Ten years ago, the Raspberry Pi arrived on the market to the delight of all kinds of tinkerers. This small computer the size of a playing card is suitable for all kinds of projects: web development, game creation, streaming, VPN servers, etc. If you want to discover this technology, the Raspberry Pi 3 is a great way to start. Follow the guide to learn more.
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"With this Raspberry Pi 3 model B+ starter kit, you have all the accessories to start your projects. You also get the new software and…"
"This is the third-generation Raspberry Pi in its most compact and least expensive form. The Pi 3 Model A+ is a no-brainer for Pi enthusiasts,…"
"With a faster processor and a better network than its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Desktop Starter Kit is much more than a…"
"The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B launched the third generation of Raspberry Pi. The performance compared to the Raspberry Pi 2 is impressive, both in…"
With this Raspberry Pi 3 model B+ starter kit, you have all the accessories to start your projects. You also get the new software and hardware update based on the Raspberry Pi 3 model B.
63,99 £ on AmazonThe motherboard itself is the Raspberry Pi 3 model B+ with a 64-bit Quad-Core Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) processor running at 1.4 GHz with 1 GB of SDRAM LPDDR2 RAM. This B+ model has four USB 2.0 ports, one Ethernet port, Dual Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz IEEE 802.11. b/g/n/AC Wi-Fi chip, Bluetooth 4.2 BLE chip. Enhanced Ethernet performance on USB 2.0 (maximum speed of 300 Mbps), a 4-pin stereo output and a composite video port. Note also the presence of an HDMI port.
Since this is a starter kit, you will have different accessories in addition to the motherboard itself. First, this model comes with a Premium case with a ventilation hole and a 32GB SanDisk Class 10 micro SD card. Then, you have different accessories, including a heatsink, an HDMI cable, a 2.5A power adapter and a card reader.
This is the third-generation Raspberry Pi in its most compact and least expensive form. The Pi 3 Model A+ is a no-brainer for Pi enthusiasts, although it lacks increased memory and port selection.
30,38 £ on AmazonIf you're in the market for a Raspberry Pi, the main reason you'd want a Pi 3 Model A+ is its more compact size than the Model B+. However, there are some significant compromises that were made to achieve this size. The most painful loss remains the loss of 3 USB ports. Indeed, the Pi 3 Model B+ has four, while the Pi 3 Model A+ has only one! The Ethernet port is also missing from the Pi 3 Model A+.
Pretty much everything else is the same between the Pi 3 Model A+ and the Pi 3 Model B+. Both have an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack output, CSI and DSI ports, a 40-pin general purpose input/output (GPIO) port and a micro SD card slot. This card slot, located on the bottom of the motherboard, is one of the most distinctive aspects of the Raspberry Pi A+.
With a faster processor and a better network than its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Desktop Starter Kit is much more than a microcomputer. Very accessible if you master Linux, this kit will allow you to initiate yourself.
59,16 £ on AmazonThe Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Desktop Starter Kit has an ARM-based Broadcom processor clocked at 1.4 GHz, accompanied by 1 GB of RAM. It also has a 40-pin general purpose input/output (GPIO) connector that can be used for a wide range of purposes, from accepting readings from a thermometer to powering a small DC motor. There are also many familiar components, including 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 HDMI port, 1 3.5mm audio output, 1 micro USB connector and 1 micro SD card slot.
This starter kit comes with a 16GB micro SD card that already contains the V2 version of NOOBS, as well as Raspbian, the official OS of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This starter kit also comes with an official Raspberry Pi power supply of 5.1 V and 2.5 A. Finally, you can store your motherboard in an official Raspberry Pi 3 case.
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B launched the third generation of Raspberry Pi. The performance compared to the Raspberry Pi 2 is impressive, both in hardware and software. The one we present here already has a case.
