Ultimate Raspberry Pi Computer Build - Water Cooled CM4 with NVMe SSD

[@JeffGeerling]

13:37 - They are USB 2.0, since the USB 3.0 ports on the Pi 4 are only possible through the PCI Express bus (with a VL805 chip built-in)-on the CM4 IO Board that bus is exposed directly (through the PCIe x1 slot). I love the case design-it has lots of room for activities! Maybe a future iteration could be built with a PCI Express slot cut in so you could install a PCI Express card directly. Probably would need to fudge the IO board mounting point a bit, and maybe reorient things inside. But I love the simplicity and the build quality, nice work!

[@mikechu01]

It doesn't really matter what USB ports are on the pi side anyways. He used a USB 2.0 cable, so anything will be limited to 2.0 speeds even if the pi side is 3.0 and/or the drive is 3.0

[@MichaelKlements]

Yeah I figured that since the two USB ports on the IO board were USB 2.0, the expansion ports would probably be as well. Thanks for the explanation on why though, that makes a lot of sense. It would actually be quite easy to adapt the case design to include a PCI Express slot, there is enough room for it. I'd just need to add some way to secure the screw on the 90-degree bend at the end of the bracket - which could be done with a 3D printed part. I hadn't given it too much thought since the M.2 adaptor doesn't have any external ports, but it would definitely make the case more versatile for other applications. Great to see you here by the way, I love your videos!

[@JeffGeerling]

@@MichaelKlements Ditto!

[@Nobe_Oddy]

i ws writing to say the same thing... I just need to get MINE to boot from the nvme :/

[@-someone-.]

@@MichaelKlements are these available to buy? 🙏🙏🙏

[@DocLois2010]

Totally unnecessary awesomeness!!! Great work!

[@voyager33mw]

This is the kind of build I wish I could buy the pieces to assemble. Starting with the CM4 being in stock anywhere.

[@williammckee4369]

very nice design. I enjoy watching your projects come together

[@Cmdr-Knight]

I would love to see a v2 with the case minimised as much as possible, really squeezing the components in there. Adding passthroughs for the other I/O would be cool to.

[@MerLin613100]

I saw that one USB port was inverted then after a while was reset. It's a great build. Kudos!

[@-someone-.]

We always wanted pc’s to be smaller Pi’s inevitably wanted to grow🤦‍♂️👊 great work

[@TheJacklwilliams]

NICE WORK MR. KLEMENTS! This popped up in my feed this morning as I was heading out to work and I thought, here we go, another hit! Great design, love that you utilized the CM4/NVME and water cooling!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you Jack!

[@mikecolumna]

I agree with Matty's comment! If the price and shipping costs were reasonable I would definitely be highly interested in purchasing several of these kits. One for myself along with another pair for my twin daughters. Please consider this and keep us informed. Thanks! 😊

[@MichaelKlements]

Unfortunately on a build like this there are lots of parts that I've had to custom make, it's just not viable to do as a kit. I'd have to spend hours making up each one, which would make the price unreasonably high.

[@MP-kf6mu]

looks great! would like to see some cooling performance tests with the smaller rad.

[@ChefEarthenware]

Your cases are great, but have you ever considered a more user-friendly version which could be copied by the rest of us? Laser cutters and 3D printers are fine for being creative, but they mean that people aren't able to copy your ideas. Now that the Pi 5 is coming out, I think there's going to be a renewed interest in creative cases.

[@MichaelKlements]

3D printers have been steadily decreasing in price and you can often get new Ender 3's for around $100, I think they're very affordable to most hobbyists. My laser cut components are also published in pdf format which you can trace onto acrylic or plywood and manually cut out if you'd like to.

[@Urban_Geek]

Great project Michael nice a clean

[@BruceLeat]

Whew! thank you for the prelude.. I asked why before clicking, then the answer..

[@TheJaseGill]

Very very cool Michael. Love your builds and have built a few, this one has me very tempted now ;)

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

When Art meets Pi computing.

[@pr3st00]

This is one of the coolest projects I've ever seen! Nice work!!!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks Fernando

[@gregspeakman9337]

Great craftsmanship. A very inspirational vid.

[@qwarlockz8017]

Wow that was so impressive! You created an absolutely gorgeous creating. Brilliant!

[@stuart_fisher]

This is the first time I've seen the CM4 and carrier board used, although I've known about the CM3 (and now the CM4) for a while. Looks very interesting. I'll definitely consider it when I next need to get a Pi 4. I especially like the 12V barrel connection for power: so much easier than messing about with micro-USB or USB-C cables. Just hope the stock levels and pricing of all the Pis get back to normal at some point... Thanks for a great video!

