Last Updated: May 4, 2020 (Refresh Now)
Element14 Raspberry Pi 3 B Motherboard
Last Updated: May 4, 2020 (Refresh Now)
8.9
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
705
Old Reviews
17
Unverified
5
Spam Test
PASS
Quad Core
PROCESSOR TYPE
1024 GB
MEMORY
Yes
BLUETOOTH
4
NUMBER OF USB PORTS
Review Analysis - 683 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Software Platform
89pi, os, linux, raspbian, raspberry
+88%
-12%
" ... I added these to my Raspberry PI kubernetes cluster and it works like a charn ... "
" ... every iteration is the same price but better hardware please never change that! ... raspberry pi is amazing and thats why i keep buying. ... "
" ... Everyone should own a raspberry pi. ... "
" ... I love my Raspberry Pi! ... a version of Linux was created specifically for the hardware. ... Linux has come a LONG way since I tried to install it on an old PC decades ago, unsuccessfully ... The Linux command line, while daunting at first, is easy to learn and powerful ... "
" ... I used the raspberry pi to host a Plex media server, and connected it to a portable WD 4TB drive. ... "
" ... I have been using and developing on the Raspberry Pi since the first model was released. ... "
" ... I have been tinkering with Raspberry Pi devices since the model 2b+. ... "
" ... I love having the WiFi and currently using it as an Octopi board for my 3D printer. ... "
Device Compatibility
81pi, server, board, raspberry, projects
+98%
-2%
" ... I run several of these connected to cameras as my security system. ... "
" ... OK, I'll admit to being a Raspberry Pi fanatic. ... As you can tell, I can't say enough about Raspberry Pi, the pastry and the computer. ... "
" ... I've found them to be great little machines for the boring things that you might want to have on your home network (my favorites being a private DNS server and VPN bridge/router). ... "
" ... My first time with rasberry pi and I love it. ... "
" ... Great little device. ... "
" ... I'm in love with the humble Raspberry Pi, but the thing is, I do wish there was a Raspberry that was like a slimmed down B3+, that sank the Ethernet halfway into the board, and used 2 usb port side by side, instead of just the one like on A+, and that didn't sacrifice the ram. ... That would be ideal for handheld devices. ... Or possibly a raspberry built with mobile devices in mind. ... "
" ... Other than that, it's the standard Raspberry Pi 3B+ board and works as well as expected. ... "
" ... I have been using Linux for nearly 30 years, and in that time, I used to have servers, old desktops, and old laptops setup as my learning/practice/mad scientist machines. ... There are so many things you can do with a Raspberry Pi: I won't list them here. ... If not, I suggest you look up Raspberry Pi Projects to get an idea. ... "
Overall performance
39pi, faster, fast, performance, cpu
+90%
-10%
" ... Better faster stronger. ... "
" ... Great single board computer. ... "
" ... Cheapest computer ever purchased. ... "
" ... This is plenty fast, particularly at this price, for anything of a data-retrieval nature. ... "
" ... Zero all the time and does the job I need. ... "
" ... This one is so much faster than the old version and runs really well. ... "
" ... I use it for everything requiring low cpu power. ... "
" ... You need Retropie 4.4 or a Retropie Image with 4.4 and above embedded to make it boot. ... "
Price
38money, worth, board, value, powerful
+92%
-8%
" ... Awesome board for the price ... "
" ... Within these limitations, it's Big Bang for the Buck. ... "
" ... For the price you pay you can't get anything better. ... "
" ... Great little mini computer fir an excellent price ... "
" ... Now people selling them for hefty price for it. ... "
" ... so freaking awesome to have this sort of horsepower for 35 dollars. ... "
" ... got more of these to switchout the rs ones ... "
" ... Way faster than the previous ones and of course for the price you can beat it. ... "
Product Reliability
37worked, months, pi, return, 3 b
+49%
-51%
" ... I have used this item in the past, but this one in particular from this seller was not working well, will not boot up to install an OS, even using the NOOBS, so I sent it back for a full refund, I never had a problem installing an OS on raspberry pi 3 B+ this is really add makes me wonder if the seller has anything to do with it ... "
