The Raspberry Pi 5 has been released with several notable upgrades and a starting price of $60. This microcomputer is equipped with a 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor running at 2.4GHz, offering a significant performance boost compared to the Raspberry Pi 4. It also features an 800MHz VideoCore VII graphics chip, providing improved graphics performance. The device boots up quickly and loads webpages faster than its predecessor, according to a firsthand experience.
One of the key advancements in the Raspberry Pi 5 is the inclusion of the RP1 southbridge, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This component enhances peripheral performance and functionality, enabling faster transfer speeds to external drives and peripherals. Additionally, the device offers two four-lane 1.5Gbps MIPI transceivers for connecting cameras or displays, as well as a single-lane PCI Express 2.0 interface for high-bandwidth peripherals. However, an additional adapter, such as an M.2 HAT, is required to take full advantage of this feature.
The Raspberry Pi 5 boasts a range of ports, including dual 4Kp60 HDMI display outputs with HDR support, a microSD slot, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 5V DC power connection via USB-C. It also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) and offers peak SD card performance with the SDR104 high-speed mode. With these upgrades, the Raspberry Pi 5 proves to be a versatile device suitable for various applications, such as an ultra-budget desktop PC, media server, or DIY security system. The microcomputer will be available for purchase in different RAM options, with the 4GB version priced at $60 and the 8GB version at $80, slightly more expensive than its predecessor.
