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Available · 100+ piece · 1-3 days
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When should you cool a Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a compact single-board computer that runs reliably in many projects. However, in demanding tasks like video editing, AI processing, database queries or server use, the CPU generates significant heat.
Ambient conditions also matter: high room temperatures, direct sunlight or closed cases without airflow increase the risk. Beyond a threshold, thermal throttling kicks in, reducing performance. To avoid this, you can use heatsinks and fans – often combined for best results.
How do Raspberry Pi fans work?
A fan actively removes warm air from hot components. A small motor spins a rotor, moving warm air away from the processor or heatsink. Depending on the design, the fan can be mounted directly on the heatsink or inside the case.
This keeps the temperature lower and performance stable. Fans are usually powered via GPIO pins or the 5V pin. Modern models feature PWM control to automatically adjust fan speed.
Recommendation for Raspberry Pi 5: Raspberry Pi Active Cooler – Fan for Pi 5
How do Raspberry Pi heatsinks work?
A heatsink passively transfers heat away from the processor into the surrounding air. Usually made of aluminum or copper, its large surface (fins or ridges) improves cooling efficiency.
Thermal contact is achieved with thermal pads or thermal paste. Heatsinks are silent, maintenance-free and consume no power.
Recommendation for Raspberry Pi 4: 4-piece heatsink set – silver
FAQ – Raspberry Pi Cooling
vcgencmd measure_temp to check the temperature.