The Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB RAM)
Hi, I recently got a Raspberry Pi 5 (the model with 16GB of RAM) and wanted to voice my opinion on it. As this is my first blog, it will probably not be entirely professional, so please bear with me.
One important thing to bear in mind when buying a Raspberry Pi is that it is based off ARM architecture, which is basically the chip used by most phones. This means that some apps will not work, and OSes like Windows 11 will run very well. In the case of the 16GB RAM model, Windows 11 will not run at all, and it will only run slowly and with no Wi-Fi on the other models. This means that you will essentially only be able to use Linux on it.
However, this isn't to say that this is a bad thing. The Pi 5 is great for servers, smart devices, and even tablets, and when running on apps and OSes with ARM support, it will run great. Although not fully suited to full PC work, it is a great little device with these considerations in mind.
It should also be noted that the Raspberry Pi is, although not with GRUB, dual-bootable via PINN and so will work for two different purposes if needs be. There are also an array of different options for the main storage, such as the default microSD, USB sticks, and SSDs—all of which can be taken out, switched, or run simultaneously without the need to spend hours opening the Pi up.
One thing I have found from personal experience, however, is the Pi will overheat very quickly unless used with a fan (I use the official active cooler active cooler). In addition to this, it is also important to buy a micro HDMI cable, as this is the cable the Pi uses in order to connect it to a screen.
All in all, with the right equipment, the Pi is an amazing piece of kit. Although not a full PC, it is definitely worth it if you're into computers and don't mind spending a bit of time troubleshooting and accepting that it isn't perfect.
I would also recommend the Pi 5 with 8GB RAM over the 16GB RAM, as it actually runs faster than the 16GB RAM model (I know it's weird, but it's how it is).
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again soon!