Enabling External Graphics Cards on Raspberry Pi 5

Enabling External Graphics Cards on Raspberry Pi 5

While the Raspberry Pi series has long been known for its compact computing capabilities, graphical output and expandability have not been its strong suits. However, a notable shift is occurring with the Raspberry Pi 5, as reported by Jeff Geerling, who has successfully integrated external GPUs with the device.

Unlike its predecessors, the Raspberry Pi 5 boasts a more streamlined implementation of its PCI Express bus, addressing previous challenges in working with GPUs. Jeff has achieved success using an AMD RX 460, running various tests with the glmark2 benchmark. While he is currently exploring compatibility with other AMD cards, he anticipates potential hurdles with NVidia components due to initialization issues that are proving challenging to resolve.

Although the process still requires unconventional adapters and significant effort, the Raspberry Pi platform is finally making strides in supporting GPUs. Stay updated on Jeff's ongoing GPU trials by checking the PiPCI website. For those familiar with Jeff's earlier work on earlier Raspberry Pi iterations, this development marks a significant advancement. Watch the video after the break for more insights!