It’s been a long wait for tech enthusiasts and makers alike, but the day has finally arrived. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has officially launched the Raspberry Pi 5, marking a significant leap forward in the world of single-board computers. With a host of upgrades, new features, and a commitment to equitable distribution, the Raspberry Pi 5 is set to make waves in the maker community.
Pre-orders Open, Shipping Begins in October
Unlike previous Raspberry Pi releases, the Foundation has taken an unusual step by announcing the Raspberry Pi 5 in advance of its availability. Pre-orders are now open through various Approved Resellers listed on the Raspberry Pi website. However, eager buyers will have to wait until the end of October 2023 to receive their units. Notably, the Foundation is prioritizing individual customers over bulk orders for the initial launch period, aiming to ensure that enthusiasts and hobbyists have better access to the new device. Additionally, promotions with The MagPi and HackSpace magazines will provide subscribers with priority access to pre-orders.
Affordable Pricing for Upgraded Performance
The Raspberry Pi 5 comes in two configurations: a 4 GB variant priced at $60 USD and an 8 GB variant at $80 USD. These prices represent only a modest increase compared to comparable configurations of the Raspberry Pi 4, making the Raspberry Pi 5 an affordable choice for those seeking enhanced performance and capabilities.
Key Features of the Raspberry Pi 5
The Raspberry Pi 5 boasts a variety of improvements and new features, including:
- Broadcom BCM2712 2.4 GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU with 512 KB per-core L2 and 2 MB shared L3 cache.
- VideoCore VII GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2.
- Dual 4Kp60 HDMI display output.
- 4Kp60 HEVC decoder.
- LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM.
- Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
- Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
- High-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support.
- 2 × USB 3.0 ports and 2 × USB 2.0 ports.
- Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon).
- 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers.
- PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals.
- Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header.
- Real-time clock (RTC).
- Power button.
- New Case and Cooling Options
To complement the Raspberry Pi 5, a new three-piece plastic case with active cooling has been introduced. This case design allows for the installation of the Raspberry Pi 5 with an SD card installed, stacking multiple cases, and mounting HATs on top of the case via GPIO header extensions and strategically placed holes in the case shell. The case is available for $10 USD. Additionally, there’s an active cooler priced at $5 USD, featuring a radial blower fan for efficient and low-noise cooling.
I/O Accessories to Address Compatibility Changes
With the Raspberry Pi 5 featuring several new interfaces and compatibility-breaking changes, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is releasing a range of I/O accessories to address these differences. This includes adapter ribbon cables of various lengths to support existing “standard” MIPI devices, a POE+ HAT adapter coming in 2024, and mechanical HAT adapters for M.2 devices and accessories, enabling the use of NVMe SSDs and other peripherals.
Power Considerations
Due to the Raspberry Pi 5’s increased performance, it may draw up to 50% more power than the Raspberry Pi 4 during demanding tasks. As a result, a 27 W USB-C power adapter will be available for $12 USD, ensuring ample power for resource-intensive applications. The Foundation emphasizes that the Raspberry Pi 5 can still function with the standard 15 W power adapter, although it will limit downstream USB current to 600 mA for extreme workloads.
Real-Time Clock Accessory
For users seeking a real-time clock, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is offering an RTC battery as a first-party accessory for a $5 USD surcharge, providing users with accurate timekeeping capabilities.
Stay Tuned for More Information
As the excitement around the Raspberry Pi 5 builds, Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Eben Upton has hosted a short video overview of the device. Additional blog posts and information about the Raspberry Pi 5 will be posted on the official Raspberry Pi 5 main page in the coming weeks, ensuring that enthusiasts are kept up to date with the latest developments.
With the Raspberry Pi 5 now on the horizon, the maker community can look forward to an enhanced computing experience and a host of new possibilities for projects and innovation.