[@MichaelKlements]

This is the first "project" I've used one for, I usually just use the regular Pi 4b for its size. The IO board does have a number of benefits over the Pi 4b though, so it makes it quite versatile. Hopefully we'll be able to buy CM4 modules again soon!

[@richards7909]

I think it looks great. Only thing I might change would be the screen in terms of the viewing angle but ultimately it all depends on the position of the case and the user :)

[@lautonsutley3760]

I would love to see a video highlighting your entire collection of RPi builds. Just to see them all in once place would be very cool.

[@MichaelKlements]

Haha that would be great, I'll look at putting a #short together on this

[@Sithhy]

Having GPIO pins come out the top of the case is probably the best way to do it

[@rdp8545]

Beautiful and clean build. I love it and all your designs. I think you are pretty much the master of cases and what you can do with them for the Raspberry Pi. I've seen plenty of other people do similar work but only a hand few come close to your quality. And by that I mean DIY not one manufactured in China, purchased off the shelf! :)

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks so much for the feedback and support!

[@ArmyK9]

Yes, break out the GPIO pins to the top so you do even cooler stuff with it! And, the liquid should be raspberry red! LOL.

[@petruccilewis]

It's a beautiful build, I enjoyed every moment of your detailed job and had to subscribe

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you!

[@MarkZiemann1]

Beautiful build! This made my day :)

[@Kingranch688]

You should make a coolant gate at the back for drainage and refilling

[@PC-FREEDOM]

Great idea, great design! I'd love to make one of these!

[@ashthecuber648]

nanchatsute?

[@frauseo]

Awesome! Some RGB LED would be nice

[@atomicforcegaming2867]

That thing is amazing !!! Bravo sir !

[@christopherbijsters7989]

Genius! Brilliant work man

[@Adam-qk5tt]

Imagine water cooling your system for Solitaire haha

[@MrTartans]

Amazing. Very nice work

[@haydenc2742]

very cool!!! How well does that radiator cool I dub thee "milk" Keep em coming!!!!

[@MichaelKlements]

It's overkill for the amount of heat that the CM4 module produces, so it works really well.

[@MARvelous3D28]

Super awesome build...case is lit.!!

[@MegaMastiffman]

Sharp like Ginsu man very cool

[@glsracer]

I'd like to see how cool this would stay at 2 GHz under sustained load.

[@MarcoAntonioBG]

Awesome build, thanks for sharing!

[@blackmennewstyle]

Amazing video as always

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you! Yeah, you just also don't want to have the filling point of the reservoir lower than the radiator or cooling block otherwise when you open it up you'll get coolant leaking out of it. With the pump fully submerged in the reservoir, there isn't much risk of it running dry.

[@peakminute]

Dude, this build looks awesome.

[@zackattackthecrack]

This is the coolest computer build I have ever seen :) I love linux :)

[@TheRedstonelabz1]

Glad you put the usb ports in the right side up 😅

[@MichaelKlements]

Haha, it's annoying when they're upside down - especially in laptops

[@kadefringe]

I've started to hope that you'll do the same(all custom case & LC loop) with ITX small form factor PCs...

[@Cmdrbzrd]

A Seaberry Pi with watercooling on the CM4 side, a 1650 and various NVME things in a low-profile Mini ITX case would be cool.

[@MichaelKlements]

This would be awesome!

[@Termanator]

DUDE YOU JUST SHOWED YOUR IP

[@user-hx7dc9uz6s]

(○o○) OMG WHY WOULD HE DO THAT THATS SO DANGEROUS (○o○)

[@Dobrufusnoretro]

I want a raspberry pi case like that so much xD

[@leonardfluhart3532]

Bro that's badass I want one

[@jayrambpl]

Amazing case design!!

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

You could've put washers between the compute module and the I/O board to prevent the CM4 bending and added springs on the top bracket screws to prevent over tightening.

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@keyr3733]

That radiator is so cute)))

[@looseman]

What for? does it faster than mid level PC like AMD R7 / Intel i5? its cost probably can build an ITX with much much much better MFLOPS/watt.

[@wokoharami0013]

Love the build thanks you inspired me try try something

[@nnasab]

I love what you done. The radiator have to be above the cooling block, Always so you don’t have air bubbles in the system. Also you should have mounted the reservoir at the bottom, if you need to repair something, it would have been easier to access it. But thumbs up.

