Does Your Raspberry Pi Need A Fan? Here’s How Much Heat It Can Handle

Whether you need additional cooling for your Raspberry Pi depends on what you’re doing. For example, the company says on its official Raspberry Pi website that if you’re using its latest model for basic productivity tasks, you likely don’t need to add a cooler. One reason for this is that even when its newer Raspberry Pi 5 hits the 80°C thermal threshold and starts throttling performance, it still runs faster than the Raspberry Pi 4 did under optimal conditions. So, even if you’re just turning it into a cheap Linux desktop or one of many background tasks it can perform like running a print server, it’s unlikely that you’ll need a fan.

One area where you’d need additional cooling is if you’re using the Raspberry Pi 5 as a classic game emulation machine. This is particularly true if your Pi is running emulators for newer consoles like the PlayStation 2, which require substantially more CPU and GPU power. YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer, one of the more reliable sources for information in this area, was very clear about this in his January 2024 video about the Pi 5’s emulation capabilities. “The takeaway here is that you really want to invest in an active cooler this time,” he said. “I wouldn’t recommend using a Raspberry Pi 5 with anything substantial without an active cooler.” You can pick from official coolers and cases, or find third-party options.