A 60mm active radiator cooler for Raspberry Pi 5, engineered for sustained workloads and overclocking.
The Argon THRML 60mm Radiator Cooler (SKU: ARG-THRML-60) is a compact, active cooling solution designed exclusively for the Raspberry Pi 5. It uses a radiator-style heatsink with a 60mm fan to move heat away from the Broadcom BCM2712 SoC more aggressively than passive or smaller active coolers can manage. The larger fin area and increased airflow make it a strong choice when you need consistent CPU performance over extended periods — whether that's a media server running continuously, a compute-intensive robotics project, or a Pi 5 pushed beyond its stock clock speed.
Where passive coolers and smaller fan solutions may allow temperatures to creep up under sustained load and trigger thermal throttling, the THRML 60mm is built to keep the BCM2712 in its optimal operating range during demanding tasks. The radiator form factor means heat is distributed across a greater surface area before the fan exhausts it, which generally results in quieter operation at a given thermal load compared to a direct-contact blower cooler of the same size.
This page covers hardware specifications, assembly, software fan-control configuration, and troubleshooting for the THRML 60mm. If you are setting up a Pi 5 for overclocking or any workload that runs the CPU hard for more than a few minutes at a time, this cooler is the appropriate THRML-family choice.
📝 Note: The complete component list below is based on the available product manual cover page. Verify all items are present when you open the box. If anything is missing, contact Argon 40 support before beginning assembly.
INSTRUCTION_ARGON_THRML_60-RC_20240520.pdf]| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Argon THRML 60mm Radiator Cooler (Silver) |
| SKU | ARG-THRML-60 |
| Model Number | A23-009 AR-THRML-60MM-RC |
| EAN / UPC | 5065019946058 |
| Product Family | THRML |
| Form Factor | 60mm radiator-style active cooler |
| Dimensions | 9.75 × 8.50 × 6.00 cm |
| Weight | 0.16 kg |
| Compatible Device | Raspberry Pi 5 only |
| Fan Size | 60mm |
| Fan Speed (RPM) | [TODO: Confirm from manufacturer specifications or full manual] |
| Noise Level | [TODO: Confirm dB rating from manufacturer specifications] |
| Power Consumption | [TODO: Confirm cooler + fan power draw in watts] |
| Thermal Interface Material | [TODO: Confirm type included — thermal pad, paste, or pre-applied] |
| Mounting Mechanism | [TODO: Confirm from full manual — screws, clips, or adhesive] |
| HTS Code | 8473.30.5100 |
| Manual | INSTRUCTION_ARGON_THRML_60-RC_20240520.pdf (dated 20 May 2024) |
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the current flagship single-board computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, featuring a quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor capable of 2.4 GHz and significant improvements in I/O, memory bandwidth, and peripheral connectivity over its predecessors.
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 |
| Storage (Onboard) | microSD card slot (UHS-I) |
| Storage (Expansion) | PCIe 2.0 ×1 M.2 connector (requires optional HAT) |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.11ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbit/s) |
| USB 3.0 | 2× USB 3.0 (5 Gbps each) |
| USB 2.0 | 2× USB 2.0 |
| HDMI Output | 2× micro-HDMI (4K@60Hz simultaneous on both outputs) |
| Display/Camera | MIPI DSI (display), MIPI CSI (camera) |
| GPIO Header | Standard 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header |
| Power Input | USB-C with Power Delivery (PD) |
| Recommended PSU | 5V 5A / 27W USB-C PD |
| Minimum PSU | 5V 3A / 15W USB-C |
| Additional Hardware | Real-Time Clock (RTC) with battery connector, hardware power button |
| OS Support | Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit recommended), Ubuntu, and other compatible Linux distributions |
| Dimensions | 85 mm × 56 mm |
Compatibility caveats for the Argon THRML 60mm:
📝 Note: The Argon THRML 60mm is designed exclusively for the Raspberry Pi 5. It is not compatible with Raspberry Pi 4, 3, Zero, or any other Raspberry Pi generation. Do not attempt to fit this cooler to any board other than the Pi 5.
⚠️ Warning: The full illustrated assembly procedure is sourced from
INSTRUCTION_ARGON_THRML_60-RC_20240520.pdf. Only the cover page was available at the time this wiki page was created. The steps below reflect the expected procedure for a radiator-style active cooler of this type and must be verified against the complete manual before following. Refer to the printed guide included in your box or download the latest version from the Argon 40 website.⚠️ Warning: Always power off your Raspberry Pi 5 completely and disconnect all cables — including the USB-C power supply — before handling the board or installing any cooler. Failure to do so risks permanent damage to the board and cooler.
📝 Note: Steps below are a general framework for a radiator-style active cooler on Raspberry Pi 5. Replace with the exact steps from the printed manual once the full PDF content is available.
Power down and disconnect the Raspberry Pi 5.
Shut down the OS gracefully:
bash
sudo shutdown -h now
Wait for the Pi to fully power off (the green activity LED will go dark), then disconnect the USB-C power cable and all peripherals.
Prepare the SoC surface.
If the BCM2712 SoC has any residue from a previously installed cooler, gently clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and a lint-free cloth or cotton swab. Allow it to dry completely before continuing.
Apply thermal interface material.
