See also: Best DIY computer kits you can buy
Raspberry Pi 3 release date
The RPi 3 is available to buy from 29 February – the fourth anniversary of the launch of the original.
Raspberry Pi 3 price
You can buy a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B from various places – it costs £30 from PiHut, £29.99 from NewIT, £31.66 from CPC and £29.99 from ModMyPi
Raspberry Pi 3 specs
Here are the highlights:
1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU (~10x the performance of Raspberry Pi 1)Integrated 802.11n wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.11GB RAM4x USB portsFull size HDMI outputMicroSD slotMicroUSB port for power40-pin extended GPIO4 pole Stereo output and Composite video portCSI camera port for connecting the Raspberry Pi cameraComplete compatibility with Raspberry Pi 1 and 2DSI display port for connecting the Raspberry Pi touch screen display
The 10x figure comes from a multi-threaded benchmark like SysBench. RPi says real-world apps will see between a 2.5x and 20x performance boost over the first-gen board. The older models will still be on sale – the Raspberry Pi doesn’t replace them. The connections are in the same place as the second-gen model and the board can still be powered by a 5V micro-USB power adapter. Raspberry Pi recommends a 2.5A adapter if you’re going to be connecting power-hungry USB devices to the Raspberry Pi. See also: Best Rasperry Pi starter kits and How to set up a Raspberry Pi 3 on a Mac Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
