Yesterday, we noted that DeskPi Pro Raspberry Pi 4 case offered an interesting alternative to Argon One enclosure thanks to support for 2.5-inch SATA SSD/HDD, full-sized HDMI ports, and a PWM fan.
What I did not know at the time was that Argon40 had worked on an improved version of their case with Argon One M.2 case also offering full-sized HDMI ports, support for M.2 SATA SSD storage, and a software-controlled fan.
Argon One M.2 case key features and specifications:
- SBC – Compatible with Raspberry Pi 4
- Storage – M.2 SATA SSD with Key-B or Key-B & M with UASP support on Raspberry Pi 4; Enabled via an adapter with two USB 3.0 port as shown in the render above
- Video & Audio Output – 2x Full-Sized HDMI ports plus AV port
- Expansion – Access to 40-pin GPIO header externally as in the original case
- Misc – Built-in IR receiver compatible with Argon ONE Remote,
- Power Management
- USB-C port on the rear panel for power input
- Power button
- Configurable automatic booting after power loss aka “Always ON Mode”.
- Thermal Management
- Passive cooling using the aluminum alloy top case as a large heatsink connected to the CPU of the Raspberry Pi 4
- Active Cooling – Software programmable 30mm PWM fan
- Dimensions – 10.9 x 10.2 x 4 cm (estimated)
Once the Raspberry Pi 4 is housed inside the case, you’ll get Gigabit Ethernet, WiFI 5, and Bluetooth 5.0, as well as the two USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports from the SBC. All ports can be found on the rear panel for more convenient cable management. If you want to enable the M.2 SATA SSD, you’ll lose one of the USB 3.0 ports since the adapter needs to be connected. That’s the same design as for the DeskPi case.
You can control power & fan settings by software by following instructions in the wiki. Compared to DeskPi Pro, Argon One M.2 case is more compact and costs a little less since it’s up for pre-order for $45 against $55 for the DeskPi Pro enclosure. However, the latter ships with a power supply, and you would have to consider the cost of using an M.2 SATA drive instead of a 2.5-inch SSD/HDD.
Thanks to Simon for the tip.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
