Raspberry Pi Prices Go Up Thanks To Costly RAM
The global memory shortage is not just hitting gaming PCs and high end GPUs. Even Raspberry Pi, the tiny computer beloved by tinkerers and hobbyist gamers, is now raising prices because RAM has become so expensive.
Raspberry Pi single board computers are known for having rock solid, stable pricing over the years. For example, a 1 GB Raspberry Pi 4 cost 35 dollars, the same price as a 256 MB Raspberry Pi 1 all the way back in 2012. That long term consistency has been part of their appeal for budget desktop builds, home servers and low cost emulation rigs.
That era is over for now. Because of soaring DRAM prices, Raspberry Pi has officially increased prices across several models. The more memory a board has, the more you can expect to pay.
Here is how the price changes break down:
- Raspberry Pi 4 4 GB: from 55 to 60 dollars, about a 9 percent increase
- Raspberry Pi 4 8 GB: from 75 to 85 dollars, about a 13 percent increase
- Raspberry Pi 5 1 GB: now 45 dollars
- Raspberry Pi 5 2 GB: from 50 to 55 dollars, about a 10 percent increase
- Raspberry Pi 5 4 GB: from 60 to 70 dollars, about a 17 percent increase
- Raspberry Pi 5 8 GB: from 80 to 95 dollars, about a 19 percent increase
- Raspberry Pi 5 16 GB: from 120 to 145 dollars, about a 21 percent increase
The worst hit models are the 4 GB and 8 GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 5, especially the 16 GB flagship which takes the biggest jump in pure dollars.
Why Memory Costs Are Spiking
The backdrop to these price hikes is simple: DRAM is getting expensive everywhere. Server farms, AI accelerators and high end GPUs are consuming huge amounts of memory, and manufacturers have little incentive to overproduce. That keeps prices high for everyone, from data centers to home gamers.
The Raspberry Pi 5 in particular uses LPDDR4X 4267 memory, which is faster and more modern than the LPDDR4 3200 used in the Pi 4. Faster and newer memory types tend to see sharper price jumps when supply is tight, which likely explains why the Pi 5 line is taking such a big hit.
The rule of thumb is straightforward. The more RAM a device has, the more painful the increase. That is true for Raspberry Pi boards, gaming laptops and prebuilt gaming PCs. If you have been wondering why gaming rigs suddenly seem pricier than they did before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, expensive RAM is a big part of the answer.
Analysts expect this memory crunch to last beyond 2028. Raspberry Pi is trying to reassure customers that the current pressure on memory prices is temporary, but when temporary means three or more years, it does not feel short term for anyone planning a budget build.
What This Means For Budget PCs And Gamers
The Raspberry Pi 5 was already a big step up from previous generations and a pretty compelling ultra budget desktop replacement. It combines faster RAM with a new I O chip that unlocks more and faster connectivity options. That includes a PCIe connector, which can be used with an NVMe SSD for a big storage speed boost.
With those upgrades, the Pi 5 moved closer to being a tiny all purpose PC. For light desktop work, coding, home labs and retro emulation, it finally felt powerful enough to replace a basic tower for some users. The memory uplift was a key part of that experience.
Now, with 25 dollars or more effectively bolted onto the higher end Pi 5 configurations, that value proposition is under pressure. A fully kitted out Raspberry Pi 5 with plenty of RAM, storage and accessories is creeping into entry level desktop territory, especially when you factor in a case, power supply and storage.
For gamers and PC builders this shift is part of a broader pattern:
- High RAM configurations are becoming increasingly expensive whether you are buying a tiny board or a full gaming rig
- Older stock priced before the memory spike is becoming more attractive but will likely sell out quickly
- Deals that looked good in late 2024 may not come back any time soon if memory prices stay high
If all devices that rely heavily on RAM are going up in price, Raspberry Pi can still argue that it remains relatively cheap compared to everything else. A Pi 5 is still far more affordable than a typical gaming PC. But for hobbyists who loved the line because of its rock bottom costs, the new prices will sting.
On the PC side we are already seeing gaming systems climb in price as RAM and storage costs rise. Even if GPU and CPU prices hold steady, the total build cost can jump once you add 32 GB or 64 GB of RAM and a fast SSD. For anyone planning a new gaming rig or a home server, it makes sense to watch memory pricing closely.
In short, the Raspberry Pi price hikes are another clear sign of where the PC hardware market is heading. Memory is the new bottleneck for budgets, and it is reshaping what counts as a cheap PC from tiny boards like the Pi 5 all the way up to high end gaming builds.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/even-raspberry-pi-computers-some-of-the-cheapest-lil-machines-on-the-market-are-getting-price-hikes-thanks-to-the-ram-shortage/
