Depends on what the projects are. Older models require less power, but they also have less computational power, and--often--less memory to work in. I use a variety of Pis for different things. For instance, my "alarm clock" is a Pi2Bv1.2 and an RPT 7" touchscreen (plus speakers). On the other hand, I run a convention registration system on a pair (redundant databases) of Pi5-4GB units. The main driver for upgrading from Pi4Bs for those was the exposed PCIE lane and the M.2 adapter boards, making a much neater package of each system. And there, the 4GB is really much more than is being used.first of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer!
secondly, would you recommend going with the pi5 to learn on and wet my feet, and then purchase the smaller models for dedicated use cases?
One other bit of advice that hasn't been addressed... I'd recommend that you use the official PiOS. It runs on ALL Pis (some require the 32-bit version, the Pi5 requires the 64-bit version, others can use either). That will give you a seamless way to move between any different Pis that you may find yourself using.
As regards cases... My Pis are generally in cases, and most of those are the official RPT ones, but I do almost no "physical computing", so access to the GPIO block isn't a particular need for me. The RPT do market a "bumper" (and soft plastic device that just goes around the PCB of the Pi5) that leaves the board features exposed AND will prevent anything on the bottom of the Pi PCB from coming in contact and/or being damaged by the surface it's sitting on. If you want to use at least the base of an official Pi5 case, you may want to get in a supply of M2.5 8mm screws and the nuts to go with them.
Something be be aware of... The original expectation (back in 2012) was that the average enthusiast would buy 2 or 3 Pis. There are some of us that have developed a rather serious Pi habit. I don't know just how many Pis I have.... I do know that I have at least 11 Pi5s alone (if you include a Pi500 and Pi500+ in that count).
Edit to add... There are a couple of features only present on the Pi5 that may (or may not) influence your decision. One is that the Pi5 has a built-in RTC. To support that, should you need to have your Pi unpowered from time to time, is a connector for a rechargeable battery (sold separately) to keep the RTC running. Should you be loading your Pi5 enough that cooling becomes an issue, there is also a fan connector that works with the official case fan or the "active cooler". Up through the Pi4B, if you wanted cooling, you had to use GPIO pins for power and fan control.
Statistics: Posted by W. H. Heydt — Mon Nov 10, 2025 4:08 am