53,26 £ on AmazonRaspberry Pi 3 Model B uses an all-new 64-bit quad-core ARMv8 processor, with its 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.2 GHz and backed by 1 GB of RAM. It also incorporates 2 of the most requested features by users, in the form of 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 and Bluetooth Low Energy support. While the Pi 2 is still remarkably power efficient, the Pi 3 Model B remains so with a 5V micro USB connection with a maximum power consumption of 2.5A.
Like its predecessors, it has four USB 2 ports, a full-size HDMI port, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a combined 3.5mm composite audio/video output port and a Micro SD card slot. What makes this model special is that it comes with a clear Pro Signal case.
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Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B+ Starter Kit
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Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+
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Raspberry Pi 3 Modèle B+ Desktop Starter Kit
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Raspberry Pi 3 Modèle B avec étui Pro Signal
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With this Raspberry Pi 3 model B+ starter kit, you have all the accessories to start your projects. You also get the new software and hardware update based on the Raspberry Pi 3 model B.
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This is the third-generation Raspberry Pi in its most compact and least expensive form. The Pi 3 Model A+ is a no-brainer for Pi enthusiasts, although it lacks increased memory and port selection.
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With a faster processor and a better network than its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Desktop Starter Kit is much more than a microcomputer. Very accessible if you master Linux, this kit will allow you to initiate yourself.
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The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B launched the third generation of Raspberry Pi. The performance compared to the Raspberry Pi 2 is impressive, both in hardware and software. The one we present here already has a case.
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Excellent value for money
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More compact size
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Official Raspberry Pi power supply (5.1 V and 2.5 A)
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Bluetooth Low Energy
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Premium case with ventilation hole included
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CSI and DSI ports
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Official case for Raspberry Pi 3
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Transparent Pro Signal case
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32GB SanDisk Class 10 micro SD card
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Integrated micro SD card slot
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NOOBS V2 and Rasp Raspbian delivered in the 16 GB micro SD card
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New 64-bit ARMv8 processor
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When it comes to computing units, the Raspberry Pi 3 has made a huge leap from the first generation Raspberry and its 700 MHz ARM1176JZF-S processor. When it was released, the Raspberry Pi 3 model B used a BCM2837 SoC from Broadcom with a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz and with a shared L2 cache of 1 Mb. The A+ and B+ models released shortly after use the same SoC, but with a processor clocked at 1.4 GHz.
The Raspberry Pi 3 has 1 GB of RAM on the B and B+ models and 512 MB on the B+ models. The very first Raspberry Pi models A and B had 256 MB RAM.
The Raspberry Pi 3 and Pi Zero W (wireless) are equipped with a 2.4 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi chip that has a maximum speed of 150 Mbps and a Bluetooth 4.1 chip based on the Broadcom BCM43438 FullMAC chip. The Raspberry Pi 3 also has a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. The Raspberry Pi 3 B+ features IEEE 802.11b / g / n / ac dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, and a Gigabit Ethernet port, limited to about 300 Mbps by the USB 2.0 architecture.
While
often preconfigured to work as a headless computer, the Raspberry Pi 3 can also be optionally used with any generic (USB) keyboard and mouse. It can also be used with USB storage, USB to MIDI converters and virtually any other device/component with USB capabilities, depending on the drivers installed in the underlying operating system. Other peripherals can be connected via the various pins and connectors on the Raspberry Pi's motherboard.
The Raspberry Pi 3 can be used as a USB device or "USB gadget", plugged into another computer via a USB port on another machine. It can be configured in several ways, for example to appear as a serial device or an Ethernet device. The Raspberry Pi 3, with a newer chipset, can boot from USB mass storage, for example from a flash drive.
Each project requires some sort of operating system running on the Pi, usually a variant of Raspbian, the official Pi Foundation operating system based on Debian Linux. The Pi Foundation also offers an automated installation program called NOOBS (New Out of the Box Software). But this is not the process that interests us here.
Since many projects will require you to "flash" an image to the SD card yourself. To install an operating system, you will need two things: an image file and a program that will write it to your SD card. We'll use Raspbian as the operating system in this example, but you can replace it with any operating system you like, such as LibreELEC for creating a multimedia box, RetroPie for retro games, etc.
