Raspberry Pi 400 vs. 500: double the RAM, same microSD habit

The Raspberry Pi 500 can double a Pi 400 owner’s memory without giving that owner an internal SSD. That distinction survives all the comforting family resemblance. One keyboard-shaped computer replaces another, and the little storage card still gets a job.

The Pi 400’s specifications list a 1.8GHz Cortex-A72 and 4GB of RAM. The newer machine pairs a 2.4GHz Cortex-A76 with 8GB. A stopwatch would help more than a calculator here: those are different CPU generations, so dividing their clock speeds won’t produce a useful performance prediction for the apps you actually run.

Raspberry Pi calls the 500 “The refined personal computer.” Its product page also specifies an included 32GB Class A2 card. Refined, yes; the storage purchase still deserves its own conversation (tiny card, big responsibility).

A Raspberry Pi 500 makes the most sense to someone who wants the computer and keyboard to travel as one object. The Pi 400 offers that same convenience. A buyer whose present keyboard computer already does the job needs an actual reason to replace the whole assembly.

Purchase detail	Pi 400	Pi 500	Pi 500+	Pi 5 board
CPU	Cortex-A72, 1.8GHz	Cortex-A76, 2.4GHz	Cortex-A76, 2.4GHz	Cortex-A76, 2.4GHz
RAM	4GB	8GB	16GB	1GB to 16GB options
Included internal SSD	None listed	None listed	256GB NVMe	None listed
Keyboard	Integrated compact	Integrated compact	Integrated mechanical	Separate
SSD expansion described by maker	No internal option listed	No internal option listed	Internal M.2, up to 2280	PCIe interface; adapter required

The Pi 500+ changes more than the memory number. Its mechanical keyboard encloses 16GB of RAM and a replaceable 256GB SSD. Raspberry Pi supplies a tool for opening it and says you can “swap the SSD.” Storage replacement therefore has a documented route, instead of becoming an afternoon spent looking at unused solder pads and making optimistic noises.

The Pi 5 board takes a different approach: an exposed PCIe interface supports an SSD through an additional adapter. Someone who already owns a good keyboard can compare that modular setup with buying another keyboard around the computer. Cases, cooling and adapters need space in that comparison, too.

Current prices deserve particular care. At this reading, the maker lists the Pi 500 unit at $180 and the 500+ from $410. Those are the figures on their current pages, rather than launch prices rescued from an old review. Regional stock and a reseller’s bundle can change the actual receipt.

For a machine shared between projects, the physical arrangement belongs in the purchase decision. An integrated keyboard reduces the number of separate pieces to carry, while a separate board lets the keyboard stay on the desk when the computer moves into another build.

The remaining decision is wonderfully unglamorous: which box keeps the setup simple after purchase. A shared classroom might prefer one integrated object; a workbench might need replaceable parts. Neither use case gets settled by putting the larger model number in the cart.

The plus sign has a storage bill.