSD Card – Buy Here
Raspberry Pi 5 Power Supply – Buy Here
18650 Batteries – Buy Here
SupTronics X1200 UPS – Buy Here
Pimoroni NVMe Base – Buy Here
(All shown NVMe bases will need a 50mm PCIe extension, or longer)
Pi 5 Ice Tower Cooler – Buy Here
SSD1306 I2C OLED Display – Buy Here
15cm Female to Female Jumper – Buy Here
M2.5 x 6mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M3 x 8mm Button Head Screws – Buy Here
M3 Brass Inserts (Set For Sides & Display) – Buy Here
M2.5x20mm Standoffs – Buy Here
M2.5x8mm Standoffs – Buy Here
2mm Clear Acrylic – Buy Here

Tool & Equipment Used:

Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer – Buy Here
USB-C Pencil Screwdriver – Buy Here
Fnirsi HS-02B Soldering Iron – Buy Here
Omtech Polar Laser Cutter – Buy Here

Ultimate Pi 5 Server Hardware

Let’s start out by taking a look at the hardware that I’m going to use.

The Pi 5 is the brain of the project. I’m using the 8GB variant, so it’s got 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and a BCM2712 SOC that has 4 arm cores running at up to 2.4GHz.

For storage, I’m going to add a 512GB NVMe SSD which will be connected to the Pi’s PCIe port using an NVMe hat. I wanted to keep the design as generic as possible to accommodate a range of NVMe hats, so it will accommodate most NVMe hats that have a similar footprint to the Pi and don’t need the GPIO pins for power. All NVMe bases will need a 50mm PCIe extension, or longer to get up over the UPS.

The reason they can’t use the GPIO pins is that between the Pi and NVMe hat, I’m going to install a UPS hat. I’m using the SupTronics X1200 UPS that is powered by a USB C power supply like the Pi. It then passes power through to the Pi using a range of pogo pins that make contact with the test points and GPIO pins underneath it. It stores power in two 18650 cells which can be used to power the Pi for up to 2 hours in the event of a power outage.

Because this hat has so many contact points, it has to be installed underneath the Pi, which means that the NVMe hat needs to be installed either on top of the Pi or below the UPS.

I’m going to go with below the UPS so that I can still use an Ice Tower cooler on the CPU for cooling. This will provide a lot of additional cooling headroom for overclocking.

So that’s my Pi mini server stack, now I need to get the case designed for it.

Designing The Pi 5 Desktop Server Enclosure

Like my previous projects, I modelled this case in Fusion 360. I refined my previous Pi 4 case design to make assembly smoother and to accommodate the increased stack height. The Pi 5 sits on top, with the UPS shield directly underneath and the NVMe shield below that, connected via a long PCIe ribbon cable.

For the side panels, I’m still using clear acrylic, giving it a sleek look while keeping the internals visible but the acrylic is now recessed into the side of the case so that the acrylic edges aren’t visible. The panels screw into place using M3 screws into brass inserts, making the whole build sturdy and easy to disassemble if needed.

I added a button adaptor to the back to press the Power button on the UPS and I’ve added some design features to the sides.

This case also features an I2C OLED display which will be used to display some stats for the Pi 5 and UPS.

With the case design complete, we now need to print out the components.

3D Printing The Components Using The Elegoo Centauri Carbon

To print out the case components, Elegoo have sent me their new Centauri Carbon core XY 3D printer to try out.

The Centauri Carbon is their first FDM 3D printer with a CoreXY motion system that provides much better precision, stability and speed. It comes fully assembled and ready to print so you don’t need to tinker with levelling the print bed, adjusting belt tensions or squaring up the gantry.

It has a direct drive extruder and a fully enclosed print volume, which means that it can tackle a wide range of print materials.It also includes automatic bed levelling and a magnetic PEI textured build plate.

It does not yet support multicolour printing, filament is mounted on the side with a filament runout sensor above it.

Prints can be started locally using the USB port and full-colour touchscreen or they can be sent over WiFi.

This printer is aimed at being a low-cost Core XY option but Elegoo haven’t cut corners on quality. It still feels like a well-built machine and even has high-end features like a glass door and top cover.

It can tackle a 15-minute benchy and gets pretty good results for the speed.

I printed out a couple of other test prints and aside from a little under-extrusion on the scraper which can be resolved by dialing in the filament settings, I was quite impressed by the results. These were all out-of-the-box prints with no setup or tinkering and I didn’t have a single print failure.

I then prepared my Pi server case print in Elegoo slicer to be printed from PLA with a 0.16mm layer height. The components all easily fit onto the 256mm square build plate so they can be printed in one go.