" ... This stopped working . ... "
" ... It's a non-working paperweight now. ... "
" ... Tried everything, but now I'm sure that the motherboard is faulty. ... "
" ... It stopped working a week recieving it. ... "
" ... not working, iam going to return it. ... "
" ... Days after buying a 3 B+ the 3 A+ became available. ... "
" ... I opened this Pi about 2 months after getting it. ... "
Gaming
34gaming, retro, retropie, game, playing
+100%
" ... Still have not played a game but software boots up fine. ... "
" ... All those old games, woohoo! ... "
" ... I got this and installed RetroPie to make my own Retro Console. ... "
" ... I have not been playing video games as much as I used to, more taking apart old electronics and recycling them. ... "
" ... I made an upright arcade style multiple game system using this. ... "
" ... Have it loaded with retropie and playing games. ... "
" ... Bought it for gaming and it works perfectly. ... "
" ... (RetroPie users - It can play PlayStation 1 games smoothly, but not N64.) ... "
Ports
32ethernet, ports, pi, usb ports, hdmi
+69%
-31%
" ... Give it a while and it will copy all roms and save data to the USB Drive. ... "
" ... The device has 40 general purpose input/output pins that can be used for prototyping. ... "
" ... Best served with OctoPi and a strong DC adapter. ... "
" ... Ethernet hookup works best. ... It actually has a gigabit (1000) Ethernet port not the 10/100 megabit as advertised?. ... "
" ... - USB 2.0 (not 3.0) ... "
" ... Make sure to use a quality power adapter AND cable. ... "
" ... Also has 4 USB ports (USB 2 speed). ... You will also need a power supply and a case and an HDMI cable, a keyboard and a mouse (USB) which you probably already have those last two. ... NorthPada Raspberry Pi 3 Model B B+ Plus Power Supply Charger AC Adapter 5V 3A PSU Micro USB 5 Feet with Power On/Off Switch (1 X Power Supply) ... "
" ... Plan on buying another one soon to build a pi-powered DNS server! ... "
Ease of Use
28easy to use, set, setup, use, powerful
+96%
-4%
" ... The Raspian desk-top made it easy to use. ... "
" ... Easy to use. ... "
" ... Works like it should and easy to set up with all the archives for this single board. ... "
" ... Easy to setup and use. ... "
" ... Cheap, easy, versatile. ... "
" ... Easy to setup and configure for Octoprint. ... "
" ... A great way to learn and lots of info available on line to help with programming etc. ... "
" ... The confusing part are the softwares, but the hardware itself, is just great. ... "
Marketplace
27product, works as advertised, thank, shipping, seller
+78%
-22%
" ... No big deal. ... "
" ... Awesome board original one ... "
" ... works as described ... "
" ... Works as Advertised ... "
" ... It is what you make of it, starting with the image you install and the things you do with it. ... "
" ... Works as advertised ... "
" ... Good and received as advt. ... "
" ... Otherwise good sale. ... "
Delivery
26box, received, opened, fast delivery, expected
+81%
-19%
" ... Works great and arrived quickly. ... "
" ... Fast delivery and good price. ... "
" ... BTW: Another reviewer wrote about receiving this in a bare box. ... Mine came in proper packaging. ... "
" ... It arrived in a somewhat beat up box like some others. ... "
" ... Good and received as advt. ... "
" ... Delivered timely and works as expected. ... "
" ... Worked when received. ... "
" ... Arrived on time, exactly as expected. ... "
Setup
25easy, linux, use, pi, install
+100%
" ... Easy to setup and use. ... "
" ... Easy to setup and configure for Octoprint. ... "
" ... So I used the pi for about a week now and it has performed quite well, the only problem I had with it was installing Kali Linux which was my fault, not the pi. ... "
" ... Setup was way easier than I anticipated(online tutorials are very in depth) and only took me about an hour to have it operational. ... "
" ... Setup was simple and I can't wait to give them as gifts ... "
" ... Dead easy to set up and get running with several different Linux variants. ... "
" ... Easy to install! ... "
" ... Easy to assemble. ... "
For Fun
25works, tinker, really, play, much
+100%
" ... It works great and will be fun to tinker with for small projects. ... "
" ... I hope to have the chance to do a lot of fun stuffs with this device, programing and creating experiments, etc. ... "
