So many reasons to reccomend this case. I've had my eye on this for a while, and here's why:
*Official Kodi (XBMC!) merch
*Case doubles as a high performance passive heatsink (no fan, no noise)
*Designed with attention to detail that will remind you of an Apple product
*Case is pretty typical form factor for Raspberry Pi 3B
*GPIO can technically still be accessed if you really need it
*Relatively inexpensive
After giving my old case to an Asus Tinkerboard, I didn't have anything on my 3B and as such wasn't using it. For the most part I've only used cheap $5 plastic cases that "did the job", one of which had GPIO access. I paid just over twice that, and no more than most inexpensive quality cases cost... But it's also a high performance passive heatsink, and post installation, I'm impressed with how solid it feels. 4.8oz or 136g in weight, which is just a touch heavier than a standard deck of playing cards (3.4oz or 99g). Just for kicks, I took it out of the case and weighed my Pi 3B on top of said deck of playing cards: 4.9oz or 139g. So it seems the empty case and a deck of cards weigh the same. Go ahead and pick up a deck of cards if you want to feel what I mean before you buy.
Reading online I learned that the tower heatpipe cooler/fan combos don't perform too much better than these do, and honestly, why bother with a tower cooler unless you've got an 8GB RAM Raspberry Pi 4? If you're not sure how you're going to use your 3B, or you plan to use it for multiple things, I do actually think this is the best case on the market, especially if you can get one for around $10. Most cases worth buying are around that same price point, just without the heatsink function. The cheapest Prime shipping case I've found here on Amazon is roughly $5 and isn't even half as good as this one. Save those cheapo cases for low spec non-Raspberry Pi SBCs (example: Rock64).
Note on GPIO use:
It's not impossible to use with the case on, but you'll likely want what's called a "T Cobbler" to go with this case. The T Cobbler comes with a ribbon cable that connects it to the GPIO. I remember hearing something about this case having a slot where a GPIO ribbon cable can be routed through. This slot can be found on the bottom of the case, opposite side of the HDMI port. When fully assembled, the case's metal chassis sits just a touch higher than the plastic bottom plate. There seems to be enough clearance to where the ribbon cable won't interfere with the rubber feet. The design seems to suggest that the case wasn't designed for ease of GPIO access, but access is there if/when you need it. I actually like this better than cases with easier access. Keeps the GPIO pins from getting accidentally or otherwise unneccesarily damaged.
Bottom line is there was a lot of thought put into this case's design to ensure you get the most out of your Pi. You can't get much better for the $10-15 range. I don't think I'll ever use anything else on my 3B.
| Brand | Flirc |
|---|---|
| Item model number | FL-70462 |
| Item Weight | 4 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 0.8 x 0.44 x 1.6 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 0.8 x 0.44 x 1.6 inches |
| Color | Silver |
| Manufacturer | Flirc |
| ASIN | B07349HT26 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | June 22, 2017 |
