Raspberry Pi 4 vs Raspberry Pi 5: Key Differences and When to Use Each

The Raspberry Pi 5 offers a faster ARM Cortex-A76 CPU and improved graphics compared to the Raspberry Pi 4's Cortex-A72. It also supports USB 3.0 and PCIe 2.0 natively, making it better for demanding projects, while the Pi 4 remains a solid choice for general use.

Quick Comparison

Here is a quick side-by-side look at the main features of Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5.

Feature	Raspberry Pi 4	Raspberry Pi 5
CPU	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz
RAM Options	2GB, 4GB, 8GB LPDDR4	4GB, 8GB LPDDR4X
USB Ports	2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0	2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 (improved controller)
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax Wi-Fi (improved throughput)
Graphics	VideoCore VI GPU	VideoCore VII GPU with better 4K support
Expansion	No native PCIe	PCIe 2.0 x1 native support

Key Differences

The Raspberry Pi 5 upgrades the CPU from the Pi 4's Cortex-A72 to a more powerful Cortex-A76 running at 2.4 GHz, which means faster processing and better efficiency for multitasking and heavier workloads.

Memory on the Pi 5 uses LPDDR4X technology, which is faster and more power-efficient than the Pi 4's LPDDR4 RAM. This helps with speed and battery life in portable projects.

One of the biggest hardware improvements is the native PCIe 2.0 support on the Pi 5, allowing direct connection of high-speed peripherals like NVMe SSDs without extra adapters. The Pi 4 lacks this and relies on USB for external storage, which is slower.

Graphics are also improved with the Pi 5's VideoCore VII GPU, enabling better 4K video playback and smoother graphics performance, useful for media centers or light gaming.

Code Comparison

Both Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 run Python code the same way. Here's a simple example to blink an LED connected to GPIO pin 17 using the gpiozero library on Raspberry Pi 4.

python

from gpiozero import LED
from time import sleep

led = LED(17)

while True:
    led.on()
    sleep(1)
    led.off()
    sleep(1)

Output

The LED connected to GPIO pin 17 blinks on and off every second.

Raspberry Pi 5 Equivalent

The same Python code runs identically on Raspberry Pi 5, showing that software compatibility remains consistent despite hardware upgrades.

python

from gpiozero import LED
from time import sleep

led = LED(17)

while True:
    led.on()
    sleep(1)
    led.off()
    sleep(1)

Output

The LED connected to GPIO pin 17 blinks on and off every second.

When to Use Which

Choose Raspberry Pi 5 if you need faster CPU performance, better graphics, or want to connect high-speed PCIe devices like NVMe SSDs for demanding projects such as media servers, gaming, or AI experiments.

Choose Raspberry Pi 4 if you want a reliable, cost-effective board for general programming, learning, or simple IoT projects where the extra speed and features of Pi 5 are not necessary.

Key Takeaways

Raspberry Pi 5 has a faster CPU and better graphics than Raspberry Pi 4.

Pi 5 supports native PCIe 2.0, enabling faster peripheral connections.

Both run the same software and Python code without changes.

Use Pi 5 for high-performance needs; Pi 4 is great for budget-friendly general use.