Hey @Paolo26,
In addition to @Wheaten advice:
When deciding between the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Raspberry Pi 5, it’s important to consider the differences in power requirements, especially if you’re planning to use it for VolumioOS or some other media-focused applications.
The Raspberry Pi 4 typically requires a 5V, 3A power supply to function reliably, especially under load with peripherals connected (e.g., USB DACs, external storage, etc.). Many users already have suitable power supplies for the Pi 4, but lower-quality adapters can cause instability, so it’s worth ensuring you have a good one.
The Raspberry Pi 5, however, steps things up a bit. It officially requires a USB-C power supply rated at 5V, 5A (25W), especially when using the PCIe interface or running heavier workloads. The additional power is due to its upgraded SoC, faster clock speeds, more powerful GPU, and support for PCIe peripherals. If you’re upgrading from a Pi 4, it’s likely you’ll need to replace your power supply unless you already have one that meets these specifications.
Additionally, the Pi 5 supports soft power control (on/off via software or GPIO), which can be an advantage for some setups. However, this also means that if your PSU can’t handle the required power consistently, you might face issues like crashes or reboots during high-demand usage.
For Volumio use cases, the choice between the two will depend on your requirements:
- If you’re using Volumio primarily for basic music playback and don’t need the Pi 5’s additional performance, the Pi 4 remains an excellent, more power-efficient option.
- If you plan to run plugins, handle large music libraries, or use advanced setups (e.g., multi-zone audio, high-resolution streaming), the Pi 5’s extra processing power might justify the higher power consumption.
Ultimately, weigh up your need for the Pi 5’s features against the cost of upgrading your power supply and the slightly higher running power consumption. For a simple Volumio setup, the Pi 4 may remain the sweet spot for now.
Kind Regards,