Pi 4 vs Thin Client

I finally set up my Raspberry Pi today, and it got me thinking which was cheaper, the Pi or a Thin Client.

So I made an apples to oranges comparison, because under certain conditions, one or the other would be a better fit.

Here we go anyway, shipping and taxes are not included.

First the Raspberry Pi 4

Here you have a

• 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 which was $45
• Power Supply $10.99
• Pi 4 Case $15.99
• 32GB MicroSD card $5.49
• Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter (came in 2 pack, this is cost for 1) $4.00

Total $77.47

Next you have a used HP Thin Client

• Used HP t520 Flexible Series TC 4GB of RAM $49.95
• Power Supply Included
• 16GB M.2SSD Included but I did purchase a 128GB M.2SSD $25.99
• DisplayPort to HDMI adapter (2 pk price is for 1) $6.49

Total $82.43

I got have left the 128GB SSD cost off, but trying to be honest with what I spent.

Raspberry Pi Pros and Cons

Pros

• New
• Less power draw
• Includes Wifi and Bluetooth
• Small

Cons

• Slower storage
• Less OS Choices
• SD card as storage not as durable

Thin Client Pros and Cons

Pros

• Runs X86 Compatible chip, will run Windows and Other Distros like Mint and CentOS
• More RAM and Up-gradable
• Faster Up-gradable Storage
• Supports VGA
• 4 USB 2 ports
• PXE Boot
• Supports X2Go

Cons

• Larger (Still small though)
• No wifi or bluetooth
• Draws more power
• Only 2 Core CPU

It is important to note that they are both quiet and I could have used reduced costs on both by going with a cheaper power supply and case for the Pi and not getting storage for the Thin client.

Both support dual monitors.

It is hard to compare CPUs but the Pi4 has a core clock speed of 1.5Ghz whereas the Thin client has 1 .4Ghz clock speed.

Overall I would say it depends on what you want to do.