The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is a credit card-sized computer that sells for $35 and up, but that price only gets you a single-board computer without any sort of protective case. There’s an official case that sells for just $5, but over the years we’ve also seen hundreds of DIY and third-party solutions, some of which do more than just cover up the Raspberry Pi.

For example the new DeskPi Lite is more than just a case. This $30 accessory also modifies the port layout, making it easier to connect peripherals to Raspberry Pi’s little computer.

That’s because in addition to a case, the DeskPi Lite includes two expansion boards that connect to the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B’s existing hardware to offer expansion options including:

  • 2 x extra USB Type-A ports
  • 2 x micro HDMI ports are converted to full-sized HDMI ports
  • GPIO expansion headers are moved to the side of the case

The end result is a Raspberry Pi where most of the ports have been moved to the back of the system, while two extra USB ports have been added to the front, where you’ll also find status LEDs, a power button, and a microSD card reader.

Deskpi’s aluminum alloy case also helps dissipate heat, as does the adjustable speed fan that comes with the kit. And in addition to moving the GPIO headers to the side, the case has labels for each pin, which could make hooking up hardware a little simpler. Don’t need access to those GPIO headers? There’s a protective cover that hides them when they’re not exposed.

The Deskpi Lite is the latest case/kit from Deskpi, with other options including:

via CNX Software

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2 replies on “DeskPi Lite is a $30 Raspberry Pi 4 case with 6 USB ports, 2 full-sized HDMI ports”

  1. The end result is a Raspberry Pi where most of the ports have been moved to the back of the system, while two extra USB ports and USB-C power input are on the front.

    I was reading this, thinking “what a bizarre choice to have the USB-C in front, instead of everything tidy around the back” – but then after analyzing the diagrams, confirmed that it is, far more logically, the mSD slot, and that the USB-C input is sensibly placed in the rear. 🙂

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