Raspberry Pi raises prices on 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Module 5 due to DRAM shortages

Raspberry Pi has announced selective price increases affecting its 16GB memory products, driven by a lack of alternative supply for high-density DRAM combined with ongoing component shortages. The 16GB variant of Raspberry Pi 5 will rise by $80 to $385, while 16GB Compute Module 5 variants increase by $40. These adjustments follow previous selective increases the company made in response to steep memory cost rises over the past two years.

The company is not applying blanket increases across its product line. The Raspberry Pi 500+, an all-in-one desktop computer with 16GB RAM built into a mechanical keyboard, will maintain its current price. Raspberry Pi is advising customers to evaluate whether lower-density variants or earlier models can meet their needs, and is pointing individual users to memory optimization guidance while offering business customers direct consultation. The company also warned about third-party sellers exploiting supply conditions and directed buyers to its Approved Reseller network.

Affected products and pricing changes

• Raspberry Pi 5 16GB: Price increases by $80 to $385, reflecting the specific supply constraint on 16GB DRAM modules with no qualified alternative parts available.
• Compute Module 5 16GB variants: Price increases by $40, with updated pricing detailed in the product brief on the Compute Module 5 product page.
• Raspberry Pi 500+: Price held steady despite also containing 16GB RAM, indicating this premium all-in-one desktop has sufficient margin or different supply arrangements to absorb the cost increase.
• Memory supply context: The increases stem from a two-year trend of rising memory costs compounded by a lack of alternative 16GB DRAM suppliers, unlike lower-density memory where Raspberry Pi has qualified alternate parts for sourcing flexibility.

Why it matters

These price hikes directly affect industrial and embedded developers who rely on 16GB Compute Module 5 variants for high-memory applications, as well as enthusiasts and power users of the flagship Raspberry Pi 5. The increases could push some projects toward lower-density alternatives or earlier Raspberry Pi generations, potentially slowing adoption of the newest platform for memory-intensive workloads. Raspberry Pi's commitment to rolling back increases when memory costs fall provides some relief, though the timeline for supply normalization remains uncertain.