# Raspberry Pi 5 16GB price jumps to $385, CM5 modules rise $40 amid RAM shortage

> **Key takeaway:** Raspberry Pi has raised prices again for 16GB RAM models, with the Pi 5 16GB now costing $385—more than triple its $120 launch price less than two years ago—while industry memory shortages are projected to continue until 2028 or later.

**Published:** 2026-11-03T04:17:55+00:00 
**Source:** CNX Software 
**Category:** open-hardware 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/raspberry-pi-5-16gb-price-jumps-to-385-cm5-modules-rise-40-a.html 

## Summary
Raspberry Pi has implemented another round of price increases specifically targeting models equipped with 16GB of RAM. The Raspberry Pi 5 16GB single-board computer now retails for $385, representing an $80 increase from the April 2026 price hike and a dramatic rise from its original $120 launch price. The Compute Module 5 lineup sees similar increases, with the CM5 16GB Lite variant without wireless now starting at $375, up $40 from previous pricing. The updated CM5 16GB price list shows models ranging from $375 to $415 depending on eMMC capacity and wireless configuration, with 32GB and 64GB eMMC variants priced identically at $410 or $415 with wireless.

The Raspberry Pi 500+ mechanical keyboard PC, which starts at $410, maintains its current price. The broader single-board computer market has experienced widespread increases throughout 2026, including NVIDIA Jetson module hikes of up to 101% in July and Arduino VENTUNO Q pricing rising to $399. Memory manufacturers Micron and SK Hynix project RAM shortages extending to 2028 and potentially 2030 respectively, though recent declines in memory vendor stock prices and AI profitability concerns introduce uncertainty about the cycle's duration.

## Price changes and CM5 16GB variant breakdown
- **Raspberry Pi 5 16GB SBC:** Price increased to $385, an $80 jump from the April 2026 price and more than triple the original $120 launch price.
- **CM5 16GB Lite (no wireless, no eMMC):** Now starts at $375, a $40 increase from previous pricing.
- **CM5 16GB eMMC variants:** 16GB eMMC models cost $400 (no wireless) or $405 (with wireless); 32GB and 64GB eMMC SKUs are priced identically at $410 and $415 respectively.
- **Raspberry Pi 500+:** The mechanical keyboard PC with integrated Pi 5 remains at $410, unaffected by this round of increases.
- **Market context:** RAM shortages are projected to persist until 2028 per Micron or 2030 per SK Hynix, with memory vendor stock prices recently declining due to investor concerns about profit sustainability.

## Why it matters
The sustained escalation in Raspberry Pi pricing erodes the platform's historical accessibility advantage for education, hobbyist projects, and industrial prototyping, potentially accelerating migration to alternatives like Orange Pi, Radxa, and Hardkernel boards even as those vendors have also raised prices. For Linux distribution maintainers and embedded developers, the CM5 module increases specifically affect cost projections for custom hardware designs and commercial products built around Raspberry Pi's compute module ecosystem, while the identical pricing of 32GB and 64GB eMMC variants may distort procurement decisions toward higher-capacity storage.