Raspberry Pi 5 – 16GB RAM
Raspberry Pi’s new 16GB Pi 5 variant is drawing scrutiny for its $300–$350 price point, a stark shift from the platform’s origins as a $35 hobbyist computer. Commenters attribute the spike largely to a severe global RAM shortage—especially for high‑density LPDDR4X—while noting that cheaper or more powerful alternatives now exist in the form of N100 mini PCs, used thin clients, laptops, and microcontrollers for GPIO-heavy projects. Many still see value in the Pi ecosystem for industrial and embedded use thanks to its software support, long-term availability, and form factor, but agree that lower‑RAM models are now the only configurations that remain cost‑effective for most use cases.
Price and RAM Shortage
- The $300–350 price for the 16GB Pi 5 is widely viewed as “insane,” but many commenters stress this is almost entirely driven by RAM costs, not the SoC or board.
- The specific LPDDR4X chips used at this density are said to have gone up as much as 700%, pulled into data center and AI demand.
- Some argue the 16GB model should perhaps have been quietly withdrawn to avoid giving the impression that “a Pi 5 costs $300+,” but others note long‑term supply obligations make that hard.
Value vs Alternatives
- Many compare the 16GB Pi 5 to Intel N100/N150 mini PCs, used Optiplex/ThinkCentre/NUC boxes, thin clients, and used laptops (often with 16GB RAM and SSD) that cost the same or less and are far faster.
- For general desktop, home server, or light compute, consensus is that x86 mini PCs now beat the Pi 5 on performance per dollar, often with storage, case, PSU, and cooling included.
- Others point out that those devices lack native GPIO and often have shorter product lifecycles.
Target Market and Use Cases
- Several people call the 16GB Pi 5 “RAM with a Pi attached” and a niche‑of‑a‑niche product; most projects should use 1–4GB models, Zero/Zero 2, or microcontrollers.
- Concrete high-end use cases include industrial/embedded systems and advanced field deployments (e.g., thermal-imaging wildlife cameras with on‑device AI inference, long‑term autonomous operation, secure boot).
Ecosystem, Form Factor, and I/O
- Strong software support, long-term availability (decade‑scale), standardized GPIO header, PoE support, and rich HAT/accessory ecosystem are repeatedly cited as the Pi’s enduring advantages.
- USB‑A vs USB‑C is debated: some want modern USB‑C I/O; others note the installed base of USB‑A peripherals is still huge.
Hobbyist/Education vs Industrial
- Multiple comments note that only ~25% of Pis now go to enthusiasts/education; ~75% serve industrial/embedded applications.
- Some lament that the original “$35 educational computer” vision has been eclipsed; others counter that cheap models (Zero, 1–2GB Pi 4/5) still fulfill that role.
Availability and Vendor Pricing
- Adafruit is called out as notably more expensive than some other official resellers (e.g., Microcenter), effectively adding a “tax” but providing strong documentation and support.
- Stock and pricing vary by region; some Zero 2 W variants are hard to find or significantly marked up.