Raspberry Pi - How To Buy

There are a few things you might want to know before buying a Raspberry Pi. We’re going to try to cover everything relevant that we can.

Not sure which to get and don’t want to keep reading this entire page? Just get the Raspberry Pi 4 B 8GB on Amazon. (paid link)

Need to pick the right one for you? Keep reading.

Which Raspberry Pi Should I Buy?

There have been more than a few different models released over the years and you are going to want to pick the right one for you. This isn’t as simple as just picking the newest or “current” version. This is going to depend on your needs. Here are a few things to consider:

• Price
• Size / form factor
• Features / Functionality
• Power (CPU/GPU/RAM)

We have both a small table that is good for comparing different Raspberry Pi models and a detailed table with load of technical details [HERE Raspberry Pi models comparison table] https://low-orbit.net/raspberry-pi

If you want the latest and greatest, get the Raspberry Pi 4 B. If you want to save money, get the 2GB version. If you want more RAM and don’t mind spending a bit more, get the 4GB or 8GB version.

If you want something small, get either the Raspberry Pi Zero W or the Raspberry Pi Zero WH. The “WH” has GPIO pins bu the “W” doesn’t. The original Pi Zero

Where to Buy the Raspberry Pi?

• Amazon - Online store - This is just Amazon. You probably already have an account with them so that makes things fast and easy. They have Raspberry Pi kits and all sorts of related items. One thing that I didn’t see was just boards by themselves. If you don’t want to buy a full kit you will probably be better off just going to Adafruit which is still pretty convenient. Amazon may have just boards by themselves but I didn’t see them.
• Adafruit - Online store - I purchased a thermal camera from Adafruit. They have all sorts of electronics and hardware related stuff. They also have a lot of great guides and tutorials. They have so many things that you probably can’t find anywhere else. You really should browse what they have whether or not you are planning on buying your Raspberry Pi from them or not. They take Paypal and give you the option to buy either kits or just a single board by itself which is really nice.
• Newark Element14 - Online store - This was one of the only two places that you could buy a Raspberry Pi when they were first released. I bought one of my first original systems here. You can buy them from a lot of other places now.
• The Pi Hut - Online store - This is another online store that is very popular. I haven’t used them yet but they are linked to form the official Raspberry Pi site so they probably deserve a lot of credit.
• Microcenter - Physical and online store - This is a really great place with all sorts of great computer related stuff.
• CanaKit - Online store - I purchased one of their Raspberry Pi 4 kits on Amazon but you can also buy directly from them. They have a lot of branded kits, parts, and electronics related things. I would definitly recommend them.
• Vilros - Online store - I’ve purchased one of their Raspberry Pi Zero kits through Amazon but you can buy from them directly. They are pretty good and have a lot of stuff that you should look at.
• Pimoroni - Online store - This site is really popular and they have a lot of kits, parts, and accessories in addition to Raspberry Pi boards.
• The Raspberry Pi Store - Physical store - This is a physical store located in Cambridge in the UK.
• Freenove - Online store - Just accessories and kits but a lot of really cool stuff that you should definitely check out. They have multiple different robot kits.

What Parts / Accessories Do You Need?

There are only two critical parts that you absolutely must buy with your Raspberry Pi if you want to be able to use it. These are:

• Charger ( need enough AMPs to work and the correct plug for your model )
• SD card ( get the right one for your model )

You might have an easier time if you pick up some other accessories.

• HDMI cable
• Case
• heat sinks
• USB WiFi ( if your model doesn’t have it )
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Screen

You can save yourself a lot of trouble by just getting a kit that comes with everything.