The Raspberry Pi project was started with the aim of bringing computing in general to any person and any country in the world, through a simple board to which all types of devices can be connected. Over the years, the versatility of the Raspberry Pi has improved significantly, and currently it is one of the best options for building any basic PC without too many pretensions.
An example of the versatility offered by the Raspberry Pi can be found in this project created by Rizwan Pathan, who created a desktop computer using a Raspberry Pi to which he connected two monitors. Pathan documented the entire process through the video we show you below and which is available on YouTube.
To create the custom PC structure, he used the free 3D creation software Blender as well as a 3D printer to print the custom case. He also used Blender to create a stand for the two monitors he connected to the Raspberry Pi.
So that the design is not bland, Pathan added two fans to the front case, in which he added an LED strip with a controller to manage its lighting. As for the Raspberry version used, its creator has opted for the 4GB Raspberry Pi 4, although we can also use higher models that also include support for two micro HDMI ports. Regarding the monitors, two 7-inch touch screens connected via the HDMI port were used.
So that there is no need to use headphones, two 15W speakers were also added using a PAM8610 amplifier board and connected to the headphone port. To connect the keyboard, in this case we have chosen the Bluetooth connection that this model includes, although it could also have used one of the USB ports included in the Raspberry 4.
As for the operating system, since it is not possible to install Windows, we have chosen to install Raspberry OS, the operating system designed to get the most out of it, although we can also use any what a lightweight Linux distro.
Project cost
The 7-inch screens are the most expensive element of this project, although if we look carefully we can find touch screens of this size for just over 60 dollars or even cheaper, with resolutions ranging from 1024×600 for 59 dollars, up to models with a resolution of 800×400 for 49.99 dollars.
We can use any keyboard and mouse that we have at home, so, apart from the question of monitors, if we have a Raspberry stored in a drawer and we have not used it, it will not be necessary to invest more to transport it. this process because the speakers and controls cost Less than 10 dollars.
The problem here is to achieve the construction of the case. If we don’t have a 3D printer, we can hire someone we know. Otherwise, we can carry out the project with marquetry, reinforcing all the parts well so that it does not come apart at the first change. For monitor supports, you can buy tablet supports that allow you to adjust the inclination and whose price exceeds 8 dollars.
