A premium aluminum enclosure for the Raspberry Pi 5, combining passive and active cooling, full-size HDMI ports, optional PCIe M.2 NVMe expansion, and a programmable power button in a clean, all-rear-port design.
The Argon ONE V3 is a full-aluminum enclosure designed for the Raspberry Pi 5, built for makers and enthusiasts who want a polished, functional chassis without sacrificing expandability. The case combines a passive aluminum heatsink body with a 30mm PWM blower fan, keeping your Pi 5 cool under sustained workloads while remaining quiet during light use. All connectors — HDMI, USB, Ethernet, audio, and USB-C power — are routed to the rear of the case, giving it the clean profile of a compact desktop computer.
Beyond aesthetics, the Argon ONE V3 adds meaningful functionality to the Raspberry Pi 5. The onboard RP2040 microcontroller drives a programmable multi-function power button with soft shutdown, reboot, and forced shutdown modes — configurable via jumper for either button-press or always-on power behavior. A built-in IR receiver (connected to GPIO23) enables remote control via the Argon Remote or any LIRC-compatible third-party remote. A PCIe flat flex connector routes the Pi 5's PCIe interface to the base of the case, making the optional Argon ONE M.2 NVMe PCIe Expansion Board a seamless add-on for fast, reliable solid-state storage.
The case is compatible with two optional expansion modules — the Argon BLSTR DAC for high-fidelity 24-bit/192kHz audio output via a Texas Instruments PCM5122 codec, and the Argon PWR UPS for uninterrupted 5.1V/5A power with a built-in real-time clock. Whether you're building a home media server, a network-attached storage appliance, or a daily desktop replacement, the Argon ONE V3 provides the thermal management, connectivity, and expandability to support serious projects.
📝 Note: A Raspberry Pi 5, M.2 NVMe drive, power supply, and optional add-on modules (Argon BLSTR DAC, Argon PWR UPS, Argon ONE M.2 NVMe PCIe Expansion Board) are sold separately. The Argon PWR GaN 27W Power Delivery adapter is the recommended power supply for this case.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | ARG-ONE-V3 |
| Case Material | Aluminum alloy (top) + injected ABS plastic (bottom) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 98 × 43 mm |
| Weight | [TODO: confirm weight from product packaging or datasheet] |
| Cooling | Passive (aluminum case body) + active (30mm PWM blower fan) |
| Fan Type | 30mm PWM blower-type, software-controlled |
| Fan Default Curve | 55°C → 30% / 60°C → 55% / 65°C → 100% |
| Fan Minimum Activation | 10% power input (fan does not spin below this threshold) |
| HDMI Ports | 2× full-size HDMI (converted from Pi 5 micro-HDMI) |
| USB Ports | 2× USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) + 2× USB 2.0 |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Audio | 3.5mm audio jack (requires optional Argon BLSTR DAC) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| GPIO | 40-pin passthrough header with magnetic removable cover |
| PCIe Expansion | PCIe socket with flat flex cable connector for M.2 NVMe |
| M.2 NVMe Support | M.2 Key M and M.2 Key B+M NVMe drives (NVMe only — SATA not supported) |
| Power Button MCU | Raspberry Pi RP2040 |
| IR Receiver | Built-in, connected to GPIO23 |
| Port Orientation | All ports rear-facing |
| Primary Compatibility | Raspberry Pi 5 |
| Recommended PSU | Argon PWR GaN 27W Power Delivery (USB-C PD) |
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the fifth-generation flagship single-board computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, featuring a quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor, VideoCore VII GPU, and the first native PCIe connector on a Raspberry Pi board.
Source: raspberrypi.com
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712, quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz |
| GPU | VideoCore VII, OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2 |
| RAM | 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, or 16 GB LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Built-in Storage | microSD slot (UHS-I) |
| Storage Expansion | PCIe 2.0 ×1 connector (M.2 NVMe HAT, optional) |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.11ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| USB | 2× USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) + 2× USB 2.0 |
| Native Display Outputs | 2× micro-HDMI (up to 4Kp60 simultaneous) |
| GPIO | 40-pin Raspberry Pi standard GPIO header |
| Power Input | USB-C PD |
| Recommended PSU | 5V 5A (27W); 5V 3A (15W) minimum |
| OS Support | Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit recommended), Ubuntu, and other ARM64 distributions |
| Dimensions | 85 × 56 mm |
Compatibility notes for use with Argon ONE V3:
📝 Note: Read all steps before beginning. Assembly is easier with all components laid out in advance. Have a small Phillips screwdriver ready.
Check that all items listed in the What's in the Box section are present before starting. Lay all components on a clean, flat, static-safe surface.
