Raspberry Pi 5, new 16nm processor and PCIe Gen2x1
It’s been four years since the release of the Raspberry Pi 4, and the Raspberry Foundation has recently unveiled the fifth generation of this popular device.
The device’s pricing begins at $60 and features the new Broadcom BCM2712 silicon, which is based on the 64-bit ARM Cortex A76 architecture. This represents an upgrade over the previous-generation model, which utilized A72 cores. Notably, it is fabricated using the TSMC 16nm process node, a notable improvement from the previous model’s 28nm node.
Equipped with a quad-core CPU capable of boosting up to 2.4 GHz, this represents a significant performance increase, ranging from 30% to 60% higher than its predecessors, which ran at 1.8 and 1.5 GHz respectively. It is claimed to be up to three times faster than the Raspberry Pi 4. The system’s memory has been upgraded to LPDDR4X, delivering a 78% increase in speed compared to the previous model.
In terms of graphics, users have access to an enhanced VideoCore VII graphics subsystem running at an 800 MHz clock speed. It offers support for Open GL ES3.1 and Vulkan 1.2 graphics. Unfortunately, this device lacks support for VP9 and AVI1 decoding and does not include H.264 decoders.
Pi 5, Source: Raspberry Pi Ltd
The Pi 5 incorporates a south bridge chip that enhances the device’s interface capabilities. It can support up to 1.5 Gbps of bandwidth for MIPI transceivers, enabling support for two cameras or displays. More importantly, it features a native PCIe Gen2 interface, which requires a dedicated adapter like the M.2 HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) to enable support for M.2 devices. It’s worth noting that this interface has only one lane width and allows for up to 500 MB/s of bandwidth.
Pi 5, Source: Raspberry Pi Ltd
The system is equipped with a mini-HDMI interface that supports 4k60fps screens with HDR support. Additionally, it includes a MicroSD slot with upgraded SDR104 high-speed mode (up to 100 MB/s), two USB 3.0 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. Power is supplied through a USB Type-C interface.
According to the press release, the device is priced at $60 for the 4GB version and $80 for the 8GB model, which is $5 more than the Pi 4. The system is expected to be available for retail starting from October.
| Raspberry Pi 5 and 4 in Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Raspberry Pi 5 | Raspberry Pi 4 |
| SoC (manufacturing technology) | Broadcom BCM2712 (16nm) | Broadcom BCM2711 (28nm) |
| I/O chip | Raspberry Pi RP1 (40nm) | – (USB 3.0: VIA VL805) |
| ARM cores / crypto extensions | 4 × Cortex-A76, 2.4GHz / ✓ | 4 × Cortex-A72, 1.8 GHz / – |
| L2/L3 cache | 4 × 512 KByte / 2 MB shared | 1 MB shared / – |
| R.A.M. | 4 or 8 GB LPDDR4X-4266 | 1, 2, 4 or 8 GB LPDDR4-2400 |
| GPU | VideoCore VII (VC7), 800 MHz | VideoCore VI (VC6), 500 MHz |
| H.265 (HEVC) decoding/encoding | 4K, 60fps / kA | 4K, 60fps / – |
| H.264 (MP4) decoding/encoding | – / – (Software) | 1080p, 60fps / 1080p, 30fps |
| Decoding VP9/AV1 | – / – | – / – |
| Interfaces | ||
| HDMI (Micro HDMI) | 2 × 4K/60Hz, HDR | 2×4K/60Hz |
| MIPI CSI and DSI | 2 × 4 lanes, 1.5 Gbit/s | 1 × CSI + 1 × DSI, 2 lanes each, 1 Gbit/s |
| Audio Jack | – | ✓ |
| PCIe 2.0 x1 / 40-pin GPIO | ✓ (1 lane via HAT) / ✓ | – / ✓ |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1/2.0 | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Gigabit Ethernet | ✓ (with PoE via header) | ✓ (with PoE via header) |
| Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth | 2.4/5GHz, BT 5.0 with BLE | 2.4/5GHz, BT 5.0 with BLE |
| MicroSD slot | ✓ (up to SDR104) | ✓ (up to DDR50) |
| USB-C (power supply) | 5V/5A (25W), USB PD | 5V/3A (15W) |
| Other Properties | ||
| Power button / fan connection | ✓ / ✓ | – / – |
| RTC / backup battery connection | ✓ / ✓ | – / – |
| Miscellaneous | Position of USB and RJ45 sockets changed | – |
| Prices (list without VAT / street with VAT) | ||
| with 4/8 GB of RAM | 60 / 80 US$ (– / –) | 55 / 75 US$ (70 / 88 €) |
| with 1/2 GB of RAM | may come later | 35 / 40 US$ (52 / 62 €) |
