Earlier this year, the Raspberry Pi Foundation releases new versions of the Model B and the Model A. Now in the DIY area we have the Raspberry Pi Model B+, a high-end single board computer with improved GPIO headers and less power consumption, and we have the Raspberry Pi Model A+, which offer a smaller form factor with almost all the B+ features.

You are not sure which Raspberry Pi model to buy? Let’s put the boards side-by-side and see how they compare.

USB Connectors

Always the direction is more and more: more USB ports, more GPIO pins, ..etc. The B+ is featured with four USB 2.0 ports, with three ports more than A+.

GPIO pins

The latest versions of Model A and Model B brings significant improvements for the GPIO header. Both single board computers have grown to 40 pins including GPIO pins, two pins for 3.3V, two pins for 5V, and eight pins for grounding.

Ethernet

The Ethernet port is one of the missing features of A+. Because the A+ does not have an Ethernet port, the board uses drastically lower power than any other Pi model.

RAM Memory

There is no surprise for none of the Pi models. The RAM memory remains the same as the previous versions with 512MB SDRAM for Model B+ and 256MB for Model A+.

Storage

We have some improvements in the storage area with a nicer push-push MicroSD version for both minicomputers.

Chip

Since the first Pi board was released and till the day when the new versions hit the stores, the full HD multimedia applications processor remains the same.

CPU

We need more processing power to scale up the device by combining more devices. Until we will talk about the Pi processors in gigahertz, we must thanks with the same 700 MHz processors.

GPU

This is the same situation as CPU, no changes.

Video Output

The HDMI port was kept in the new A+ version, and this is not a surprise. About the B+ model, here is a must.

Audio Output

Both boards include better audio capabilities and a dedicated low-noise power supply. The single board computers have attached new 3.5mm audio jacks that include the composite video signal.

Power Supply

This is an important chapter in every stage of the project. Both boards come with improvements and lower power consumption. The new design replaces the linear regulators with switching ones. The result is reduced power consumption by between 0.5W and 1W.

Dimensions

Less features, lower dimensions. The model A+ has lower dimensions and is 25% smaller than the model B+.

Weight

The sizes of the board have impact over the weight. With 25% smaller than B+, the A+ has a weight with almost 50% less.