Blame it on AI? This computer maker is forced to increase device prices once again

Several Raspberry Pi models remained “untouched” by the recent price hike.

The memory and storage chips, driven by the rise of AI, seem to further affect the prices of products that rely on them.

Raspberry Pi, which became known for its “accessible and affordable” computers built into a keyboard, recently announced price increases for some of its products.

The organization’s CEO, Eben Upton, shared that they are raising pricing for “all Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, and Compute Module 4 and 5, products that have 2GB or more of memory.”

This is the second time Raspberry Pi has hiked the prices of its products, which last year affected some Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 computers.

In the blog post, Upton shared that the affected models also include the Compute Module 4 and 5, as well as products with 2GB or more of memory.

The company notes that while the Raspberry Pi 500 and Raspberry Pi 500+ (starting at $260) are also affected, its Raspberry Pi 400 can still be bought for $60.

The products with 1GB of memory aren’t affected by the price spike either.

Nevertheless, the prices of products with 2GB boards will increase by $10, 4GB by $15, 8GB by $30, and 16GB by $60.

Raspberry Pi isn’t the only company affected by the need to raise RAM prices. Among such companies are Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and more.

The rise of AI and the release of more advanced models that provide users with more capable, personalized answers sparked concerns that there would not be enough RAM to keep up with AI demand.

There are three main companies that produce RAM: Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics. As demand for RAM has increased, it has become harder for these companies to meet it.

The situation also affected users who decided it was time to purchase a new computer. It has been previously reported that entry-level PCs have now reached $1000, up from $600 a year ago.

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