Raspberry Pi Unveils CM5 Compute Module

Early customers are currently getting their hands on the highly anticipated Raspberry Pi CM5 compute module. This new iteration boasts significant upgrades over its predecessor, the CM4, promising enhanced performance and capabilities.

The Raspberry Pi CM5 is powered by the cutting-edge 16nm BCM2712 processor from Broadcom. Featuring a 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A76 CPU with 512KB per-core L2 caches and a 2MB shared L3 cache, this processor delivers double the performance of the chip found in the CM4.

While specific details are still under wraps, industry insiders suggest that the form factor of the CM5 will likely mirror that of the CM4. This design choice aims to facilitate easy integration into existing projects while offering a significant performance boost. However, one notable change is the upgraded electrical interface, which now supports a four-lane PCI Express 2.0 interface, providing a blazing-fast data transfer rate of 16Gbit/s compared to the CM4's single-lane interface.

With the introduction of additional PCIe lanes, users can expect expanded connectivity options for peripherals. Notably, the Raspberry Pi 5 single board computer is set to accommodate the Hailo-8 M.2 PCIe card, multiple solid-state drives for redundant RAID storage, and cellular modems, thanks to the enhanced PCIe interface.

Moreover, the increased PCIe interface opens up possibilities for integrating additional USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 interfaces, further enhancing the versatility and connectivity options of the Raspberry Pi CM5 compute module.

According to sources, the Raspberry Pi team has hinted at providing a comprehensive update on the CM5 in the first half of 2024, which is just around the corner. As excitement builds within the tech community, enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the official unveiling of the CM5 and the groundbreaking features it is set to offer.