Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
I tested running a local LLM on a Raspberry Pi 5 to see how practical it really is. I tested it on its own, with the Hailo AI HAT+ 2 accelerator, and against an N100 mini PC, all running the same Qwen2.5 model. I also benchmarked it against a cheap cloud-based model through OpenRouter to see how it stacks up in terms of performance, quality, power usage and cost.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Visit my blog for the testing write-up - the-diy-life.com/i-ran-ai-on-a-raspberry-pi-the-results-were-unexpected
PURCHASE LINKS
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Raspberry Pi 5 - amzn.to/4bxwexq
Pi 5 Active Cooler - amzn.to/47selO7
Pi AI HAT+ 2 Accelerator - amzn.to/4rJUYrr
Beelink S12 N100 Mini PC - amzn.to/4lLdUo1
Tools & Equipment Used:
Main Power Meter - amzn.to/4lO6Nvg
USB C Pencil Screwdriver - amzn.to/4lWg5Ec
Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you'll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.
CHAPTERS
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00:00 Intro & Test Setup
2:12 Pi 5 Only
4:19 Pi 5 With Hailo Hat+ 2
6:59 N100 Mini PC
8:33 Results Comparison
10:37 Comparison With An Online Model
11:55 Final Thoughts
If you've got any ideas for Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or other Electronics projects or tutorials you'd like to see, let me know in the comments section.
I tested running a local LLM on a Raspberry Pi 5 to see how practical it really is. I tested it on its own, with the Hailo AI HAT+ 2 accelerator, and against an N100 mini PC, all running the same Qwen2.5 model. I also benchmarked it against a cheap cloud-based model through OpenRouter to see how it stacks up in terms of performance, quality, power usage and cost.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
---------------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for the testing write-up - the-diy-life.com/i-ran-ai-on-a-raspberry-pi-the-results-were-unexpected
PURCHASE LINKS
---------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi 5 - amzn.to/4bxwexq
Pi 5 Active Cooler - amzn.to/47selO7
Pi AI HAT+ 2 Accelerator - amzn.to/4rJUYrr
Beelink S12 N100 Mini PC - amzn.to/4lLdUo1
Tools & Equipment Used:
Main Power Meter - amzn.to/4lO6Nvg
USB C Pencil Screwdriver - amzn.to/4lWg5Ec
Some of the above parts are affiliate links. By purchasing products through the above links, you'll be supporting this channel, at no additional cost to you.
CHAPTERS
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Intro & Test Setup
2:12 Pi 5 Only
4:19 Pi 5 With Hailo Hat+ 2
6:59 N100 Mini PC
8:33 Results Comparison
10:37 Comparison With An Online Model
11:55 Final Thoughts
If you've got any ideas for Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or other Electronics projects or tutorials you'd like to see, let me know in the comments section.
