Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2

Updated May 11, 2023

Difference Between Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2

Raspberry Pi is a group of tiny computers with single-board placed in series and developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation organization to encourage teaching the basic concepts of computer science in schools in developing countries. The highest memory for the latest version available was 1 GB of RAM. The power capacity provided is 1.5W to 6.7W. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed is 1.4 GHz 32/64 bit, and the unit is quad-core ARM Cortex compatible. The graphics card provider is Broadcom.

The hardware configuration unit includes a processor manufactured by Broadcom, and the first model introduced is Raspberry Pi Zero, released in 2015. Raspberry Pi Zero is small and has reduced input-output (I/O) and general-purpose input-output (GPIO) capabilities. The hardware configurations of Raspberry Pi have various versions in the capacity of memories and the support of different peripheral devices. The Broadcom SoC used in Raspberry Pi is similar to that of a chip used in a first-generation smartphone.

Raspberry has different models, like Model A, Model B, and Zero. The Raspberry Pi 2 version has a Broadcom chip version model of BCM2836 with a frequency of 900 MHz with a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex processor with 1.2 GHz. The Raspberry Pi 3 model has a processor of 1.4 GHz speed and a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex processor.

Head to Head Comparison Between Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2

Below is the top 8 difference between Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2:

Key Differences Between Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 2

Both Raspberry Pi 2 vs Raspberry Pi 3 are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Differences Between Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 2:

1. In Raspberry Pi 3, the boot times are high with different devices, whereas the boot times are less in Raspberry Pi 2.
2. In Raspberry Pi 3, the software installation time is less, whereas the software installation time is more in the Raspberry Pi 2 version.
3. In Raspberry Pi 3, the SoC often gets heated quickly. It requires some cooling agents to control the temperature levels, whereas, in Raspberry Pi 2, a radiator is not needed as the temperatures on SoC do not reach high easily.
4. In Raspberry Pi 3, the peripheral devices can often be connected using wireless connectivity, whereas, in Raspberry Pi 2, the peripheral devices can be connected through powered USB hubs.
5. In Raspberry Pi 3, the frames per second rendering capacity are 37.9 FPS, whereas the frames per double speed in Raspberry Pi 2, is 25.4 FPS.
6. In Raspberry Pi 3, the network speed with LAN speed test gives the best speed in terms of Ethernet down and low Up, whereas Raspberry Pi 2 has an equal rate in terms of USB WLAN Up compared to Raspberry Pi 3. In terms of Internet WLAN also, Raspberry Pi 3 has the best performance.
7. In Raspberry Pi 3, the performance gain is higher than in Raspberry Pi 2. Raspberry Pi 3 is faster and has various performance gain benefits compared to Raspberry Pi 2.
8. In Raspberry Pi 3, the Micro SD card is a friction-based mechanism instead of a spring-loaded push-push type which has been used until the Raspberry Pi 2 version.
9. In Raspberry Pi 3, the performance test with benchmarking tool Whetstone Pi A7 revealed a score of 711, whereas the score of Raspberry Pi 2 is 432, which indicates that the Raspberry Pi 3 has more benefits.
10. In Raspberry Pi 3, the idle power consumption is less, i.e., 2.5 W, whereas the idle power consumption in Raspberry Pi 2 is 3.2 W which is more.
11. In Raspberry Pi 3, the underload power is 3.8 W which is the same in the Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 2 versions.
12. In Raspberry Pi 3, the power consumption is less. CPU speed is faster, a core processor with quicker graphics and built-in Wi-fi and Bluetooth. All these features lacking in the Raspberry Pi 2 version are a high-performance boost for the latest version and its users.
13. In Raspberry Pi 3, the memory testing for the RAM for the set limit of 256 MB, the speed performance time taken was 8mins, whereas, in Raspberry Pi 2 model, the time taken is 22mins which is more.
14. In Raspberry Pi 3, the ARM Cortex 64-bit processor supports the operating system differently than the previous versions, such as Raspberry Pi 2.

Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2 Comparison Table

Let us look into the detailed comparison Between Raspberry Pi 3 vs Raspberry Pi 2.

Conclusion

Raspberry Pi 3 has a different variety of performance boosts and high-speed capabilities, and integration capabilities with many devices. Raspberry Pi 3 has wireless connectivity features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, faster Ethernet, and Power over Ethernet (PoE), whereas Raspberry Pi 2 lacks these features. In terms of integration with different devices, Raspberry Pi 3 is preferred rather compared to Raspberry Pi 2

Raspberry Pi 3 has a significant performance boost, and its memory, processing, and cache memory speeds are high, which significantly boosts performance and has many performance-improving features over Raspberry Pi 2. The power consumption is less in terms of Raspberry Pi 3.

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