Comparing the Raspberry Pi 5 and Raspberry Pi 4: Specifications, Performance, and Cost

9 min readSep 29, 2023

Since its introduction, Raspberry Pi has revolutionized single-board computer technology. Each new version is accompanied by notable advancements and improvements, while maintaining its competitive cost and performance.

The Raspberry Pi 5 is the newest model in the series. It is a marked improvement from the Raspberry Pi 4, promising an increase of two to three times in the speed of the CPU and a remarkable upgrade of the GPU.

When it comes to consumer use, the Raspberry Pi 4 has been widely adopted, especially in commercial, industrial, and educational sectors. This small single board computer (SBC) is popular for streaming, implementing PiHole Adblocking DNS, and running home automation software, such as Home Assistant.

From a consumer’s point of view, some criticism has been levelled at the Raspberry Pi 5 because its price is fairly high compared to other choices, which makes them a better deal.

Comparison of the Specifications of the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Raspberry Pi 4

The Raspberry Pi 5 is much more than just a newer version; it is a step up in terms of capability and speed. It has been improved in many ways from the Raspberry Pi 4, providing increased processing power and improved I/O capabilities.

Raspberry Pi 5 specifications

Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, with cryptography extensions, 512KB per-core L2 caches and a 2MB shared L3 cache
VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output with HDR support
4Kp60 HEVC decoder
LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM (4GB and 8GB SKUs available at launch)
Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
microSD card slot, with support for high-speed SDR104 mode
2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
2 × USB 2.0 ports
Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT)
2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals (requires separate M.2 HAT or other adapter)
5V/5A DC power via USB-C, with Power Delivery support
Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin header
Real-time clock (RTC), powered from external battery
Power button

Raspberry Pi 4 specifications

Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.8GHz
1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4–3200 SDRAM (depending on model)
2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE
Gigabit Ethernet
2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports.
Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards)
2 × micro-HDMI® ports (up to 4kp60 supported)
2-lane MIPI DSI display port
2-lane MIPI CSI camera port
4-pole stereo audio and composite video port
H.265 (4kp60 decode), H264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.0
Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage
5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A*)
5V DC via GPIO header (minimum 3A*)
Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled (requires separate PoE HAT)
Operating temperature: 0–50 degrees C ambient

What remains the same?

The size of both is almost the same.

The first noticeable similarity between the two is their 64-bit CPUs. Instead of the SD card used in older Raspberry Pi models, both systems boot up from Micro SD cards.

802.11ac Wi-Fi is supported on both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, in addition to Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

A total of four USB ports are included, two of which are USB 2.0 and the other two are USB 3.0.

In conclusion, these machines are equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and, in addition, when combined with a PoE+ HAT, can provide Power over Ethernet (PoE).

What is different?

A comparison between the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Raspberry Pi 5 reveals that the latter has a more powerful processor, the Broadcom BCM2712, with its ARM-Cortex A76 cores running at 2.4GHz, while the former is equipped with the BCM2711.

Raspberry Pi 5 has a new VideoCore GPU, transitioning from the VideoCore VI GPU in Raspberry Pi 4 to a VideoCore VII GPU. This marks a considerable improvement from 4.4 GFLOPS to over 10 GFLOPS.

The Raspberry Pi 4 has LPDDR4–3200 SDRAM available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB options, while the Raspberry Pi 5 utilizes the more advanced LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM with 4GB and 8GB models available to start, and the possibility of a 2GB and possibly even a 1GB version in the future.

Chipset

The Broadcom BCM2712 is compared here with the Raspberry Pi 5 and Raspberry Pi 4 in terms of their specifications, performance tests, and price.

The Broadcom BCM2712 SoC, upgraded from the Broadcom BCM2711 powering the Raspberry Pi 4, is the driving force behind the improved performance and capabilities of the Raspberry Pi 5.

Central Processing Unit

The Central Processing Unit is a vital component of any computer system. It is responsible for carrying out all the instructions given to it by the user, as well as for managing the various components of the system. It is the brain of the computer, and it contains many components that are essential for the system to function properly.

The Raspberry Pi 5 has a considerable improvement in the Central Processing Unit (CPU), shifting from the Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit @ 1.8 GHz in the Raspberry Pi 4 to the Quad-Core Cortex-A76 (ARM v8) 64-bit @ 2.4 GHz. This provides not only an increase in processing power, but also an enhancement in the effectiveness of the device.

Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)

The Raspberry Pi 5 comes with a considerable improvement in the GPU department. This device is powered by a VideoCore VII @ 800 MHz GPU, which is a major improvement compared to the VideoCore VI @ 500 MHz GPU present in the Raspberry Pi 4. This upgrade will bring a noticeable enhancement in the graphical processing capabilities, making it suitable for tasks that necessitate a great amount of graphical power.

Memory

The Raspberry Pi 5 offers improved LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM in either 4GB or 8GB sizes, a significant advancement from the LPDDR4–3200 SDRAM of the Raspberry Pi 4 which was available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB configurations. This heightened memory speed markedly boosts the performance of the device.

Connectivity

The Raspberry Pi 5 offers the same networking features as its predecessor, such as dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5 / BLE, and Gigabit Ethernet. However, the enhanced abilities in other areas make the Raspberry Pi 5’s networking abilities much more powerful.

Expandability

Significant enhancements to expandability accompany the Raspberry Pi 5. This model offers two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports which can operate at 5Gbps concurrently. Additionally, it incorporates PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for rapid peripheral connections, an improvement not present in the Raspberry Pi 4.