I’ve left all of the settings on their defaults, I’ve only added some supports to the overhung areas and I’ve made some changes to the fan grill settings to get the infill pattern to use as the fan mesh.

All up the print should take 2 hours and 45 minutes and it’ll only use 75g of filament.

The print can then be sent to the printer over WiFi or it can be started locally from a connected USB drive.

I’m using a metallic grey-coloured filament for all of the case components, hopefully, that looks good with the clear acrylic side panels.

With start-up and levelling, the print took a little under 3 hours to complete but I’m really happy with the quality. The finish is smooth and the layer lines are barely visible. There is some very minor ringing around the button and display cutouts but you have to look hard under bright light to see this.

Finishing Off The Pi 5 Desktop Server Case

Next, let’s make up the side panels from some 2mm laser-cut acrylic. These are slightly undersized so that they fit into the recess that has been designed onto each side of the case.

I initially made these up without a Pi logo on the side but I decided that the logo outline would look quite nice so I added it in afterwards.

After the supports are removed, to finish the case off we need to add some M3 threaded brass inserts to the corners to hold the side panels and to the inside of the case to hold the display. These are M3x4.4mm inserts and they’re 6mm deep for the side panels and 3mm deep for the display.

These are melted into place using a soldering iron with a pointed tip. I’m using the Fnirsi HS-02B which has a nice pointed tip for these style inserts and it runs off a USB C power supply.

I’ve already connected the ribbon cable up to the display’s pins to plug into the Pi’s GPIO pins. Remember to take note of the terminal labels as they’re hidden once the display is installed.

The display slides in under the retaining clips in the body of the case and a single screw and bracket secure it.

Assembling The Raspberry Pi Stack

Now we can start assembling the Pi stack to mount into the case.

First, let’s get the UPS attached to the Pi. Rather than using the included screws, I’m going to use the standoffs from the Ice Tower cooler. I’ve trimmed down their threads slightly because we’ll also need to screw another set of standoffs into the bottom of the UPS hat. My standoffs had 6mm threads, which is their usual length, but you can sometimes get standoffs with a 3mm thread length.

Below the UPS I’m using a set of 20mm standoffs that I’ve also trimmed the thread down on.

Next, we can install the Ice Tower cooler on top of the Pi. I’m going to take the fan off the heatsink as we’ll move this onto the side panel.

If you’ve got thermal paste, this works better than a cooling pad between the CPU and heatsink. If not, or if you plan on removing the cooler frequently then use the included thermal pad.

To finish off the stack, let’s install our NVME drive and then install the hat underneath the Pi. Make sure that you flash your OS onto the NVMe drive before installing it as well. I’m using Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm on it. I’m installing the desktop version for now but it’ll be running an installation of TrueNAS on it long term.

The hat closes off access to the batteries so we need to install those first and then be careful not to short out contacts on the UPS or press the power button.

Better yet, put some thin strips of film between the battery terminals and UPS contacts and you can pull them out before fitting the side panels to ensure the stack remains unpowered.

The NVMe hat is then held in place with some 8mm standoffs to give the drive some room for airflow at the bottom of the case.

Installing The Stack In The Case

The button adaptor goes into the back of the case and we can then install the stack in the case. This is held in place with four M2.5 screws through the bottom of the case.

We can then plug the display into the power and I2C pins on the Pi.

Next, let’s mount the Ice Tower fan onto the side panel with the fan grill.

I’ve pressed some M3 nuts into the pockets on the back of the fan and some M3x16mm screws hold it in place.

Plug the fan into the fan port before closing the case up and remember to pull out the film on the battery terminals.

The side panels are each held in place with four M3x8mm button head screws. I’ve got a small 3D-printed accent piece around each screw head.

On the side with the ports, I’ve got another 3D-printed accent piece that is held in place with some super glue.

That’s the case complete and the Pi ready for it’s first boot.

Installing The OLED Stats Display Script

All that is left to do is install the modified stats script which I’ve upgraded for this use case.

The UPSMonitor.py script cycles between two screens — one showing system stats like temperature, CPU load and the IP address, and another dedicated to the UPS status, displaying the power state and battery level at a glance.

Final Thoughts On My Pi 5 Desktop Server

With the UPS and NVMe drive, this Pi 5 build is now fast and reliable. The clear acrylic design, optimised cooling, and OLED display make it functional and great to look at.

What do you think of this build and case design? Let me know in the comments if you’d add any features or change anything up!

Ultimate Pi 5 Desktop Server Running Plugged In

The modified UPS stats script is available to install from my GitHub repository and you can download the 3D printing files to print your own case from my Etsy store.

