Radxa Rock 5B Ice Tower Low Profile Conversion Bracket

This is a small bracket to convert the Ice Tower cooler for the Raspberry Pi to the Rock5B's CPU. I tested this with a thermal pad, but this could feasibly work with CPU thermal paste as well.

The heatpipes from the cooler are the limiting factor. They actually descend below the level of the CPU, and can sit on the RAM chip. However this is the only real orientation, as the heat pipes intersect with either the front IO, the GPIO pins, the top M.2 Slot when it is in use, or a large resistor when it is not.

Materials Needed:

• Four 12mm length screws and nuts (M3 recommended)
• The M2.5 screws from the Low Profile Ice Tower cooler
• The Low Profile Ice Tower Cooler
• A thermal pad, recommended size of 18mm x 18mm, or CPU thermal paste
  • If you have a very thick pad that's too small, the pressure from mounting can spread it out. I used a 16 x 16 one, and under pressure it covered the entire CPU IHS

Assembly:

1. Secure the Ice Tower to the bracket using the screws from the Ice Tower kit (see pictures showing the bottom)
   1. The recessed holes should be at the BOTTOM
2. Place thermal pad on CPU
3. Line up the plate as seem in the images, with the solid side covering the center of the SBC
4. Put two M3 Screws through both the board and the rectangular hole arrangement around the CPU to line up the bracket
   1. MAKE SURE YOU ARE LINING UP THE BRACKET WITH THE RECTANGULAR ARRANGEMENT OF HOLES. There are holes very close to the pattern, and lining it up improperly can very much damage the board, as there are surface components around both of the close-by holes
5. Secure the first two screws loosely with nuts, and insert the next two. All four should barely come through the bracket.
6. Gently tighten the screws and nuts in a cross pattern, the same you would for any other CPU
7. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE SCREWS AND NUTS
   1. Over-tightening these can put too much pressure on the CPU and cause physical failure
   2. A thermal pad will squish as it is pressured, so more tightening might be needed
   3. If you are using thermal paste, you are on your own to decide when to stop. I have included spacers that are the same height as the CPU if you want that margin of safety.
8. AGAIN, DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE SCREWS AND NUTS
9. You should be all set!

Printing Recommendations:

The heat from the CPU shouldn't be that intense, but PETG, ASA, or ABS will probably last longer without warping. I used PLA at 100% infill, and haven't seen issues. There is also a very thin wall around the screws that secure the cooler to the plate, so be on the lookout for that.

The Vertical Cooler:

I have a vertical version of the Ice Tower cooler, but it does not have enough of a footprint to cover the entirety of the Rock 5B's CPU. If I make an adapter for it, it will be separate, as it is much smaller than the low-profile version.