If you’re a seasoned computing veteran, you must have heard of the Raspberry Pi. Unlike typical gaming desktops, the Pi lineup of devices is classified as single-board computers. This means, all the essential components, including the memory, CPU, and IO ports, are integrated into the same circuit board, making the Pi and similarly-sized products a cost-effective solution for most small-scale DIY projects.
What makes the Raspberry Pi lineup better than its competitors is its huge community, extensive support for accessories, and (arguably) better performance. And the performance has only gotten better with the Pi 5, which boasts a ton of hardware improvements over its predecessor.
I managed to get my hands on the 8GB model of the Pi 5, and having used it for a while, it’s easily the best SBC on the market. That said, the latest addition to the Raspberry Pi series hasn’t solved the limited supply issues. Heck, it has even brought a new set of cons to the table: a higher starting price of $60 and poor system temps even under normal operations.
Raspberry Pi 5
Great for DIY enthusiasts
The Raspberry Pi is back, and the fifth iteration of the SBC is a lot more capable than the older models. From a new quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, support for dual monitor setups at 4K 60Hz, and a dedicated power button, there’s a lot to love about this palm-sized computer.
- CPU
- Arm Cortex-A76 (quad-core, 2.4GHz)
- GPU
- VideoCore VII
- Memory
- Up to 8GB LPDDR4X SDRAM
- Wireless Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.0, Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Ports
- 2× USB 3.0, 2× USB 2.0, Ethernet, 2x micro HDMI, 2× 4-lane MIPI transceivers, PCIe Gen 2.0 interface, USB-C, 40-pin GPIO header
- Starting Price
- $60
Pros
- Arm Cortex-A76 processor delivers fantastic performance
- Comes with a built-in Real-Time Clock and a Power Button
- Includes PCIe Gen 2.0 interface
Cons
- Rather pricey compared to predecessors
- Limited stock
- Hits high temps without a cooler
Pricing and availability
Announced back in September, the Raspberry Pi 5 was finally released on October 23, 2023. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released two models of the Pi 5: the base model includes 4GB of memory for a $60 price tag, while the 8GB variant is priced at $80. As of writing this article, the Raspberry Pi 5 is out of stock at every retailer, though certain resellers like CanaKit and SparkFun Electronics allow you to pre-order the device.
Design and port layout
A lean, mean, green (Raspberry) machine
Like the rest of its brethren, the Pi 5 is a small-sized system that can easily fit in your pocket. While the overall design is largely similar to the Raspberry Pi 4, there are certain differences in the port layout between the two generations. For one, the positions of the Ethernet and USB ports have been swapped. The PoE HAT connector, which can be used to power the Pi 5 over the Ethernet, is now located in the lower right corner of the board, adjacent to the two MIPI connectors that support both cameras and displays.
The SD card slot has been pushed to the other side of the circuit board, and in its place is a PCIe Gen 2.0 interface. This new addition allows you to pair high-speed devices, including fast M.2 SSDs, to your Pi 5 (though you’ll need a specialized HAT for that).
Besides a new fan connector, it’s the first ever Raspberry Pi model to ship with a dedicated power button. You also get a Real Time Clock (RTC), and near the RTC battery connector is the UART port that lets you debug the device without connecting it to an external display.
The addition of a power button, a Real Time Clock, and a PCIe Gen 2.0 interface makes it worth the premium price.
Despite the new additions, the Raspberry Pi 5 no longer has an audio port, probably due to the limited space on the circuit board. One thing that’s unchanged is the 40-pin GPIO header that can be used with sensors, LEDs, and other gizmos.
As for the usual ports, the Pi packs two micro HDMI connections, an Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 connections, and a USB Type-C port that’s typically used to power the device.
Software
The Raspberry Pi OS is more than enough for most users
When I received the Raspberry Pi 5, I used Balena Etcher to flash Raspberry Pi OS with just the desktop environment onto my SD card. I used the latest 64-bit version of the OS that’s based on the latest Debian 12 (Bookworm) OS and is powered by the Linux 6.1 Kernel.
The initial configuration process was quick, and I was able to boot into the desktop environment within minutes. If you’re used to macOS or Windows, the transition to the Raspberry Pi OS shouldn’t be too jarring as it incorporates the start menu, taskbar icons, and other convenient GUI elements found in the two.