The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is available for preorder from the 17th of February:

Preorder The Elegoo Centauri Carbon – https://elegoo.sjv.io/Z6yJXR
US: https://elegoo.sjv.io/3JdXjv
EU: https://elegoo.sjv.io/vPZ1yA
CA: https://elegoo.sjv.io/YRy41O
UK: https://elegoo.sjv.io/7aJLy3
AU: https://elegoo.sjv.io/LKZoxa
JP: https://elegoo.sjv.io/xLNX2k

EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus Portable Power Station

Product Reviews

Michael Klements

-

February 12, 2025

0

Today we’re going to be taking a look at the EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus portable power station. This is the latest iteration of their Delta series, including a 1024Wh battery and 1800W pure sine wave inverter alongside a host of other exciting features.

If you don’t know what a portable power station is, it is an all-in-one battery, charger, inverter and DC power supply in a compact and portable package. They’re great for taking care of your power needs on days out, at work sites, in the event of a power outage or on camping trips.

EcoFlow have sent me the Delta 3 Plus to try out, so let’s get it unboxed and then we’ll take a look at what it has to offer.

Here’s my video review of the Delta 3 Plus, read on for the written review;

Where To Buy The EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus

EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus (Amazon US) – Buy Here
EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus (Amazon UK) – Buy Here
EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus (Web Store) – Buy Here

Equipment Used For Testing

FNIRSI Multimeter & Oscilloscope – Buy Here
Main Power Meter – Buy Here

Unboxing And First Look At The Delta 3 Plus

In the box, we’ve got the Delta 3 Plus Power Station, a quick start guide and three cables;

A mains power cable
A car charger cable
A barrel jack cable

Unlike some other power stations, the AC charger is built-in, so you don’t need to carry a charging brick along too, so you don’t need any more than the power station and a cable or two to connect it up.

Inside the Delta 3 Plus is a 1024Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery which is good for over 4000 full power cycles. If you used the full battery capacity every day, it would last almost 10 years and still have 80% of its original capacity.

The battery is also protected by a 3-layer system;

The first is an IP65 battery enclosure which protects it against dust and splashes.
The second is a smart battery management system that provides real-time monitoring and regulation.
The third is a thermal runaway and fire propagation protection layer.

The battery is expandable up to 5kWh by adding compatible battery packs through the battery port at the back.

The Delta 3 Plus measures 398mm x 202mm x 284mm for a total volume of 22.6L, making it really compact for the features and battery capacity that it includes. It is about 5% smaller than the previous generation Delta 2 and packs in more powerful charging options. It is also relatively lightweight at 12.5kg.

EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus Dimensions And Volume

Charging Options

To charge the Delta 3 Plus up, you’ve got a couple of DC and AC options and they’re all under this newly designed cover on the back, which I quite like.

Using the built-in mains charger, you can charge the EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus at up to 1500W which will take it up to 80% charged in under 40 minutes and fully charged in under an hour – something that was previously only available on their River series.

So even if you’ve forgotten to charge your Power Station the day before your trip, you should still have enough time to charge it up while you prepare your things before heading out.

It has dual 500W MPPT charge controllers for up to 1000W of solar charging power. This will take the Delta 3 Plus up to 80% in under an hour, which is better than most of this size. The Delta 3 Plus doesn’t come with a solar charging cable, so you’ll need to buy this separately.

These DC ports can also handle up to 800W from your vehicle’s alternator to charge it up while you drive. Using the alternator input you can have the power station fully charged in a 2-hour drive.

You can also do a combination of charging inputs up to a total of 1500W. So if you have 1000W of solar input, you can increase the total charging input to 1500W by adding 500W of mains power too.

The cover on the back also stows away into the unit to get it out of the way, which is a nice design feature.

To keep the battery and inverter cool, there are some vents and a cooling fan at the top of the Delta 3 Plus. The fan isn’t always on though, it’s PWM controlled and only comes on under higher loads, particularly when charging or when supplying a high AC load, so it shouldn’t be very audible most of the time.

Power Outlet Options

To use the stored power, the Delta 3 Plus has a range of ports and outlets. The 4 AC outlets are powered by an 1800W pure sine wave inverter which can handle a surge of up to 3600W. Like with some other EcoFlow products, using their X-Boost technology, it can power some devices up to 2600W continuously. We’ll take a look at this a bit later on.

Above the AC outlets, it’s also got 4 USB ports, 2 USB type A ports that can do fast charging up to 36W and 2 USB type C ports that can do PD up to 140W.

And on the back under the charging ports, it’s got 3 DC outlets, 1 car power outlet which can do 12V at up to 10A and two barrel jack outlets which also do 12V but at up to 3A.