" ... Having fun tinkering with this. ... "
" ... A fun device. ... "
" ... Fun to tinker with. ... "
" ... It's a decent platform for fun people on a budget. ... "
" ... Works great, fun to mess with ... "
" ... hours of fun! ... "
Storage
24sd, sd cards, raspberry, micro sd card, boot
+54%
-46%
" ... The software downloaded NOOBS was perfect and easy to put onto a micro SD card. ... Format the target card, load the software, then insert the microSD card so you can read it on the plain side of the Raspberry Pi card. ... "
" ... Like a dummy, I also purchaed a pre-loaded SD card with Raspbian but now I know how easy it is to make your own. ... "
" ... I like that i plugged in my SD card and had me a new desktop computer in 1 minute . ... "
" ... The operating system is stored on an SD card, if you mess anything up, you can reinstall a new operating system and be back up and running within minutes. ... "
" ... It's actually enough of a jump to notice things like the SD cards being leveraged better. ... "
" ... The SD card was flashed properly and worked fine on my older motherboard . ... "
" ... I just put an Ubuntu LTS on it and mail her an SD card every time she has any major issues. ... "
" ... I love the fact that you can change de SD card and have a completely different use with the same board. ... "
Build Quality
20pins, board, build quality, build, good
+85%
-15%
" ... Amazing construction with a lot of to consider ... "
" ... I use mine fairly regularly, no complaints the quality of the board and components are top notch ... "
" ... The GPIO pins are very sturdy and seem well built. ... "
" ... Packaging is efficient and I would always recommend getting a protective case/shell. ... "
" ... and it is crafted with good materials, good workmanship, and good quality-control. ... "
" ... This is the UK made board, ready to go to work ... "
" ... I bought the bare board, since I wanted a case with a fan and I had most of the other parts laying around. ... "
" ... Really good build quality. ... "
Wifi
16connection, built, wi fi, everything, bluetooth
+81%
-19%
" ... Boots quickly, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth works. ... "
" ... The 3 B+ model is by far the best I love being able to connect it to my 5 GHz wifi and a Bluetooth device and not have to worry about extra wires. ... "
" ... It is very compact, it has everything you need: wi-fi and bluetooth integrated. ... "
" ... I love having the WiFi and currently using it as an Octopi board for my 3D printer. ... "
" ... Raspotify - Cast to the Pi with Spotify, great if you have an out-of-reach sound system but still have network connection available, WiFi or Ethernet. ... "
" ... I use a couple of these for VPN servers in different locations so I always have a self-hosted VPN option when I'm out traveling, or have the option of communicating with devices on my home network when I'm away from home. ... "
" ... Built-in bouetooth AND wi-fi!? ... "
" ... WiFi at 2.4 and 5GHz both work well. ... "
For Kids
15toy, projects, playing, play, good
+100%
" ... My son is a plant scientist. ... "
" ... They are great for projects and learning. ... "
" ... Good, new toy ... "
" ... This one holds up my high regard for these tiny experimental / educational boards. ... "
" ... The kids loving playing rpi games all day. ... "
" ... I even get a makey makey to create projects with my son. ... "
" ... Love this little toy! ... "
" ... Simply put, these were originally designed and manufactured to help children learn about computing design and coding, but they were instantly adopted by - well, pretty much everyone else. ... "
Bluetooth
15wifi, works, wireless, wi fi, well
+93%
-7%
" ... It is very compact, it has everything you need: wi-fi and bluetooth integrated. ... "
" ... Now has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, saving a USB port or two for other, more useful purposes. ... "
" ... Bluetooth and WIFI added to this board is truly a blessing. ... You will have to configure bluetooth using Terminal. ... "
" ... The 3 B+ model is by far the best I love being able to connect it to my 5 GHz wifi and a Bluetooth device and not have to worry about extra wires. ... "
" ... Has onboard WiFi and Bluetooth as well as an internet jack to hardwire if you want. ... "
" ... This little guy is FAST, very flexible (GPIO/Bluetooth/Wifi), with a TON of programming (MOST FREE) and small. ... "
