Minggu, 19 Oktober 2025

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys

When I started experimenting with AI integrations, I wanted to create a chat assistant on my website, something that could talk like GPT-4, reason like Claude, and even joke like Grok.

But OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI all require API keys. That means I needed to set up an account for each of the platforms and upgrade to one of their paid plans before I could start coding. Why? Because most of these LLM providers require a paid plan for API access. Not to mention, I would need to cover API usage billing for each LLM platform.

What if I could tell you there's an easier approach to start integrating AI within your websites and mobile applications, even without requiring API keys at all? Sounds exciting? Let me share how I did exactly that.

Integrate AI with Puter.js 

Thanks to Puter.js, an open source JavaScript library that lets you use cloud features like AI models, storage, databases, user auth, all from the client side. No servers, no API keys, no backend setup needed here. What else can you ask for as a developer?

Puter.js is built around Puter’s decentralized cloud platform, which handles all the stuff like key management, routing, usage limits, and billing. Everything’s abstracted away so cleanly that, from your side, it feels like authentication, AI, and LLM just live in your browser.

Enough talking, let’s see how you can add GPT-5 integration within your web application in less than 10 lines.

<html>
<body>
    <script src="https://js.puter.com/v2/"></script>
    <script>
        puter.ai.chat(`What is puter js?`, {
            model: 'gpt-5-nano',
        }).then(puter.print);
    </script>
</body>
</html>

Yes, that’s it. Unbelievable, right? Let's save the HTML code into an index.html file place this a new, empty directory. Open a terminal and switch to the directory where index.html file is located and serve it on localhost with the Python command:

python -m http.server

Then open http://localhost:8000 in your web browser. Click on Puter.js “Continue” button when presented.

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys
Integrate ChatGPT with Puter JS

🚧 It would take some time before you see a response from ChatGPT. Till then, you'll see a blank page.

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys
ChatGPT Nano doesn't know Puter.js yet but it will, soon

You can explore a lot of examples and get an idea of what Puter.js does for you on its playground.

Let’s modify the code to make it more interesting this time. It would take a user query and return streaming responses from three different LLMs so that users can decide which among the three provides the best result. 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>AI Model Comparison</title>
    <script src="https://cdn.twind.style"></script>
    <script src="https://js.puter.com/v2/"></script>
</head>
<body class="bg-gray-900 min-h-screen p-6">
    <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto">
        <h1 class="text-3xl font-bold text-white mb-6 text-center">AI Model Comparison</h1>
        
        <div class="mb-6">
            <label for="queryInput" class="block text-white mb-2 font-medium">Enter your query:</label>
            <div class="flex gap-2">
                <input
                    type="text"
                    id="queryInput"
                    class="flex-1 px-4 py-3 rounded-lg bg-gray-800 text-white border border-gray-700 focus:outline-none focus:border-blue-500"
                    placeholder="Write a detailed essay on the impact of artificial intelligence on society"
                    value="Write a detailed essay on the impact of artificial intelligence on society"
                />
                <button
                    id="submitBtn"
                    class="px-6 py-3 bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white rounded-lg font-medium transition-colors"
                >
                    Generate
                </button>
            </div>
        </div>

        <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-4">
            <div class="bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4">
                <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-blue-400 mb-3">Claude Opus 4</h2>
                <div id="output1" class="text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap"></div>
            </div>
            
            <div class="bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4">
                <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-green-400 mb-3">Claude Sonnet 4</h2>
                <div id="output2" class="text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap"></div>
            </div>
            
            <div class="bg-gray-800 rounded-lg p-4">
                <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-purple-400 mb-3">Gemini 2.0 Pro</h2>
                <div id="output3" class="text-gray-300 text-sm leading-relaxed h-96 overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap"></div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>

