How to Power a Raspberry Pi: Pro Tips for Every Use

Finding a power supply compatible with your Raspberry Pi can be a mess, as each model has specific requirements in terms of power and connectors. But don’t worry, I’ve gathered all the information for you and will explain everything in this article.

A Raspberry Pi must be powered with a compatible power supply. All models run on 5.1 volts, but the Pi 5 needs 5A, the Pi 4 and Pi 400 require 3A, while other models work fine on 2.5A. It’s not recommended to use a standard phone charger or USB cable to power a Raspberry Pi.

In this article, I’ll show you what can be used to power the Raspberry Pi and what you should pay attention to when getting a power supply.

If you’re feeling lost in all the Raspberry Pi jargon, I’ve got something to help you out. I’ve created a free glossary that explains all the essential terms and abbreviations in a way that’s easy to understand. It’s a great resource to have by your side. Get your free copy here.

How Do You Power a Raspberry Pi?

In this section, we’ll cover what voltage and amperage requirements you’ll need for different Pi models and what kind of power supplies to get for each one.

What Are the Power Requirements for Raspberry Pi?

As a general rule, Raspberry Pi models can be powered with a 5.1V power supply. Although their voltage requirements are the same, recent models require more current output. The Pi 5 needs 5.0A, while the Pi 4B and Pi 400 need 3.0A to work efficiently.

Here’s a table with all the information you’ll need to choose a power supply:

Model	Voltage	Recommended Capacity
Pi Zero / Zero W	5.1V	1.2A
Pi Zero 2 W	5.1V	2A
Pi 1 A / A+	5.1V	700mA
Pi 1 B+ / 2 B	5.1V	1.8A
Pi 3 A+ / B / B+	5.1V	2.5A
Pi 4 B / 400	5.1V	3.0A
Pi 5	5.1V	5.0A
Pi Pico	1.8–5.5V DC	–

Using an Official Power Supply

You’ll also have to keep in mind that some models use different connectors, so make sure to get a power supply that will fit your Pi.

The newer Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4B, and Pi 400 use USB-C power connectors, while older models use a micro USB power connector.

Model	Power Connector	Power Supply
Pi Zero / 1 / 2 / 3	Micro USB	CanaKit PSU Link
Pi 4 B / 400	USB-C	Official PSU Link
Pi 5	USB-C	CanaKit PSU 5A Link
Pi Pico	Micro USB

The easiest way to avoid any issue with your power supply is to grab the official one for your specific model. This way you’ll be sure it respects the requirements and that it’ll work like a charm with your Pi. The table above provides links to power supplies proven to work with your Pi.

Power Issues: Lightning Bolt Icon

If a lightning bolt icon appears at the top right of the screen on Raspberry Pi OS, it means that your power supply is not providing enough power to the Raspberry Pi.

You should purchase a PSU that meets the requirements listed in the above table as underpowering your Pi could cause damage to the micro-SD card or the board itself. 

Power Considerations for Peripheral Devices

Adding peripheral devices may increase the power requirements for your Raspberry Pi, but there are a few tips that can help avoid the most common issues.

If you use a wireless keyboard and mouse, the dongle to control these devices can be plugged directly to the Raspberry Pi’s USB ports. If you go this route, try to purchase a keyboard and mouse that share the same dongle; otherwise, you’ll need to use 2 USB ports, which eat up more power.

Personally, I use this one from Riitek, which only takes one adapter.

USB flash drives used as additional storage or boot media can also be connected directly to the Raspberry Pi’s USB ports. Their low power requirements shouldn’t cause any issues.

However, what if you want to add larger storage options, such as a solid-state drive (SSDs are great for making your Raspberry Pi run faster) or hard-disk drive (HDD)? For these situations, I recommend using a powered USB hub instead of attaching it directly to the Raspberry Pi.

These devices drain much more power and may lead to “under-voltage detected” errors. Using a powered USB hub will ensure that they draw power from your main outlet instead. It’s not an expensive upgrade at all—you can find some great options on Amazon (like this one).

Using a Regular USB Cable to Power a Raspberry Pi

It’s possible to power a Raspberry Pi by plugging a regular USB cable into a port on your computer. This isn’t the best way, however, as the computer won’t deliver enough current to power all of your accessories.

However, it’s a convenient way to get started it if you have nothing else available. You’ll probably run into the lightning icon error if you ask too much of your Pi.

To power your Pi with your PC, you’ll need a USB cable that has a standard USB connector on one end to connect to your computer. On the other end, the cable needs to be either a Micro USB connector or a USB-C connector, depending on the Pi model you’re using.

Check the table above for the right connector for each model. For example, you’ll need this kind of USB cable for a Raspberry Pi 5, 4, or 400.

Using a Phone Charger to Power a Raspberry Pi

It is NOT recommended to use a phone charger to power the Raspberry Pi. In general, these chargers don’t produce the exact voltage and amperage written on the label.

Also, the newer Pi 5 and Pi 4 models require higher amperage than most phone chargers can provide.

Therefore, it’s recommended to purchase a power supply unit (PSU) that’s designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi. You can purchase them from an official reseller, just like where you purchased your Pi.

Powering the Raspberry Pi With a Solar Panel

If you’re looking for a neat project, check out this option I’m planning to use for my solar-powered weather station. After reading several articles, I’ve selected the following hardware for my station:

• A 12-Watt Solar Panel is how you’ll collect energy from the sun.
• A portable power platform which attaches to the Raspberry Pi. It’s the brain that will control battery charging and will shutdown the Pi if the battery drops too low.
• A 3.7V 5000mAh battery to store the charge from the solar panels.
• A BME280 sensor that measures humidity, pressure, and temperature and which measures only 1” x 1.5” in size.
• A Raspberry Pi Zero – WH computer: The WH means it has Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and a 40-pin header attached.

The BME280 and devices for measuring wind speed and rainfall amount will be attached to the Raspberry Pi Zero. The Zero will then transmit the data via Wi-Fi to a Raspberry Pi 4 running PostgreSQL database for data storage and report generation.

You can find more details about this project in this video if you are interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRDBQTyQ8Ag

By the way, you can also use a device like the RasPad 3 which includes a battery inside the case. It will work for a few hours, so it might be enough in many cases. You can find my review of the RasPad 3 here with more details about this.

What if Your Raspberry Pi Still Won’t Boot?

If you followed all the recommendations listed above and your Raspberry Pi still doesn’t boot, it’s probably an issue unrelated to the power supply. Many reasons can cause a Pi to not boot correctly.

In fact, I have an entire article about it that you can find here. Please don’t hesitate to read it if you experience any issues with your Pi.

Whenever you’re ready, here are other ways I can help you:

The RaspberryTips Community: If you want to hang out with me and other Raspberry Pi fans, you can join the community. I share exclusive tutorials and behind-the-scenes content there. Premium members can also visit the website without ads.

Master your Raspberry Pi in 30 days: If you are looking for the best tips to become an expert on Raspberry Pi, this book is for you. Learn useful Linux skills and practice multiple projects with step-by-step guides.

The Raspberry Pi Bootcamp: Understand everything about the Raspberry Pi, stop searching for help all the time, and finally enjoy completing your projects.

Master Python on Raspberry Pi: Create, understand, and improve any Python script for your Raspberry Pi. Learn the essentials step-by-step without losing time understanding useless concepts.

You can also find all my recommendations for tools and hardware on this page.