" ... This version has Wifii, lan, Bluetooth and many other benefits that you can get with a laptop or a desk computer. ... "
" ... The Wifi and Bluetooth that comes natively with the Raspberry Pi 3b+ works very well and seems reliable. ... "
Power Consumption
12supply, works, get, electricity, come
+92%
-8%
" ... This works perfectly for my needs and it is very energy efficient. ... "
" ... The power supply works great. ... "
" ... I had it powered by a portable phone charger and the power consumption is quite low in my experience. ... "
" ... It will work with normal power bank ... "
" ... I want to see how computing power I can get. ... "
" ... If you add more things to this Pi you will need a stronger power supply. ... "
" ... The switchable power supply is a nice thing to have as well ... "
" ... These used a lot of electricity, produced a lot of heat, and were expensive to operate. ... "
Keyboard
12mouse, wifi, usb, bluetooth, wireless
+100%
" ... Used a 5" touchscreen and mini bluetooth keyboard also from Amazon. ... "
" ... Get a nice case, an inexpensive mouse, keyboard, and monitor and you're set. ... "
" ... Installing firefox-esr gives one an alternative browser, installing matchbox-keyboard gives one a screen keyboard in case one doesn't want to use a usb keyboard, and installing scrot lets one take screen snapshots. ... "
" ... Found all the nearby Wifi and no problem with my generic wireless keyboard and mouse combo. ... "
" ... So far, I’ve pushed SSH keys to it so that I can log in remotely which is cool. ... "
" ... - mouse and keyboard (wired preferred) ... "
" ... Currently wired to an Apple keyboard / Mouse and a 1080 Sceptre LCD display. ... "
" ... I just hook up my Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, plug it in to the hotel room tv with an HDMI cable, hook up to the free WiFi and off I go. ... "
Returns
10replacement, going, returned, item, working
-100%
" ... no luck getting a replacement. ... "
" ... I returned it and the replacement did the exact same thing. ... "
" ... just about 1.5 months AFTER the product return window closed. ... "
" ... Returned it to Amazon for replacement. ... "
" ... After the return date, so couldnt return the $40 Pi that was broken on arrival. ... "
" ... I'm going to put two and two together and assume that the previous buyer noticed this same defect and returned the item. ... "
" ... not working, iam going to return it. ... "
" ... Didn’t work had to return it ... "
Memory
9memory, card, usb, gig, evo
+78%
-22%
" ... Still waiting for a Raspberry PI with 16gb eMMc memory built on the board. ... "
" ... My model is the 1 GB RAM version, and so far, the single GB of RAM has done a great job of juggling different programs, and I've had no major issues with bottlenecking while running programs like Chromium (Raspbian's native lightweight Chrome-based web browser), a few terminals, htop ( a resource monitoring utility that sits in a terminal window), and a Python IDE for programming purposes. ... "
" ... I use it for Home Assistant (ESPHome) with over 4 Gb of programming and data so far. ... "
" ... Get a USB Flash Drive, say 128GB or more. ... Give it a while and it will copy all roms and save data to the USB Drive. ... "
" ... It works better than my other tv box which has 4gb of ram. ... "
" ... It has more memory than previous versions. ... "
" ... I am getting along fine with a 32 gig Evo. ... Samsung 32GB 95MB/s (U1) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME32GA/AM) ... "
Print Quality
9printer, 3d printer, worked, using, used
+100%
" ... Used it for Octoprint for my 3D printer . ... "
" ... The best part is it speeds up my 3d prints. ... "
" ... Running octoprint for my 3d Printer. ... "
" ... Luckily I am printing the case and can tweak it but I thought this was a little odd. ... "
" ... Installing hplip and cups lets me print wirelessly to my HP Officejet 8600 Plus printer. ... "
" ... I love having the WiFi and currently using it as an Octopi board for my 3D printer. ... I have almost 400 hours in printing using it and haven’t had a single issue out of the board. ... "
" ... Worked perfect at running my 3D printer on Octoprint! ... "
" ... I purchased this to use as an OctoPi server for my 3D printer and worked perfectly for this application. ... "
As Gift
8bought, make, gifts