To write to the SD card, it is recommended to use the Etcher software, as it is available for Windows, MacOs and Linux. Download the image file for your specific Pi model. It comes as an IMG file or as an image in a ZIP file (if you use Etcher, you won't need to unzip it).
Just launch Etcher, click on the "Select Image" button and choose the file you just downloaded. Choose your SD card as the target and click "Flash". Be very careful when selecting the target, as the process will erase the drive you choose. It may take a little while, but once it's done, all you have to do is eject the SD card, insert it into your Pi, connect the HDMI cable to a monitor or TV and turn on the Pi.
The Raspberry Pi 3 has four USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5 jack, an Ethernet network port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and two CSI and DSI interfaces. This iteration also has specific ports for connecting, for example, a touch screen and the 40-pin GPIO. An SD port allows for a card that handles communication with the operating system. With all this, Raspberry Pi 3 rivals an entry/mid-range desktop PC.
Depending on the configuration you choose, a mini PC can become the small media player for playing videos stored via the drive or in the hard drive. It is also an ideal tool for office automation, video editing and drawing, two activities that require a lot of power. It is light, compact and consumes less power. Some models come with a complete configuration. However, it is less powerful than a single board computer.
If you're looking for a compact PC that's ready to go, the mini PC is the ideal solution. Those who love computers and a little tinkering will be delighted by the possibilities and power of the Raspberry Pi 3.
Use a cooling system!
High temperatures are the worst enemy of computers, and computer equipment in general. Even though Raspberry has developed a unique technology to reduce the operating temperature of its microcomputers, it is highly recommended to use a cooling system such as a thermal radiator, for example.
Be careful where you put the Raspberry Pi 3!
The
motherboard has a light weight. Even the weight of the cables to connect the peripherals can knock it down! If you haven't planned to buy a case yet, lay out the Raspberry Pi 3 in such a way that there are no nasty surprises. Also remove anything that can cause a short circuit near the motherboard
Use OOBS to install the operating system of your Raspberry Pi 3
The
easiest way to install an operating system on a Raspberry Pi 3 is to use the NOOBS installer is a simple way to install an operating system. Besides, you can easily find SD cards that already contain NOOBS.
When it comes to food, don't skimp on the means!
To
save money, it is tempting to power the Raspberry Pi 3 with a smartphone charger. But this is not really a good idea! The USB ports are made to deliver 500 mA. But the Raspberry Pi will require a bit more in some situations. Too little power will inevitably cause reboots.
Watch out for the motherboard
Avoid
fiddling with the board unnecessarily. And if you absolutely must, pick up the Raspberry Pi 3 by the edges. Indeed, touching the circuit boards with your fingers can damage them given the size of the motherboard.
The best Raspberry Pi 3 depends on your needs and budget. Read our buying guide for the best products available today.
Most new Pi models, especially the Raspberry Pi 3, use microSD cards for storage, with the original Pi A and B models using a regular SD card. Not all SD cards work perfectly. It is recommended that you purchase the official Raspberry Pi microSD card (which comes with a pre-loaded operating system) or a tested compatible card from this list, such as the SanDisk 32GB Ultra.
Technically
, using a protector or cache is optional, but highly recommended. Instead of having your motherboard naked in the open, it's probably a good idea to protect it with a case. You'll find many cases for the Raspberry Pi 3 on the market, including models with built-in heat sinks.
Previous versions of the Pi, including the Pi 3, use microUSB for power, but the Raspberry Pi 4 is upgraded to USB-C. While some phone chargers can power the Raspberry Pi 3 just fine, we recommend purchasing an official Raspberry Pi Foundation adapter.
According to
the Raspberry founder, Microsoft needs to undertake a very large amount of work to optimize for example Windows 10 for the Raspberry Pi. It is less likely that Microsoft will show much interest in this project in the near future.
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