Other Features On The Delta 3 Plus

The display on the front of the Delta 3 Plus is similar to that on other EcoFlow models. It gives you a lot of information on the status of the device.

On the left, it shows you the total power input or charging power in watts, in the centre is the battery capacity within a power draw animation ring, on the right is the total power draw in watts and at the top is the time to fully charged or empty depending on whether the battery is being charged or drained.

Other small indicator icons come up when certain settings are activated.

The display goes to sleep automatically after 5 minutes by default but can be woken up again by pressing the power button. You can also change the sleep duration using the app.

Above the display are three buttons. The centre one turns the power on or off and puts the display into sleep or wake mode. The left and right buttons turn the AC and USB supplies on or off respectively. The button for the DC supply is at the back above the DC ports.

Now that we’ve had a look at the features of the Delta 3 Plus, let’s try to do some tests on it.

Testing Whether It Can Be Fully Charged In Under 1 Hour

It has currently got a 30% charge, so let’s get it drained completely and we can then test whether we can achieve an 80% charge in 40 minutes and a full charge in under an hour.

I’m going to hook up a small 1800w fan heater to it to drain completely.

The Delta 3 Plus stops the AC outlet when the battery is depleted to prevent over-discharge, but the battery management system and display remain active a little while longer.

Next, I connected it up to the mains supply and timed how long it took to charge to 100% capacity. After a few seconds, the display indicated that it would be fully charged in 1hr. I checked in at 15 minutes in and the battery was 33% charged and the display indicated 35 minutes remaining, so it was on track to complete the charge in under an hour.

After 40 minutes, the battery was at 77% and after an hour it was at 94%. It was fully charged after 1 hour and 8 minutes.

So a bit short of the under-an-hour claim but it’s worth noting that this was in a workshop in summer in Australia so the ambient temperature is around 29 degrees, which reduced the charging speed a bit. A big part of fast charging a battery is keeping it cool, so if the ambient temperature is lower then you’ll be able to charge it faster.

Powering Some Other AC Devices

Now let’s plug some devices into it to test the AC supply.

I’ve already shown the Delta 3 Plus powering an 1800W heater, but you couldn’t hear the Delta’s fan over the sound of the heater. So if I move the heater to another room and use an extension we can see how quiet it runs.

At full load, the fan ramps up almost immediately but it’s still fairly quiet, it stays at around 48db right within 10cm.

Next, I’m going to run my two 3D printers to print a vortex cube. These each draw about 500W when heating up and settle on an average of under 100W once printing.

They ran for about half an hour to print both cube components and at the end, the Delta 3 Plus was at 71% capacity.

Delta 3 Plus Charge State After Printing

As I said earlier, the Delta 3 Plus is equipped with an 1800W inverter, but using EcoFlow’s X-Boost technology, they claim that you can run most appliances up to 2600W without overloading it. So I’m going to try to power this electric BBQ that draws a little over 2200W when turned all the way up.

So the Delta 3 Plus is able to power the BBQ when it is turned all the way up, but you’ll notice that the power output is still only around 1800W.

X-Boost is able to power the BBQ on the highest setting by still only outputting the inverters maximum continuous power of 1800W. It does this by intelligently reducing the output voltage so that the inverter is not being overloaded but is still powering the appliance. Now obviously this is going to lead to a slight reduction in the performance of the appliance, but it does at least give you a way to use it. The BBQ will likely not get hot as quickly as it would on the full 2200W but it’s at least usable.

There are some limitations with X-Boost. Because it’s lowering the output voltage, which is common to all outlets, you can’t use it if you’ve got multiple devices connected to it.

You can also turn X-Boost on and off in the settings menu in the app if this is something you don’t want to use. It’s off by default.

Testing The DC Power Options

Next, I tried the DC output on a small fridge that you would use for camping. That ran well as you’d expect and the display indicated that it could power the fridge for around 13.5 hours on the remaining 57% charge. It’ll likely land up being a lot longer than this as the fridge will draw much less power once it has cooled down to the target temperature.

I then tried the USB C port to charge my MacBook and it indicated that it was charging at 50-60W because it was over 80% charged already. I added my phone and that increased the draw by another 7W but is still way under the rated 140W output for these USB C ports.

Testing The UPS Functionality And Changeover Time

One of the features I’m most interested in is the UPS functionality. My 3D printers and a desktop milling machine often run for long periods and a single short power interruption can cause failed prints or projects. So I’d like to put the Delta 3 Plus in line with their mains supply so that they’re kept powered through any interruptions.

