Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB: Is It Still Worth Buying in 2026?

Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago when Eben Upton first announced the 8GB version of the Pi 4 back in 2020. People went nuts. It was the first time we saw a "credit card sized" computer packing more RAM than many budget laptops of that era. Fast forward to now, and the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB occupies a weird, legendary spot in the maker community. It’s the workhorse that refused to retire, even after the Pi 5 hit the shelves with its flashy PCIe lane and faster silicon.

But here’s the thing.

You might be looking at one on a shelf or in a digital cart and wondering if you're buying "old tech." You aren't. Not really. The 8GB variant specifically changed the game because it moved the Pi from being a "toy for scripts" to a legitimate server-grade tool. When you have 8 gigabytes of LPDDR4 memory, the bottleneck is rarely the RAM; it’s usually your imagination or your microSD card’s read/write speed.

Why the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB actually changed things

Before this specific model, we were all stuck in 1GB, 2GB, or maybe 4GB territory. That was fine for a RetroPie setup or a simple Pi-hole. But the moment the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB dropped, the conversation shifted to "Can I run a 64-bit OS and host a dozen Docker containers?" The answer was a resounding yes.

The heart of this thing is the Broadcom BCM2711. It's a quad-core Cortex-A72. By today's standards, it won't win a drag race against a modern smartphone, but for 24/7 low-power consumption? It’s a beast. It’s incredibly efficient. It’s also the first Pi that gave us dual 4K micro-HDMI outputs, though, if we're being real, trying to drive two 4K displays at once for desktop use is a bit of a stretch for the GPU. It works, but it's not exactly buttery smooth.

I’ve seen people use these to run full Home Assistant instances with heavy video processing for cameras, and the 8GB of RAM is exactly what keeps the system from swapping to the SD card and killing it. That’s a huge deal. Memory swap is the silent killer of storage media. With 8GB, you can basically disable swap entirely for most projects.

The thermal reality nobody likes to talk about

If you buy a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB, do not—I repeat, do not—run it naked.

The Pi 4 was notorious for "Thermal Throttling." When it first launched, the firmware was a bit unoptimized, and the board would get hot enough to cook an egg (okay, maybe not an egg, but it hit 80°C easily). While later firmware updates improved power management, that 8GB chip and the SoC still need air. You need a heatsink. Better yet, you need a Flirc case or an Argon ONE.

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If you're pushing the RAM with a heavy database or a Minecraft server, the heat builds up fast. Once you hit that 80°C limit, the clock speed drops from 1.5GHz (or 1.8GHz on newer revisions) down to 1GHz or lower. You're paying for 8GB of "pro" performance; don't let a $5 piece of aluminum be the reason you don't get it.

Where the Pi 4 8GB beats the Pi 5

This sounds like heresy. How can the older model be better?

Well, it’s about the ecosystem and the power draw. The Raspberry Pi 5 is a power hog. It needs a 5V/5A power supply to really unlock its potential, and it almost requires an active fan because it runs even hotter than the 4. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB is much more forgiving. You can run it off a standard high-quality USB-C charger in most cases.

Also, the HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) compatibility is virtually perfect on the Pi 4. Because the Pi 5 changed the physical layout and introduced a new I/O controller (the RP1), some older, niche expansion boards struggle. The Pi 4 is the most "stable" platform in history. Every library, every Python script, every weird driver for a 3.5-inch touch screen—they all work on the Pi 4.

Real-world use cases that actually justify the 8GB

Is 8GB overkill? Sometimes. If you're just making a weather station, yes, it's a waste of money. Buy the 2GB version. But for these specific tasks, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB is the minimum I'd recommend:

1. Local LLMs (Large Language Models): You aren't going to run GPT-4 on this. But you can run tiny models like TinyLlama or quantized versions of Mistral. RAM is the currency of AI. Without 8GB, you aren't even in the game.
2. Media Servers (Plex/Jellyfin): If you have multiple people streaming and the Pi needs to transcode or even just manage a massive metadata library, that RAM keeps the UI snappy.
3. Proxmox or K3s: If you’re into homelabbing and want to run a Kubernetes cluster, the 8GB model is the only one that makes sense. Container overhead adds up fast.
4. Desktop Replacement: If you're using Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) as a daily driver, opening Chromium with 10 tabs will eat 4GB of RAM before you even finish your coffee. The 8GB model gives you breathing room.