+88%
-13%
" ... It was a gift. ... "
" ... After completing that build I gave it as a gift and ended up buying another. ... "
" ... They also make great gifts. ... "
" ... Ordered it for gift I was making for my sister, turn out great. ... "
" ... Bought as a gift for my son. ... "
" ... Only the ROMs the gift recipient owned in her life (plus the ROM owns of everyone else there who will play it) remain. ... "
" ... Bought multiple of these to make retropis as Christmas gifts. ... "
Mouse
8keyboard, wireless, wifi, need, hdmi
+100%
" ... Nice with a wireless keyboard and mouse. ... "
" ... Get a nice case, an inexpensive mouse, keyboard, and monitor and you're set. ... "
" ... I just hook up my Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, plug it in to the hotel room tv with an HDMI cable, hook up to the free WiFi and off I go. ... "
" ... I bought this for portable use and have a 9-inch display 12-volt with speakers, bluetooth keyboard, wireless mouse running on lithium power. ... "
" ... Found all the nearby Wifi and no problem with my generic wireless keyboard and mouse combo. ... "
" ... A micro keyboard with a mouse is a must with this thing, it just makes life a lot easier. ... "
" ... You will also need a power supply and a case and an HDMI cable, a keyboard and a mouse (USB) which you probably already have those last two. ... "
" ... - mouse and keyboard (wired preferred) ... "
Cables
7power, usb, test, tab, ribbon
+57%
-43%
" ... I didn't know you needed an extra cable to use with tv. ... "
" ... anker usb cable for controller ... "
" ... The device has 40 general purpose input/output pins that can be used for prototyping. ... "
" ... Make sure to use a quality power adapter AND cable. ... "
Product As Described
7works
+100%
" ... Works as Advertised ... "
" ... It is what you make of it, starting with the image you install and the things you do with it. ... "
" ... works as described ... "
" ... Works as advertised. ... "
" ... Product works as advertised. ... "
" ... Works as advertised. ... "
" ... Works as advertised ... "
Display Clarity
7touch screen, display, put, pc, monitor
+86%
-14%
" ... Currently wired to an Apple keyboard / Mouse and a 1080 Sceptre LCD display. ... "
" ... Cool device to put with a touch screen on the case something like that make you to put with a touch screen on the case something like that make you look tech savvy LOL ... "
" ... I bought this along with the 7 inch touch screen for less than $200 I was able program it to be my digital touchscreen dash inside my car while using a wireless Bluetooth keyboard! ... "
" ... I created a DIY Dakboard display and I haven't even touched the surface as to what it is capable of. ... "
" ... It's fun learning Python to read buttons, make LEDs blink, put text on tiny displays. ... "
" ... Runs a Dell 24-inch monitor and looks great. ... "
Fit
7fit, perfectly, pi, nicely, item
+71%
-29%
" ... Fit like a glove in the case I bought for it ... "
" ... Fit perfectly in a standard B+ case, and worked like a charm immediately. ... "
" ... Comes in form fitting cardstock box. ... "
" ... I had my worries about this case fitting snuggly on my Pi 3 B+ but that was soon relieved after I pieced it together. ... "
Charging
7power, phone, power supply, enough, anker
+86%
-14%
" ... Works great as an Octoprint Pi, but would recommend a 3A charger since my 2.5A phone charger gives an undervoltage warning every now and then ... "
" ... Power supply, I am using my Xiaomi Note 4 phone charger and it works absolutely fine. ... "
" ... These things are power hungry and most phone chargers aren't beefy enough to satisfy. ... "
" ... anker usb cable for controller ... "
" ... Do yourself a favor and buy a 3.0amp charger for this model. ... Once you put it in a cool case like the retroflag snes case your 2.5amp charger will not be enough power. ... "
" ... I had it powered by a portable phone charger and the power consumption is quite low in my experience. ... "
For Running
6running, build quality, amazing, 7, 24
+100%
" ... Have an extra 2b that I'll probably run a retropie on. ... "
" ... I was able to get a website up and running on this! ... "
" ... I got this to run flightradar24 24/7 and it is working out great. ... "
" ... Took me a while to get it up and running but once I did it was love at 1st site!! ... "
