CanaKitRaspberry Pi 5 Desktop PC with SSD (Fully Assembled) (256 GB SSD)

I bought this Raspberry Pi 5 to be used specifically with the Home Assistant (HA) software. The built-in SSD card was a requirement since HA writes a lot of data to storage. I've been running this device for 3 days now and it's been working great. It was super nice to have a fully assembled and ready-to-go Pi. To get the HA software installed on the SSD card, I did the following:1) Install the Raspberry Pi OS on a SD Card (using my Mac Mini).2) Inserted the SD card in the Pi 5 and booted it up from the SD Card.3) Attached an ethernet cable from my WiFi router to the Pi.4) Use the Raspberry Pi Imager app on the Pi to install a version of HA on the Pi's SDD card.5) Shutdown the Pi.6) Removed the SD card, and rebooted the Pi.I was up and running in just a few minutes. When running HA the small fan is running in the Pi, but it's barely noticeable when compared to the normal background noise in my house. So, I've got a Zigbee USB stick attached to one of the USB 2.0 ports and I have 45 Zigbee devices connected to HA. Everything is working well, and I don't anticipate any hardware speed issues.

I have several Raspberry Pi (RPi) 3 and 4 along with a few other Single Board Computers (SBC) that I use for a variety of purposes. I got this, plugged it in, went through the setup and then rebooted. I was impressed with how fast it booted with the NVME drive. This Pi is responsive and easily performs daily tasks. The 8GB of RAM is sufficient for everything that I have tried. The one thing I haven't tried is running 2 monitors. Due to space limitations, I use a KVM switch with 1 monitor to manage my SBCs, I initially thought $200 was a little pricey but this is great. I've using it to manage my other SBCs. I am very impressed.

I've probably bought at least 6 Canakit all-in-one Raspberry Pi kits over the years. Every piece included is top-drawer quality, as is their documentation. They always include a "getting started" card, which is quite helpful.There is no better company to buy from if you are looking into getting started with a Raspberry Pi.While this is one of their most expensive kits, it comes with the official Raspberry Pi NVME hat pre-installed, along with the official Raspbian image pre-programmed into the NVME. It is also already installed into its Canakit plastic case.All you have to do is plug in the included power supply and a display through one of the two included micro-HDMI to HDMI adapters, a mouse and keyboard, and you're up and running.Nothing could be easier than this. It's a great starter kit, and the price is not out of line with what it would cost you for all of the separately-purchased pieces.I highly recommend Canakit.I also highly recommend buying this NVME-equipped model if you are just starting out with the Raspberry Pi 5. NVME technology is the future for the faster Pi models. You can save some $$ by using the old-school SD card technology, but the SD will wear out way more quickly, and is also a lot slower than NVME. NVME technology enables the Pi 5 to run at its best speeds, and with much higher capacities (think 2 TB for example). You don't want to hobble it with an SD card.

From the pics, it looks like it brings all the GPIOs out to a 2×20 header, but while they could have been, they are not actually connected to the pins on the pi. If all you want is raspi 5 desktop, it has been working well for that and the SSD appears to work well. There also is a space for access to the two camera connectors, but I've so far been unable to get the cable in. Might need to disassemble the SSD to get them in. I wish they would have put the SSD board on a carrier underneath the pi and then built a case on top with better access options.

I bought this item Jan. 27, 2025. As of this posting, I’ve used the unit for about 3 weeks. It has performed flawlessly. And really, not much else to say about. FWIW: I also own a NexDeck that I paired with this unit. The NexDeck configuration requires the Pi to be powered from the NexDeck. I constantly get an under voltage warning when using this combination. Further, I previously tried to use a Raspberry Pi 4 with this unit and got the same results. I am using a correct power supply, in fact one that is a little overrated. The NexDeck is not passing 5 volts to the Pi.

Great performance in a tiny box, blows the pi4 for web browsing and video playback. Just buy it, you will love it.

Great read/write speeds. Haven't tested overclocking, or in warmer climates, yet. I run an INDI server on it to control telescope equipment. Always happy with a Pi, and they keep getting better. CanaKit always provides functional and pragmatic equipment!

The kit is assembled and very complete with everything you need except a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. All cables were included.