Our verdict
The Pironman 5 is SunFounder's best-selling product for good reason: for $79.99 it gives a Raspberry Pi 5 an aluminum mini-PC chassis, an NVMe M.2 slot (2230–2280), a tower cooler plus two RGB fans, a 0.96" OLED status screen, a metal power button with safe shutdown, full-size HDMI ports and an RTC battery. It's rated 4.8/5 from 163 store reviews. Budget for the Raspberry Pi 5, a 27W power supply and an SSD, check SunFounder's list of NVMe drives that don't work, and expect some assembly.
Pros & cons
Pros
- NVMe M.2 slot for 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280 SSDs
- Tower cooler with PWM fan plus two 40 mm RGB fans
- 0.96" OLED shows CPU, RAM, temperature and IP address
- Two full-size HDMI ports and a metal power button with safe shutdown
- Aluminum chassis with acrylic side panels; RTC battery included
- Rated 4.8/5 from 163 reviews on the SunFounder store
Cons
- Raspberry Pi 5, SSD and 27W power supply cost extra
- Some NVMe SSDs are listed as incompatible (mainly Phison-controller models)
- Raspberry Pi 5 only
- Assembly required
- PCIe is certified at Gen 2; Gen 3 can be forced but isn't guaranteed
Overview
The Pironman 5 sits at #1 on SunFounder's best-seller list at the time of writing. It's a case that turns a Raspberry Pi 5 into a small desktop mini PC, with an NVMe SSD slot, serious cooling, a status OLED screen and full-size HDMI. It costs $79.99 without a power supply and is rated 4.8/5 from 163 reviews on the SunFounder store.
We haven't built one ourselves, so this review is based on SunFounder's published specs, included-parts list, compatibility notes and customer ratings.
What's in the box, and what you need
Included: aluminum chassis with acrylic panels, IO board (4 RGB LEDs, IR receiver, GPIO extender), 0.96" OLED, metal power button, tower cooler with PWM fan, two 40 mm PWM RGB fans, NVMe PIP board, HDMI adapter board, power switch converter, micro SD extender, 1220 RTC battery, screws and tools.
Not included: the Raspberry Pi 5, a 27W USB-C power supply, a micro SD card, an M.2 NVMe SSD, plus a monitor, HDMI cable, keyboard and mouse.
Storage and PCIe
The NVMe PIP board takes one M.2 NVMe drive in 2230, 2242, 2260 or 2280 sizes, or a Hailo-8L AI accelerator. SunFounder says the link is certified for PCIe Gen 2.0 (5 GT/s) and can be forced to Gen 3.0 (10 GT/s).
Check your SSD first. SunFounder lists drives to avoid, mainly those with Phison controllers: WD Green SN350, WD Black SN770 and SN850, Corsair MP600, Samsung PM991, Inland TN446, Kingston OM8SEP4256Q-A0 and Transcend 110Q. It warns that the SN350 and SN570 stop the Raspberry Pi 5 from booting.
Cooling, display and ports
- Cooling: a tower cooler with its own PWM fan sits on the Pi's CPU, and two 40 mm RGB fans with dust filters move air through the case.
- OLED: a 0.96" (128×64) screen shows CPU and RAM use, temperature and IP address.
- Ports: two standard HDMI ports (no micro-HDMI adapters needed), an external GPIO extender and an IR receiver.
- Power: a metal power button with safe shutdown, and an RTC battery so the Pi keeps time when unplugged.
Price and options
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Case only | $79.99 |
| With US or EU power supply | $92.99 |
| With UK power supply | $99.99 |
| Add a 3.5" or 7" touchscreen | +$19.99 to +$59.99 |
The product image says US duties and EU VAT are included; SunFounder's general shipping page says buyers pay import duties, so check the total at checkout. Shipping is free, from China, taking 7–14 working days by airmail.
Who should buy it?
A good fit if you:
- Want a Raspberry Pi 5 desktop, Home Assistant hub, media center or single-SSD NAS.
- Run the Pi under sustained load and want strong cooling.
- Like a tidy build with real HDMI ports and a proper power button.
Think twice if you:
- Need two SSDs or RAID: see the Pironman 5 vs 5-MAX comparison.
- Want the smallest possible case; this is a mini tower.
- Have an SSD on SunFounder's incompatible list.
The bottom line
The Pironman 5 is a well-rated, feature-packed way to turn a Raspberry Pi 5 into a mini PC. Pick a compatible SSD, add the right power supply, and it's hard to beat at $79.99. For more options, see our best SunFounder products and our SunFounder review.
Specifications
| Compatible board | Raspberry Pi 5 (2/4/8/16GB), not included |
|---|---|
| Chassis | Aluminum alloy (silver) with transparent acrylic side panels |
| Storage | 1× NVMe M.2 (2230/2242/2260/2280) via NVMe PIP board |
| PCIe | Gen 2.0 certified (5 GT/s), can be forced to Gen 3.0 |
| AI accelerator | Supports Hailo-8L (M.2) |
| Cooling | Tower cooler with PWM fan + 2× 40×40×10 mm RGB fans, dust filters |
| Display | 0.96" OLED (128×64) |
| Ports | 2× standard HDMI, external GPIO extender, IR receiver |
| Extras | Metal power button (safe shutdown), 4× WS2812 RGB LEDs, 1220 RTC battery, micro SD extender |
| Power input | USB-C 5V/5A (27W supply recommended, sold separately) |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (163 reviews on SunFounder) |
| Price | $79.99; $92.99 with US/EU power supply |