The UPS on the Delta 3 Plus has a 10ms change over time, which is really fast for these style power stations. Most others have an advertised 20-30ms change over time so this is 2-3 times faster. Its 1kWh capacity will also be able to keep both printers running for 4-5 hours in the case of a longer interruption – which is really good for a UPS.

So I’ve got both 3D printers running off the AC outlets. I’ve used an adaptor because the printer’s power cables are quite short.

There are two important metrics to look at here. The first is the transfer or change-over time of the UPS, which in this case should be under 10ms and the second is the hold time of the device being powered. Because most electronic devices have power supplies with capacitors in them, they can usually handle a total power loss of a couple of milliseconds without the device turning off.

Both 3D printers are now running a print and are being powered through the Delta 3 Plus. Let’s pull out the mains supply to the Delta 3 Plus and see whether the printers notice it.

So both of the printers are still running with the mains power now turned off and they didn’t seem to mind the interruption.

When the power comes back on, the Delta 3 Plus changes back over to the mains supply.

I also connected a handheld oscilloscope to the AC output so that we could visualise the interruption to the sine wave to see what the transfer time is.

UPS Changeover Time Measured On Oscilloscope

The interruption shows up nicely. We have 10 millisecond divisions and the flat line starts a tiny bit after the division starts and the sine wave starts again where the division ends. So the transfer time is a tiny bit faster than 10 milliseconds.

Another nice feature if you’re using it as a UPS long-term is to limit the maximum and minimum depth of charge, which is done through the app.

Limiting the maximum and minimum charge depth improves the longevity of the battery as you aren’t putting as much strain on it for each cycle.

Using The EcoFlow App With The Delta 3 Plus

As I’ve shown a couple of times already, you can also connect the Delta 3 Plus to your smartphone through Bluetooth or WiFi to monitor and control it as well as change its settings.

From the main screen, you can see the time remaining to fully charged or empty depending on whether the battery is being used or charged, you can also see the current rates of charge and discharge in watts of each individual port below that. You can turn the AC or DC inputs or outputs on or off remotely through the app as well. So you’ve got a lot of control through the app which is useful if it’s in a hard-to-reach place.

You can also access the device settings which allows you to do things like turn X-Boost on or off, set timeouts, manage charge and discharge levels and even reduce the maximum power that the power station can draw from mains when charging.

So if we turn it down to a maximum of 100W then it limits the mains charger draw to 100W.

This is useful if you’re at a campsite or charging it from another low-capacity power source. Without this, it’ll just trip or overload the device that you’re trying to charge it from.

It also has two presets, one for optimal battery life at 500W and one to keep the unit as quiet as possible during charging, limited to 200W.

It’s got similar options for the DC inputs as well, both set as current limits.

Final Thoughts On The Delta 3 Plus

Overall I’m really impressed with the Delta 3 Plus. Being a third-generation product, it is well-refined and has a good set of features. They’ve also made some nice ease-of-use adjustments over the original like moving the outlets to the front, adding the cover over the ports at the back and improving charging rates.

With the lithium iron phosphate battery, it should also last you around 8-10 years even with moderate use.

If you’re in Australia you can buy the EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus through their distribution partners like Anaconda, Total Tools, Autobarn, Harvey Norman or online from Amazon, eBay or from the EcoFlow website. The Delta 3 Plus comes with a 5-year warranty.

Let me know what you think of it in the comments section below and if there is anything else you’d like to see me test on it.

Raspberry Pi Drag Race: Pi 1 to Pi 5 – Performance Comparison

Michael Klements

-

January 22, 2025

6

Raspberry Pi Drag Race: Pi 1 to Pi 5 – Performance Comparison

Today we’re going to be taking a look at what almost 13 years of development has done for the Raspberry Pi. I have one of each generation of Pi from the original Pi that was launched in 2012 through to the Pi 5 which was released just over a year ago.

We’ll take a look at what has changed between each generation and how their performance and power consumption has improved by running some tests on them.

Here’s my video of the testing process and results, read on for the write-up;

Purchase Links For Components Used In These Tests

Raspberry Pi 5 – Buy Here
Raspberry Pi 4 – Buy Here
Pi 5 Ice Tower Cooler – Buy Here
Pi 5 Power Supply – Buy Here
USB C to MicroUSB Adaptor – Buy Here
Sandisk Ultra MicroSD Card – Buy Here

Equipment Used

Video Capture Box – Buy Here
Mains Power Meter – Buy Here

Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you’ll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.

Hardware Changes Through Each Generation

Raspberry Pi 1

This is the original Raspberry Pi, which was launched in February 2012.

