# Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB), CPU only for local AI

URL: https://insidethemachine.ai/machines/raspberry-pi-5-16gb
Type: Single-board computer. Chip: BCM2712 (4× Cortex-A76). Memory: system, options 16 GB. Bandwidth: 17 GB/s (Up to ~17 GB/s (32-bit LPDDR4X), per ComputingForGeeks.). Spec source: https://computingforgeeks.com/edge-llm-jetson-orin-vs-ai-hat-2-vs-hailo-10h/ (2026-10-12).
Price: from about $305 (2026-10-12, approximate). Status: current.

## Which models fit

| memory GB | usable GB | models that fit | best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 12 | 38 | K2 Horizon 7B (8.6 GB), Gemma 4 12B (11.2 GB), Qwen3.5 9B (9.6 GB) |

## Published speeds (not our tests)

- llama3.2 3B: 5.55 tok/s decode (Ollama, Q4 (Ollama default), Pi 5 8GB CPU (Jeff Geerling), community-measured) https://computingforgeeks.com/edge-llm-jetson-orin-vs-ai-hat-2-vs-hailo-10h/ (2026-10-12)
- qwen2 1.5B: 12.47 tok/s decode (Ollama, Q4 (Ollama default), Pi 5 8GB CPU (Jeff Geerling), community-measured) https://computingforgeeks.com/edge-llm-jetson-orin-vs-ai-hat-2-vs-hailo-10h/ (2026-10-12)

## Questions

**What is the best local LLM for the Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB), CPU only?**
With 16 GB, K2 Horizon 7B (needs 8.6 GB, AA 20.6). 38 of 124 models fit.

**How fast is the Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB), CPU only for local AI?**
Published: llama3.2 3B at 5.55 tokens/sec (Ollama, Pi 5 8GB CPU (Jeff Geerling)); qwen2 1.5B at 12.47 tokens/sec (Ollama, Pi 5 8GB CPU (Jeff Geerling)). These are other people's measurements, not ours.

**How much does the Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB), CPU only cost?**
From about $305 (as of 2026-10-12). 2026 prices are inflated by the memory-chip shortage; check before buying.