Raspberry Pi Revises the Compute Module 5 IO Board, IO Case Designs for Better Cooling
Fresh new Rev. 2 models address a flaw in the original designs, and finally let you mount both the heatsink and fan at the same time.
Raspberry Pi has quietly released a revised version of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 IO Board and matching IO Case — finally addressing a longstanding design flaw that made it impossible to use the bundled cooling fan and heatsink simultaneously.
When Raspberry Pi launched the Compute Module 5, a computer-on-module built around the same Broadcom BCM2712 system-on-chip as the Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, back in November last year, it did so with two key accessories: an IO Board carrier to break its functionality out into full-size connectors, and an IO Case in which to house everything.
The Raspberry Pi CM5 IO Case comes as standard with a stick-on heatsink for the CM5's system-on-chip plus a pulse-width modulation (PWM) speed-controlled cooling fan that fits into the lid to provide fresh air. The only problem: a design flaw that made it impossible to fit both the heatsink and the fan at the same time, downplayed at the time as a decision to give buyers the choice of passive or active cooling.
Now, Raspberry Pi has quietly changed its stance with the launch of revised IO Board and Case models, which move the fan mount to the side — allowing it to clear the heatsink and finally letting you use both cooling options simultaneously, putting the fan under software control for when you want passive cooling but allowing it to spin up on-demand or when certain temperatures are met.
There has been no official announcement of the change from Raspberry Pi itself, but pseudonymous maker "proximalfunk" noticed the change on a newly-purchased bundle. "I don't think you can use a Rev 1.x [IO] Board with the Rev 2 [IO] Case," the maker notes, "due to slight differences on the port locations."
More information is available in proximalfunk's Reddit post, including thermal testing under load.