Raspberry Pi for industry: how the DRAM crisis affects you

Published on 30 September 26

In short

  • More than 70% of Raspberry Pi boards now go into industrial and embedded products, not hobby projects.
  • Sony uses Raspberry Pi to monitor its production lines, at a fraction of the cost of traditional industrial kit.
  • AI data centres are soaking up memory supply, and the LPDDR4 used on Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 has risen around seven-fold in price in a year.
  • 1GB and 2GB models, and older boards, have largely escaped the price rises.
  • Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Module 5 stay in production until at least January 2036, so they remain a safe design choice.

Raspberry Pi for industry is no longer a niche idea. The same credit-card-sized computer that started in classrooms now runs test rigs, monitors machines and powers finished products on factory floors around the world.

But 2026 has brought a new challenge. A global squeeze on memory chips, driven by the AI boom, is pushing up the cost of the boards engineers rely on. This guide explains what's happening, what it means for your projects and budgets, and how to keep your production plans on track.

Why is Raspberry Pi used in industry?

Manufacturers choose Raspberry Pi because it can be a specialist industrial hardware option, at a much lower cost. It runs full Linux, connects to almost any sensor, and has a huge community and software library behind it.

That combination has changed who buys it. According to Raspberry Pi, more than 70% of the boards it sells now go to industrial and embedded customers.

How does Sony use Raspberry Pi on its production lines?

One of the best-known examples is close to home. Sony's UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, South Wales, which also manufactures Raspberry Pi boards, installed around 60 Raspberry Pis across its factory.

The boards monitor automated equipment, tracking temperature, vibration, proximity and energy use. Some are paired with cameras and vision software to spot irregularities on the line before they become faults.

As reported by Forbes, the Raspberry Pi approach cost five to ten times less than comparable systems from large industrial suppliers. After a three-year trial, the site reported its operations were around 30% more efficient, and Sony went on to repeat the setup at factories in Japan and Malaysia.

5–10x Lower cost than comparable industrial systems
30% More efficient operations after the trial

The lesson for other manufacturers is simple. A low-cost board lets you test, monitor and improve your processes without committing to an expensive system first.

What industrial jobs does Raspberry Pi do?

Raspberry Pi monitoring machine sensors on a factory production line

What is the DRAM crisis?

DRAM is the working memory inside almost every computer, from servers to single board computers. The DRAM crisis is a sharp rise in memory prices that began in late 2025.

The cause is demand from AI. Data centres building AI infrastructure need vast amounts of high-performance memory, and chipmakers have moved production capacity towards it. That leaves less capacity for the more everyday memory types that products like Raspberry Pi use.

For Raspberry Pi, the key part is LPDDR4 memory. Raspberry Pi's CEO, Eben Upton, said in April 2026 that the price of the LPDDR4 used on Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 had risen around seven-fold in a year.

We cover the wider memory market in more detail in our article on volatility in RAM and SSD markets.

How has the DRAM crisis changed Raspberry Pi prices?

Raspberry Pi has raised prices three times since December 2025. Each rise is tied to memory size, so boards with more memory have gone up the most.

Date What changed
December 2025 First rises of between $5 and $25 on 4GB and 8GB Raspberry Pi 4, 2GB to 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 and the 16GB Compute Module 5. A new 1GB Raspberry Pi 5 launched at $45.
February 2026 Rises of $10 to $60, depending on memory, across Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, Compute Modules 4 and 5 and Raspberry Pi 500 models with 2GB or more.
April 2026 Further rises, including $100 on the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5. A new 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 launched so buyers don't pay for memory they don't need.

Prices shown are Raspberry Pi's US dollar list prices. UK prices vary by reseller and include VAT.

Put together, the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 has gone from a $120 list price to $305 in less than a year. That's a big change for anyone budgeting for hundreds or thousands of units.

Which Raspberry Pi modules have avoided the DRAM issue price hikes?

Not every board is affected. Raspberry Pi has kept prices steady on:

For many industrial jobs, such as reading sensors or running a simple display, these lower-memory boards will do the job comfortably.

Is Raspberry Pi still a safe choice for long-term products?

Yes. Raspberry Pi publishes formal obsolescence statements, which set out how long each model will stay in production. This is one of the main reasons OEMs trust it for commercial use.

Model In production until at least
Raspberry Pi 5 January 2036
Compute Module 5 January 2036
Raspberry Pi 4 January 2034
Compute Module 4 January 2034

That said, memory prices are still unpredictable, and nobody can say when they will settle. For a production business, that uncertainty is the real risk. A price rise halfway through a build can wipe out a margin, and a sudden change in supply can hold up a launch.

The DRAM crisis changes what you pay today, not whether the board will be around for the life of your product.

How should industrial buyers plan Raspberry Pi orders during the DRAM crisis?

A few simple decisions will protect your budget and your build schedule.

✓

Match the memory to the job

Memory is now the biggest driver of cost. If your application only reads sensors or runs a basic interface, a 1GB, 2GB or new 3GB board may be all you need, and it will cost far less than a 16GB model.

✓

Design around long-life models

For new products, Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Module 5 give you the longest production window, so you won't need to redesign in a few years.

✓

Use Compute Modules for volume production

The Raspberry Pi Compute Module is built to go inside finished products. You design your own carrier board with just the connectors you need, which keeps your product compact and your costs predictable.

✓

Secure stock for the whole production run

While prices keep moving, buying boards in batches as you go leaves you exposed. Agreeing volumes and pricing up front gives you certainty for the full build.

✓

Buy genuine boards from an approved reseller

When prices rise, grey-market and counterfeit parts tend to follow. Buying through an approved reseller gives you traceable, genuine boards and the paperwork your quality team needs.

Don't forget the parts around the board. Industrial installs also need power supplies and heat management, development board enclosures and DIN rails and accessories to mount everything securely in a panel.

Why buy Raspberry Pi from Rapid?

We're an approved reseller of Raspberry Pi industry products, so every board we supply is genuine and comes straight from the official supply chain.

While memory costs have unsettled the market, we have kept a strong range of Raspberry Pi products, ready for dispatch. That means you can plan a production run with confidence, rather than waiting on uncertain lead times.

For larger orders, our team will put together a quote for your volumes and help you choose the right model and memory size for the job. You'll find the full range, from Raspberry Pi main boards to kits and accessories, on our Raspberry Pi page.

Planning a Raspberry Pi production run?

Tell us the models and volumes you need and we'll come back with a quote that locks in your pricing.

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