Intuitive and highly optimized, the Raspberry Pi OS is a fantastic operating system that includes all the apps and tools to help you get the most out of your Raspberry Pi 5.
The only issue I had with the Pi OS was the fact that the UI elements were a bit too small when I hooked the Pi 5 to my 4K display (more on that later). Luckily, all I had to do was increase the text and icon size in the Desktop Preferences. Other than this minor pet peeve, the lightweight OS is pretty quick and snappy.
Performance
Easily the most capable SBC I’ve ever used
Aside from the changes to the port layout, the Pi 5 brings huge improvements to the hardware. Starting with the microprocessor, you get a quad-core Broadcom BCM2712 Arm Cortex-A76 CPU that’s clocked at 2.4GHz. It’s paired with a VideoCore VII GPU that supports the OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2 standards. Capable of hitting a clock speed of 800MHz, the GPU can run two 4K monitors at 60Hz.
“Gaming aside, I haven’t encountered any issues using it as my daily driver for the past week.”
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has removed the entry-level 1GB and 2GB SDRAM variants on the Pi 5. So, you can only choose between the 4GB and 8GB models, and the LPDDR4X memory module has a faster frequency of 4267MHz than the Pi 4. Finally, since it lacks onboard storage, you’ll have to slot in a microSD card with a bootable OS to initialize the device.
When I used the Raspberry Pi 5 with my primary 4K monitor, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lag-free experience even after playing around with Terminal. However, the performance limitations of an SBC became evident once I booted the Chromium browser. While the Pi 5 can run over ten windows in Chromium without crashing, it can feel somewhat slow if you’re used to a high-speed desktop or a laptop. YouTube was especially draining on the device, and even 1080p videos were quite choppy.
| Raspberry Pi 5 (with Active Cooler) | Raspberry Pi 5 (without Active Cooler) | |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6.2 (single-core) | 751 | 695 |
| Geekbench 6.2 (multi-core) | 1539 | 1514 |
| glmark2 | 2013 | 1995 |
| Speedometer | 61.5 | 61.2 |
Turning down the resolution to 1080p helped a ton in this regard. In fact, the Pi 5 became so responsive that I almost believed I was using my laptop instead of a tiny computer. Over the past week, I’ve used it for coding, writing, as well as photo editing without encountering any performance issues, at least on 1080p. However, there’s an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed: thermals.
It’s prone to overheating
I received my Raspberry Pi 5 half a week before I got the official Active Cooler. So, I decided to give it a spin without installing a proper cooling solution… which turned out to be a bad idea because the Pi 5 is terrible at dissipating excess heat.
When I ran the Pi 5 without a cooler, it consistently stayed above 60 °C and even managed to break past the 75 °C threshold a couple of times. Installing the Active Cooler alleviated the temperature issues, and I was able to bring the average temperature to 45 °C.
Should you buy the Raspberry Pi 5?
You should buy the Raspberry Pi 5 if:
- You want a powerful SBC for DIY projects.
- You own a Pi 3 or 4 and want more horsepower.
- You prefer a fully customizable environment for your coding journey.
- You want an SBC powered by open-source software and backed by a large community.
You shouldn’t buy the Raspberry Pi 5 if:
- You want to make simple (and inexpensive) projects that don’t require the extra performance of the Pi 5.
- You’re not a fan of Arm architecture.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is a fantastic addition to the Raspberry Pi lineup, but it’s worth noting that there are plenty of other powerful SBCs out there. When compared to the likes of Orange Pi 5, the latest version of the Raspberry Pi definitely loses out in performance, but it more than makes up for this loss with its huge community support, better connectivity, and cheaper price.
There are certain noticeable issues with it though. Due to its limited stock, the device is already sold out at most online retailers. While the performance improvements are a welcome addition, the $60 starting price is not. Plus, you’d want to get a thermal solution if you intend to use it as much as I do, and that could bump its cost up to $75, more than twice the price of the base Raspberry Pi 4.
But if you manage to get your hands on one and are willing to overlook the heat issues, you definitely won’t regret buying it!
Raspberry Pi 5
Great for DIY enthusiasts
The Raspberry Pi is back, and the fifth iteration of the SBC is a lot more capable than the older models. From a new quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, support for dual monitor setups at 4K 60Hz, and a dedicated power button, there’s a lot to love about this palm-sized computer.