5 best Raspberry Pi kits of 2024

Although it can be complicated for beginners, the Raspberry Pi kit comes with the necessary accessories and peripherals, which comes in handy when trying to create a Raspberry Pi setup.

Canakit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit

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Featuring the newest and most powerful Raspberry Pi available today, the Canakit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit is ideal for beginners and advanced users who want the best Raspberry Pi experience money can buy.

This kit includes a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, compatible plastic case, Samsung 128GB microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS pre-installed, USB SD card reader, two micro-HDMI to HDMI cables and USB-C power PD. The Raspberry Pi 5 runs hotter than the Pi 4, so this kit includes a case fan and heatsink to reduce temperatures when using the Pi.

Unfortunately, the kit does not include instructions in the box. There are some issues with the case and the heatsink is a bit loose, but overall the kit is a great package that shows off what the Raspberry Pi ecosystem has to offer.

CanaKit Pi Zero 2 W Basic Kit

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The Pi Zero 2 W Basic Kit is another great option from CanaKit. It features the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, the cheapest Raspberry Pi single-board computer and offers the ability to participate in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem at a low cost. It's not chock-full of peripherals, but you get the essentials to get started.

The basic kit comes with a 2 W Raspberry Pi Zero, 2.5A power supply, heatsink and official Raspberry Pi Zero case. There's no preloaded microSD card or HDMI cable, but it comes with a quick start guide and GPIO header reference sheet. While you won't get the fastest desktop experience, CanaKit's Zero 2 W Basic kit can be a good way to test out the Raspberry Pi before shelling out money for a more powerful kit.

Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

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While there are worthy alternatives from third-party sources, the official Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit offers incredible value. It includes a Raspberry Pi 4 single-board computer and a hard-copy beginner's guide in the box, along with any other peripherals needed to complete the desktop setup (in addition to the HDMI display). .

In the kit, you will find Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB, 4GB or 8GB versions), keyboard, mouse, two micro-HDMI-to-HDMI cables, 15.3W USB-C power supply, a case , the official beginner's guide, and a 16GB microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS pre-installed. This guide is quite comprehensive and covers everything a beginner needs to set up and use the Raspberry Pi 4.

The only real challenge with this set is the included case. It is not designed to work with a heatsink or cooling fan, and the cover must be removed if you plan to run any heavy workloads on the Raspberry Pi.

Sunfounder Raspberry Pi Pico W Starter Kit

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Unlike the other options on this list, the Sun founder Raspberry Pi Pico W Ultimate Starter Kit does not provide a desktop experience. Instead, it provides a set of hands-on tools for beginners of all ages to learn programming and tinker with electronics. The SunFounder kit features a Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller and contains many electronic components that can be used in a variety of projects.

It also includes a series of 27 video lessons from hardware expert Paul McWhorter. The videos are easy to follow and will be helpful for beginners and even more advanced users. These include working with the Pico W microcontroller and programming to perform various operations through user-written code.

The Raspberry Pi Pico W comes with pre-soldered headers, and all you need is a breadboard, some wiring, and other electronic parts to make your next invention. Other components that can be found in this kit include LEDs, LCD screens, buzzers, sensors, actuators, resistors, transistors, capacitors, and other devices that can act as part of an electronic circuit.

GeeekPi Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Starter Kit

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If you like emulating retro games, the GeeekPi Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit gives you the tools you need to create a Raspberry Pi gaming system capable of emulating consoles such as PS1, NES, SNES, Dreamcast and others. various arcades through MAME. Playing retro games on the Raspberry Pi is a world of its own and you will need to know about ROMs and distributions for emulators.

In this kit, you'll find a NES-style case that comes with a built-in cooling fan, a 128GB microSD card to store all your games, a USB microSD card reader, an 18W power supply, two cables micro-HDMI-to-HDMI and Raspberry Pi 4 8GB. The case is designed to provide easy access to all ports but covers the GPIO header.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 30 March 2024