[TODO: Confirm from full manual whether a thermal pad or paste is included and whether it is pre-applied to the heatsink base or must be applied by the user. If applying thermal paste manually, a small bead (approximately 1–2 mm diameter) centred on the SoC is a commonly accepted method. Do not spread it by hand; mounting pressure will distribute it. Follow the guidance in the printed manual precisely.]
Position the heatsink over the BCM2712 SoC.
Align the cooler's base plate with the SoC on the Raspberry Pi 5. Ensure the fan cable is oriented so it can reach the fan header without strain.
[TODO: Confirm exact alignment guidance and any alignment pins, arrows, or orientation markers from the full manual.]
Secure the cooler to the board.
[TODO: Extract the exact fastening procedure from the full manual. Confirm whether mounting uses screws into standoffs, spring-loaded retention clips, adhesive thermal pads, or another mechanism. Confirm the correct torque or seating method to avoid cracking the SoC package.]
⚠️ Warning: Do not overtighten mounting screws. Apply only enough pressure to ensure firm, even contact between the heatsink base and the SoC. Excessive force can damage the BCM2712 package or the Raspberry Pi 5 PCB.
Connect the fan cable.
Route the fan cable to the Raspberry Pi 5 fan header and insert the connector fully. Ensure the connector is oriented correctly — it is polarised and will only insert in one direction.
[TODO: Confirm from full manual whether the fan connects directly to the Raspberry Pi 5 onboard fan header (JST-SH 1.0mm 2-pin) or to a separate control board or intermediary connector.]
Verify the assembly.
Check that:
- The heatsink base is in firm, even contact with the SoC.
- All fasteners are secure.
- The fan cable is fully seated and not pinched or stretched.
- No components are obstructing the fan blades.
- [TODO: Confirm whether any other cables, connectors, or accessories require connection based on the full manual.]
Reconnect and power on.
Reconnect all peripherals and the USB-C power supply. The Raspberry Pi 5 will boot normally. During the first few seconds after power-on, the fan will spin briefly as part of its startup check — this is expected behaviour (see Troubleshooting below).
📝 Note: The following fan control configuration assumes the THRML 60mm fan connects directly to the Raspberry Pi 5's onboard fan header, consistent with other Argon 40 coolers in the THRML family. [TODO: Verify this against the full assembly manual. If the cooler uses a separate control board with its own firmware, this section will require revision.]
Out of the box, the Raspberry Pi 5 firmware manages the fan automatically. You do not need to edit any configuration files to get basic fan control working.
| Behaviour | Description |
|---|---|
| Startup spin | Fan runs for approximately 2–3 seconds at power-on as a self-test, then stops. This is normal. |
| Light workload | Fan remains off. The radiator's passive fin area dissipates heat sufficiently at low CPU loads. |
| High CPU temperature | Fan activates automatically when the CPU reaches the firmware's built-in temperature threshold. |
📝 Note: If the fan is off during normal use, that is expected behaviour — not a fault. The radiator is passively dissipating heat. The fan only activates when the thermal load exceeds the passive cooling capacity.
If you want the fan to activate at a lower temperature than the firmware default — for example, to maintain lower sustained temperatures during overclocking — you can customise the behaviour by editing /boot/firmware/config.txt.
1. Open the configuration file:
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt
2. Add the following lines under the [all] section:
dtparam=cooling_fan=on
dtparam=fan_temp0=45000,fan_temp0_hyst=0,fan_temp0_speed=255
3. Save and exit:
Press Ctrl + O to save, then Ctrl + X to exit nano.
4. Reboot to apply changes:
sudo reboot
| Parameter | Value in Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
cooling_fan=on |
on |
Enables Raspberry Pi firmware fan control via the fan header |
fan_temp0 |
45000 |
Temperature (in millidegrees Celsius) at which the fan activates. 45000 = 45°C |
fan_temp0_hyst |
0 |
Hysteresis in millidegrees. 0 means the fan responds immediately at the threshold temperature with no dead-band |
fan_temp0_speed |
255 |
Fan speed as a value from 0–255. 255 = 100% speed for maximum cooling |
📝 Note: You can adjust
fan_temp0to any temperature that suits your use case. For example,50000= 50°C,55000= 55°C. Lower values mean the fan activates sooner and runs more often; higher values preserve quieter operation during moderate workloads.⚠️ Warning: Setting
fan_temp0_speedto a very low value (e.g., below 100) may result in the fan failing to spin up reliably, depending on the fan motor's minimum start voltage. If you reduce fan speed, test that the fan actually starts under load.
To monitor the CPU temperature from the terminal at any time:
vcgencmd measure_temp
To monitor continuously (updates every 2 seconds):
watch -n 2 vcgencmd measure_temp
To check using the thermal zone interface:
cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp
📝 Note: The value returned by
/sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/tempis in millidegrees Celsius. Divide by 1000 to get °C. For example,47234= 47.2°C.
To confirm the fan header is active and the fan control overlay is loaded:
ls /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device*/type
A cooling device of type rpi-fan or rpi_cooling_fan confirms that the firmware fan control overlay is active. If no cooling device appears, review your config.txt entries and ensure dtparam=cooling_fan=on is present under the [all] section.
Likely cause: The fan connector is not fully seated, is incorrectly oriented, or the fan activation temperature has not been reached.
Resolution:
1. Power down the Pi completely and disconnect the USB-C supply