Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6-14.
Thermal photo of Raspberry Pi running but at rest (courtesy of GeekTopia,
http://www.geektopia.es
)
The hottest test Geektopia ran was during video playback with Ethernet plugged in,
which drove the Ethernet controller to 65.1º C (149.18º F). (The
full test results
are
available in Spanish.) You can read one method of measuring your own CPU's tem-
perature in
“Measure Temperature” on page 16
.
Which heat sink you buy depends not only on your performance needs, but potentially
on your aesthetic preferences and shipping location. Barch Designs sells a
Raspberry
Pi case made from CNC-milled aircraft-grade aluminum
that also acts as a heat sink.
The case gives you access to all the ports and has visibility to the LEDs with engraving
showing their purposes. As a bonus, you can have it etched with your words or design
—perhaps the name of your project?
The Barch Design case (shown in
Figure 6-15
) comes with a thermal paste. The interior
of the case has three raised pillars that contact the three IC chips on the Raspberry
Pi. Apply the paste to each of these pillars to activate the heat sink properties of the
case.
