5 ways to make good use of Raspberry Pi 4

With the advantage of low input costs and ease of use, Raspberry Pi quickly became one of the most popular single-computer computers after its initial release. One of the reasons Raspberry Pi is not widely used is its modest hardware parameters.

That has changed with the release of Raspberry Pi 4. This latest model has the strongest hardware version, opening up completely new categories of what you can do with the application.

1. Desktop computer

Technically, you can always run the Raspberry Pi as a desktop computer, but older versions aren't strong enough. With the Raspberry Pi 4, not only is the hardware generally faster, but you also have a pair of HDMI micro ports that can run two 4K monitors.

Maximum RAM up to 4GB, running with 2 monitors and connecting to one or two external hard drives, you have a relatively stable computer. You cannot run complex 3D modeling software, at least in super fast speed, but definitely enough to handle common computing tasks.

2. Homemade Media Streaming Box

Although the quality of streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV and Roku is getting better and better, you can completely build a streaming box of your own. Updated hardware and 4K screens make the Pi completely suitable for building a 4K streaming box.

Just install the Linux distribution you choose and add the Open Source Media Center (OSMC), so you can use the streaming box made from the Raspberry Pi 4 already.

3. Retro gaming machine

Older versions of Raspberry Pi were able to play classic games with the help of the RetroPie project. You can still play all those old games, but with updated hardware specs, you can use more hardware emulators to play your old games.

You can start by choosing to install the emulator instead of using RetroPie. You will be surprised how many old games you can run on this new hardware.

Further reference: Things you need to know about retro gaming on Raspberry Pi.

4. Digital audio player

If you have a digital music collection, all you need is a Raspberry Pi and a USB DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) converter and you'll own a hi-res player for your hi-fi system. me

You can do this with earlier Raspberry Pi versions, but with the latest hardware, the software will decode high bit rate files more easily.

5. Steam Link box

Valve stopped providing its own independent Steam Link device, but that doesn't mean you can't play PC games on TV. With Pi 4 and some software, you won't have to move your PC into the living room to play those games on TV.

All you need to do is install the Steam Link application from Valve's website. The Raspberry Pi team even tried it on their own and was satisfied with the results.

Of course, these 5 ideas are just a few of the many options you can make to make good use of Raspberry Pi 4. If you were thinking about using Raspberry Pi for a previous project but didn't see it is strong enough, you may want to try again with Pi 4. This tiny computer has a hidden power in itself, and now that power is even greater.

However, pressing Raspberry Pi works at the highest level of performance that can make it hot. If you want to make sure it runs as long as possible, check out TipsMake.com 's tutorial on how to keep your Raspberry Pi cool.

Good luck!