The Raspberry Pi family is going through a delicate moment: on the one hand, it's launching a New version of Raspberry Pi 4 with 3 GB of RAM And on the other hand, it's implementing a new round of price increases across much of its product range. All of this comes at a time when memory prices have risen significantly, and European users are finding that the cheap motherboard they used for tinkering isn't so cheap anymore.
This new 3GB model is positioned as a intermediate option between the 2GB and 4GB configurationsWith an official price of $83,75 (approximately €72 at the direct exchange rate, before taxes and local margins), the company insists that this is not an April Fool's joke, despite the date chosen for the announcement, and assures that the license plate is already available through authorized distributors worldwide, including those in Spain and the rest of Europe.
A 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 to handle the memory upgrade
The company itself acknowledges that the launch of a Raspberry Pi 4 with 3GB amid price increases It may sound contradictory, but it's presented as a direct response to the current memory market. The cost of LPDDR4 used in the latest Raspberry Pi models has reportedly increased several times over the last 12 months, forcing a complete overhaul of the pricing structure.
Faced with this situation, Raspberry Pi has opted to introduce a new memory tier that allows certain users Avoid paying for 4 GB if you don't really need it.The idea is simple: if 2 GB falls short for certain projects, but 4 GB is too expensive a jump, then 3 GB can serve as a balance point, especially in educational environments, maker projects, or deployments where the budget is tightly controlled.
The new model is based on the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, in a board revision known as Rev 1.5, which incorporates a second RAM chip at the bottomIn this 3GB version, the company has not yet specified the exact combination of modules used. The prevailing theories suggest the possible use of less common 1,5GB chips, or a combination of 1GB and 2GB modules to achieve the total memory.
This move aligns with the message repeatedly sent by the company: adjust the memory to the actual needs of each applicationInstead of pushing everyone towards motherboards with 4GB or more, which are significantly more expensive, an intermediate option is being offered amidst the escalating prices. From the perspective of the end user in Spain, however, the feeling is that the concept of a "cheap computer in card format" is becoming increasingly distant from reality.
A price that breaks with the image of a cheap device
One of the points that has generated the most noise is that this The Raspberry Pi 4 with 3GB is priced at $83,75a figure that surpasses historical prices for higher configurations. For example, the launch of Raspberry Pi 5 The 8GB version was priced around $80 in 2023, and the 8GB Raspberry Pi 4 cost around $75 in 2020. That a variant with less memory now surpasses those prices has surprised many veteran users.
This change of scale doesn't fit well with the classic idea of ​​Raspberry Pi as a low-cost board for learning programming, robotics, or electronics. In projects that are very price-sensitive, users are starting to look again towards models like the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 or Raspberry Pi 3which maintain much more reasonable rates and remain valid for a multitude of basic and educational uses.
The company itself admits that the increases are, at least on paper, a temporary measure linked to the increased cost of LPDDR4 DRAMThe official promise is clear: when memory prices stabilize, so will the prices of the affected motherboards. But in the meantime, those buying hardware in Spain or other European countries are already seeing the entry cost to the ecosystem skyrocket, especially when official power supplies, fast microSD cards, cases, and accessories are added.
In practice, this new scenario is reopening the debate about whether it makes sense to continue betting on Raspberry Pi for some uses compared to alternatives such as cheap x86 mini PC or other ARM boards from brands such as Banana Pi, Orange Pi or LePopatoThey have all been forced to readjust their prices for the same reason, but the historical expectation for Raspberry Pi was different due to its reputation as an ultra-cheap option.
How LPDDR4 memory has turned the entire catalog upside down
According to the company, the real origin of the problem lies in the scarcity and the sharp increase in the price of LPDDR4 memoryThis is the type of RAM used in the latest motherboards. Demand for these chips has skyrocketed due to the deployment of artificial intelligence infrastructures and data centers that consume enormous amounts of memory, leaving less room for lower-volume consumer products like the Raspberry Pi.
Eben Upton, founder and CEO of the firm, details the price of the memory used in Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 It would have multiplied sevenfold in the last year.Faced with such a scenario, the company maintains that it has no choice but to pass on part of that additional cost to end users, even though this clashes with the original spirit of the project.
LPDDR4 is key in modern devices because it allows superior performance in intensive processing taskssuch as AI algorithms, image processing, or complex simulations. This same technical advantage is what has placed it at the center of the storm: large data centers and cloud service providers absorb a large part of the production, leaving board manufacturers like Raspberry Pi in a weaker position when negotiating prices and volumes.
For users, the immediate consequence is that any product that relies on that memory becomes significantly more expensive. Raspberry Pi emphasizes that He does not expect this situation to last indefinitely. And that, when DRAM prices return to more reasonable levels, it will review the catalog again to lower prices. Until then, the new 3GB option acts as an interim solution for those who need more than 2GB but don't want to or can't afford the current prices of 4GB or 8GB.
Widespread price increases on Raspberry Pi 4, 5, 500 and Compute Module
The launch of the 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 comes accompanied by a comprehensive price review across many catalog itemsIn the case of the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5, the versions with 4 GB of RAM increase by $25, while the variants with 8 GB go up by $50. The most demanding model, the Raspberry Pi 5 with 16 GB, adds no less than an additional $100.
Desktop-oriented cooktops are also affected. Raspberry Pi 500 Its price has increased by $50, while the Raspberry Pi 500+—both individually and as a kit—has seen price hikes of up to $150, according to the official parts list. This significant price adjustment moves these devices away from the "very cheap PC" category they were previously associated with.
The latest generation Compute Modules are not exempt either. Compute Module 4 and 4S experience price increases ranging from $11,25 to $50 depending on the amount of RAM: 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, or 8 GB. Meanwhile, the Compute Module 5 The 16GB version adds $100 to its previous price. In addition, the development kit associated with Compute Module 5 increases by $25.
Another affected product is the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2, which sees its price increase by $50Taken together, these changes confirm that this is not a one-off adjustment limited to a single model, but a global reaction to the cost of memory that spans the brand's entire modern range.
Which products are spared from the price increase (for now)
Although the announcement focuses on the bad news, Raspberry Pi also wanted to highlight Which devices maintain their price unchangedOlder models like the Raspberry Pi 3B+ and other boards from previous generations continue to be sold at the same price because they use LPDDR2 memory, which is not under the same demand pressure. The company also states that it has sufficient inventory to sustain this situation in the short term.
Within the most recent catalog, the brand emphasizes that Raspberry Pi 400 with 4GB retains its price at $60And the 1GB and 2GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 still range between $35 and $65. This price point remains, in theory, the most affordable entry point for those looking to join the ecosystem on a tight budget.
Prices for classic reference items such as Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W, Zero 2 W, Raspberry Pi 1, 3, 3B+ and 3A+, as well as Compute Module 1 and 3+The key to all of them is that they rely on older memories that are less in demand by large AI infrastructures, allowing them to avoid, for the time being, the direct impact of the LPDDR4 price increase.
In any case, the company insists that this policy does not imply abandoning the idea of ​​returning to more competitive prices in the future. Its official position is that The current state of memory is exceptional and not a new permanent state of the market.Meanwhile, the catalog is divided between "historical" products with reasonable prices and modern models that have been pushed into a very different price range than just a few years ago.
With this scenario in mind, the new 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 becomes another piece in a survival strategy against the cost of memory. It offers a middle ground for those who need more than the basic configurations but don't want to make the financial leap to the 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB options. For users in Spain and Europe, the picture is clear: the Raspberry Pi ecosystem remains attractive due to its community, documentation, and flexibility, although each price increase distances it a little further from that simple, inexpensive board with which many started tinkering years ago.
