A compact aluminium case for the Raspberry Pi 5 with an integrated M.2 NVMe PCIe expansion board — slim storage upgrade, no compromises on form factor.
The Argon NEO 5 M.2 NVMe PCIe Case (SKU: ARG-NEO-5-M2) is a precision-machined aluminium enclosure designed exclusively for the Raspberry Pi 5. It integrates an onboard M.2 NVMe Carrier Board connected via the Raspberry Pi 5's native PCIe FPC port, giving you fast NVMe SSD storage without the bulk of an external drive enclosure or a stacked HAT. The result is a complete, self-contained system that retains a slim, desktop-friendly profile.
The case is built around active thermal management: a 30mm PWM blower-type fan draws air across aluminium cooling fins and exhausts it through a dedicated vent, keeping both the Raspberry Pi 5 and the M.2 drive cool under sustained load. Silicon thermal pads are included for the CPU and PMIC chip, and a dedicated THRML M.2 heatsink manages drive temperatures. The aluminium top cover doubles as a passive heat spreader and gives the finished build a clean, professional appearance.
This product is aimed at makers, developers, and hobbyists who want the performance of NVMe storage in a tidy package — whether for a desktop workstation, a home server, a media centre, or an embedded project that benefits from the Raspberry Pi 5's PCIe Gen 3 bandwidth. At $38.00 USD, it is a straightforward upgrade path for any Raspberry Pi 5 owner looking to move beyond microSD.
📝 Note: The list below is sourced from the product manual (ARG-NEO-5-M2). If your package is missing any item, contact Argon 40 support at cs@argon40.com before beginning assembly.
📝 Note: An M.2 NVMe SSD, Raspberry Pi 5, microSD card, and USB-C power supply are not included and must be purchased separately.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | ARG-NEO-5-M2 |
| Price | $38.00 USD |
| Compatible Device | Raspberry Pi 5 (exclusive) |
| Case Material | Aluminium (top cover and main case body) |
| Cooling Fan | 30mm PWM blower-type fan |
| Fan Exhaust | Dedicated exhaust vent with internal cooling fins |
| M.2 Interface | PCIe — Key M and Key B+M NVMe drives only |
| M.2 SATA Support | ❌ Not supported |
| PCIe Connection | PCIe FPC flat flex cable to Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe port |
| Thermal Management | THRML M.2 heatsink; silicon thermal pads for CPU and PMIC |
| Power Button | Yes — integrated |
| Power LED | Yes — integrated |
| GPIO Access | Yes — accessible through case |
| POE HAT Connection | Yes — accessible |
| MIPI Ports Access | Yes — accessible |
| UART Connector Access | Yes — accessible |
| RTC Battery Connector Access | Yes — accessible |
| PCIe Port Access | Yes — via internal FPC carrier board |
| Bottom Cover Fasteners | 4× screws |
| Top Cover Fasteners | 2× screws |
| Recommended Power Supply | Argon PWR GaN USB-C PD 27W or Official Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C Power Supply |
| Case Dimensions | [TODO: overall assembled case dimensions (L × W × H) not provided in available sources] |
| Case Weight | [TODO: case weight not provided in available sources] |
The Argon NEO 5 M.2 NVMe PCIe Case is designed exclusively for the Raspberry Pi 5. It is not compatible with Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3, or any earlier model. The PCIe FPC connector, fan port, and internal mounting points are all specific to the Raspberry Pi 5 board layout.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the first Raspberry Pi to feature a dedicated PCIe FPC connector, enabling direct high-speed storage expansion. Its Broadcom BCM2712 processor delivers a significant performance step up over previous generations, making NVMe-class storage a meaningful upgrade rather than a bottleneck.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712, 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 |
| GPU | VideoCore VII — OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2 |
| RAM Options | 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Built-in Storage | microSD (UHS-I) |
| Storage Expansion | PCIe 2.0 ×1 FPC connector (used by this case) |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.11ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| USB 3.0 | 2× USB 3.0 (5Gbps) |
| USB 2.0 | 2× USB 2.0 |
| Display Outputs | 2× micro-HDMI — up to 4Kp60 simultaneous |
| Display Interfaces | MIPI DSI (display), MIPI CSI (camera) |
| GPIO Header | 40-pin standard Raspberry Pi GPIO header |
| Real-Time Clock | Yes — onboard RTC with battery connector |
| Power Button | Yes — onboard |
| Power Input | USB-C Power Delivery |
| Minimum PSU | 5V 3A (15W) |
| Recommended PSU | 5V 5A (27W) |
| OS Support | Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit recommended), Ubuntu, and others |
| Board Dimensions | 85mm × 56mm |
Source: raspberrypi.com
config.txt. The Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe connector is rated at Gen 2 by default; Gen 3 operation is supported but unofficial. This is standard practice and is handled automatically by the Argon setup script.📝 Note: Read through all steps before you begin. Have a small Phillips-head screwdriver ready. The assembly takes approximately 15–20 minutes.
⚠️ Warning: Always power off and disconnect your Raspberry Pi 5 from all power sources before beginning assembly. Handle the PCIe FPC cable and all connectors gently — excessive force will cause permanent damage.
⚠️ Warning: Do not bend the pins in the Raspberry Pi 5 FAN port. Bent pins will permanently damage the fan header. Align the connector carefully before pressing it in.
📝 Note: Do not touch the sticky surfaces of the thermal pads with your fingers. Skin oils reduce thermal conductivity.
⚠️ Warning: The copper side of the FPC cable must face the white side of the PCIe connector on the Raspberry Pi 5. Inserting the cable in the wrong orientation will prevent the M.2 drive from working and may damage the connector.
⚠️ Warning: If you intend to use a microSD card (for example, to boot Raspberry Pi OS before configuring NVMe boot), insert it now, before securing the bottom cover. The microSD card slot is inaccessible once the bottom cover is in place.
⚠️ Warning: The Argon NEO 5 M.2 NVMe Carrier Board supports M.2 Key M and M.2 Key B+M NVMe drives only. M.2 SATA drives are not supported and will not function. Check your drive's specifications before purchasing.
📝 Note: [TODO: confirmed supported M.2 drive lengths (2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, etc.) not specified in available sources — verify in the physical manual or with Argon 40 support]
📝 Note: This step is only relevant if you are using an RTC battery. If not, proceed to Step 12.
Your Argon NEO 5 M.2 NVMe PCIe Case is now fully assembled. Proceed to Software & Configuration before powering on for the first time.
📝 Note: Both configuration steps below require an active internet connection. Ensure your Raspberry Pi 5 is connected to the internet before proceeding. Run these commands from a Terminal session in Raspberry Pi OS (or your chosen OS).
sudo date -s "$(wget -qSO- --max-redirect=0 google.com 2>&1 | grep Date: | cut -d' ' -f5-8)Z"
This script configures the Raspberry Pi 5 EEPROM (bootloader) to enable NVMe boot and optimise power behaviour for use with the Argon NEO 5.
curl https://download.argon40.com/argon-eeprom.sh | bash
After the script completes, reboot your Raspberry Pi 5:
sudo reboot
This script sets the following EEPROM configuration values:
| EEPROM Parameter | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
BOOT_UART |
1 |
Enables UART boot output |
WAKE_ON_GPIO |
0 |
Disables GPIO wake (handled by Argon power button) |
POWER_OFF_ON_HALT |
1 |
Cuts power on system halt |
BOOT_ORDER |
0xf416 |
Sets boot priority (NVMe → USB → SD card → restart) |
PCIE_PROBE |
1 |
Enables PCIe device detection at boot |
usb_max_current_enable |
1 |
Enables higher USB current output |
This script installs the