this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2025
5 points (85.7% liked)

Raspberry Pi

1008 readers
1 users here now

Welcome to the programming.dev Raspberry Pi community!

Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers. It is widely used in many areas because of its low cost, modularity, and open design. It is typically used by computer and electronic hobbyists.

Rules

Members of this community are expected to exhibit mature and respectful behavior.

Those who fail to uphold these standards may find their posts or comments removed, with repeat offenders potentially facing a permanent ban.

Please keep discussions in English so that they can be appropriately moderated.

Links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to repurpose an old computer case to house a few Raspberry Pis and could really use some advice.

First, I’m trying to figure out the best way to mount the Raspberry Pis inside the case. Are there any good DIY solutions, or are there premade mounts designed for this kind of project? I want them to be secure but accessible if I need to make changes.

Next, I’d like to power all the Pis centrally. Is there a way to do this efficiently without using separate power adapters for each Pi? I’ve heard of some solutions involving custom power supplies, but I’m not sure where to start.

I’m also thinking about cooling. Would the case’s old fans be sufficient, or should I add heatsinks or other cooling methods to each Pi? I want to make sure everything stays cool, especially if the Pis are running intensive tasks.

Finally, what’s the best way to handle I/O? I’ll need to route HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and other connections out of the case. Are there panel kits or other ways to organize the cables neatly?

I’d love to hear your suggestions or see examples if you’ve done something similar. Thanks in advance for your help!

top 2 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] tophneal 1 points 1 week ago

You could get some of these printed up https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3137507 And using the PSU for power is definitely possible https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=277886

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Sounds like a fun project. As other commenter stated, those brackets really make the best use of an old case. Can’t think of a better solution for that. For power, you can grab one of those 200w USB power/charger adapters, put it in the case and feed the power cable out the back. Might look a little janky, though.

Good luck! Let’s see what you come up with!