Pakronics stocks both generations in its Raspberry Pi Boards range. On the 4GB models the price gap is only A$17.60. The bigger differences come after the board: power supply, cooling, camera cables and storage. This guide compares the two on actual tasks, accessory reuse and total build cost, so you can match the board to the job instead of the spec sheet.
- Buy the Pi 5 for desktop use, heavier workloads, NVMe storage, dual camera projects or AI add-ons. Raspberry Pi rates its CPU at 2 to 3 times the performance of Pi 4.
- Buy the Pi 4 for GPIO control, dashboards, media playback, classroom use, or when you already own a Pi 4 power supply, case and cables.
- Board gap: A$17.60 on the 4GB models. Kit gap: A$19.80 on the 4GB desktop kits.
- Hidden costs on Pi 5: a 5V/5A supply for full USB power, and active cooling for sustained loads.
- Neither may be right. For sensors, LEDs or tiny builds, a Pico or Zero is cheaper and more suitable.
Raspberry Pi 5 vs Pi 4: Specs That Affect Buying Decisions
Raw specifications matter, but not every specification changes the buying decision. The differences below are the ones most likely to affect what you can actually build.
| Feature | Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | Raspberry Pi 5 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad core Cortex A72, 1.8GHz | Quad core Cortex A76, 2.4GHz |
| Memory options | 1GB to 8GB | 1GB to 16GB |
| Wi-Fi speed (official figure) | 120 Mb/s | 300 Mb/s |
| USB | 2 × USB 3.0, 2 × USB 2.0 | 2 × USB 3.0, 2 × USB 2.0 |
| Video out | 2 × micro HDMI | 2 × micro HDMI |
| Camera and display ports | 15 pin camera, 15 pin display | 2 × 22 pin ports, each camera or display |
| PCIe connector | No | Yes, single lane |
| Power button, RTC battery connector, fan connector | No | Yes |
| 3.5 mm audio/video jack | Yes | No |
| Power input | 5V/3A (15W) | 5V/5A (25W), or 5V/3A with a 600 mA USB limit |
| Pakronics 4GB price | A$176.00 | A$193.60 |
Specs are from Raspberry Pi's official documentation.
Which Board Suits Which Task?
Raw speed matters less than whether your project is limited by speed at all.
| Task | Better Pick | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computer (browser, office, many tabs) | Pi 5 | Extra CPU headroom is the most noticeable gain here. |
| GPIO control, sensors, home automation | Pi 4 | The workload is light, and a Pi 4 already handles it. For single sensors, consider a Pico. |
| Media centre | Pi 4 for most setups | Pakronics lists media as a core Pi 4 use. Pick Pi 5 only if your interface or content feels slow. |
| Digital display or kiosk | Pi 4 for a looping slideshow, Pi 5 for heavy web pages | Both have two micro HDMI outputs. Test your actual content before choosing. |
| Home server with fast storage | Pi 5 | A PCIe connector allows NVMe storage through an M.2 HAT+. |
| Camera or vision project | Pi 5 | Two camera/display ports, plus a faster processor. |
| AI accelerator add-ons | Pi 5 | Raspberry Pi's AI software docs cover vision AI models on Pi 5. |
| Classroom or first Pi | Pi 4 | Lower cost, and Pakronics notes it has lots of community resources. |
Raspberry Pi has committed to keeping the Pi 5 in production until at least January 2036. That matters if you are building something to sell, install or maintain for years.
Which Pi 4 Accessories Work on a Pi 5?
This is where upgrade budgets usually go wrong.
| Accessory | Reusable on Pi 5? | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| microSD card | Card yes, image maybe | Pi 5 requires the latest Raspberry Pi OS, so update or reflash first. |
| USB keyboard, mouse, SSD | Yes | Both boards have the same USB layout. |
| Micro HDMI cables | Yes | Both boards use two micro HDMI ports. |
| 15W Pi 4 power supply | Partly | Pi 5 runs on 5V/3A but limits USB peripherals to 600 mA. External SSDs and cameras may misbehave. |
| Case and case fan | No | Official fan hardware is model specific. Plan a new case. |
| Camera and display ribbon cables | No | Pi 5 uses smaller 22 pin connectors, so you need a Pi 5 cable or adapter. |
| 3.5 mm audio | No jack on Pi 5 | Use HDMI audio, a USB audio adapter or an audio HAT. |
| PoE+ HAT | Check first | Pakronics lists its PoE+ HAT for Pi 4B and 3B+ only. |
Both boards share the standard 40 pin header, so most GPIO HATs have a chance of fitting. Browse the HATs collection and check each product's compatibility line.
