A lower-priced Raspberry Pi 4 is drawing attention for one simple reason: it stays official, new, and significantly cheaper, but it also gives up a noticeable chunk of speed. Cytron is selling the board for $87.25, below the reported $110 price of a new Raspberry Pi 4, yet the trade-off is a maximum clock of 1.25GHz instead of 1.8GHz.
That difference is large enough to matter for buyers who expect the standard Raspberry Pi 4 experience. Based on the figures provided by Cytron, the reduced clock means performance is roughly 30% lower than the regular model’s peak spec.
Why this version exists
The board is not refurbished, used, or counterfeit. It is a brand-new Raspberry Pi 4 supplied directly from Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom, then validated to run stably at a lower frequency.
| Item | Price | Maximum Clock | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cytron Raspberry Pi 4 Special Value | $87.25 | 1.25GHz | New, validated for stable lower-frequency operation |
| Standard Raspberry Pi 4 | $110 | 1.8GHz | Regular peak specification |
In practical terms, this is still a Raspberry Pi 4, but it comes from a batch that did not meet the 1.8GHz target during testing. Raspberry Pi and Cytron have certified it for stable use at 1.25GHz instead.
What buyers are actually getting
Cytron labels the product as a “Special Value” board. The key appeal is that buyers get an official Raspberry Pi 4 at a lower price without moving to the secondhand market.
The catch is straightforward: lower cost comes with lower performance. For light projects, the gap may be acceptable, but tasks that depend heavily on CPU speed will feel slower than on the standard model.
Why the discount matters now
Raspberry Pi pricing has been pressured upward by rising RAM costs, pushing the board farther away from its long-standing image as a cheap entry point for beginners. That matters because the platform is often recommended for learning to code, building small projects, or handling simple computing tasks.
In that context, a discounted official board can still be attractive to first-time buyers. It offers a legitimate way to save money, even if the savings come with a clear limitation on top-end speed.
The broader hardware market has felt similar pressure from memory price increases, including products such as Steam Deck, game consoles, and Framework devices. Raspberry Pi is now dealing with the same kind of cost sensitivity from a different angle.
A practical option, with limits
For users who care more about budget than maximum speed, this Raspberry Pi 4 may be a sensible compromise. The board remains fully usable for common tasks, but the reduced frequency should be considered before buying.
Cytron says the stock is available while supplies last, making the offer time-sensitive for anyone who decides that 1.25GHz is enough for their needs. For buyers in that group, the lower price may be enough to make the compromise worthwhile.