    <script>
        const queryInput = document.getElementById('queryInput');
        const submitBtn = document.getElementById('submitBtn');
        const output1 = document.getElementById('output1');
        const output2 = document.getElementById('output2');
        const output3 = document.getElementById('output3');

        async function generateResponse(query, model, outputElement) {
            outputElement.textContent = 'Loading...';
            
            try {
                const response = await puter.ai.chat(query, {
                    model: model,
                    stream: true
                });
                
                outputElement.textContent = '';
                
                for await (const part of response) {
                    if (part?.text) {
                        outputElement.textContent += part.text;
                        outputElement.scrollTop = outputElement.scrollHeight;
                    }
                }
            } catch (error) {
                outputElement.textContent = `Error: ${error.message}`;
            }
        }

        async function handleSubmit() {
            const query = queryInput.value.trim();
            
            if (!query) {
                alert('Please enter a query');
                return;
            }

            submitBtn.disabled = true;
            submitBtn.textContent = 'Generating...';
            submitBtn.classList.add('opacity-50', 'cursor-not-allowed');

            await Promise.all([
                generateResponse(query, 'claude-opus-4', output1),
                generateResponse(query, 'claude-sonnet-4', output2),
                generateResponse(query, 'google/gemini-2.0-flash-lite-001', output3)
            ]);

            submitBtn.disabled = false;
            submitBtn.textContent = 'Generate';
            submitBtn.classList.remove('opacity-50', 'cursor-not-allowed');
        }

        submitBtn.addEventListener('click', handleSubmit);
        
        queryInput.addEventListener('keypress', (e) => {
            if (e.key === 'Enter') {
                handleSubmit();
            }
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

Save the above file in the index.html file as we did in the previos example and then run the server with Python. This is what it looks like now on localhost.

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys
Comparing output from different LLM provider with Puter.js

And here is a sample response from all three models on the query "What is It's FOSS".

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys

Looks like It's FOSS is well trusted by humans as well as AI 😉

My Final Take on Puter.js and LLMs Integration

That’s not bad! Without requiring any API keys, you can do this crazy stuff.

Puter.js utilizes the “User pays model” which means it’s completely free for developers, and your application user will spend credits from their Puter’s account for the cloud features like the storage and LLMs they will be using. I reached out to them to understand their pricing structure, but at this moment, the team behind it is still working out to come up with a pricing plan. 

This new Puter.js library is superbly underrated. I’m still amazed by how easy it has made LLM integration. Besides it, you can use Puter.js SDK for authentication, storage like Firebase.

Do check out this wonderful open source JavaScript library and explore what else you can build with it.

Puter.js - Free, Serverless, Cloud and AI in One Simple Library
Puter.js provides auth, cloud storage, database, GPT-4o, o1, o3-mini, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, DALL-E 3, and more, all through a single JavaScript library. No backend. No servers. No configuration.
I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys


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Kamis, 16 Oktober 2025

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself

The e-ink display technology arrived on the scene as the answer for a long list of issues and desires people had with digital book reading. The strain on the eyes, the distractions, the low battery life—all of it fixed in one swoop.

While the most popular option that remains in the category is an Amazon Kindle, not everyone of us would want a DRM-restricted Big Tech ecosystem.

As a Linux user and open source enthusiast, I wanted something more 'open' and thus I scoured the World Wide Web and came up with a few interesting options.

I have put them into two categories:

  • DIY: You use a board like Raspberry Pi Pico and you build it yourself thanks to the blueprint provided by the project developer. This is for hardware tinkerers.
  • A couple of non-DIY options that may be considered here.

Needless to say, you should not expect a polished, out of the box eBook experience like Amazon Kindle but that's not what we are aiming for here, are we?

Also, I have not tested these projects on my own. As much as I would like to, I don't have enough money to get all of them and experiment with them.

1. The Open Book

The Open Book project is the definitively DIY ebook reader project. It is based on the Raspberry Pi Pico, and makes a point of having to buy a minimum number of components. The pins on the Pico make it easy to control all necessary actions including button controls, power controls, etc. The firmware is called libros, which needs to be flashed onto the Pico. It also uses a library called Babel that gives it the ability to display the text of all languages in the world, which is a major advantage.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: 4.2" GDEW042T2 display, designed for fast refreshing
  • Formats supported: Plain UTF-8 text, TXT files (a converter is given by the creator)
  • Battery: 2 AAA batteries
  • Cost: Can differ depending on the cost of the hardware you decide to go with, but a decent build can be made at about $130.

The PCB for the main board as well as the e-paper driver are easily printable because the schematics are given by the creator. The instructions for setting up the device and getting books ready to be read on the device are given very clearly and concisely on the website.

