The Raspberry Pi kit is something that entails a couple of products in place to support the Raspberry Pi or other functional systems. The Raspberry Pi is a Linux based OS system microcontroller that has provided an opportunity for those who cannot bear the cost of expensive computer systems but still want to learn and progress with the world. Labists Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit is trending product to techie in today’s world. It comes with specially Designed Premium Raspberry Pi 4 Case that offers your Raspberry Pi good protection. Easy access to raspberry pi camera module, power, audio/video, USB, LAN, micro SD card, and HDMI connector, enough space for fan and gap to dissipate heat. Get details in Labists Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit review.
Pros & Cons – Labists Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit
Pros
- Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB (a powerhouse)
- Everything you need included (memory card, adapter for writing to it, heatsinks, case, fan, instructions)
- 2 mHDMI-to-HDMI cables
- AC adapter has inline power switch
Cons
- Fan is noisy; a better pick (preferably larger, with a case that could accomodate it) would be a plus
- Case built in fan grille looks nice, but contributes to the noise issue.
- Apps still haven’t been made fully optimized for the Raspberry Pi 4B (they will be). This is not a knock on the kit, but if you’re not looking for high-end video playback, a Raspberry Pi 3B+ may also do what you want (I wanted the new video processing capabilities).
What’s a Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a credit card-size microcomputer board that you can get for approximately $35. It has everything a normal computer has: a processor, RAM and ports to plug a monitor, mouse and keyboard, and to connect to the internet.
Which one is better – Raspberry Pi 4 vs Raspberry Pi 3 B+?
The Raspberry Pi 4 is the most recent revision of the Raspberry Pi board and that’s the one you should buy in 2020 (the previous board released was the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+). You can take a look at the following table for a comparison between the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.
| RPI MODEL | RPI 3 B+ | RPI 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | ARM v8-A 64-bit | ARM v8-A 64-bit |
| SoC | Broadcom BCM2837B0 | Broadcom BCM2711 |
| CPU | 1.4 GHz 64-bitquad-core ARM Cortex-A53 | 1.5 GHz 64-bitquad-core ARM Cortex-A72 |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM | 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on model) |
| Wireless LAN | 2.4GHz and 5GHz | 2.4GHz and 5GHz |
| Bluetooth | Blutooth 4.2 and BLE | Blutooth 5.0 and BLE |
| Supports PoE | ✓(requires separate PoE HAT) | ✓(requires separate PoE HAT) |
| GPIOs | 40 | 40 |
| Ports | HDMI, 3.5mm analogue audio-video jack, 4x USB 2.0, Ethernet, Camera Serial Interface (CSI), Display Serial Interface (DSI) | 2x micro HDMI, 3.5 mm analogue audio-video jack, 2x USB 3.0, and 2x USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, Camera Serial Interface (CSI), Display Serial Interface (DSI) |
The Raspberry Pi 4 offers a choice of memory capacities. You can get a Pi with 1GB, 2G or 4GB of RAM.
Does Labists Raspberry come with these accessories?
While you can buy a bare board, there are several accessories one needs to get started, including a power supply and a microSD card with Raspbian, the official Pi OS, installed.
Even though the included microSD card has the operating system preloaded, Labists throws in a USB card reader you can use to modify this or other cards from your PC. Considering that standalone USB card readers cost $7 to $10, that’s a nice throw-in. There’s also a screwdriver to help you put the case together.
When you do the math and figure out what each of the included pieces costs, the Labists Raspberry Pi 4 kit looks like a steal. Here’s a rough estimate of what all of these things would cost if bought separately.
- Raspberry Pi 4 B (4GB): $55. The MSRP for the top-end Pi 4 is $55, but most stores, including Amazon, sell it at a higher price.
- 32GB microSD card: You can find a blank card on sale for $5 to $6 and download the OS yourself, but one with NOOBS (the operating system installer) preloaded goes for $18.
- micro HDMI to HDMI cables: You need these to connect the Pi 4 B to one or two monitors. At minimum, these cost $6 or $7 and the cheapest two-pack we’ve seen is $11.
- Raspberry Pi case with fan and heatsinks: Usually $10 to $15.
- USB-C Power adapter: Usually $10 to $15. And most phone chargers won’t cut it, because the PI 4 B requires at least 3 amps and 5 volts of output.
- microSD USB Card Reader: At least $7, though most of these also read full-size SD cards (not that you need to).
Altogether, the value of these parts is, at least $115. I’m not even going to consider the value of the screwdriver, because most people already have one.
The Labists Raspberry Pi 4 kit is a fantastic gift, even for people who already own older Raspberry Pi models, because they likely don’t have the power adapter or micro HDMI cables or case. You’re getting the top-of-the-line Pi and everything you need to get rolling with it. It comes with 32GB Micro SD Card Preloaded Noobs, Black Case, Heatsink Fan, Micro HDMI Cable x 2, SD Card Reader (4GB RAM)
Labists Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit customer review
Great kit. Has everything you need to get started!
If you are new to raspberry pi, I highly recommend this kit. It has everything you need to get started. I was able to everything set up and running in under an hour. A fun little evening project.
Some things you should know. The raspberry pi 4 is more powerful that it’s predecessors, with a 64-bit quad core Cortex-A72 processor, and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. (Very excited about this, since I’m upgrading from the older RPi 2-B) With great power comes great need for heat management, though. After running some tests I’d say the fan AND heat sinks are necessary for long term usage, if you care about your electronics. (which of course you do!)
