Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi 3 Model B · Raspberry Pi official launch photograph; complete supplied canvas, background and native alpha retained.
Raspberry Pi · Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
The 2016 Raspberry Pi, the first with a 64-bit processor and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with a 1.2GHz quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 and 1 GB of memory, for light projects and older setups.
Model history · 4 models, 2012–2016
- 2012Raspberry Pi 1 Model BCompare
- 2014Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+Compare
- 2015Raspberry Pi 2 Model BCompare
- 2016Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
- Processor
- Broadcom BCM2837 (Arm Cortex-A53)
- Clock
- 1.2 GHz
- Memory
- 1 GB
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
What reviewers say
Reviewers agree it is a good-value step up from the Pi 2, faster and the first Pi with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it the most versatile model yet while staying compatible with earlier projects. The common criticisms are higher power draw, needing a good power supply, and an evolutionary rather than dramatic upgrade; Jeff Geerling also recommended adding a heatsink.
From techradar.com, trustedreviews.com and jeffgeerling.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specPerformance
- Processor
- Broadcom BCM2837 (Arm Cortex-A53)
- CPU cores
- 4
- Clock
- 1.2 GHz
- Memory
- 1 GB
- CPU
- Quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 at 1.2GHz; BCM2837 on revision 1.1 boards, BCM2837B0 on revision 1.2
- GPU
- VideoCore IV; VideoCore subsystem at 400MHz and 3D core at 300MHz
- Memory
- 1GB
- Storage
- microSD card slot
Connections
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Ethernet
- Yes
- USB ports
- 4
- Display outputs
- 1
- GPIO pins
- 40
- PCIe
- No
- Ports
- 4 × USB 2.0, 100Mb/s Ethernet, full-size HDMI, 3.5 mm audio and composite video jack, micro USB power
- Displays
- 1 × full-size HDMI
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi (35Mb/s); Bluetooth 4.1, BLE
- GPIO
- 40-pin header
- Camera and display connectors
- 15-pin CSI camera port; 15-pin DSI display port
Design
- Size
- 85 × 56 mm
- Power
- 5V via micro USB; a 2.5A supply is recommended for power-hungry USB devices
- Size
- 85 × 56 mm board
Pros and cons
Pros
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a first for Raspberry Pi
- 64-bit quad-core CPU, about 10× the multi-threaded performance of Raspberry Pi 1 (maker's figure)
- Same size and connector layout as Raspberry Pi 2 Model B
Cons
- 2.4GHz-only 802.11n Wi-Fi
- 100Mb/s Ethernet and USB 2.0 only
- Replaced by Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ in 2018
Closest rivals
Model | Processor | Clock | Memory | Wi-Fi | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcom BCM2836 (Arm Cortex-A7) | 0.9 GHz | 1 GB | No | Feb 2015 | |
| Broadcom BCM2837B0 (Arm Cortex-A53) | 1.4 GHz | 1 GB | Yes | Mar 2018 | |
| Broadcom BCM2835 (Arm1176JZF-S) | 1 GHz | 512 MB | No | Nov 2015 |
Previous model: Raspberry Pi 2 Model B. Newer model: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.
Sources
- github.com/raspberrypi/documentation/blob/master/documentation/asciidoc/compute…
- github.com/raspberrypi/documentation/blob/master/documentation/asciidoc/compute…
- raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-3-on-sale
- pip.raspberrypi.com/categories/520-raspberry-pi-3-model-b
- pip-assets.raspberrypi.com/categories/520-raspberry-pi-3-model-b/documents/RP-0…
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B board, refresh angle: Raspberry Pi official product gallery; complete supplied canvas, background and native alpha retained.
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B board, opposite refresh angle: Raspberry Pi official product gallery; complete supplied canvas, background and native alpha retained.
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B processor and wireless circuitry detail: Raspberry Pi official product gallery; complete supplied canvas, background and native alpha retained.
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B USB and Ethernet connector detail: Raspberry Pi official product gallery; complete supplied canvas, background and native alpha retained.
