Why Raspberry Pi Cooling is Important
The Raspberry Pi 4 can easily reach **60–80°C** under load. If you don’t cool it properly: - Performance throttles (slow Pi) - Components can degrade over time - Fans can start making weird noises (like mine did) My Pi is part of my **24/7 home lab**, so I needed a reliable solution.The "Tip Tip" Sound Mystery
This is how the issue started: -> I placed the Pi near my AC blower (to cool it temporarily). -> The fan started making a faint clicking sound: *"tip… tip… tip…"* -> It got worse as the AC airflow pushed the fan blades. I realized the sound was coming from the **fan bearing** and airflow vibrations.What Causes This Sound?
1. **Fan bearing wear** – Cheap fans can develop loose bearings quickly. 2. **Airflow imbalance** – Placing it directly in front of AC or strong air caused vibration. 3. **Overheating** – High temps stress the fan and increase noise.How I Fixed It
### 1️⃣ Stopped putting it in front of the AC The cold air was causing condensation and vibration. Bad idea. ### 2️⃣ Cleaned the fan - Removed dust with a small brush - Reapplied a drop of light machine oil to the bearing ### 3️⃣ Replaced the fan I switched to a **better quality 30mm 5V fan**. 👉 Tip: Go for ball-bearing fans (longer life, less noise). ### 4️⃣ Added a proper heatsink case I installed the **Armor aluminum heatsink case** with thermal pads. This reduced my idle temp from 55°C → 42°C.Optional: Peltier Module Cooling?
I even thought about using a **Peltier module with heatsink and fan** to blow cold air, but that’s overkill and can cause condensation. Stick to a good case + fan for now.My Current Cooling Setup
- Armor aluminum case (full-body heatsink) - Ball-bearing 30mm fan - Pi placed in a ventilated area (not near AC blower) Now my temps stay **45–55°C under load** and the clicking sound is gone.🔗 Related: Build a Smart UPS & Backup System for Raspberry Pi & Jio AirFiber – Keep your Pi powered during power cuts.
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