Several price adjustments for the Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Modules: rising DRAM costs are having an increasing impact on the prices of single-board computers.
The market for Raspberry Pi single-board computers will continue to be heavily influenced by global component prices until at least early 2026. RAM, in particular, is currently emerging as a key cost factor. Several price adjustments within a few months are therefore affecting numerous models in the current portfolio.
The supply situation for Raspberry Pi boards has improved significantly compared to the recent chip crisis. Many models are once again readily available in shops. However, the situation remains volatile due to rising memory prices and repeated price adjustments.
Several models affected by price increases
Raspberry Pi Ltd has increased the prices of various products in several stages. These include the Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, Compute Modules and systems such as the Raspberry Pi 500. Variants with larger amounts of RAM have been particularly impacted by these adjustments.
There is a clear correlation between price and RAM capacity. Models with smaller RAM configurations have seen price increases in the low double-digit percentage range. Variants with larger RAM capacities, however, are rising significantly more sharply in price in some cases. For certain configurations, mark-ups compared to previous list prices can now be around a third.
DRAM market drives hardware costs
This development is driven by the global DRAM memory market. In particular, the cost of LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X memory, used in current Raspberry Pi boards, has recently increased significantly.
As RAM is permanently integrated into single-board computers, rising memory prices directly impact the production costs of these devices.
New entry-level models aim to offset the price increase
In response to rising costs, Raspberry Pi has introduced a variant of the Raspberry Pi 5 with 1 GB of RAM. This model is intended for applications where the most cost-effective entry-level configuration is sufficient.
Meanwhile, some older models with lower memory specifications are proving to be more stable in terms of price.
Industrial applications continue to gain importance
In parallel with developments in the consumer segment, industrial applications are becoming increasingly important. Raspberry Pi technology is being used increasingly in embedded systems and specialised devices.
According to the company, more components for integration into products were sometimes sold than complete Raspberry Pi boards. This highlights the platform’s growing role as a foundation for industrial applications.
Memory prices remain a key factor
Current trends demonstrate just how heavily single-board computers depend on global component prices. The DRAM market, in particular, is currently influencing the pricing of many models.
Further price fluctuations within the Raspberry Pi ecosystem are therefore possible until 2026.
Images: reichelt elektronik, Raspberry Pi
