Raspberry Pi 5 16GB Price Jumps $80 to $385, More Than Triple Its Launch Cost, as AI Memory Crunch Deepens

Raspberry Pi has raised the price of its most powerful single-board computer again, pushing the 16GB version of the Raspberry Pi 5 to $385, as a global shortage of memory chips driven by the artificial intelligence boom continues to squeeze hardware makers.

The $80 increase, which took effect Monday, makes the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 more than three times as expensive as when it launched at $120 in January 2025. The board previously sold for $305.

The company also raised prices on all 16GB variants of its Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 by $40.

No alternative supply

Raspberry Pi Chief Executive Eben Upton announced the changes on the company's blog, blaming a lack of alternative sources for the high-density memory chips used in its top-end products.

Upton cited "a lack of alternative supply for 16GB DRAM," along with other ongoing component shortages, as the reason for the increases on some of the company's highest-density products.

Raspberry Pi said memory costs have climbed sharply over the past two years. The company said it tries to limit price increases by seeking alternative parts, but there is no other supplier for the 16GB memory chip that sits on the Raspberry Pi 5, the Compute Module 5 and the Raspberry Pi 500+.

Some products spared

Not every product is affected. The Raspberry Pi 500+, a desktop computer built into a mechanical keyboard that also carries 16GB of memory, will keep its current price for now, Upton said.

Lower-memory versions of the Raspberry Pi 5 were also not affected by Monday's announcement.

A string of increases

The latest hike is part of a series of price increases. Raspberry Pi raised prices in December 2025 and again in February 2026. In April, a $100 increase pushed the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 to $305.

Last month, the company raised prices on 2GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 5 and Raspberry Pi 4.

The repeated increases mark a dramatic shift for a company whose brand was built on affordability. The first Raspberry Pi sold for $35 in 2012, and for years most models cost between $35 and $60.

Buyers of the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 still receive only a bare circuit board, without a case, power supply or storage.

AI drives memory shortage

The price increases reflect a broader crisis in the memory chip market. Demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI data centers has soared, prompting chipmakers such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron to shift production toward AI products.

That has left less capacity for conventional memory, driving up prices for computers, phones and other devices. Personal computer makers across the industry have raised prices in response.

Intel recently said it expects the memory shortage to weigh on the PC market until supply and prices normalize, while memory makers have reported record profits.

Warning about 'bad actors'

Raspberry Pi also warned customers about sellers trying to exploit the shortage. The company said a "few bad actors" have been taking advantage of the situation to sell Raspberry Pi products at inflated prices or to sell products that are not what they claim to be.

Impact on hobbyists

The 16GB model is popular with enthusiasts who use Raspberry Pi boards to build compact Linux computers, home servers, retro gaming systems and AI projects that benefit from extra memory.

The higher price could push some users toward lower-memory models or alternative boards, though rival products face the same memory cost pressures.

The higher prices have boosted Raspberry Pi's revenue, according to German tech outlet Heise.

What's next

Raspberry Pi has said in the past that it would lower prices when component costs ease, but the 16GB board's price has so far only moved upward.

With memory makers predicting tight supply for years as AI spending continues, buyers may have to wait a long time for relief.