Hot on the heels of the official launch and availability of the new Raspberry Pi 5 mini PC this week which is now available to purchase after being officially unveiled last month. The Raspberry Pi team has also released a special launch edition of the fantastic MagPi magazine. providing you with everything you need to get started using the more powerful Pi 5 mini PC and its new features, hardware and enhancements.
The MagPi magazine issue #135, the official Raspberry Pi magazine, has dedicated its special edition to this noteworthy launch. It not only provides an in-depth look at the Pi 5 but also features 50 Raspberry Pi project ideas, innovative community projects, and tutorials on using Raspberry Pi and Ubuntu.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is a game-changer in the Raspberry Pi line-up, boasting 2–3× the speed of the previous generation. This is primarily due to the Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor @ 2.4GHz, making it up to three times faster than its predecessor. With RAM variants up to 8GB, Pi 5 promises the fastest, smoothest Raspberry Pi experience yet.
Raspberry Pi 5
Another first for the Pi 5 is the use of the RP1 I/O controller, a package containing silicon designed in-house at Raspberry Pi. This move towards in-house silicon design is a significant milestone for the Raspberry Pi team and is likely to contribute to the enhanced performance of the device.
The Raspberry Pi 5 has also introduced PCI express, a feature that allows you to connect an M.2 SSD to your Raspberry Pi. This addition ensures speedy data transfer and super-fast boot, enhancing the overall user experience. The latest release of Raspberry Pi OS is designed to maximize these new features, delivering an excellent desktop performance suitable for work, leisure, enterprise, and more.
The Pi 5 is not just about speed; it also brings a host of new features to the table. The device supports dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output and has a 4Kp60 HEVC decoder. It also includes dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and a high-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support. The device also features 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation, and 2 × USB 2.0 ports.
The Raspberry Pi 5 also has interchangeable camera and DSI display connectors, allowing users to have one of each or two of the same, providing more flexibility in configuration. The device also supports Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon). It also includes 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers and a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals. The device maintains the Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header and introduces a real-time clock and a power button.
Priced at $60 for the 4GB variant, and $80 for the 8GB version (plus local taxes), the Pi 5 mini PCrepresents a significant upgrade in virtually every aspect of the platform, delivering a no-compromises user experience.
Raspberry Pi specifications
- 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU
- VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
- Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output
- 4Kp60 HEVC decoder
- Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
- Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
- High-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support
- 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
- 2 × USB 2.0 ports
- Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon)
- 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
- PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
- Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header
- Real-time clock
- Power button
The MagPi magazine issue #135 not only covers these impressive features of the Raspberry Pi 5 but also provides readers with a wealth of project ideas and tutorials. Whether you are a seasoned Raspberry Pi user or a newcomer to the community, this special edition is a treasure trove of information and inspiration. It showcases the potential of the Raspberry Pi 5 and encourages users to push the boundaries of what is possible with this powerful, versatile device.
Source: MagPi Raspberry Pi 5 special launch edition magazine now available
