Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - 4GB

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, and The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4G is now available from DIYElectronics!

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a brand that just never seems to run out of steam, and after the release of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, the brand dramatically grew in popularity due to the high level of functionality and incredibly low cost – two factors that are amazing for hobbyists like us. However, the recent release of the Raspberry Pi 4 has stepped up this offering even more, offering processing power and functionality that even rivals full-sized entry-level computers! This means that you, as a Pi Maker, have a lot more power to work with, opening up  so many more opportunities for building awesome projects that blow the minds of your friends, family, colleagues, pets and even yourself!

So How is the Raspberry Pi 4 Better than the Raspberry Pi 3 B+?

This is the question in everyone’s minds right now, and we’re quite excited to tell you all about the many small and large improvements that the Pi 4 is ready to bring to the table. So, in terms of upgrades since the Pi 3 B+, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4GB SBC has been improved in every single way, from a more powerful CPU, to more RAM, to more video outputs, and so much more. However, to just mention these upgrades without digging further into the juicy details would do the Pi 4 a great disservice, so let’s explore the fancy, functional and fantastic upgrades a little more – in a convenient and easy to read bullet point format:

• Vastly More Powerful CPU – As the main brains behind these little single-board-computers, the Raspberry Pi 4 has been equipped with an extremely powerful Broadcom BCM2711B0 Cortex A-72processor. This is around 4 times more powerful than the Cortex-A53 on the Pi 3 B+, and achieves this power increase by catering to many of the small bottle-necking problems that were simply unavoidable with the previous chip architecture. This means that you can expect much more power from the Pi 4, without any drawbacks, allowing you to really step up your projects in terms of both processing speed, as well as complexity.
  
  
• Higher Capacity AND Quality Memory – While a lot of people will initially look at the increased RAM and simply think that it’s a larger size, some may not realise that the new type of memory (LPDDR4 SDRAM) also makes a huge difference. Additionally, with a full 4GB of RAM on this model, you can expect not just 4 times the speed, but actually quite a lot more due to the more modern type of RAM that has been integrated. This makes the RAM both larger than previously, as well as faster with a higher frequency, which of course translates to reliable speed and a genuinely amazing benefit that anyone who worked with previous Pi Boards will appreciate.
  
  
• More Serial Capabilities for Makers – As you will all know, Raspberry Pi Boards are designed for Makers and those interested in learning, and as such always featured convenient UART, I2C and SPI buses to communicate or interface with various low-level modules, sensors and other components. And as Makers, we can’t help but drool over the enhanced serial functionality of the Pi 4, with 4 UART Buses, 4 SPI Buses and 4 I2C Buses – allowing us to really take advantage of the processing power for our strange, wonderful and sometimes whacky Electronics projects.
  
  
• A MAJOR Step Up for Audio/Video Output – Raspberry Pi has always been a great development platform to work with, offering an incredibly wide range of functionality from basic low-level peripheral projects all the way up to full computer capabilities. However, one area in which Pi boards have always left users wanting more is in the audio/video output. With the Raspberry Pi 4 and the integrated VideoCore VI (6), however, this is a thing of the past, and you can now enjoy Dual 4K30 HDMI Outputs or a Single 4K60 Output via the Micro HDMI ports. Additionally, the PWM functionality of the Pi 4 is no longer shared with the analogue audio output on the 3.5mm AV jack, as it was on previous models, allowing users to take full advantage of all of the different audio/video output options – without having to compromise or sacrifice functionality in other areas.

Now, don’t get us wrong, there are certainly many other awesome upgrades that have been made to the new Pi 4, but we felt that the above were the most exciting few that we as Makers can really take advantage of. As such, let’s take a look at a brief summary of all of the new features and specifications of the Pi 4, and then some of the awesome use cases that you can expect to enjoy when you finally get your hands on one of these beautiful boards.

Please Note: This model of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the 4GB version, but if you think you might not need the full 4GB of RAM, then we also stock the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 Model B as well, so as to save on costs for small to moderate projects too.

Awesome Applications for the Powerful Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM:

When comparing the mighty Raspberry Pi 4 with its predecessors, it's hard not to consider the older models underpowered. However, this isn't really the case, and older models like the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ are still powerful little beasts in their own right - and this is why we feel that they shouldn't necessarily be compared to each other, since each offers distinct benefits that cater to their particular strengths. As such, while the previous Raspberry Pi Boards were awesome for building lightweight computational workhorses and projects revolving around convenience and ease of use, rather than powerful computing, these new Raspberry Pi 4 Boards are designed for more powerful applications, and can now even rival entry-level laptops when equipped with some extra active cooling.

With this in mind, we've been truly enjoying these new Raspberry Pi 4 Boards for the following, as well as other, awesome and relatively advanced applications:

• Building the amazing DotStar Pi Painter featured by Adafruit, which steps up on previous Arduino-based designs for much larger and higher resolution long-exposure photography.
  
  
• Crafting your own Raspberry Pi OpenCV Security System to not only capture video when motion is detected, but also to tell you when someone is standing at your front door is open, when people enter certain rooms or cupboards, or even when the fridge has been left open by mistake – all connected to your mobile device of choice via clever apps like Twilio.
  
  
• Assembling a reasonably powerful computer, laptop, touchscreen device or Personalised Pi Media Centre to play Netflix and other media in high quality – and without lagging or stuttering like older models used to!

Of course, these projects are only the tip of the iceberg when dealing with a powerful little single board computer like a Raspberry Pi 4, and the possibilities are really only limited by your imagination and skills as a Maker – which can always be improved as you take on more advanced and exciting projects. So, what are you waiting for? If you’re eager to start experimenting with the many amazing opportunities that the power of the Pi 4 opens up, get out there and start planning your next big project! Also, don’t forget to share those projects with us on social media, so we can show them off to everyone else and help you earn some rightfully-deserved “Kudos” within local and international Maker communities.

The primary aim of The Raspberry Pi Foundation is to enable people from all walks of life to understand, learn and develop our digital world with ideas that actually matter to them. Their single-board computers are designed with an open-source style, while being both easy to use and versatile. This allows people to build their own systems to cater to unique problems within their environment, while allowing them to share with and learn from others who are building similar types of systems – growing and developing the open-source movement in every step of the way.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation also takes their initiative a step further by building accessories like cameras, control interfaces and other products that can be seamlessly integrated into projects, made with high quality components but without the unnecessary frills that many brands choose to add on for “extra value”. This “no frills” approach makes their products more affordable while catering to consumers throughout the world, regardless of their financial condition. In doing so, people in almost any situation can use these products to improve their lives, better the world around them, and help develop both their local communities, as well as online communities of Makers.

Finally, like the cherry (or perhaps raspberry) on top of an already-great Sundae, The Raspberry Pi Foundation utilises the profits that they make to sponsor and host outreach and education efforts, with the intent to help people by making computing and digital development more accessible. They train educators and offer free resources online for people to learn from, giving consumers the power to change the world around them, and ultimately do their small part in developing the ever-expanding digital world too.