Raspberry Pi 4 vs. Raspberry Pi 3

Single-board computers (SBCs) have exploded since the release of the first Raspberry Pi. With the first model only having one USB slot and a single-core processor, these newer models are both major steps up from their predecessor. But is it worth switching to the Raspberry Pi 4, or sticking with the older Raspberry Pi 3? Let’s take a look.

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Raspberry Pi 4

As the newest Raspberry Pi model, the Raspberry Pi 4 offers the best performance of any SBC from this company. It’s the first Raspberry Pi model that can run two monitors at one at 4K resolution, and its choice of RAM means boards can support document building software as well as programming projects.

● Gigabit Ethernet

● Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled

● 4-pole stereo audio

● Composite video port

● OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics

● 2x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C ports

● 2-lane MSI CSI camera port

● 2-lane MSI DSI display port

● Operating temperature: 0-50 degrees celsius

Raspberry Pi 3

The Raspberry Pi 3 is an older model but still holds up against other SBCs from other brands. Unlike the Raspberry Pi 4, this board can only support one monitor, but it has a single standard HDMI port instead of two micro HDMI ports.

● 100 Base Ethernet

● 4-pole stereo audio

● Composite video port

● 2-lane MSI CSI camera port

● 2-lane MSI DSI display port

● 4x USB 2.0 ports

Raspberry Pi 4 vs. Raspberry Pi 3 – Price Difference

The Raspberry Pi 4 starts at $35 for 1GB RAM, rising to $55 for the 4GB model.

The Raspberry Pi is also $35 for 1GB RAM, however, there are no options to purchase a model with more RAM.

With this in mind, it’s easy to justify the cost of a new Raspberry Pi 4, given that the top RAM version only costs $20 more, and the base 1GB version is immensely more powerful than its predecessor.

Raspberry Pi 4 vs. Raspberry Pi 3 – Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi 4 is the best Raspberry Pi model to date, with its 4GB version being able to handle complex software tasks, which might be required in many of today’s industrial projects. With the 1GB model being the same price as the Raspberry Pi 3, there’s no competition between the two. Even if you already have the Raspberry Pi 3, upgrading to the Raspberry Pi 4 is worth the additional cost for the increase in power and capacity.

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