Raspberry Pi 400 vs. Raspberry Pi 4: Which Is Best For You

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B was released in June 2019 with a 1.5 GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 processor, on-board 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, full gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and dual-monitor support via a pair of micro HDMI ports for up to 4K resolution.

Raspberry Pi 400 was released in November 2020. It is a Raspberry Pi 4 built into a compact keyboard. Because it is a Raspberry Pi 4, the Raspberry Pi 400 has almost the exact specifications as the Raspberry Pi 4, with 4 GB of memory.

As such, it also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There are some differences, however. In short, the Raspberry Pi 400 is quite a powerful keyboard computer with Wi-Fi and USB.

Raspberry Pi 400 & Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Specs

Since the Raspberry Pi 400 is based on the Raspberry Pi 4, most computer features are the same.

	Raspberry Pi 400	Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
Release Date	November 2020	June 2019
SoC Type (Processor)	Broadcom BCM2711C0	Broadcom BCM2711B0
Core Type	Quad Core Cortex-A72 64-bit (ARM v8)	Quad Core Cortex-A72 64-bit (ARM v8)
CPU Clock	1.8 GHz	1.5 GHz
GPU	VideoCore VI	VideoCore VI
Audio Output	HDMI	HDMI or 3.5mm Audio & Video Jack
Memory/OS storage	microSD or USB Boot	microSD or USB Boot
RAM	LPDDR4: 4GB	LPDDR4: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB
Ethenet	Gigabit Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet
USB Port	2 x USB 3.0 + 1 x USB 2.0	2 x USB 3.0 + 2 x USB 2.0
HDMI	2 x microHDMI support Dual Display (up to 1 x 4Kp60 or 2 x 4Kp30)	2 x microHDMI support Dual Display (up to 1 x 4Kp60 or 2 x 4Kp30)
WiFi	IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz+5GHz)	IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz+5GHz)
Bluetooth	5.0 + BLE	5.0 + BLE
GPIO	40-pin Header	40-pin Header
Thermal Performance	Built-in Heatsink	NA
Power Input	5V via USB Type C (up to 3A)	5V via USB Type C (up to 3A) 5V via GPIO header (up to 3A)
DSI Port	NA	1mm pitch 15-pin Port
CSI Port	NA	1mm pitch 15-pin Port
Kensington Lock	Ready	NA

You might notice in the Pi 400’s specs a new, higher default clock speed than you get with the year-old Pi 4 Model B. It’s clocked at 1.8 GHz out of the box, while the Pi 4 Model B is at 1.5 GHz.

But you can overclock a Pi 4 to that level quickly, given adequate cooling.

However, the Pi 400, with its overclocked CPU, can a little better handle more CPU-intensive tasks like opening multiple internet tabs, streaming videos, and multitasking.

Other differences are that the Raspberry Pi 400 only offers HDMI for audio output, whereas the Pi 4 also has a 3.5mm audio and video jack. There’s also one fewer USB 2.0 port on the Raspberry Pi 400. 

Price

There are two packages for the Raspberry Pi 400: the basic and the complete kit, for $70 and $100, respectively.

The basic kit includes only Raspberry Pi 400 in itself. The extra $30 (complete kit) gets you:

• Raspberry Pi 400
• USB mouse
• USB-C power supply
• SD card with Raspberry Pi OS pre-installed
• micro HDMI cable for the display
• Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide.

On the other hand, the Raspberry Pi 4 4GB RAM costs $55.

Is the Raspberry Pi 400 for you?

The Raspberry Pi 400 is a well-designed, easy-to-use cheap computer to surf the Internet with. Its nice looks will attract users who, up to now, might have been intimidated by the bare Raspberry Pi boards. It is a great general purpose computer-in-a-keyboard.

You can use the Pi 400 like you would use a regular Raspberry Pi 4. Which is best for you depends on what you’re going to do. So, is the Raspberry Pi 400 for you?

The answer is simple: If you want a Raspberry Pi to use as a traditional computer, you want the Raspberry Pi 400. 

But Raspberry Pi 400 isn’t a device for hardware hackers. As Raspberry Pi notes in the user manual:

There are no user-serviceable parts inside Raspberry Pi 400, and opening the unit is likely to damage the product and will invalidate the warranty.

Overall, the Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 400 perform the same. You can use the Pi 400 or the Pi 4 to do the same things because they’re essentially the same except for the keyboard that doubles as an enclosure. Which one to use is up to you.