Transcoding and Decoding Videos

The Raspberry Pi 5 has the advantage of being able to power two 4Kp60 HDMI displays at once, a feature not present in the Raspberry Pi 4. This improves upon the Raspberry Pi 4’s ability to only support dual 4Kp60 HDMI display output.

A Real-Time Clock (RTC)

The Raspberry Pi 5 has a Real-Time Clock (RTC) and the corresponding battery connector integrated, which the Raspberry Pi 4 does not have. This will be a great asset for people that need precise timekeeping in their projects.

Authority / Consumption of Power

The 5V 4A power supply via USB-C is needed for the Raspberry Pi 5, which is an upsurge from the 5V 3A power supply for the Raspberry Pi 4. This increase in power is compatible with the more robust performance that the Raspberry Pi 5 provides.

A Cooling Device That Is Operational

An active cooler has been created for the Raspberry Pi 5, which sets it apart from the Raspberry Pi 4. This can be seen in the specs, benchmark tests, and pricing of the two.

The Raspberry Pi 5 is designed to cope with general user operations without a protective case or active cooling. To ensure it can handle non-stop intense usage without slowing down, a $5 Active Cooler can be attached to the existing four-pin JST connector with two new holes. This setup consists of a quiet radial blower which moves air through an aluminium heatsink, allowing the Raspberry Pi 5 to stay beneath its thermal throttle level even under difficult loads. The Active Cooler’s superior cooling makes it a desirable option for those who want to overclock.

Heat and Power Efficiency

The Raspberry Pi 5 is known to run more warmly than the Raspberry Pi 4. When no cooling system is in place, its temperature can become excessive during intense use, resulting in a necessary decrease in the CPU speed to prevent overheating. Nevertheless, with the installation of the Active Cooler, the system’s temperature can be properly regulated, thus allowing for improved performance. The official Active Cooler from Raspberry Pi is adept at drawing heat away from the essential elements, achieving an ideal balance between cooling and output, which is essential for the Raspberry Pi 5 to reach its fullest potential.

Comparing the Performance of Raspberry Pi 5 and 4

Benchmarking reveals that the Raspberry Pi 5 has made considerable progress in comparison to the Raspberry Pi 4 in terms of performance.

The Pi 5’s upgraded Cortex-A76 CPU cores should result in a 2–3x boost in CPU performance. Benchmarks conducted using Sysbench, a prime number calculator, showed an improvement of about 50% in both single-threaded and multi-threaded tests. GIMP, a photo editing suite, was also tested with the Phoronix suite, and the Pi 5 completed the operations in less than half the time taken by its predecessor, averaging about 2.3 times quicker.
Thanks to the upgraded VideoCore VII GPU, graphics performance on the Pi 5 should be around 2x faster. Testing with Timedemo on Openarena, an open-source clone of Quake 3, the Pi 5 delivered triple the frames per second compared to the Pi 4 at default settings, 720p. The VideoCore 7 default glmark2 benchmark at 1080p, rendered various scenes to test texture handling shading, lighting, etc and the Pi 5 achieved a score that was 108% higher.
Memory bandwidth is improved on the Pi 5 due to the move to LPDDR4X RAM, while storage performance is faster thanks to support for SDR104 mode on the microSD interface.

Testing in the actual environment showed the Pi 5 had a much swifter boot-up process and webpages were loaded at a much faster rate when contrasted with the Pi 4. INTmark benchmarking demonstrated that the Pi 5 achieved scores about two to three times higher than the Pi 4.

Evaluating Costs

A comparison of prices can be done to determine the most cost-effective option.

The Raspberry Pi 5 has a few additional benefits and features, though that comes with a slightly higher cost. The 4GB Raspberry Pi 5 is $60, and the 8GB model will be $80.

The Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB of RAM retails for $55, while the 8GB version is offered at $75.

In Great Britain, the Raspberry Pi 5 can be purchased for either £60 or £80. If one were to include active cooling and a protective enclosure, this would cost an extra £15.

Criticisms and Possible Substitutes

When looking at it from a domestic user/consumer point of view, the Raspberry Pi 5 has been met with some criticism on Reddit because of its relatively hefty cost.

The total price for the above is approximately £95, plus an additional fee of £20 for the storage that you choose. Home Assistant users usually recommend an SSD due to its improved performance.

Those who oppose the Raspberry Pi 5 assert that a mini PC or slim PC of a similar price can be acquired, granting much greater performance.

When inspecting Amazon for the Raspberry Pi 4, some firms are attempting to offer Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Starter Kits for approximately £150!

It may be argued that these mini PCs are much bigger than the RPi5 and consume a lot more power, potentially resulting in fan noise. Nevertheless, when in idle mode, these machines often only draw a few watts, they can be tucked away easily, and the fan noise is almost inaudible.

Using a 20% discount code, you can acquire the HP Slim S01-aF1015na from eBay. It has an Intel Pentium Silver J5040 processor, Intel QuickSync for transcoding, and a 128GB SSD — all for just £110.

For a bit more money, you can purchase a Mini PC on Amazon. The Intel Celeron N5105 has become widely accepted because of its QuickSync feature. The NiPoGi Mini PC, with 12GB DDR4/256GB M.2 SSD, can be acquired for an economical £140.

Concluding Remarks

To sum up, the Raspberry Pi 5 offers superior performance, improved I/O options, and a variety of new features in comparison to the Raspberry Pi 4. Unfortunately, this comes with a slightly higher cost.

Considering the addition of active cooling, a case, and an SSD, the Raspberry Pi 5 and a Mini PC end up being roughly the same cost. For those seeking an economical, low-powered server or streaming device, the Mini PC would be the more sensible option.

Original Post: https://mightygadget.com/raspberry-pi-5-vs-raspberry-pi-4-compared/