Raspberry Pi 3 review: even more performance for $ 36

Delivery set and appearance

Externally, the Raspberry Pi 3 box differs from the packaging of previous versions only by the inscriptions on the back and the logos of the wireless interfaces.

Inside there is a board in an antistatic bag and a couple of pieces of paper (information about the device and instructions for the first start).

The new "Malinka" almost completely repeats the previous versions (except that the first had a soldered analog video output, but in the third model, as in the second, it is implemented through a 4-pin 3.5mm mini-jack).

Small differences can be seen if you look closely. The board has been slightly redesigned from the latest revision of the second version of the Raspberry Pi, all in order to accommodate the tiny Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas.

Raspberry Pi 3: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas

Specifications

Platform	Broadcom BCM2837
CPU	4 × ARM Cortex-A53, 1.2 GHz
Video accelerator	Broadcom VideoCore IV
RAM	1 GB LPDDR2 (900 MHz)
Network	Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
Wi-Fi	2.4GHz 802.11n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.1 (LE)
Persistent memory	microSD
GPIO	40 pin
Ports	HDMI, 3.5 mm, 4 × USB 2.0, Ethernet, Camera Serial Interface (CSI), Display Serial Interface (DSI)

The most important change in the Raspberry Pi 3 is the new 64-bit platform from Broadcom with a higher frequency (1200 MHz versus 900 MHz). Unfortunately, while only an increased frequency is available to users, 64-bit instruction sets have not yet been implemented. Since the core of a single-chip system is still built on the ARMv7 architecture, a separate core is not required - you can use a system from the Raspberry Pi 2 (from the first version it will not work: it is built on ARMv6). To understand the performance: processors based on the same Cortex-A53 base are installed in entry-level and mid-range smartphones.

Another important point for users was the emergence of wireless interfaces soldered on the board. This will save $ 5-15 on individual sticks. It supports work with two types of Bluetooth 4.1: Classic and Low Energy. This will allow you to work with virtually any peripheral, including headsets, mice, keyboards, and home media systems.

In order to save money and ensure compatibility with the Wi-Fi platform, it is represented by a single-band module supporting the 802.11n standard, providing data transmission up to 150 Mbps. There is only one antenna, so higher speeds are not available to users.

The set of wired interfaces and their layout have not changed. All the same two pairs of USB 2.0, microUSB for connecting power and peripherals, HDMI and 3.5 mm jack for outputting a digital or analog stream. According to the manufacturer, the implementation of work with GPIO, CSI and DSI has not been changed, so reinstalling the drivers is not required.

Operating systems and software

Raspberry Pi 3 is supported by a standard set of operating systems, including (the official Debian variant), as well as Debian Wheezy, Ubuntu MATE, Fedora Remix. Raspbian today has a ton of applications for learning and programming in Python (the main language for working with Raspberry), a free version of Wolfram Mathematica.

Standard shells for the media center are presented and. The proprietary distribution kit works on the third-version board in the same way, via PowerShell, with support for only 32-bit applications. All these operating systems have long been familiar to enthusiasts, they are perfectly updated and are not of particular interest in the framework of the review.

The Raspberry Pi 3 works with other systems as well. Firstly, this is Android TV, which we wrote about recently. It works only on the third version of the board, and no downgrade is expected yet. With Android TV installed, you can get a very cheap but stable and energy efficient home media center.

Secondly, the Chromium OS distribution. We can talk endlessly about the possibilities of Chromium. This distribution updates as quickly as the official system for Chromebooks. And, perhaps, it is for her that the future of Raspberry as a home device - a desktop or stand computer, a server or base for a smart home.

Performance

According to the company's claims, the increase in productivity due to the platform change looks like this:

open-electronics.org

The change in energy consumption also looks impressive:

OVERVIEW: Raspberry Pi 3 - Media Center and Programming Teacher

Unfortunately, due to the increased frequencies, the heating of the board has increased significantly. Some tests show that the processor can reach 101 ° C. True, the developers have effectively implemented throttling (lowering the operating frequency when heated). But additional cooling, albeit passive, is still required.

Compared to previous versions of Raspberry, the performance has really improved. How is this expressed?

The RAM is sufficient for continuous operation with standard applications for the board.
Working with the graphical interface (GUI) is done without lags and ladders.
Work in office NIX editors is possible even with heavy documents.
Quake III at maximum settings gives about 90 FPS.
If there is no hardware decoding, YouTube videos are played at 480p, when hardware decoding is enabled, videos up to 1080p are played.

Network bandwidth (wired and wireless):

Comparison with competitors

With built-in wireless interfaces, the purchase of the Raspberry Pi 3 will be more profitable than previous versions. Previously, you had to buy separate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sticks that work without installing drivers. They provide speeds similar to integrated chips, but increase the cost of the design by at least $ 5 for each module.

The increased performance compared to most analogs, such as Raspberry Pi 2, Orange Pi, Banana Pi, allows you to use the third Malinka as a real desktop, which most other devices are not capable of.

Thus, the Raspberry Pi 3 is the most promising platform for radio amateurs, fan programmers, and even DIYers at the price of $ 1. On it you can not only build some simple device, but also learn how to program and work with microcontrollers.