Raspberry Pi 4: Hands-On with the Argon One M.2 case
Raspberry Pi 4: Hands-On with the Argon One M.2 case
- CPU Cooling: This is a well-known problem with the Pi 4. The Argon One case has both active and passive cooling. For active, it includes a programmable fan; for passive, the case is (mostly) metallic, and has posts and silicon thermal pads to transfer the heat to the case for dissipation.
- Cable connections: Whether or not this is a problem depends on the specific installation and use, but when it is a problem it can be a big one. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has connections on two sides, which can lead to a messy installation on a desktop, or an even worse problem in tight-space installations. The Argon One case includes an extension board that shifts all of the connections to the back of the case.
- Connection types: The Raspberry Pi 4 has two micro-HDMI connections (due to space limitations on the side of the board). It is the first Pi model to use this cable type, and a lot of users are not happy about having to get new/different HDMI cables, or micro-to-full HDMI adapters. As part of moving the HDMI connections from the side to the back, the Argon One expansion board changes them to full-size HDMI ports.
- Power button: Some users are still unhappy about the Raspberry Pi not having a power button to ensure an orderly and safe shutdown. The Argon One case includes a power button that gives reboot, shutdown, and immediate power-off actions.
- M.2 SSD drive option: An add-on board provides a socket for an M.2 SSD drive, with key-B or key-B&M connection, and a jumper plug that then connects the SSD drive to a USB 3 port.
If you are planning to use an SSD, it has to be mounted on the M.2 expansion board, which is pre-installed inside the bottom cover. The documentation says that it will take M.2 boards with either key-B or key-B&M connections, but in my searches of vendors here in Switzerland I didn't find any SSD boards with key-B, so B&M was the only possibility.
The mounting screw is initially in the location for an 80mm unit (which means a 2280 device). If you want to use a smaller board (I am using a 2242 device), you have to move the mount to the appropriate location before installing the board.
After you put on the bottom cover, if you are using an SSD in the case, then you have to add the external USB plug to connect the M.2 expansion board in the base to the USB 3 plug on the Pi 4. If you don't have an SSD drive, then you don't need to bother with the USB plug. It is also worth keeping in mind that if you are using an SSD, but you want to disconnect it at any time you can simply remove the USB plug.
Once you have the Pi 4 assembled in the case and you connect the power supply, you might be surprised if it doesn't boot (I was). If you didn't change the power jumper, it won't power-on and boot until you press the power button. So don't assume that something is wrong (not saying that I did that...), just push the power button for a second or so, and it should power-up and boot.
Speaking of the power button, when the Raspberry Pi 4 is running you can make an orderly shutdown and power off by pressing the power button for three to five seconds. If you want to reboot a running system, double-click the power button. If the Raspberry Pi is hung or otherwise non-responsive, holding the power button for more than five seconds will force an immediate power-off. All very handy.
If the destination drive (the M.2 SSD in this case) is larger than the source drive (the microSD card), the SD Copier Utility will expand the last filesystem to fill the available space on the disk. This makes for a very large root filesystem in this case. Because of the way that I use my Raspberry Pi systems, and because I am an old Unix geezer, I don't want such trivial disk partitioning, so I then used gparted to shrink the root filesystem to a reasonable size and create a new filesystem which I added to /etc/fstab to be mounted as /home. I also don't like swapping to an ordinary file in the root filesystem, so I also make a swap partition on the SSD.
In summary, I would say that I think the Argon One M.2 case is very good. If you are going to use a Raspberry Pi 4 as a desktop system, and you want a case that looks professional and solves the Raspberry Pi cooling problem, this one would be a good choice.
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