As the Raspberry
Pi craze sweeps the internet, you might have found yourself wanting to purchase
the little computer to see what projects you can use it for. You may have
thought to yourself that even if you can’t think of a nifty project, who cares,
because the higher-end Model B is only $35. However, is it really that cheap
when all is said and done?
I recently ordered
my first Raspberry Pi. I could never figure out what to do with it, but have
wanted one simply because it’s a cheap, intriguing little computer. While
waiting for the delivery over the past few days, I began browsing through
project ideas, which in turn led me to RasPi accessories. I bought a case — a Pibow — which I’ve always wanted more than the Raspberry Pi
itself, and Pi requires a microUSB power cable, so I bought that as well. Now,
my $35 Pi purchase is already 0ver $65, including shipping costs. That’s still
affordable, but it got me thinking: If you wanted to build a proper computer
from scratch using a Raspberry Pi, exactly how much would it cost in the end?
For what is touted as the $25 (or $35) computer, the answer might surprise you.
The goal here is
not to rely on parts you may have lying around the house. You might have all
sorts of gear in the attic, but not everyone does. And a school or business
that is buying multiple RasPis almost certainly doesn’t have enough displays,
keyboards, power supplies, and WiFi dongles lying around.
Here’s what’s
necessary:
• Raspberry Pi, Model B: $35. For tinkerers
there is no reason to buy one of the $25 units when the $35 model is available.
• Pibow case: $20. The most popular case for
the Pi.
• MicroUSB 5V power cable, at least 700mA: $5.
You can find these pretty easily from Newegg or Amazon.
• USB keyboard and mouse: $15
• HDMI monitor: $120. Like when building any
computer, the price skyrockets when you realize you need a monitor. You’ll
likely want to take advantage of the RasPi’s HDMI port, and want a widescreen
monitor. You can hunt around for a cheaper deal, but $120 is about average for
a smallish LCD with HDMI.
• HDMI cable: $3. If you don’t care about
brand, you can snag a gold-tipped HDMI cable for pretty cheap nowadays.
• SD card: $7. The Pi uses an SD card as its
only storage device. You can get away with a 4GB card, so no need to spend too
much.
• Ethernet cord: $6.
Speakers: $12. This will get you some
cheap Logitech speakers.
So, with
everything you need to get a Raspberry Pi
up and running, it’ll cost you $91 without an HDMI-capable monitor. With an
HDMI monitor at an average price, it’ll cost you $211. With speakers, you’ll
have to invest at least $223 for a rather modest computer system.
If you want to add
some unnecessary, but ultimately useful pieces there are other components to
consider. With a larger SD card, say a 32GB unit, you’ll have to spend another
$20. Want WiFi? A USB dongle will cost around $12, but then you’ll be
blocking one of the two precious USB ports, so you’ll need to add on the price
of a USB hub and perhaps a stronger power supply. At that point, we’re already
over $250 for a 700MHz computer with 512MB of RAM. With shipping costs, you’re
potentially ramping the total up to around $300. I live in the US, and the Pi
and Pibow alone added up to a little over $20 shipping.
For comparison, a
brand new Samsung Chromebook will cost you $325, whereas an older one will cost you $249. Acer’s C7 Chromebook sells
for just $199. At around $400, you can start looking into some decently
powerful, name-brand laptops, such as a Lenovo G580 with a 2.4GHz Core i3 chip, 4GB RAM, and
500GB of storage.
If you happen to
have most of the components lying around, including a monitor with HDMI, the
Raspberry Pi will only cost you the $25 or $35 depending on the model, and a
$10 case or so. Of course, you can bargain hunt and try your very best to stay below $100, but the monitor will still prove a tricky
situation, with the cheapest we’ve seen (without too much hunting, to be fair)
being this $89 Asus on Amazon.
So, while a very tiny $35 computer is a
great deal, the price can quickly approach that of much more powerful machines.
Granted, the Pi is intended as more of a project board than as a standard
computer, but in most cases, the project is going to require extra parts, and
those cost money. [ExtremeTech]
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