Some notes on that. This kit comes with a very handy quick start guide, but there are no instructions on how to install the heat sinks or the fan. I’ve provided pictures to help with that. Basically, install the heat sinks as shown, make sure the fan is pointed down (green side facing toward the processor), and plug the fan into pins 4 & 6 with the red cable on the side closest to the edge (see photos). It should work on startup without any additional configuration.
For those of you familiar with the older versions of pi, you’ll be happy to find out this model has both bluetooth and wifi capabilities built in, NO MORE ADAPTERS! Big win there.
This kit comes with a great 5V USB-C power supply with a nice long cord, and a power switch. A nice little quality of life improvement. I still recommend you follow the instructions on the quick start guide for shutting your system down before flipping the switch.
A couple of notes on I/O. The case included in this kit has a sleek modern design that sits flush with the ports of the raspberry pi. I haven’t had any difficulty plugging anything into it, and I’ve been overall impressed with how it fits the board so well. My only complaint is that it’s difficult for me to pull the micro SD card out, but I have a little pair of tweezers to help with that anyways, since I have large hands.
You have 4 USB ports available to you. 2x USB 2.0 & 2x USB 3.0. Nice to have for faster connections. Ethernet is also available for better network speed.
For display, you have 2 micro HDMI ports for multiple displays. The kit comes with a micro HDMI to HDMI cable, which is awesome and means I didn’t have to buy any extra cables. The only thing I had to provide myself was the mouse and keyboard.
As far as storage goes, it comes with a very nice 32GB sandisk micro SD card. It is not formatted, and does not have anything installed on it. I see this as a plus, because I can do anything I want with it right out of the box, but if you want NOOBS put on it, you’ll have to do it yourself. It’s not difficult and there’s a guide on how to do it on the raspberry pi website, along with the download.
They also included a handy little micro SD to USB-C adapter with it if you have something like a Macbook Pro, or anything with USB-C ports, it’s very handy. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy some kind of adapter/reader to write to the SD card.
Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase. Buying this kit saved me a lot of time hunting around for all the components, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the Pi life. It’s well worth the money.
Alternate of Labists Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ (Plus) Complete Starter Kit with 7″ LCD Touchscreen Monitor, Mini Keyboard
Besides the essential components, this kit also comes with the official Raspberry Pi touchscreen and a wireless keyboard/mouse. This makes the Pi very versatile: the mouse/keyboard can be very useful if you want to set up your pi as a media center and control it using the keyboard (like a remote control).
The touchscreen can be used to turn your Raspberry Pi into a tablet, or set it as a mini desktop computer. This kit comes with the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ .
What’s included in this kit?
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
- Official Raspberry Pi 7″ touch screen display
- 2.4G Wireless Keyboard & Mouse (keyboard Measures 6×2.4×0.5 inches)
- Samsung 32GB Evo Plus (Class 10) Micro SD Card pre-loaded with NOOBS
- MicroSD card to USB adapter
- 2.5A USB Power Supply with ON/OFF Switch & Noise Filter
- High Quality 5 ft Compatible HDMI Cable (To be used with other screen if desired)
- 2x Heat sinks for Raspberry Pi
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter Kit – 4GB RAM
This kit from CanaKit comes with the new Raspberry Pi 4 board and with the all necessary accessories to get started quickly. This includes the RPi 4GB RAM version, but you can select 2GB or 1GB (that are cheaper).
It comes with a microSD pre-loaded with NOOBS, so that you can install the Operating System quickly. Something really handy that comes with the kit is the PiSwitch. It’s an on/off power switch with LED indicator for the Raspberry Pi. This way, you don’t have to plug and unplug it from the wall socket to turn it on and off.
You also get an HDMI to micro-HDMI cable to connect a monitor, and an heat sink and a case with a built-in fan to prevent your Pi from overheating.
What’s included in this kit?
- Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB RAM)
- 32GB Samsung EVO+ Micro SD Card (Class 10) pre-loaded with NOOBS
- CanaKit Premium High-Gloss Raspberry Pi 4 Case with Integrated Fan Mount
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Micro HDMI to HDMI Cable – 6 foot (supports up to 4K 60p)
- CanaKit 3.5A USB-C Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply – designed for the Raspberry Pi 4
- CanaKit USB-C PiSwitch (On/Off Power Switch for RPi 4)
- Heat sinks
- USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Quick-Start Guide
- CanaKit GPIO Reference Card
If you want to save a few bucks, you can select the Raspberry Pi with 1G or 2GB of RAM. Alternatively, you can get the basic starter kit (without microSD card).
Vilros Raspberry Pi 4 Complete Kit with Clear Transparent Fan Cooled Case (4GB)
This Vilros kit includes everything you need to get started with your Pi. It is very similar with the previous kit. It brings all the same accessories. This is also a top rated product, but some people complain about the fan.
What’s included in this kit?
- Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB RAM)
- Vilros Raspberry Pi 4 clear transparent case fully vented with pre-installed fan
- Vilros Raspberry Pi 4 compatible power supply with on/off switch
- Vilros micro HDMI cable (5ft)
- 32GB Samsung EVO+ Micro SD card (Class 10) pre-loaded with NOOBS
- Micro SD to USB adapter
- 4x Heat sinks
- Vilros Raspberry Pi Quickstart Guide
There’s also a basic version of this kit without microSD card and without HDMI cable (it comes with an adapter).
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