Le MINI PC est terminé ! (Water cooling de l’espace 🚀)

Summary

The video follows a DIY tech enthusiast as he constructs a mini PC water cooled gaming system using the latest Raspberry Pi model. After initial setbacks with broken CNC machinery, he perseveres, redesigning components like the reservoir to optimize space. Though not a necessity, the elaborate custom cooling loop drops the Pi's temperatures significantly. Benchmarking shows only minor performance gains vs stock configurations, and emulation testing reveals the Pi still lacks power for newer systems like PS2. While overkill currently, the project provided valuable real-world experience in CAD, 3D printing, CNC machining, and custom water cooling design.

Takeaways

• 😀 Upgraded to a Raspberry Pi 5 and PCIe SSD for better performance
• 🔧 Encountered and fixed issues with CNC machine during reservoir fabrication
• 💧 Designed a custom water cooling reservoir with integrated pump
• 👷‍♂️ Assembled water cooling system and debugged leaks in the setup
• 🖥️ Benchmarked Raspberry Pi 5 - small gains but stability issues at higher clocks
• 😕 Emulation performance mixed - some games work well but issues with PS2 and Switch
• 😊 Successfully built a fully working mini water cooled PC using Raspberry Pi 5
• ⏩ Plans to create more content for his online academy abrej Academy in 2024
• 💡 Views water cooling project as good learning experience despite being overkill
• 📹 Thanks viewers for support and will continue making monthly long format videos

Q & A

What was the main issue that prevented the PC build from working properly?

The CNC machine broke down, which was needed to finish machining some custom parts for the water cooling system.

How did the creator fix the overheating issues from the previous build?

By designing a new reservoir with an integrated pump, allowing better airflow and less complicated tubing.

What accessory was used to connect the SSD to the Raspberry Pi?

A PCI Express adapter shield that allowed higher bandwidth and lower latency than using the USB ports.

What tactic did the creator use to locate the XY origin on the CNC machine?

Mounting an end mill bit upside down and slowly contacting the workpiece surface to set the coordinates.

Where was the water cooling leak located and why did it happen?

At the CPU block connectors, because the tapping operation was not completed leaving an imperfect seal surface.

How much lower were the temperatures with the water cooling compared to the active cooler?

Approximately a 30°C delta, with water cooling maintaining just 35°C at high frequencies.

Were the overclocking goals achieved with the Raspberry Pi 5?

No, it was still not completely stable at the increased 3 GHz CPU and 1 GHz GPU frequencies attempted.

Which game emulators were successfully run on the mini PC?

Dolphin emulator worked to run older Nintendo games like Smash Bros at 60 fps, but struggles were encountered with PS2 and Switch emulators.

What does the creator plan to work on in 2024?

Creating more online courses for his education platform Abrej Academy, with hopes to someday start a real-world engineering school.

What device will be used in the creator's next project video?

A tablet, though no other specifics were revealed yet.