" ... Very useful for running scripts you don't want to leave your computer on 24/7 to run or to rent a vps for. ... "
Defective Delivery
6product, received, opened, new, flimsy
+33%
-67%
" ... When I received this product the box was already half-opened. ... The seller then tried to sell this defective product again under the guise that it was "new." ... "
" ... This product has arrived with an open box - must have been a returned product. ... "
" ... Package was damaged in transit "Flimsy bubble wrapped envelop. ... Box inside was crushed. ... Box seemed new but opened more than likely from damage. ... "
Network
6wifi, wide, previous, work, pi
+100%
" ... W/ PiVPN I have a secure tunnel to my home network. ... "
" ... Good device for making devices for around the house. ... "
" ... WiFi at 2.4 and 5GHz both work well. ... "
" ... PiHole - Network wide ad-blocking, or a simple DNS level ad blocker. ... "
" ... The performance is better than previous models as you would expect, and the improved network performance is quite welcome - especially since I tend to use networked storage to keep from having to do lots of writes on the SD card. ... "
" ... Also, 5GHz WiFi is finally built-in and onboard. ... "
Design
6new, made, like, good
+100%
" ... look it's just like . ... "
" ... Looks pretty well made. ... "
" ... I like the subtle improvements made to the new B 3+. ... "
" ... New and beautiful RPi. ... "
Apps
5source, play, os, open, even
+100%
" ... This can do anything from run the Raspian.os, Java, Ubuntu and even emulators! ... "
" ... It is also great for general web browsing and projects. ... "
" ... It’s awesome can visit sites like Facebook amazon eBay YouTube and even play Minecraft specs for those who don’t know it has a 1.4 ghz 4 core processor 1gb lpddr3 ram 5 ghz and 2.4 ghz wifi and Bluetooth 4.2. ... "
" ... It's also super easy to find tutorials and other resources online if you want to play around with other applications. ... "
" ... The boot root partition is automatically re-sized after the first boot. ... "
Cooling
5good, cooling, temp, room
+100%
" ... Makes more power then the 3B, and keeps cooler. ... "
" ... Really cool stuff. ... "
" ... Quick, cool operation (got a case with heat sinks and small fan). ... "
" ... You can do plenty of cool projects with it. ... "
" ... This is the first of the 3B+ Raspberry Pi's I have used it is a screamer & with good cooling runs so smooth on my AllStar node even with a heavy load. ... "
USB
5sure, drive, usb ports, usb 2 0, supports
+80%
-20%
" ... - USB 2.0 (not 3.0) ... "
" ... Give it a while and it will copy all roms and save data to the USB Drive. ... "
" ... It is used as weekly back usb drive for the office. ... "
" ... Also has 4 USB ports (USB 2 speed). ... "
Capacity
4+100%
" ... Good device for making devices for around the house. ... "
" ... Recomanded it to my family and friends. ... "
" ... Great for running a low powered home server. ... "
Storage
4antistatic, nicely, case
+50%
-50%
" ... The item supposed to be in ESD bag. ... "
" ... No antistatic sleeve. ... "
Size
4much, bag, antistatic
+100%
" ... Small form factor and simple to use. ... "
" ... Small and compact! ... "
" ... Great computer for any small project. ... "
" ... Amazing at how much you can do with a small device that's not much bigger than a normal wallet. ... "
Drivers
3+67%
-33%
" ... Great SBC that, if set up properly (and mindful of its limitations) is actually capable of being used as a "daily driver" desktop computer. ... "
Features
3+67%
-33%
" ... You can't beat the amount of features and processing power for the money! ... "
" ... he will use this to control LED growing lights. ... "
ISP
3wireless, vpn, server, ethernet, 4
+100%
" ... I ran it wired at 80Mbit ethernet. ... "
" ... Used it for my VPN server ... "
" ... The Wireless card is set to 5.0 Ghz. ... "
Battery Life
3power
+67%
-33%
" ... It works just fine with multiple units at once and is low enough power I can leave it on a battery pack for a few days. ... "
" ... And charged $5 above list. ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 0.14 meters
Performance
Processor Type: Quad Core
Memory
Memory: 1024 GB
SD Card Type: Micro SD
Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes
Number of USB ports: 4
USB: Yes
HDMI: Yes
Quad Core
PROCESSOR TYPE
1024 GB
MEMORY
Yes
BLUETOOTH
4
NUMBER OF USB PORTS