TL;DR
An updated price comparison shows Raspberry Pi 5 kits and Intel N100/N150 mini PCs now sit at near-equal price points after broad increases in DRAM and flash costs. The shift forces homelab builders to balance purchase price, energy consumption and performance when choosing hardware.
What happened
Independent verification of Jeff Geerling’s updated investigation found that pricing for similarly configured Raspberry Pi 5 kits and Intel N-series mini PCs has converged. Geerling’s March 2025 comparison between a GMKTec Nucbox G3 Plus and a Raspberry Pi 5 kit — both fitted with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD — now shows the mini PC to be marginally more expensive. The broader market has seen price increases across mini PC models (Beelink, Acemagic and others) driven by higher flash and DRAM costs and previous tariff uncertainty. Raspberry Pi Foundation has also raised prices on several Pi 4 and Pi 5 SKUs, introduced a 1GB Pi 5 at $45, and increased the 16GB Pi 5 to $145. These component and platform price moves make total homelab build costs (boards plus SSDs, cases and HATs) notably higher than in 2024–2025, prompting recommendations to consider repurposing older hardware.
Why it matters
- Price parity reduces the clear cost advantage that Raspberry Pi kits once held over Intel-based mini PCs for homelabs.
- Builders now need to weigh purchase cost against energy use and raw performance when selecting hardware.
- Rising DRAM and flash prices are increasing total DIY build costs, not just single-board prices.
- If component price pressure persists, homelab planning and upgrade cycles could shift toward repurposing existing gear.
Key facts
- Jeff Geerling’s updated comparison shows a Raspberry Pi 5 16GB kit and a similarly spec’d GMKTec mini PC now cost within a few cents of each other.
- Raspberry Pi 5 16GB kit price cited: $208.75 (Jan 2025) → $246.95 (Jan 2026) in Geerling’s comparison.
- GMKTec Nucbox G3 Plus price cited: $156.87 (Aug 2025) → $246.99 (Jan 2026).
- Other mini PCs: Beelink S13 rose from about $159 (Aug 2025) to $259 (Jan 2026); Acemagic V1 from ~$158 to $217.54.
- Some mini PCs (Geekom Air12 Lite at $199) showed no price change on Amazon over the past year in the snapshot given.
- Raspberry Pi SKU price adjustments (source: Raspberry Pi blog): 16GB Pi 5 increased from $120 → $145; other Pi 4/Pi 5 RAM tiers also rose.
- Additional components such as NVMe HATs, NVMe drives, cases and power supplies have added to total DIY homelab costs.
- The Raspberry Pi remains the lower-power option compared with Intel N100/N150 mini PCs, while Intel mini PCs generally offer higher performance.
- Memory manufacturers have warned the current price shock for DRAM and flash could continue, potentially for years.
What to watch next
- DRAM and flash memory price trajectories and manufacturer statements about supply constraints.
- Pricing moves from mini PC makers and retailers (stock, discounts and any further price hikes).
- Homelab builders’ response: whether repurposing old hardware gains traction as a cost-saving trend.
Quick glossary
- Raspberry Pi: A family of low-cost, single-board computers popular with hobbyists, education and lightweight server projects.
- Mini PC: Compact, prebuilt desktop computers that commonly use low-power laptop-class CPUs and are sold as small-form-factor systems.
- DRAM: Dynamic Random-Access Memory, a type of volatile memory used for system RAM in computers; prices can affect overall device costs.
- NVMe SSD: A storage drive that connects over the NVMe protocol, offering faster performance than traditional SATA SSDs and often used in compact systems.
- Homelab: A personal computing environment run at home for learning, testing, development or hobbyist server workloads.
Reader FAQ
Are Raspberry Pi and mini PCs the same price now?
Jeff Geerling’s updated comparison — independently confirmed in the source — shows certain Raspberry Pi 5 kits and similarly configured mini PCs now sit at near-equal price points.
Which is better for homelabs: Raspberry Pi or mini PC?
The source says mini PCs generally offer higher performance while Raspberry Pi devices draw less power; choice depends on whether you prioritise performance, energy use or total cost.
Will memory prices fall soon?
Not confirmed in the source; memory manufacturers warned the price shock may continue and could last years.
Is repurposing older hardware a good option?
Geerling suggests repurposing old hardware as a cost-saving approach given current price rises.
Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi and mini PC home lab prices hit parity as DRAM costs skyrocket — price hikes force hobbyists to weigh up performance versus power consumption News By…
Sources
- Raspberry Pi and mini PC home lab prices hit parity as DRAM costs skyrocket
- 1GB Raspberry Pi 5, and memory-driven price rises
- When did Raspberry Pi get so expensive?
- Cheap mini PCs are the death knell for Raspberry Pis
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