This Pi has a Broadcom BCM2835 SOC which features a single ARM1176JZF-S core running at 700MHz along with a VideoCore IV GPU. It has 512 MB of DDR RAM.

In terms of connectivity, it only has 100Mb networking and 2 x USB 2.0 ports. Video output is 1080P through a full-size HDMI port or analogue video out through a composite video connector and audio output is provided through a 3.5mm audio jack. It doesn’t have any WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity but it does have some of the features that we still have on more recent models like DSI and CSI ports, a full size SD card reader for the operating system and GPIO pins, although only 26 of them at this stage.

Power is supplied through a micro USB port and it is rated for 5V and 700mA.

It was priced at $35 – which at the time was incredibly cheap for what was essentially a palm-sized computer.

Raspberry Pi 2

The Raspberry Pi 2 was launched 3 years later, in February 2015 and this Pi looked quite different to the original and similar to the Pi’s we know today.

The Pi 2 has a significantly better processor than the original. The Broadcom BCM2836 SOC has 4 Cortex-A7 cores running at 900 MHz and it retained the same VideoCore IV GPU. RAM was also bumped up to 1GB.

It added another 2 x USB 2.0 ports alongside the 100Mb Ethernet port. The composite video port disappeared and the analogue video output was moved into the audio jack.

The GPIO pins were increased to 40 pins which has followed the same pin layout since – which has really helped in maintaining compatibility with hats and accessories. The SD card reader was also changed to a microSD card reader.

The power circuitry was bumped up to 800mA to accommodate the more powerful CPU.

Raspberry Pi 3

The Raspberry Pi 3 was launched just a year later, in February 2016.

The Pi 3’s new Broadcom BCM2837 SOC retained the same 4-core architecture but these were changed to 64-bit Cortex A53 cores running at 1.2Ghz.

RAM was kept at 1GB but was now DDR2.

There was no change to the USB or Ethernet connectivity on the original Pi 3 but we did see WiFi and Bluetooth added for the first time. WiFi was single band 2.4GHz and we had Bluetooth 4.1.

The version that I have is actually the 3B+, which was launched a little later. The main improvements over the original Pi 3 were a 0.2GHz boost to the clock speed and the upgrade to Gigabit networking with PoE (Power over Ethernet) support and dual-band WiFi.

The power circuitry was again improved, still running at 5V but now up to 1.34A, which was almost double the Pi 2.

Raspberry Pi 4

Next came the Pi 4 in June 2019. This Pi came at one of the worst times for global manufacturing and was notoriously difficult to get hold of due to the impact of COVID on the global supply chain. Quite ironically, this hard-to-get Pi is the one that I’ve got the most of, mainly due to my water-cooled Pi cluster build.

The Pi 4 has a Broadcom BCM2711 SOC with 4 Cortex-A72 cores running at 1.5GHz. So again a slight clock speed increase over the Pi 3 but still retaining 4 cores. It also includes a bump up to a VideoCore VI GPU.

This was the first model to feature different RAM configurations. It was originally available in 1, 2, 4GB variants featuring LPDDR4 RAM and in March of 2020 an 8GB variant was added to the linup as well. This obviously resulted in a few different price points but impressively they still managed to keep a $35 offering 7 years after the launch of the first Pi.

It retained the same form factor as the Pi 3 but with the network and Ethernet ports switched around. Notably, two of the USB ports were upgraded to USB 3.0, networking was now gigabit ethernet like the 3B+, WiFi was dual-band and it had Bluetooth 5.0.

They also changed the single full-size HDMI port to two micro HDMI ports. Most people I know don’t like this change and find it annoying to have to use adaptors to work with common displays and these micro HDMI ports are prone to breaking when they are used often. I think general hobbyists and makers would prefer this to still be a single full-size port but Pi’s are often used in commercial display applications so I guess that’s why they went with this dual micro HDMI configuration.

The power circuit was actually reduced in this model, from 1.34 down to 1.25A and the port was changed to USB C.

Raspberry Pi 5

Lastly and most recently we have the Pi 5 which was launched in October 2023.

This Pi features a Broadcom BCM2712 SOC with 4 Cortex A76 cores running at a significantly faster 2.4Ghz and a VideoCore VII GPU running at 800MHz.

So quite a bump up in CPU and GPU performance.

It is offered in 3 RAM configurations but the drop in a 1GB offering means that they’re no longer available at the $35 price point. There is a fairly significant increase in price up to $50 for the base 2GB variant.

Some other notable changes are the inclusion of a PCIe port which enables IO expansion and a much improved power circuit. The PCIe port is quite commonly used to add an NVMe SSD instead of a microSD card for the operating system.

