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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Raspberry Pi 500+ boosts RAM up to 16GB for heavier workloads.
- New model adds a 256GB user-replaceable M.2 SSD drive.
- Mechanical keyboard features RGB lighting and hot-swap keys.
The Raspberry Pi single board computer (SBC) is the choice of many for everything from homebrew projects, bespoke commercial applications, and learning to program. But sometimes you need more than just the brains, and you need a finished, ready-to-use product. This is why the Raspberry Pi Foundation has been offering a complete — well, complete as in add your own display and mouse — system in the form of the Raspberry Pi 500.
But now the 500 gets a big upgrade. Say hello to the Raspberry Pi 500+.
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Like its predecessor, the 500+ is an all-in-one system that puts the power of a Raspberry Pi 5 system with a 2.4GHz quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, dual 4K display output, and dual-band Wi-Fi into a form factor that features a keyboard, but this one has a few upgrades.
First, the RAM is up to 16GB of LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM. As someone who grabbed a handful of Raspberry Pi 5 units with 16GB of RAM when they were released back in January, I can honestly say that the power and versatility this amount of RAM offers is worth the money, and I can understand why it was chosen for the 500+. Whether you’re building a system to handle AI workloads or run a browser with loads of tabs open, this is what you need.
Storage in the form of a 256GB M.2 drive that’s user-replaceable.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
Another upgrade for the 500+ is an M.2 drive. The 500 didn’t have a slot for this, but the 500+ does, and it’s been kitted out with a 256GB Raspberry Pi SSD. And if you ever outgrow that capacity, the drive can be swapped at a later date for any 2280 M.2 drive.
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But there’s more. The keyboard has been jazzed up significantly, with the 500+ making use of Gateron KS-33 Blue switches with custom RAL 7001 silver gray stems for positive feedback and a satisfying sound. Each key also features addressable RGB LEDs so you can make your keyboard stand out.
The Raspberry Pi 500+ has a keyboard equipped with Gateron KS-33 Blue switches with custom RAL 7001 silver gray stems.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
The keyboard is compatible with most aftermarket keycap sets, and to make swapping easy, a keycap puller is provided.
And if you don’t like RGB keyboards, you can turn it off.
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The Raspberry Pi 500+ is priced at $200 and is also available in a desktop kit that comes with the 500+, a Raspberry Pi mouse, a 27W USB-C power supply, a 2-meter micro HDMI to HDMI cable, and a copy of the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide, 5th Edition, for $220. They are available from the usual places such as PiShop.us, Micro Center, and CanaKit.