Raspberry Pi 5 16GB price jumps to $385 as memory crunch bites
Raspberry Pi has significantly increased the price of its 16GB Raspberry Pi 5, citing a global shortage of DRAM memory as suppliers prioritize high-bandwidth memory for AI applications. The company stated the price hike is unavoidable due to supply chain constraints and expects it to persist until memory costs stabilize.
Why it matters
This highlights how the massive demand for AI-related hardware is creating supply chain bottlenecks and price inflation for consumer electronics and hobbyist computing components.
Add preferred source Raspberry Pi raised the price of its 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 by $80 to $385, more than triple its $120 launch price in January 2025, citing a lack of alternative supply for 16GB DRAM and other component shortages. The 16GB Compute Module 5 rose $40 to between $375 and $415, while other 16GB systems such as the Raspberry Pi 500+ held steady. Chief executive Eben Upton called the increase unavoidable and said the company would roll prices back once memory costs fall. The pressure stems from Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix shifting capacity toward high-bandwidth memory for AI and locking in multiyear contracts, with SK Hynix forecasting demand above supply through 2030.
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