2. ZEReader

ZEReader is a device inspired by The Open Book, making another iteration of the Raspberry Pi Pico based e-ink device. This project is relatively more convenient as it provides a USB-C port for charging. The convenience is not only limited to the usage, but also the assembly. The software is based on Zephyr Real-Time OS, which makes it easier for the software to be adapted to other hardware boards as well.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: 7.5" Waveshare ePaper display
  • Formats supported: EPUB, very basic HTML parsing
  • Battery: LiPo battery
  • Cost: Unknown

For navigation, there are 4 buttons designed on the casing. The board is printable with schematics available online, and the parts can be gathered as the user pleases according to the requirements. There's a micro SD card necessary for storage of files. The instructions can all be found on the GitHub page, along with the information of the parts and software commands. Get more information on our news article about the device.

3. Dual-Screen E-Reader

The big idea behind this project is getting back to the feeling of reading a two-paged book instead of a single-page pamphlet-like structure like a Kindle provides. A button press to change the page moves both the pages ahead, making it feel more natural, similar to an actual book.

Instead of a full single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi, this uses a SoC, ESP32-S3. This provides a significant edge to the power consumption, drawing very low power as it is in the reading mode, but in the deep sleep mode, which occurs after 10 minutes of inactivity, it reduces power consumption even more dramatically, basically never needing to be turned off.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: 2 x 4.2" panels
  • Formats supported: EPUB, basic HTML
  • Battery: 2 x 1300 mAh batteries
  • Cost: Original creator's estimate is a little over $80.

The parts are all laid out in a very concise list on the originating Reddit post with all the relevant information linked there effectively. The project is posted on Yanko Design as well in a well written post.

4. piEreader

The piEreader aims for a fully open approach, that includes the hardware, software, and even a server to host a library. The heart of the device is a Raspberry Pi Compute Module, giving it more capabilities than an average microcontroller.

The display on the build has a touch-screen as well as a backlight. The software revolves around MuPDF, which is a very well known popular e-book reader on the Linux platform.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: 4.2" e-paper display
  • Formats supported: EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, PDF, etc.
  • Battery: Lithium battery
  • Cost: Unknown

The Hackaday page contains all the necessary information, and the GitLab page hosts all the necessary code. It is worth noting that the creator has been able to successfully try out the software on other boards like PINE64-LTS, SOQUARTZ, etc. as well. Read more about this device in our news article.

5. TurtleBook

Taking an extremely practical approach, the creator of TurtleBook made some really innovative choices.

First, and as they mention, most e-book readers have a lot of unnecessary features when mostly all that is needed is turning a page. As such, the reader doesn't have any physical buttons. It works on gestures, which can be used to switch pages, open menus and adjust brightness, among other things.

Also since e-ink technology doesn't require a lot of power, the power setup is solar with hybrid capacitors, making it truly autonomous and one-of-a-kind. The device is based on an Arduino MEGA2560 board.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: Waveshare 5.3" e-ink display, and a small OLED panel for easily accessing the menu options
  • Formats supported: CB files (custom formatting website is given by the creator)
  • Battery: Hybrid capacitors
  • Cost: $80-$120

All the necessary parts and the links to them are provided by the creator in a list on the GitHub page, as well as the schematics for the PCBs and 3D-printable casing. There are two options, one with SRAM, a charger and WiFI capabilities and the other one with no charger or WiFi. The Instructables page for the device has very detailed instructions for the entire process, making it one of the most friendly options on this list.

6. EPub-InkPlate

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself

Inkplate 6 from Soldred Electronics is basically an ESP-32 based e-Paper display. Inkplate uses recycled screens from old, discarded e-Book readers. Excellent intiative.

The project is open source both software and hardware wise. While you can build a lot of cool devices on top of it, the EPub-InkPlate project allows you to convert it into an eBook reader.

Although, the GitHub repo doesn't seen any new updates since 2022, it could be worth giving a shot if you already have an InkPlate display.

7. PineNote (not DIY)

While not DIY like the other projects on the list, PineNote is from the company Pine64, which has been one of the most actively pro-open source companies in recent times.

Since it is pre-built by a proper manufacturer, it can provide a lot of stable features that the DIY projects might lack. To start with, it is immensely powerful and has a Linux-based OS. It has a 128 GB eMMC storage, 4 GB RAM, and am ARM processor.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself
  • Display: 10.3" multi-touch e-ink panel with frontlighting and an optional Wacom EMR pen
  • Formats supported: PDF, MOBI, CBZ, TXT, etc. virtually any format
  • Battery: 4000 mAh lithium battery
  • Cost: $400 (I know but it's not just an e-Book reader)

It also is charged by USB-C and can be expanded into different sorts of projects, not just an e-book reader since it is based on an unrestricted Linux OS.