[@sysadmin-info]

The 3D project is available at etsy and I bought it. Thanks for the clue. Because I do not want to use usb extender and power button, I can redesign this part and move the part for radiator screws higher where holes for USB and power button are located. And this way it can be achieved. Eventually move the power button and USB holes lower, I mean rotate/replace each other. So, quite easy to make it work. I have bought acrylic plates, so probably on February 2023 will record a video with the project.

[@replikvltyoutube3727]

Looks cool, but it's a bit overkill. Let's hope next revisions of CM include support for graphics cards. You might need to make pci support like in standard case then XD

[@mibrahim4245]

This is beyond engineering, this is art ❤!! ..

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you!

[@asdipaus]

Incredible work. Omg!

[@jademaxwell9529]

That's one sweet sff build!

[@gsqwirell4479]

I'm pretty sure you could have shrink down the size of the case even more. it's a very pretty build and i thing my re arranging the placement of the components you could have a smaller and better looking case !

[@MichaelKlements]

It could be made quite a bit smaller without the water cooling loop, or possibly using hard tubing. Flexible tubing needs some space for bends.

[@juanmacias5922]

Such a cool build!

[@danlegend3104]

Would love to see a pi5 version with nvme bay & ssd bay

[@TobeyNord]

THe mad scientist is back !!!!!

[@ardawanx]

What is the point/usage of the cluster?

[@Quettesh]

How to make RPi loud guide.

[@thegmkiller1967]

What kind of laser cutter is that. It cuts great

[@Briguy1027]

The case is really cute.

[@JustPlainRob]

The only thing it's missing is a ton of RGB. Look at that giant side panel and light-transmitting white acrylic, it could be completely rainbow if you wanted. GPIO can control a bunch of NeoPixel addressable RGB LEDs too.

[@rogerlai2100]

very good case design, awesome !!!

[@ulrichkalber9039]

for the ultimate computer you always need to ad a (second) raspi pi that only controls the RGB and the watercooling :P

[@MichaelKlements]

Haha this is the way. A Pi Zero with a little dashboard as well.

[@ulrichkalber9039]

@@MichaelKlements and of course you need a peltier element that keeps the CPU exactly at ambient. not below because of condensation. that is why you need a second PI

[@nahimgudfam]

I love this build so much

[@sysadmin-info]

Dear Michael, Do you have maybe a 3D project of those supports that hold brass stand offs?

[@CraaaaazyClown]

love this - maybe include some argb make it look even more like a modern desktop.

[@johanerasmus63]

Good job boet! If I may give some constructive criticism: Using clear silicone on the reservoir lid would have looked cleaner although, it would take more time to cure obviously.

[@MichaelKlements]

Yeah that would have been a better finish for sure, thanks for the suggestion!

[@Xesh001]

Have you looked at the Alphacool DC-LT pump? It's very compact and designed for low noise operation. It only needs a fan header for power too!

[@MichaelKlements]

I'll have a look at it, thanks for the suggestion!

[@PlayingItWrong]

Pi 4 case: Yes Water cool it: Yes Now smother it with a thermal pad: Wait what?

[@randymurray934]

the new mini Ryzen 5 board and cpu just came out.. this little case would be pretty cool for that

[@MichaelKlements]

Great, I'll have a look into it!

[@MirelRC]

When I've wanted something that is overkill I was thinking at something like this. Now maybe it isn't overkill. Anyway I love it. I wonder if I can make a LanCache with Raspberry Pi, if I can, I would like to build something like this.

[@al.musfik]

Love from BANGLADESH 💖

[@madr8b]

Great video, loved it. Would you consider sharing your stl and lightburn files, I would love to build this. Thank you for all the videos. :0)

[@MichaelKlements]

I'm working on fixing up a few small issues that I found while assembling it and I'll then make the files available.

[@hdzhotz5988]

Everything is cool except the white fluid and no LEDs for night views. Lolz. Cool tech bro. Can you make one for me?

[@sttm1283]

besides an awesome build all im missing is some LED lightning :D

[@63W-raccoon]

are you ever going to release the files for the case? I really need to water cool for raspberry pi. This might sound unusually for many of you but I use my raspberry pi as a digital dash cluster for my race car. On the track, my cockpit will see up to 100+ ambient temperature. The cpu temps are spiking to 50-60 even with an ice tower. Seeing you videos. 30-35 degrees is really insuring. I want to water cooler my raspberry pi.

[@kennethpaulcalangi4122]

red with black accent would also look nice with the build. how much did it cost you in all the parts and material?

