How to Tell What Raspberry Pi You Have

You lot bought a Raspberry Pi a few months or years ago and take no idea which model it is?
This is quite abrasive because y'all often demand this data to social club the corresponding accessories or install a new operating organization for example.
No worries, you are at the right place, I'll help you find it hands.

How practice yous know which Raspberry Pi model you have?
The easiest way is to look for an invoice or email confirmation.
Ii other methods are to read the model name on the board, or get the processor information from the operating system.

Just, that'due south not ever possible.
The goal of this post is to help you to get this information and and then deduct which Raspberry Pi model y'all really have.

I volition start with a comparison of all Raspberry Pi models, then I will show you how to get each information, and will give you lot a flowchart to make everything obvious to you.

What are the different models of Raspberry Pi?

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In this start part, I think it's a good thought to start with a list of all Raspberry Pi models available on the market place (current and old models).
I volition non give y'all the full specifications for each one, but just the ones we may accept to use later.

Raspberry Pi 1

Let'due south start with the showtime model that was released past the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
They were released between 2012 and 2014 (if information technology helps you).
Here are the useful specifications to know :

Model	Format	Ports	Memory
A	Standard	1x USB HDMI	256 MB
A+	Compact	1x USB HDMI	256 / 512 MB
B	Compact	Ethernet 2x USB HDMI	256 / 512 MB
B+	Standard	Ethernet 4x USB HDMI	256 / 512 MB

Standard = rectangular (85 x 56 mm), Compact = almost square (65 10 56 mm)

Raspberry Pi 1 A has 256 MB retention, the others accept been released with 256 MB simply upgraded to 512 MB in 2016.
So if you lot have no idea of the purchase engagement, the verbal memory corporeality will not help so much here.
And for information, none of them can connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Raspberry Pi two

There was but one model of Raspberry Pi 2 bachelor on the market : the Raspberry Pi ii B (in ii versions every bit they upgraded the CPU in 2016).

Model	Format	Ports	Memory
B	Standard	Ethernet 4x USB 2.0 HDMI	1 GB

Equally you can encounter, there is almost no difference with a Raspberry Pi 1B+ if you have information technology in your hand, so it volition be difficult to know which ane y'all have only with this information.

Raspberry Pi Zippo

The Raspberry Pi Nada is unique with its small format (half of the compact size), so it volition be easy to place this family.
But at that place are three versions available on the marketplace:

Model	Format	Ports	Retentivity
Zilch / W / WH	Goose egg	1x Micro USB Mini-HDMI	512 MB

Cipher is the smallest format with 65 mm x 30 mm

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As all the three Raspberry Pi Zero models share the same specifications, hither are the differences between them :

Raspberry Pi Zero: No Wireless
Raspberry Pi Zero West: Wireless
Raspberry Pi Nothing WH: Wireless and pre-soldered GPIO header

Raspberry Pi 3

The Raspberry Pi 3 are more than recent (2016-2018) and all of them have a congenital-in Wi-Fi card.

Model	Format	Ports	Memory
A+	Compact	1x USB two.0 HDMI	1 GB
B	Standard	Ethernet 4x USB 2.0 HDMI	1 GB
B+	Standard	Ethernet 4x USB 2.0 HDMI	one GB

The Raspberry Pi iii B+ has a better processor (ane.4Ghz vs 1.2Ghz) and a Gigabit Ethernet port.

Raspberry Pi iv / 400

And finally, the Raspberry Pi is merely available since 2019, so you probably call up it if you have this one:

Model	Format	Ports	Memory
B	Standard	Ethernet 2X USB two.0 2X USB three.0 2x Micro-HDMI	ane / 2 / 4 / 8 GB

The master visible difference with all the other ones is the USB 3.0 and Micro HDMI ports.
I'll bear witness y'all in the next part on to recognize them.

More recently, the Raspberry Pi 400 has been released in 2020, but I dubiety you need aid to identify it. Currently, it'due south the simply one built into a keyboard:

What do I need to know about my Raspberry Pi model?

You at present have all the data, but it may not exist enough to really aid you find the model you have in your hands (or remotely connected).
That'southward why I volition requite you more details here, on all the information you need to have about your Raspberry Pi before going further.

As you'll encounter in the nautical chart at the end, there is ii main cases to identify a Raspberry Pi :

Y'all have the board in your hands, but in that location is no system or even no SD card to help you find the information
Your Raspberry Pi is already up and running, mayhap remotely, and you want to find the information on the system (via SSH for example)

Read this if Raspberry Pi Bone is already installed

The easiest style to discover which Raspberry Pi yous have, is to take Raspberry Pi OS installed.

So, on a Debian system y'all accept several files in the /proc folder.
For example, "cpuinfo" contains data almost your processor, "meminfo" is for the RAM, etc.
My commencement idea was to look for the exact CPU model and RAM quantity.
But there is an easier way 🙂

When checking the "cpuinfo" file, I noticed that the Raspberry Pi was written clearly at the stop of the file!
Then, y'all just have to open the file and check the terminal line
Or you can display it directly with :
cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep Model

Here is what you'll go :

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep Model Model : Raspberry Pi iv Model B Rev ane.1

This should give yous the answer direct, no need to analyze multiple specifications details to detect your Raspberry Pi model 🙂
If information technology doesn't piece of work for you lot, yous'll probably need to check the next function.