What most people get wrong about the 8GB version

There’s a common myth that the 8GB version is "faster" than the 4GB version.

It isn't. Not in terms of raw CPU cycles.

If you run a single-threaded Python script that calculates Pi to a billion digits, it will finish at the exact same time on a 2GB model as it does on the 8GB model. RAM is like a desk. A bigger desk doesn't make you write faster, it just lets you have more books open at the same time without having to put them back on the shelf.

Another thing: the 64-bit vs 32-bit debate. To actually use all 8GB in a single process, you must use a 64-bit operating system. If you stick with the old 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS, a single program can only address about 3GB of RAM. You can still use the rest for other programs, but it’s like having a big bucket and only being allowed to use a small ladle. Use the 64-bit version. Seriously.

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Technical Specifications (The Non-Boring Version)

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB uses a 28nm process for its chip. This is old compared to 5nm or 3nm chips in your phone, but it’s "robust."

• SoC: Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz to 1.8GHz.
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM.
• Connectivity: Dual-band 2.4/5.0 GHz wireless LAN, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE.
• Ethernet: True Gigabit Ethernet. No more sharing bandwidth with USB ports like on the Pi 3.
• USB: Two USB 3.0 ports (blue) and two USB 2.0 ports (black).

One specific detail often missed: the 8GB model actually required a slight redesign of the power circuitry on the board to handle the power requirements of the larger RAM chip. It’s arguably the most "refined" version of the Pi 4 PCB.

The "Silicon Lottery" and Overclocking

You can usually overclock the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB to 2.0GHz or even 2.147GHz if you're lucky. This narrows the gap between it and the Pi 5. To do this, you just edit the config.txt file. It’s a rite of passage for many. But again, you need a fan. If you try to hit 2.0GHz without active cooling, you'll just trigger the thermal governor and end up slower than when you started.

Actionable Steps for New Owners

If you've just picked up a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB, don't just flash an SD card and call it a day.

First, look into USB Boot. MicroSD cards are the weakest link. They are slow and they fail. Since the Pi 4 supports USB 3.0, you can plug in a cheap SATA SSD with a USB adapter and boot the entire OS from there. The performance jump is staggering. Your boot times will drop from 45 seconds to 10 seconds. Apps will launch instantly.

Second, check your power supply. Don't use a random "phone charger." Most phone chargers are designed to negotiate voltage and might drop to 4.8V under load. The Pi hates this. It will show a "low voltage" warning (that little lightning bolt icon) and throttle the CPU. Get the official Raspberry Pi 15W USB-C power supply. It’s ugly, but it’s rock solid.

Third, choose your OS wisely. For most, the official Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) is the way to go. But if you're building a server, look at Ubuntu Server or DietPi. DietPi is particularly great because it’s stripped down and lets you dedicate every bit of that 8GB RAM to your actual tasks rather than background fluff.

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Finally, join the community. Whether it's the official forums or the r/raspberry_pi subreddit, someone has already solved the problem you're about to have. The beauty of the Pi 4 8GB isn't just the hardware; it's the ten million people who have already written the documentation for it.

Practical Next Steps

1. Verify your revision: Run cat /proc/cpuinfo in the terminal. If the revision is d03114, you have the 8GB model.
2. Update the bootloader: Use the raspi-config tool to ensure you’re running the latest stable firmware to get the best power management.
3. Stress test: Install stress-ng and monitor your temps with vcgencmd measure_temp to see if your cooling solution is actually working.
4. Set up an SSD: Move your filesystem from the SD card to a USB 3.0 SSD for a massive longevity and speed boost.