Welcome to the first match of the Mini Computer World Cup! Today, we are featuring a head-to-head comparison between two of the most iconic development boards: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and Arduino Mega 2560.
Raspberry Pi 4 comes in strong with a quad-core Broadcom processor (1.5GHz), 2-8GB RAM options, and support for HDMI, USB 3.0, Ethernet, and WiFi. It runs a full Linux OS, which makes it a complete single-board computer for multitasking, programming, and IoT applications.
On the other hand, Arduino Mega 2560 is a classic microcontroller board based on the ATmega2560. It features 54 digital I/O pins, 16 analog inputs, and excels in real-time control applications like robotics and embedded systems. However, it lacks native OS support and is limited in computing power.
In terms of CPU power and memory, Raspberry Pi clearly dominates. It’s like Brazil facing a small football team — highly advanced, with plenty of options for developers. But in terms of simplicity and precision control, Arduino holds its ground, especially in electronics and sensor-driven projects.
Energy consumption is another factor. Raspberry Pi consumes around 3-7W, depending on usage, while Arduino Mega is ultra-efficient, barely using more than 0.5W, making it ideal for battery-powered applications.
Price-wise, Arduino is cheaper, around $25, while Raspberry Pi 4 ranges between $35 to $75 depending on the RAM.
Final Scorecard:
Processing Power: Raspberry Pi 4 🟢
Power Efficiency: Arduino Mega 🟢
Connectivity & OS: Raspberry Pi 4 🟢
I/O for Embedded: Arduino Mega 🟢
Price: Arduino Mega 🟢
Match Result: Raspberry Pi 4 wins by 3 categories to 2. It gets 3 points in the group stage. Arduino Mega fights valiantly and earns 0 points, but proves why it's still a beloved board for DIY engineers.