List of cheapest must have Raspberry Pi accessories (starting from 1,95$)
Last Updated on 15th September 2020 by peppe8o
Raspberry PI is a very powerful, small and cheap computer board. You can use it for several projects, many of which can be found in this blog (a selection is also resumed in Best Raspberry PI projects with Open Source software).
There are a number of hardware pieces that can improve your RPI performance of add amazing features. Many of these can be bought with a very affordable expense and will be classified in this post by cost range.
Accessories up to 10$
Heatsink cooling
Some CPU intensive applications can give you RPI hard days. In these conditions, having CPU protected from hot temperatures can assure a longer life to your loved board.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Heatsinks
Micro SD Card
The most important part of Raspberry PI is its storage: SD card. Its importance is often underestimated and it can drastically boost your RPI performance. It is important to use at least a class 10 micro SD card
Power supply (with switch)
Correct power supply is another performance factor. Some people use common smartphone charger to power RPIs, but even if this could work for low load works, some applications could led to system crashes. Usually Raspberry Pi requires up to 3A (5V) power supply. Also a power switch is comfortable for powering on/off.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Power Supply
HDMI cable
If you want to connect your RPI to a TV, you will need and HDMI cable. Be aware: some RPIs use microHDMI-to-HDMI, other ones use HDMI-to-HDMI cable
AMAZON – Raspberry PI HDMI Cables
Wireless Keyboard with mouse
Keyboards are useful both for controlling your RPI or other devices in your home. With RPI you can use it, for example, with Mediacenter software (like OpenELEC or OSMC)
AMAZON – Wireless Keyboard with Mouse
Sensors
Electronics projects including Raspberry Pi often require interaction with environment. This can be simple by using single special sensors with a very cheap cost
Accessories from 10$ to 20$
RPI Camera module
Beside the official Raspberry Pi camera module, there are some alternatives that can be cheaper and give better video quality. An example can be a Night Vision Fisheye Camera.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Camera Module
Touchscreen
Some portable projects with RPI require a local display and/or a touchscreen to manage without an HDMI external display. Current technology allows to have a touchscreen with a very affordable price. And with a few more dollars it can be coupled with its case.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Touchscreen
Hi-Fi Raspberry PI DAC
Having a RPI based Media Center is fantastic, but using TV audio outputs is somethimes not enought for most demanding people. Adding an Hi-Fi audio output can be a good compromise for high quality audio lovers.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Hi-Fi DAC
Accessories from 20$ to 30$
PI SNES case + controllers
A very cool project with your RPI is installing a Super Ninentendo emulator by using RetroPie. For this, specific case and controllers will complete the wow effect.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI SNES case
Power over Ethernet (PoE) HAT
Raspberry PI can be powered also directly from its Networking cable. This allows users to have only 1 cable to reach RPI, but requires also a PoE capable Switch or a PoE injection system.
AMAZON – Raspberry PI Power over Ethernet (PoE) HAT
Accessories over 30$
Raspberry Pi Sense Hat
Sense HAT add your RPI environment interaction sensors. It is important when you plat to use RPI for IOT or home management projects, including Orientation, Pressure, Humidity and Temperature measurement capabilities with a single board.
AMAZON – Raspberry Pi Sense Hat