Table of Contents
Overview
The Raspberry-Pi 400 is the latest offering of the now legendary Pi family. It’s well equipped, right out of the box, boasting a fast quad-core CPU and DDR4 memory. The computer is built into a keyboard that is a bit reminiscent of the Commodore computers from the 1980’s.
Starting at just $70 for the system itself, and just $100 for the entire kit, the Pi-400 represents an excellent value in computing. The full kit includes the power supply, mouse, mini-HDMI cable, and SD card (with preinstalled OS).
The Pi400 features a sleek look, low profile, and powerful ARM processor. The board in this keyboard-computer is based on the Pi4+, which achieved a high level of critical success. So, the Pi400 is a new form factor based on a very well-matured SBC (Single Board Computer) platform.
The CPU clock frequencies in this machine differ from the standard Pi4+ in that it has a 1.8ghz clock speed vs the Pi4+’s 1.5ghz, giving it a little extra ‘oomph.’ Much like the Commodore PCs this system was inspired by, the Pi 400 uses a large shield in the enclosure that acts as an effective passive cooling solution, which gives it better cooling and performance than the other Pi4 variants, hence the higher clock speeds achieved on the same CPU.
Specifications:
- 1.8 GHz Quad-Core 64-bit ARMv8 Broadcom BCM2711 (Cortex-A72) SoC
- 4GB LPDDR4-3200 Memory
- 2x Mini-HDMI Ports
- 1x USB 2.0 & 2x USB 3.0 ports
- 40-pin GPIO Header (Accessible in the rear of the enclosure)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Dual-band 802.11 AC Wifi
- Bluetooth 5.0 with LE (Low Energy) Support
- Chiclet Style Keyboard
The Keyboard
The keyboard feels great for the price, and honestly, it’s a lot nicer than a lot of laptop keyboards I have used. It has good key travel and feel, but it can feel a bit cramped, as it’s a compact 78-key layout. The Pi400 also has another really useful feature that is not present on other Pi4 models, and that is its built-in power button. The power button can be accessed by holding the FN + F10 keys. You won’t have to worry about improperly shutting down your system in this manner, by the way, as both Pi desktop OS and retroPie use included shutdown scripts to ensure a safe shutdown, making power-cycling the Pi400 as easy as pressing a button.
Installation
Installation was a breeze. Using Pi Etcher to install Operating System to an SD card was a simple process. Once you do that, the Pi400 is ready to go. If you buy the kit, it includes an SD card with NOOBS OS pre-installed. This included SD card boots into a graphics environment that allows you to download and install myriad PI400 compatible operating systems.
Performance
The Pi400 is just as capable as the Pi4, great for browsing the Internet, Streaming Videos, Writing Documents, Coding, and Retro Game Emulation. While it is capable of 4k playback I did find that it struggled at times to play 4k smoothly on the few operating systems that supported it and would have stutters while it was rendering full screen.
Software
I used Ubuntu to write this review, but I also tested Pi Desktop OS, Ubuntu Mate, RISCOS, RetroPie and Windows 10 IOT Arm. In all instances, other than for Windows 10 (which is in an alpha-state and not officially supported), the Pi400 worked like a champ. I was able to browse the internet and watch Youtube videos in 720p flawlessly, though 1080p YouTube performance was a bit lacking, showing some stutter on load, but nothing impactful. 4k is not supported on Pi Desktop OS, but it is on Ubuntu. Using the most popular linux distribution, I saw impactful stuttering on playback (It paused every 30 seconds or so).
The Current State of Windows Support
The Windows 10 install is not recommended for the average user. It is buggy and unstable, and almost entirely lacks driver support in its current state. It does, however, show the capability of this tiny machine as a potential Windows-based thin-client, which could serve as a Kiosk or other IoT role.
Google Classroom worked surprisingly well with Ubuntu 20.04. My son was able to use the Pi400 to complete his daily work. A webcam is required for some of the schoolwork, and as the Pi400 does not include a webcam or soundcard, we used a Logitech 920 webcam w/ built-in mic, relying on the audio coming from the Pi400’s HDMI output for sound. A USB headset or adapter would work just as well.
With the Pi400, my son was able to attend live classes, and having it on a large screen helped him focus better than the school-issued Chromebook. Another perk of the Pi400 is that unlike the family PC, there are no Fortnite or Subnautica icons to tempt him. An excellent use-case for budget-constrained families in these perilous times.
Conclusion
The Pi400 is a great entry-point into SBCs (Single Board Computers). If you or a child is interested in learning about electronics, coding, or even just basic computing, this is the product for you. It’s great for software development, and the included 40-pin GPIO header allows a way for your programs to interface with the outside world. Because of this, the Pi400 is great for the development of electronics and many other projects. The all-in-one design keyboard-based design makes getting set up simple, and if you buy the kit, you will have everything you need right out of the box for just $100.
1080P Spider Video
Multitasking
Top running with video @720p
Stock Open Box from eBay
Notes:
Pi OS Desktop has, by far, the best support and seems to run the smoothest overall. It does not, however, like 2 or more 720P videos running simultaneously.
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