[@MichaelKlements]

Yes it would! It was probably around $150 to $200 for all of the parts and materials.

[@JerguynTx]

Really good job. I like it. Really enjoy your builds. Will you be refining the design to include screw mounts?

[@MichaelKlements]

Like screw mounts so that the whole case can be screwed together or the threaded inserts in the 3D printed parts?

[@mintgaming9198]

This is silly. And I love it.

[@sysadmin-info]

There is no holder for LCD in the 3D project that I bought on Etsy. I had to design the holder for standoff and now will have to do this for LCD screen.

[@MichaelKlements]

I'm sorry to hear you needed a component that I did not include. I have added the display holder to the download, so you should be able to re-download it. The case was modified to allow the standoffs to be secured through the side of the case, that is why the standoff holders were removed.

[@sysadmin-info]

@@MichaelKlements I wrote to you through etsy. I did not find the stl file of the LCD bracket in the re-downloaded zip file.

[@Professor_ramification]

MUST MAKE ONE

[@joebro391]

Great video! You're awesome!

[@josemarprete]

Maybe you can adapt the PCB and the Argon One case script to control the fan rotation according to the temperature.

[@vitaszernys2893]

is there any way to find out how to do the display on the case or installing other software etc.? Do you have a video/ tutorial page on how get something like this up and running fully?

[@MichaelKlements]

Yes, here's my video on how to get one installed and the software running - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooO3gmOEqL2Aq9k

[@jerededmons4313]

Another one I'll have to get from ya :)

[@RetroBerner]

Your res doesn't have a fill port plug? Everything else was freaking dope, nice job!

[@MichaelKlements]

It does, it just wasn't visible in the last few clips as its right at the top. I 3D printed a small plug for the fill port. Thank you!

[@dartfrogdk]

Amazing work, i want to get it

[@Jo777]

Awesome build ❤️, also I don't know the specifications but I think the extension cable for usb ports were 2.0 only, try 3.0 extension cables, may be it will work.

[@BradClarke]

The carrier board only supports USB 2.0

[@MichaelKlements]

Yeah I think the IO board only supports USB 2.0 on these breakout pins

[@laskaofalaska]

beautiful, subbed

[@AudricAG]

ty for your ip

[@gxrken_kxng]

This is a amazing build again but please give us the links for the parts. And which size had the tibes that you used

[@ComgrowOfficial]

Love your channel and thanks so much for your video!!!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you!

[@Kami-nc4zf]

It's so clean...

[@MiguelMateo]

As usual, awesome!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you!

[@sysadmin-info]

In the description you have a URL to a horizontal water pump and you are using a vertical one. Because of that I bought wrong water pump. Then watched the video over and over and spotted that the pump is the vertical one and the pipe from the water pump goes up. Had to buy the vertical one. This is extremely important. I have found at Amazon acrylic cylindric water cooling tank, diameter 12,9 mm, with removable threaded lids, so I was able to put the vertical pump into it. I did the same thing with the transparent pipe (8 mm diameter) and put the end of the pipe onto the pump and used a cable tie like you did, and the other end of the 8 mm pipe I put it into the threaded tip that I have bought separately. It is hard to explain what I exactly did. I will upload the video soon to show step by step the process of mounting the pump inside the tank. Noctua fan must be 4-pin, not 3-pin, if you want to regulate it with PWM. What about the 5V? The module with the mosfet IRF520 requires 10V to run at all, what is important, so you need at least 10V power adapter for the module with the mosfet. I know you are using CM4. Instead of the module with the mosfet, I decided to use a module with two relays to connect it to the Raspberry Pi 4b rev. 1.4 and of course the pump and fan have separate 5V power adapters connected to relays. It is quite simple, but required some time to perform a research. Outside the water tank I am using the pipes from your Amazon link, they are wider, 10 mm diameter, so had to use special threaded adapters for my water tank to mount bigger transparent pipes, similar to those you are using in the project with the green water coolant. Anyway the project taught me more about the microelectronics, mosfet, relay etc. than I learned when I had microelectronics class. Thanks a lot for this video, for the water cooling block with the bracket that I ordered through Etsy and it finally came and for all the support you provided that allowed me to understand each part of the whole project.

[@MichaelKlements]

Unfortunately Amazon sellers switch products around but keep the same product page so that they don't lose the reviews etc., I'll get the pump like updated to one with a verical connection - thanks for letting me know. Yeah the CM4 IO board takes a 12V power supply and has an onboard fan header, so you don't need to worry about any external modules to power the fan. Great to hear you've managed to get it all put together!