Raspberry Pi is better known for its single-board computer with a ton of ports sticking out. The most recent of which is the Raspberry Pi 5, which was introduced in September 2023.
These small computers are perfect for the education market and for tech enthusiasts looking for a cheap computing device to power an interactive dashboard, create a retro game console, and more.
On Wednesday Raspberry Pi is introducing a new product, the Compute Module 5. These system-on-module variants are more compact single-board computers without any traditional ports. That makes them particularly well suited for embedded applications.
Many companies are using Raspberry Pi Compute Modules in commercial products. In 2023, the “enthusiasts and education” segment represented 28% of the company’s single-board computer and Compute Module sales, while the “industrial and embedded” segment accounted for 72% of sales.
The new Compute Module 5 starts at $45 and shares many of the specifications of the Raspberry Pi 5, starting with the quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor, support for two 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Just as with the Compute Module 4, there are a ton of options. You can choose Compute Modules with or without wireless technologies; with 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of RAM; and with up to 64GB of on-board flash storage.
The most expensive Compute Module now costs $95. Raspberry Pi also offers an optional passive heatsink that covers the entire Compute Module for $5.
And if you’re working with the Compute Module 5, you can buy an IO board for $20 that lets you take advantage of all its interfaces and start developing. You can also turn the Compute Module 5 into a small desktop computer with a metal case that protects the Module hardware and the IO board.
Now, let’s see if Raspberry Pi plans to update the Raspberry Pi 400 next. That device is essentially a keyboard with a built-in Raspberry Pi computer based on the Raspberry Pi 4 — and it’s extremely cute.