Special Mention: paper 7

Don't confuse this paper 7 with the Paper 7 e-ink tablet from Harbor Innovations. That is also an excellent device but not open source.

Yes. paper 7 is an open source device, or at least it is in the process. It is developed by a company called paperless paper based in Leipzig, Germany. It has been designed mainly as a photo frame, but I think it can be repurposed into an e-book reader.

Presently, the official integration shows that you can save and read webpages on it. Adding the ability to read PDF and ePUB files would be wonderful.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself

Conclusion

There are a lot of options to choose from, each with something more distinct than the last. The extent of the open-source philosophy, the amount of effort it might require, the extra features the devices have are some of the factors that might influence your decision when choosing the right device for yourself.

Whatever your choice may be, you might find yourself with a new device as well as a new interest, perhaps, after dabbling into the DIY side of open technology. We wish you the very best for it. Let us know what you think about it in the comments. Cheers!



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Rabu, 15 Oktober 2025

FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

In the previous newsletter, I asked what kind of advice someone looking to switch from Windows to Linux would have. I got so many responses that I am still replying to all the suggestions.

I am also working on the 'Windows to Linux migration' page. Hopefully, we will have that up by next week.

Hope to see more people coming to Linux as Windows 10 support has ended now.

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

  • Mastering alias command.
  • A bug that broke Flatpaks on Ubuntu 25.10.
  • Controversy over Framework supporting Hyprland project.
  • New Flatpak software center.
  • Open source game development arriving on iPhone.
  • And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

Framework has found itself in a controversy over its recent endorsements of Hyprland project.

Framework is Accused of Supporting the Far-right, Apparently for Sponsoring the Hyprland Project
The announcement has generated quite some buzz but for all the wrong reasons.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Telegram banned our community group without reasons. It's a deja vu moment, as Facebook was also banning links to Linux websites some months ago.

Telegram, Please Learn Who’s a Threat and Who’s Not
Our Telegram community got deleted without an explanation.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but you can break free with the power of FOSS.

5 Signs Your Proprietary Workflow Is Stifling Your Creativity (And What You Can Do About It)
If these signs feel familiar, your creativity may be stifled by proprietary constraints.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Getting Started With Manjaro
This is a collection of tutorials that are useful for new Manjaro users.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

We have a Pironman alternative for you that saves your wallet and desk space.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
We have a new option in tower cases for Raspberry Pi 5. This one has a lower price tag but does that make it worth a purchase?
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

Ubo Pod is an open source AI assistant that works for you, not for your data. It is based on Raspberry Pi.

Bhuwan tried them all but llama.cpp finally nailed the local LLM experience.

I have been using Keychron mechanical keyboard for two years now. I recently came across their upcoming product that has ceramic mechanical keyboards. Interesting materials choice, right?

FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

🎫 Event Alert: First Ever UbuCon in India

The Ubuntu India LoCo is hosting the first ever UbuCon event in India, and we are the official media partners for it!

India’s First UbuCon Set to Unite Ubuntu Community in Bengaluru This November
India gets its first UbuCon!
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but

✨ Project Highlights

Bazaar is getting all the hype right now; it is a neat app store for GNOME that focuses on providing applications and add-ons from Flatpak remotes, particularly Flathub.

GitHub - kolunmi/bazaar: New App Store for GNOME
New App Store for GNOME. Contribute to kolunmi/bazaar development by creating an account on GitHub.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

A new, open source personal finance application.

John Schneiderman’s - DRN
An application to manage your personal finances using a budget.

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Your Linux Mint setup deserves a stunning makeover!

Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content.

If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $24 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community.

Join It's FOSS Plus

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In KDE Plasma, open settings and go into Colors & Themes → Window Decorations → Configure Titlebar.

Here, add the "On all desktops" and "Keep above other windows" options to the title bar by dragging and dropping. Click on "Apply" to confirm the changes.

FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

Now, you can use:

  • The On all desktops button to pin an app to all your desktops.
  • The Keep above other windows button to keep a selected window always on top.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Can memory match terminal shortcuts with their actions?