Read this if there is no organization on it

If you don't take any SD card or operating organisation on your Raspberry Pi, and simply want to check quickly if it's worth using, you can approximate it past following this.

Model name on the board

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The easiest way with the Raspberry Pi in your hands is to cheque if in that location is something written on it.
Here is an example on my Raspberry Pi 3B+ :

I don't have all the Raspberry Pi models, simply for those I accept I get the model name (and version) written on it.
So, I suppose information technology can help you observe the model easily.

Display port(s) available(s)

If for any reason, reading the model name on the board is non possible, nosotros volition need to try other things to detect the verbal model.
I tell you correct away, it's non the easiest way to do this, and there is no guarantee as some models share some of these specifications.

So in this section and the following, I will show you a few things that may be useful to identify a Raspberry Pi model.
I recommend you lot to check everything, have note of this, and so try the flowchart at the end of the post.
(If you already accept a expert level, you tin can go directly to the flowchart)

The outset matter to notation is the display port available on your Raspberry Pi.
There is 3 possible types, as you have seen in the get-go part :

HDMI
Mini HDMI
Micro HDMI

Hither are what these ports expect like in the same guild:

If you accept a Mini HDMI, your model is a Raspberry Pi Zero. But you need to get further to know which version.
If there are two Micro HDMI ports, it'southward a Raspberry Pi 4 B. Currently in that location is no doubt well-nigh this.

USB ports

The second information you lot may need is the number of USB ports, and their types.
The starting time Raspberry Pi had only one USB port, just they quickly add additional ports to the new models.
The last model currently, the Raspberry Pi 4 B has four USB ports (2x USB 2.0 and 2x USB 3.0).

USB three.0 are faster than the USB 2.0.
So, if yous have this model, yous should plug your mouse and keyboard on the black ports, and your SSD disk on the blue ones.
Here is a picture to assistance y'all understand what I mean :

Blackness USB 2.0 and Bluish USB 3.0 ports
on a Raspberry Pi four

How many ports do you accept on your Raspberry Pi?

Only one port ⇒ you lot have a model A or A+.
Two ports ⇒ Information technology'due south a Raspberry Pi 1 B. Blue ports? It'south a Raspberry Pi four B.
In other cases ⇒ yous'll need to get all the information and utilize the flowchart to help you determine the Raspberry Pi model you lot have.

Ethernet Port

Not every Raspberry Pi models take an Ethernet port on it.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation continue to release Raspberry Pi models without any Ethernet port to have a cheaper selection available if you don't need information technology.
Luckily, most of them now have a Wi-Fi card included, so you lot can even so connect them to your network and Cyberspace.

Anyhow, for now but cheque if your Raspberry Pi has an Ethernet port, and remember this.

Raspberry Pi Nada: GPIO Pins

The last ii things only utilise to the Raspberry Pi Zero models.
And so, if you know you have a Raspberry Pi Cypher (Mini HDMI port), you will need them.

The first 1 is to cheque if y'all accept GPIO pins on it or just holes.
If you have GPIO pins, and yous have not soldered them previously, information technology's a Raspberry Pi Zero WH.
If non, you lot need to cheque if in that location is a Wi-Fi carte or not.

Raspberry Pi Zero: Wi-Fi carte du jour

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Finally, the last thing to check, and merely if y'all have a Raspberry Pi Zippo, is the Wi-Fi card.

Indeed, the kickoff Raspberry Pi Zero model had neither network card nor Wi-Fi card.
On the side by side versions, they added the Wi-Fi carte on it (but still no Ethernet).

Then, you need to cheque if there is a Wi-Fi card on your model.
Here is the menu location circled in ruddy:

Wi-Fi card location on a Raspberry Pi Zero W / WH

Don't see it? You accept the first Raspberry Pi Nothing model.
If you have information technology, this is a Raspberry Pi W (without GPIO pins) or WH (with them).

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Flowchart : notice you Raspberry Pi model

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As I recognize all these specifications are not easy to read and analyze, I have spent a fiddling time to build a chart that should probably be easier for yous than all this data.
Just have your notes with you, and follow the nautical chart beneath.

Start at the top and answer each question (by reading again the previous part if needed):

Flowchart to find your current model of Raspberry Pi

In nigh cases, you'll find the model name written on the lath, or cheers to Raspberry Pi Os (ex Raspbian).
I didn't note it on the chart, but as I told you lot in the previous part, if yous arrive at the "Raspberry Pi B or B+" point, y'all tin also check the number of USB ports and formats to notice the oldest ones :

Raspberry Pi model A or A+
- 1x USB port :
  - Standard format : Raspberry Pi 1 A
Raspberry Pi model B or B+
- 2x USB port : Raspberry Pi i B

Unfortunately, if this doesn't help yous, you take to install Raspberry Pi Bone and cheque the processor information.

Conclusion

That's it, you now know how to find which Raspberry Pi model you lot take
If you have Raspberry Pi OS on it and can log in, it's straightforward.
If not, you tin can endeavour to find it by checking a few things on it (or installing Raspberry Pi Os^^).

If I made a mistake somewhere, or if you are in a case where this mail doesn't assist you, please leave a annotate below, I will endeavour to fix this.

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Source: https://raspberrytips.com/which-raspberry-pi-model/#:~:text=find%20it%20easily.-,How%20do%20you%20know%20which%20Raspberry%20Pi%20model%20you%20have,information%20from%20the%20operating%20system.