4 GB or 8 GB? I had a 4 GB notebook with NoScript in the Web browser to block most Javascript. Usage hovered around 2.6 GB. But new Web sites use more and more Javascript as that moves the processing load from their servers down to your Web browser. My current usage after a clean boot and just three tabs open is 3.6 GB. 4 GB will not last long. You will need 8 GB in the useful life of your next purchase.best value Pi for browsing
Pi 4 or 5? In our local shop, the Pi 5 8 GB is just a few dollars more than the Pi 4 8 GB. The Pi 5 power supply is a significant jump in cost. There was a recent price drop on the Pi 4 power. Your local shop might be different. The tiny price difference makes the Pi 5 8 GB an insanely better value than a Pi 4 8 GB. Any future expansion is many times better.
microSD card slot speed is twice as fast as Pi 4. The best microSD cards can supply that speed. It makes a noticeable difference when booted from microSD.
You can move up to NVMe at PCIe 3 speed. There are low cost adaptors for 2280 size NVMe SSDs left over from upgrades. 512 GB SSD free after someone upgraded to a bigger SSD. The extra speed when booted from NVMe makes the world's most sluggish Javascripted Web site fast even with NoScript switched off.
My Pi 5 runs happily with very cheap copper heatsinks.
My Pi 5 can run LibreOffice at a decent speed even with big documents. None of the random slowdowns you get in a Pi 4.
I have a fast Intel notebook for heavy lifting and never use my Pi 4 for more than things like file servers. My Pi 5 booted from NVMe at PCIe 3 speed is the only Pi that can compete. Youtube and things like that work as cleanly in the Pi 5 as in the notebook. If your supplier has prices like ours, get the Pi 5. An investment that will last 5 years instead of 2.
Statistics: Posted by peterlite — Thu Oct 30, 2025 11:39 pm