Cooling: How Much Do You Actually Need?
All Raspberry Pi boards throttle to protect themselves. Arm cores slow progressively between 80°C and 85°C, and at 85°C both CPU and GPU are throttled. Raspberry Pi says heatsinks are not needed to prevent damage, but a heatsink or small fan reduces throttling and improves performance.
Pi 4: Light and intermittent jobs run fine bare or with a heatsink kit. For constant load, Raspberry Pi offers a Pi 4 Case Fan.
Pi 5: Raspberry Pi's official options are the Active Cooler or the Case for Raspberry Pi 5, both of which plug into the board's fan connector. The Active Cooler is recommended for overclockers. The fan follows a set curve:
| Board Temperature | Fan Speed |
|---|---|
| Below 50°C | Off |
| 50°C | 30% |
| 60°C | 50% |
| 67.5°C | 70% |
| 75°C | 100% |
The fan connector draws from the same current limit as USB peripherals, which is one more reason to use the full 5A supply. Treat cooling as part of the Pi 5's price. Cooler and supply listings are in the accessories collection.
Storage: microSD, USB SSD or NVMe?
| Option | Pi 4 | Pi 5 |
|---|---|---|
| microSD | Yes | Yes |
| USB 3.0 SSD | Yes | Yes |
| NVMe SSD over PCIe | No connector | Yes, with an M.2 HAT+ (A$21.12, SSD sold separately) |
Raspberry Pi's documentation covers booting from NVMe and enabling PCIe Gen 3 on the M.2 HAT+. For learning projects and simple kiosks, microSD is fine. For a home server, database or anything that writes constantly, an SSD is the safer choice, and the Pi 5 is the only one of the two with a direct NVMe route.
What Does Each Build Actually Cost?
Boards alone (Pakronics, AUD including GST):
| Memory | Pi 4 | Pi 5 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB | A$119.34 | A$135.30 | A$15.96 |
| 4GB | A$176.00 | A$193.60 | A$17.60 |
| 8GB | A$290.40 | A$308.00 | A$17.60 |
Ready to run, 4GB desktop kits:
| Pi 4 Desktop Kit | Pi 5 Desktop Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | A$265.10 | A$284.90 |
| Includes | Keyboard, mouse, 2 HDMI cables, case, beginner's guide | Keyboard, mouse, 2 HDMI cables, case, beginner's guide |
| Power supply | 15.3W | 27W |
| microSD card | 16GB | 32GB |
The kit gap is A$19.80, and the Pi 5 kit already includes the correct supply. That makes a kit the cheapest way to avoid the hidden Pi 5 costs. Stock changes, so check availability on each page. See all options in Raspberry Pi kits.
Where a DIY Pi 5 build adds up: a 4GB Pi 5 (A$193.60) plus an M.2 HAT+ (A$21.12) is A$214.72 before the 27W supply, cooler, case and SSD. Price those items on the day you buy.
If you own a Pi 4 already: you pay for a new board, supply, cooler or case, and any camera cables. The upgrade only pays off when you have hit a real limit.
Which One Should You Buy?
- Choose Raspberry Pi 5 if you need a faster desktop, NVMe storage, two camera or display ports, an AI add-on, or a platform that will stay in production for years.
- Choose Raspberry Pi 4 if the job is light, you want the lowest total cost, you are teaching, or you can reuse a Pi 4 case, cables and accessories.
- Choose something smaller if you only need to read sensors or switch outputs. A Pico 2 is A$8.80 and a Zero 2 W is A$26.40. Pico is a microcontroller and does not run Raspberry Pi OS.
Still unsure? Browse the full Raspberry Pi range at Pakronics or ask the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Raspberry Pi 5 worth upgrading to from a Pi 4?
Only if your Pi 4 is hitting a ceiling: a slow desktop, a storage bottleneck, or a need for the Pi 5's camera ports or AI add-ons. If it already does the job, keep it.
Can I power a Raspberry Pi 5 with a Pi 4 power supply?
It will run on 5V/3A, but Raspberry Pi limits USB peripherals to 600 mA in that case. Use a 27W (5V/5A) supply for external drives and accessories.
Does the Raspberry Pi 5 need a fan?
Not to avoid damage, since it throttles itself. For sustained loads or overclocking, active cooling keeps performance up, and Raspberry Pi's official fan options exist for that reason.
Can I reuse my Pi 4 case and microSD card on a Pi 5?
Plan on a new case. The microSD card works only if it holds a current Raspberry Pi OS image.