Single-Board Computers¶
Side-by-side comparison¶
| Board | SoC | CPU | RAM | Network | Display | USB | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 | BCM2712 | 4× Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz | 4/8/16 GB LPDDR4X | Gigabit Ethernet + WiFi 5 + BT 5 | 2× micro-HDMI 4K60 | 2× USB 3 + 2× USB 2 | USB-C, 27 W |
| Raspberry Pi 4 | BCM2711 | 4× Cortex-A72 @ 1.8 GHz | 2/4/8 GB LPDDR4 | Gigabit Ethernet + WiFi 5 + BT 5 | 2× micro-HDMI 4K30 | 2× USB 3 + 2× USB 2 | USB-C, 15 W |
| Pi Zero 2 W | RP3A0 SiP | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1 GHz | 512 MB | WiFi b/g/n + BT 4.2 | mini-HDMI | 1× USB-OTG | micro-USB |
| Pi Zero W | BCM2835 | ARM11 single-core @ 1 GHz | 512 MB | WiFi b/g/n + BT 4.1 | mini-HDMI | 1× USB-OTG | micro-USB |
| Pi Pico W | RP2040 (MCU) | 2× Cortex-M0+ @ 133 MHz | 264 KB SRAM | WiFi b/g/n + BLE 5 | — | micro-USB | 1.8–5.5 V |
| Pi Pico | RP2040 (MCU) | 2× Cortex-M0+ @ 133 MHz | 264 KB SRAM | — | — | micro-USB | 1.8–5.5 V |
Common questions¶
Pi 5 vs Pi 4 — should I upgrade?¶
Pi 5 is 2–3× faster CPU, 3× faster GPU, adds PCIe 2.0 lane for NVMe, and Gigabit Ethernet without USB-shared bandwidth. Costs ~50% more and needs a 27 W PSU (Pi 4 ran on 15 W). Upgrade if you need the speed; otherwise Pi 4 is still fine for most projects.
Raspberry Pi vs Pico — what's the difference?¶
Raspberry Pi (1/2/3/4/5/Zero) = Linux single-board computer with HDMI, USB, networking. Runs full OS. Raspberry Pi Pico = bare microcontroller (RP2040). No OS, no HDMI, no USB host. Costs less, runs MicroPython/C, 100s of µA in deep sleep. Pi for desktop replacement; Pico for embedded sensors.
Which Pi for home automation / Home Assistant?¶
Pi 4 (4 GB) or Pi 5 (4 GB). 2 GB models work but add-ons like Frigate or AdGuard run out of memory. Add an NVMe HAT on Pi 5 for stable storage.
Pi Pico vs ESP32 — which is better?¶
Pi Pico = no built-in WiFi (Pico W has WiFi), best PIO/state-machine support, cheapest with extensive C SDK. ESP32 = WiFi + Bluetooth built-in, more peripherals (DAC, touch, more PWM channels), worse PIO/timing-critical work. Pick Pico W for clean Arduino/MicroPython on RP2040, ESP32 for any project with serious wireless needs.
Pi Zero 2 W vs Pi Zero W?¶
Zero 2 W has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 (4× faster), keeps same WiFi/BT and 40-pin GPIO. Same price. Always pick Zero 2 W for new projects.
Last updated: 2026-05-13 · Source on GitHub