Raspberry Pi Launches Newest Compute Module, Based On Pi 4; Costs Start At $25

October 19, 2020 by Dave Haynes

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released a new, more powerful version of the computing module that, among many things, can be popped into the back of a commercial display to make it smart.

NEC Display has embraced the Pi modules as an alternative to the system on chip (SoC) displays favored by the majority of its pro display competitors.

The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 is an update on the the now three-year-old Gen 3 version, and is based on the same specifications as the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. It has a 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit Broadcom CPU, at least 1GB RAM, dual HDMI interfaces that support resolutions up to 4K, optional eMMC storage, and Gigabit Ethernet.

One small difference is is has PCIe 2.0 support, instead of a USB 3.0 interface.

A couple of accessories are available – the Compute Module 4 I/O board and an antenna kit.

One of the big attractions is cost, with prices for this “system on module” starting at $25. Costs go up by doing things like upping the RAM and adding storage, but this latest generation of the Pi is touted as very capable as a signage player, when paired with software developed to it and tapping into things like the GPU.