Memory Match Terminal Shortcuts With Their Actions
An enjoyable way to test your memory by matching the Linux terminal shortcuts with their respective actions.
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

🤣 Meme of the Week: Windows 10 will be missed by many, but there are much better Linux choices to replace it with.

FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 16, 1959, Control Data Corporation introduced the CDC 1604, one of the first fully transistorized computers. It was designed by Seymour Cray, who later became known as the father of supercomputing. The CDC 1604 was among the fastest machines of its time and was used for scientific research, weapons control, and commercial data processing.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Windows 10 has reached end of life, and our FOSSers are discussing the event.

Windows 10 reaches EOL tomorrow!
Hi everybody, it’s that time again, that happens approx. every 10 or so years: A Windows version is reaching its end of life. I was doing some research and asked Brave Search about it. And the facts said that Windows 10 has 47% of overall Windows market share, which is roughly 35% of the overall share. Let’s just hope that they will do the right thing and switch to Linux. I wanted to know: what are others opinions on this? Do you know somebody who migrated from Windows?
FOSS Weekly #25.42: Hyprland Controversy, German State with Open Source, New Flatpak App Center and a Lot More Linux Stuff

❤️ With love

Please share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Follow us on Google News and stay updated in your News feed.

Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄



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Senin, 13 Oktober 2025

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5

SunFounder's Pironman cases for Raspberry Pi are a huge hit. This bestselling device converts the naked Raspberry Pi board into a miniature tower PC. The RGB lighting, OLED display and glass casing make it look cool. Full HDMI ports, NVMe ports and active-passive cooling options enhance the functionality of the Pi 5.

This great gadget is too expensive for some people to buy at $76 for the Pironman and $95 for the dual-NVMe NVMe Pironman Max.

SunFounder knows it and that's why they have introduced Pironman 5 Mini at $45 but have removed the OLED display, full HDMI ports and reduced the number of fans. Dealbreaker? Maybe. Maybe not. But I have come across a new case that has most of the features at a much lower price.

Elecrow's Pitower

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5

Like SunFounder, Elecrow's has been offering gadgets and accessories for Raspberry Pi and other embedded devices for years. Their CrowView Note and all-in-on starter kits have been popular among SBC enthusiasts.

They have just revealed a new product, a mini PC case for your Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Orin Nano. Yes, that doubles the excitement.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Parameter Specification
Compatible Devices Raspberry Pi 5 / Jetson Orin Nano
Display 1.3″ OLED Screen
Material Aluminum Alloy + Acrylic
Cooling System 3 × Cooling Fans
Power Control Integrated Power Button
PCIe Interface (Raspberry Pi Version) PCIe M.2
Supported SSD Sizes 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280
RTC (Real-Time Clock) Support Supported (Raspberry Pi Version)
Dimensions 120 × 120 × 72 mm
Weight 500 g
Ports 2 x Full HDMI Ports 4 x USB 1 X Ethernet 1 X Type C for power
Included Accessories 1 × Case (Unassembled) 1 × PCBA Board 3 × Cooling Fans 1 × Heatsink (for Raspberry Pi) -1 × User Manual

And all this comes at a lower price tag of nearly $40 (more on this later). That sounds tempting, right? Let's see how good this case is.

📋
Elecrow sent me this case for review. The views expressed are my own.

Features meet affordibility

Let's take a look at the appearance of Elecrow's mini PC case. It is slightly bigger than the Pironman cases and has a more boxy looks somehow.

The OLED display and power button are at the top. The micro SD card outlet is at the bottom and to accommodate it, the case has taller feet.

There is nothing in the front of the device except a transparent acrylic sheet. The main look of the case comes from the side that gives you a broader look at the circuits. It looks magnificent with the RGB lights. The GPIO pins are accessible from here and they are duly marked.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Front view

There are three RGB fans here. Two in the back throw air out and one at the top sucks air in. This is done to keep the airflow in circulation inside the case. The official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler is also added to provide some passive cooling.

All the other ports are accessible from the back. In addition to all the usual Raspberry Pi ports like, there are two full-HDMI ports replacing the mini HDMI ports.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Back view

The NVMe board is inside the case and it is better to insert the SSD while assembling the case. Yes, this is also an assembly kit.

