Raspberry Pi has raised prices on many Pi 4, Pi 5, and Compute Module models as memory costs surge in 2026, undermining its once-low-cost SBC positioning.
A few years ago I installed Linux on a $40 used Chromebook with 4gb RAM. It runs Blender, Freecad, Minecraft, Celeste, Portal, Kdenlive, etc perfectly acceptably. It has CPU performance a tiny bit worse than the Pi 5, but is x86 and comes with a mouse, keyboard, battery, etc.
I don’t think comparing performance over used PCs is ever going to be favorable for a pi, I think the reasons to get one are reliability, gpio, and the small form factor.
I linuxed a $50 Chromebook & I use it to do sketchy shit that I don’t want to try on my main rig.
“Hey, I found a flashdrive at the park! Let’s plug it into the ChromeBurner”!
A few years ago I installed Linux on a $40 used Chromebook with 4gb RAM. It runs Blender, Freecad, Minecraft, Celeste, Portal, Kdenlive, etc perfectly acceptably. It has CPU performance a tiny bit worse than the Pi 5, but is x86 and comes with a mouse, keyboard, battery, etc.
I don’t think comparing performance over used PCs is ever going to be favorable for a pi, I think the reasons to get one are reliability, gpio, and the small form factor.
I linuxed a $50 Chromebook & I use it to do sketchy shit that I don’t want to try on my main rig. “Hey, I found a flashdrive at the park! Let’s plug it into the ChromeBurner”!