Before placing the Pi into the case, set the power button behavior jumper on the HDMI-Power Board to your preferred mode:
| Jumper Position | Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Pins 1–2 (or no jumper) | Mode 1 — Default | Press button to power ON from shutdown; long press ≥3s for soft shutdown + power cut; double-tap for reboot; long press ≥5s for forced shutdown |
| Pins 2–3 | Mode 2 — Always ON | Power flows directly to Pi on supply connect; no button press required; unit powers on automatically after an outage |
📝 Note: Mode 1 is recommended for most desktop and media-center builds. Mode 2 is better suited for always-on server or headless deployments where automatic recovery from power cuts is required.
Align the HDMI-Power Board with the Pi 5's micro-HDMI ports and GPIO header, then press it firmly into place.
⚠️ Warning: The HDMI-Power Board must be fully and evenly seated against the Pi 5. A partially connected board will prevent the device from powering up.
Apply the included silicone thermal pads to the CPU heatsink and PMIC heatsink contact points on the underside of the aluminum top case. Do not fold, cut, or stack the pads.
If you are using the optional Argon ONE M.2 NVMe PCIe Expansion Board, connect the PCIe flat flex cable to the Pi 5's PCIe FPC connector now.
⚠️ Warning: The copper (gold) side of the flat flex cable must face the white side of the PCIe FPC connector on the Pi 5. Inserting it backwards will prevent the drive from being detected and may damage the connector.
If you are not using an M.2 expansion board, skip this step.
If you purchased the Argon BLSTR DAC, connect it to the designated pins on the HDMI-Power Board now. The 3.5mm audio jack on the rear of the case is non-functional without this module.
If you are not using the Argon BLSTR DAC, skip this step.
Carefully lower the Pi 5 and HDMI-Power Board assembly into the aluminum top case, aligning the female GPIO header and 6-pin power port with their corresponding receptacles in the case.
⚠️ Warning (M.2 builds): Do not insert a microSD card at this stage. The microSD slot becomes inaccessible once the Pi is fully seated. If you plan to boot from NVMe, ensure your drive is ready and no card is installed.
⚠️ Warning (M.2 builds): Ensure the PCIe flat flex cable copper side faces upward as it passes through the case opening to the expansion board slot.
Use the included flathead screws to fasten the Raspberry Pi 5 to the aluminum top case. Do not overtighten.
If using the Argon ONE M.2 NVMe PCIe Expansion Board:
📝 Note: Only M.2 Key M and M.2 Key B+M NVMe drives are supported. M.2 SATA drives are not compatible and will not be detected.
Place the ABS plastic bottom cover onto the case and secure it with the included roundhead screws.
⚠️ Warning: The bottom cover must be fully screwed into place. The internal pogo pins that deliver power to the board only make proper contact when the case is fully closed. A loose or unscewed bottom cover will result in no power to the board.
Connect your USB-C power supply to the rear power port. If you are in Mode 1 (Default), press the power button to start the Pi 5. If you are in Mode 2 (Always ON), the Pi 5 will start automatically when power is connected.
The Argon ONE V3 requires two scripts to be run after a fresh Raspberry Pi OS installation: an EEPROM configuration script and the main Argon control script. Both require an active internet connection and must be run in order.
📝 Note: All software steps below assume you are running Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit recommended). Other ARM64 distributions such as Ubuntu may work but are not officially documented.
This script optimizes power settings and configures the Pi 5 to support NVMe boot.
📝 Note: Ensure your Pi 5's system time is up to date before running this script. An incorrect system clock can cause EEPROM update failures.
curl https://download.argon40.com/argon-eeprom.sh | bash
Reboot after the script completes:
sudo reboot
This installs all required libraries, configures config.txt and EEPROM settings for RP2040 communication, and enables active cooling and power management.
curl https://download.argon40.com/argon1.sh | bash
Reboot after the script completes:
sudo reboot
The Argon script applies the following settings without user intervention:
EEPROM settings:
PSU_MAX_CURRENT=5000
BOOT_ORDER=0xf416
PCIE_PROBE=1
usb_max_current_enable=1
/boot/config.txt (or /boot/firmware/config.txt) additions:
dtparam=nvme
dtparam=pciex1_1=gen3
If the Argon BLSTR DAC is installed, the following line is also added:
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dacplus,slave
After installation, an Argon ONE V3 desktop icon is available for GUI-based fan and power button configuration. You can also launch the interactive configuration tool from the terminal:
argon-config
This tool lets you:
📝 Note: A reboot is required after any configuration changes for the revised settings to take effect.
| CPU Temperature | Fan Duty Cycle |
|---|---|
| Below 55°C | 0% (fan off) |
| 55°C | 30% |
| 60°C | 55% |
| 65°C | 100% |
📝 Note: The fan will not spin at duty cycle values below 10%. Any