The power circuit was upgraded to handle the PCIe port addition, now stepping up to 5V at up to 5A, along with a power button for the first time.

The change in power supply requirements to 5V and 5A is a bit annoying as most power delivery capable supplies cap out 2.5 or 3A at 5V. It would have been more universal to require a 9V 3A supply to meet the Pis power requirements. I assume they steered away from this because the Pi’s circuitry runs at 5V and 3.3V and they would have then needed to add another onboard DC-DC converter which increases complexity, size and potentially the cost, it would also have made it a bit less efficient. But this does mean that you most likely need to buy a USB C power supply that has been purpose-built for the Pi 5.

The Pi 5 is also the first Pi to have its own dedicated fan socket.

So that’s a summary of the hardware changes, now let’s boot them up and take a look at their performance.

Testing The Performance Of Each Generation Of Pi

To compare the performance between the Pi’s, I’m going to run the following tests.

I’m going to attempt to playback a 1080P YouTube video in the browser, although I expect we’ll have problems with this up to the Pi 4.
We’ll then run a Sysbench CPU benchmark which I’ll do both for a single-core and multicore.
Then we’ll run a GLMark2 GPU benchmark.
Then test the storage speed using James Chambers Pi Benchmark script.
Then we’ll run an iPerf3 Network Speed test.
Lastly, we’ll look at Power Consumption, both at idle and with the CPU maxed out.
And then use that data to determine each Pi’s Performance per Watt.

To keep things as consistent as possible I’m going to be running the latest available version of Pi OS from Raspberry Pi Imager for each Pi. I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can still flash an OS image for the original Pi in their latest version of Imager.

I’ll be testing them all running on a 32GB Sandisk Ultra microSD card. I’ll also be using an Ice Tower cooler on each to ensure they don’t run anywhere near thermal throttling.

1080P YouTube Video Playback

I started with the original Pi and its first boot and setup process was a lesson in patience. It took me the best part of two hours to get the first boot complete, the Pi updated and the testing utilities installed but I got there in the end.

Even once set up it takes about 8 minutes to boot up to the desktop and the CPU stays pegged at 100% for another two to three minutes before dropping down to about 20% at idle.

The original Pi refused to open up the browser, so that’s where my YouTube video playback test ended.

The Pi 2 managed to open the browser and actually started playing back a 1080P video, which was surprising, but playback was terrible. It dropped pretty much all of the frames both in the window and fullscreen.

The Pi 3 played video back noticeably better than the Pi 2, but it’s still quite a long way away from being usable and still drops a lot of frames.

The Pi 4 handled 1080P video reasonably well. It had some initial trouble but then settled down. Fullscreen is also a bit choppy but is also usable.

The Pi 5 handled 1080P playback well without any significant issues both in the window and fullscreen.

Sysbench CPU Benchmark

Next was the Sysbench CPU benchmark. I ran three tests on each and averaged the scores and I did this for both single-core and multicore.

In single core, the Pi 1 managed a rather dismal score of 68, the Pi 2 got a bit more than double this score but the real step up was with the Pi 3 which managed 18 times higher than the Pi 2. The Pi 4 and Pi 5 also offered good improvements on the previous generations.

Similarly in multicore, the Pi 3 scored over 18 times the score of the Pi2 and the Pi 4 and 5 provided good improvements on the Pi 3’s score.

Comparing the combined multicore score of the Pi 5 to what the single core on the Pi 1 can do, the Pi 5 is a little over 600 times faster.

GLmark2 GPU Benchmark

Next, I tried running a GLMark2 GPU benchmark on them. I used the GLMark2-es2-wayland version which is designed for OpenGL ES so that the Pi 1 was supported.

I was surprised that the Pi 1 was even able to run GLMark2 – it did complete the benchmark, although the score wasn’t all that impressive.

These results really show how the Pi’s GPU has improved in the last two generations. Prior to these tests, I had never seen a score below 100 and the Pi 1, 2 and 3 managed to fall short of triple digits. Pi 5 scored over 2.5 times higher than the Pi 4.

Storage Speed Test

Next was the storage speed test using James Chambers Pi Benchmarks script. The bus speed has increased over the years from 25MHz on the Pi 1 to 100MHz on the Pi 5, so I expect we’ll see these reflected in the benchmark scores.

The storage speed test’s results aren’t as dramatic as the CPU and GPU results but show a steady improvement between generations. The Pi 3 did a bit worse than the Pi 2 but this small difference is likely just due to variability in the tests.

iPerf Network Speed Test

Next, I ran the iPerf network speed test on each.