📋
I used the case for Raspberry Pi 5 and hence this section focuses on the Pi 5 specific features.

Assembling the case

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Mini PC case box

Since Elcerow's tower case is clearly inspired from SunFounder's Pironman case, they also have kept the DIY angle here. This simply means that you have to assemble the kit yourself.

It is while assembling that you can decide whether you want to use it for Raspberry Pi 5 or Jetson Orin Nano. Assembling instructions differ slightly for the devices.

There is an official assembly video and you should surely watch it to get a feel of how much effort is required for building this case.

In my case, I was not aware of the assembly video as I was sent this device at the time the product was announced. I used the included paper manual and it took me nearly two hours to complete the assembly. If I had had the help of the video and if I had not encountered a couple of issues, this could have been done within an hour.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Assembling the case

Did I say issues? Yes, a few. First, the paper manual didn't specifically mention connecting one of the FPC cables. The video mentions it, thankfully.

One major issue was in putting in the power button. It seems to me that while they sized the hole according to the power button, they applied the black coating later on. And this reduced the size of the hole from which the power button passes through.

I don't see the official assembly video mentioning this issue and it could create confusion. The workaround is to simply use an object to remove the coating. I used scissors to scrape it.

Another issue was putting in the tiny screws in even tinier spaces at times. The situation worsened for me as the paper manual suggested joining the main board and all the adapter boards in the initial phases. This made putting the screws in even harder. As the video shows, this could be done in steps.

My magnetic screwdriver helped a great deal in placing the tiny screws in narrow places, and I think Elecrow should have provided a magnetic screwdriver instead of a regular one.

User experience

To make full use of all the cool features, i.e., OLED display, RGB fans, etc., you need to install a few Python scripts first.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Scripts to add support for power button actions and OLED screen

And here's the thing that I have noticed with most Elecrow products: they are uncertain about the appropriate location for their documentation.

The paper manual that comes with the package has a QR code that takes you to this Google Drive that contains various scripts and a readme file. But there is also an online Wiki page and I think this page should be considered and distributed as the official documentation.

After running 12 or so commands, including a few that allow 777 permissions, the OLED screen started showing system stats such as CPU temperature and usage, RAM usage, disk stats, date and time. It would have been nice if it displayed the IP address too.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Milliseconds of light sync issue which is present in SunFounder cases too

Like Pironman, Elecrow also has RGB lighting of fans out of sync by a few milliseconds. Not an issue unless you have acute OSD. The main issue is that it has three fans and the fans start running as soon as the device is turned on. For such a tiny device, three continuously running fans generate considerable noise.

The problem is that there is no user-facing way of controlling the fans without modifying the scripts themselves.

Another issue is that if you turn off Pi from the operating system, i.e., use the shutdown command or the graphical option of Raspberry Pi OS, the RGB lights and fans stay on. Even the OLED screen keeps on displaying whatever message it had when the system was shut down.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
Top of the case has the OLED display and power button

If you shut down the device by long pressing the power button, everything is turned off normally. This should not be the intended behavior. I have notified Elecrow about it and hopefully their developers will work on fixing their script.

Barring these hiccups, there are plenty of positives. There is an RTC battery to give you correct time between long shutdowns, although it works only with Raspberry Pi OS at the moment. The device stays super cool thanks to three fans maintaining a good airflow and the active cooler adding to the overall cooling. The clear display with RGB lights surely gives it an oomph factor.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5
My photography skills don't do justice

Conclusion

There is room for improvement here, and I hope Elecrow updates their scripts to address these issues in the future:

  • Proper handling of lights/fans shutdown instead of relying on the power button.o
  • Provide options to configure the RGB lights and control the fans.
  • Include IP address in OLED display (optional).

Other than that, I have no complaints. The case is visually appealing, the device remains cool, and the price is reasonable in comparison to the popular Pironman cases.

Coming to the pricing. The device costs $32 for the Jetson Nano version and $40 for the Raspberry Pi version. I am guessing this is because the Pi version includes the additional active cooler.

Do note that the pricing displayed on the website DOES NOT include shipping charges and customs duty. Those things will be additional.

Alternatively, at least for our readers in the United States of America, the device is available on Amazon (partner link) but at a price tag of $59 at the time of writing this review. You don't have to worry about extra shipping or custom duty fee if you order from Amazon.



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