Review on 📦 iUniker Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Case with Cooling Fan and Heatsink - Simple Removable Top Cover, Black for 3B+/3B by Bryan Brant

RetroPie console. but I didn't want to buy one of the many cute retro console cases that are notorious for poor cooling, and it was important that the microSD card be easily accessible without tools (tweezers, paperclip, etc.) so that it can be swapped out if necessary a separate Amibian microSD card. From what I saw online this one looked like a winner, but there are still a few minor annoyances that made me deduct a few stars. 1) The instructions state that you must mount the fan upside down so that it blows air into the case from the top instead of pulling heat out of the top of the case. This is the second Raspberry Pi 3b+ case I've tried that specifically prompts the customer to install the fan incorrectly. The fan must be installed with the sticker/label on the center hub of the fan facing UP to allow hot air to escape at the top. 2) The instructions are in such incredibly small print that the human eye can't even read them. shown pinout for connecting the fan. I had to snap a few photos of the directions on my iPhone and then zoom in really close to see heads or tails. and even then the print quality was so bad that some texts were simply unreadable. Luckily, I was able to figure out what pins I needed by comparing them to other sources of information on the internet. 3) The top/case cover (the part with all the vents) doesn't fit tight at all. It just snaps loosely into place with a couple of small plastic pins that fit into holes in the case. It doesn't click or close in any way, and the manufacturing tolerances aren't very precise, so one corner of my lid doesn't want to stay closed at all. 4) The cooling design sucks. First, the tiny heatsink that came with the chip on the bottom of the 3b+ is ridiculously inefficient, but you can't use a standard heatsink (which would be included in other kits) on it as it's too big and the bottom of the case is of the full get in the way of closure. And here is the design of the vent. What you need for optimal cooling is unobstructed intake ports at the bottom, an exhaust fan and vents at the top, no major impediments to airflow between the bottom and top, and that the case is an otherwise airtight box so the air has no other path .inside or out . The top of the case has vents everywhere, not just above the fan, and there are also small gaps on the sides of the top cover, so it's far from a sealed box. And the little rubber feet that come with this case don't elevate the device very much, so there really isn't enough room underneath for the lower air intakes. Finally, the Pi board itself has no built-in ventilation holes, so this case uses angled screw holes on the board and no air gaps on the edges of the board, the airflow path between the bottom is 100% blocked. and the top of the board! The stupid acrylic/plexiglass design case I used previously kept temperatures at least below 45°F in normal use, probably because the four corner screw holes on the PCB were NOT used (allowing them to act as small passages for airflow to function). ) and with fewer holes on the top of the case. but the temperature is at least 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit higher in this case. It would be possible to improve the cooling of this case by strategically putting pieces of tape (to block any unwanted air holes) and drilling some new air holes in strategic places (around the perimeter of the case, right along the edge of the PCB, big enough to cover both the top and bottom of the PCB to effectively act as exhaust vents for the bottom of the PCB and air intakes for the top of the PCB) and replacing the sticky rubber feet with larger ones, but this has nothing to do with a brand new one product to make it work properly. My search for the perfect 3b+ RetroPie case continues.