The Pi 1 doesn’t quite get close to its theoretical 100Mbps but the Pi 2 does. The Pi 3 B+ although having Gigabit Ethernet is limited by this running over USB 2.0 which only has a theoretical maximum of 300MBps, so it came quite close. Both the Pi 4 and 5 expectedly come close to theoretical Gigabit speeds.

Power Consumption Test

Lastly, I tested the power consumption of each Pi at idle and under load.

I used the same Pi 5 power adaptor to test all of the Pis to keep things consistent and I just used a USB C to micro USB adaptor for the Pi 1, 2 and 3.

The idle results were closer than I expected. The Pi 2 had the lowest idle power draw and the Pi 5 the highest, but all were within a watt or two of each other. At full load, you can see the increase in CPU power draw more physical power with the Pi 5 drawing almost three times the Pi 1 and Pi 2.

Converted to performance per watt using the Sysbench results, we can again see how much better the Pi 4 and 5 are over the Pi 1 and 2. There is a clear improvement in the performance that each generation of Pi is able to get per watt of power, which is essentially its efficiency. Although the Pi 5 draws more power than the Pi 1 under full load, you’re getting almost 200 times more power out of it per watt.

Final Thoughts On The Drag Race And Future Pis

I really enjoyed working through this project to see how much Pi’s have changed over the years, particularly in terms of performance. I still remember being amazed at the size and price of the original Pi when it came out and it’s great that they’re still fully supported and can still be used for projects – albeit with less CPU-intensive projects.

Let me know what you think has been the biggest improvement to the Pi over the years and what you’d still like to see added to future models in the comments section below.

I personally really like the addition of the PCIe port on the Pi 5 and I’d like to see 2.5Gb networking and a DisplayPort or USB C with DisplayPort added to a future generation of Pi.

The DIY LifeTech & Electronics

The DIY LifeTech & Electronics

What You Need To Build Your Own Pi Test Bench

Tools & Equipment Used:

Why Build a Raspberry Pi Test Bench?

Designing the Stand in Fusion 360

Designing the Control PCB in EasyEDA

Manufacturing the Components with the Carvera Air

Milling the Aluminium Parts

Making the PCB

Assembling the Test Bench

Real-Time Monitoring and Controls

Final Thoughts

Parts Used For This Project

Tools & Equipment Used:

Making With the Carvera Air Desktop CNC

The Waterblock & Cooling Loop Design

Machining the Components on the Carvera Air

Assembling the Waterblock

Hardline Tubing and Radiator Setup

Installing the Pi and Testing the Waterblock

Final Thoughts

Where To Buy The LattePanda Mu?

Equipment Used

Unboxing the LattePanda Mu Basic Kit – What’s Included?

LattePanda Mu Module Tech Specs

Lite Carrier Board Features

First Boot and Testing

Video Playback on YouTube

3DMark Night Raid Benchmark

Geekbench 6 Benchmark

Storage Speed Test

Fan Noise and Thermal Performance

Power Consumption

PCIe Expansion

Final Thoughts on the LattePanda Mu

Where To Buy The Zimaboard 2

Tools & Equipment Used

Unboxing the Zimaboard 2: What’s Included

Tech Specs and Comparison to Zimaboard 1

Key Hardware Upgrades:

First Boot Into CASA OS

Power Consumption

Testing The Zimaboard 2’s Thermal Capacity

Adding Storage Drives & Using It As A NAS

Storage Performance

Final Thoughts On The Zimaboard 2

What You Need To Assemble Your Own Lab Rax

For Bolted Version

Metric

Imperial

Equipment Used

What Makes Lab Rax Special?

Fully 3D Printable

Modular Design

Cost-Effective

Lab Rax Dimensions & Compatibility

Customing Lab Rax

Printing Out The Components

Bill of Materials

Assembling Lab Rax

Expanding and Customizing the Rack

3D Printable 10″ Rack Accessories

Final Thoughts On My Lab Rax Project

What You Need To Build Your Own N100 Mini Gaming PC

Tools & Equipment Used:

What Is the Radxa X4?

Cooling Challenges On The Radxa X4

Custom 3D Printable Case Design For The Radxa X4 and Monitor

Printing the Case with the Bambu Lab A1 Combo

Assembling The Radxa X4 Mini PC Case

Now The Big Question: Can We Game On It?

Other Use Cases For The Radxa X4

Final Thoughts On The Mini Gaming PC Build

What You Need To Build Your Own Family Planner

Tool & Equipment Used:

Components Used To Build The Family Planner

Assembling the Family Planner’s Stand

Setting Up The Family Planner Dashboard Software

Automating the Family Planner Functions