A Powerful Addition to the Raspberry Pi Family

The Raspberry Pi Foundation continues to make waves in the tech world with the announcement of their latest addition to the Raspberry Pi 5 family. On August 19th, 2024, Eben Upton unveiled the new 2GB Raspberry Pi 5, priced at just $50. This development marks yet another milestone in the Foundation's mission to provide high-performance computing at a price accessible to all.

It’s been nearly a year since the Raspberry Pi 5 was first launched, and it quickly became the go-to choice for hobbyists, educators, and tech enthusiasts alike. The Raspberry Pi 5 series offered performance that was 150 times greater than the original Raspberry Pi, thanks to advancements in engineering and the ongoing benefits of Moore's Law.

Before this latest release, the most affordable option in the Raspberry Pi 5 lineup was the 4GB variant, priced at $60. Now, the introduction of the 2GB model not only lowers the entry point to $50 but also retains the powerful capabilities of its predecessors, making high-performance computing even more accessible.

Raspberry Pi 5 2GB: Kits Now Available

In addition to the standalone 2GB Raspberry Pi 5, we're excited to announce that the Pi 5 2GB Basic Kit and Complete Kit are now available on our website. These kits are perfect for anyone looking to get started quickly with their new Raspberry Pi or those who prefer a more complete setup right out of the box.

• The Basic Kit includes everything you need to get your Raspberry Pi 5 up and running: the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5 board, a power supply, a microSD card preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS, and a case to protect your board.

• The Complete Kit takes it a step further by adding extended connectivity adding two hdmi cables and a 128 SD Card, making it an ideal option for those who want a full desktop experience or are planning more complex projects.

Both kits are designed to save you time and effort, providing all the essentials to start exploring the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi 5 immediately. Whether you're a beginner eager to dive into your first project or an experienced user looking to expand your setup, these kits offer the convenience and quality you've come to expect from Raspberry Pi.

Don't miss out on the chance to start creating with the latest and most affordable member of the Raspberry Pi 5 family!

What’s New in the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5?

The new 2GB Raspberry Pi 5 comes with a D0 stepping of the BCM2712 application processor, a cost-optimized version of the BCM2712C1 chip used in the 4GB and 8GB variants. This new chip is designed to remove unnecessary functionality, known as ‘dark silicon,’ which isn’t needed for the Raspberry Pi's intended use cases. This reduction in complexity lowers the production costs, which translates into savings for the consumer.

For users, the 2GB variant is functionally identical to the more expensive models. It still boasts a quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 application processor running at 2.4GHz, a powerful multimedia platform, and the highly popular PCI Express bus. The main difference? You’re saving $10 by opting for the lower memory capacity — a trade-off that many users will find more than acceptable.

Optimized for Performance, Designed for Savings

One of the key advantages of the Raspberry Pi ecosystem is the custom-built Raspberry Pi OS, which is optimized to run efficiently on hardware with varying levels of processing power and memory. This means that even with the reduced 2GB of RAM, users can expect a smooth and responsive experience for most tasks.

For those who need to drive dual 4Kp60 displays, open countless browser tabs, or compile complex software from source, the 4GB or 8GB models might still be the better choice. However, for many users, especially those looking for a low-cost entry into the Raspberry Pi world, the new 2GB variant will more than meet their needs.

Conclusion

The launch of the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5 at $50 is a significant step toward making powerful computing accessible to an even wider audience. Whether you’re a seasoned Raspberry Pi enthusiast or just getting started, this new variant offers an unbeatable combination of performance and affordability.

For more details on the original announcement and to see the community’s reaction, you can check out the full blog post by Eben Uptonhere.

Now that you have the power of Raspberry Pi 5 at your fingertips for just $50, the question is: what will you create with it?