Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Kits in the UK: Which One to Buy
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The short answer: for a first Raspberry Pi, a desktop or general projects, buy OmniKit's Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Complete Starter Kit (£149.99). It has the board, the official case and UK power supply, heatsinks, an HDMI cable and a memory card with Raspberry Pi OS already on it. For wiring sensors and relays, choose the kit with a GPIO terminal block (£149.99). To mount the Pi in a control panel or enclosure, choose the Pi 4 8GB in a DIN rail case (£149.99). For Home Assistant energy monitoring, the Home Assistant Energy Monitoring Kit (£179.99) has everything in one box. All of them ship from UK stock, the same day if you order before 2pm.
OmniKit's Raspberry Pi 4 8GB kits side by side
| Kit | Price | In the box | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Starter Kit | £149.99 | Boxed Raspberry Pi 4 8GB, official red and white case, aluminium heatsinks, official Raspberry Pi 15W USB-C UK power supply, micro HDMI to HDMI cable, SanDisk Ultra 16GB memory card with Raspberry Pi OS installed | A first Pi, a desktop, learning, general projects |
| Starter Kit + GPIO Terminal Block | £149.99 | Raspberry Pi 4 8GB, labelled 40-pin GPIO screw terminal board, case with cooling fan, heatsinks, 5V 3A UK power supply, SanDisk Ultra 16GB memory card. No HDMI cable | Relays, sensors and automation wiring |
| Pi 4 8GB with DIN Rail Case | £149.99 | Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in a DIN rail case. Power supply and memory card not included | Control panels, enclosures and consumer-unit installs |
| Home Assistant Energy Monitoring Kit | £179.99 | Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in a DIN rail case, Eastron SDM230 MID energy meter, USB to RS485 adapter, industrial power supply, memory card with Home Assistant installed, DIN rail mounting hardware | Monitoring your electricity in Home Assistant |
| Pi 4 8GB with Case & Fan | £135.00 | Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in a case with a cooling fan. Power supply, memory card and HDMI cable not included | A tidier start than a bare board, if you already have a power supply and card |
| Raspberry Pi 4 8GB, board only | £129.99 | The board on its own | If you already have a case, power supply and card |
How to choose
Work through four questions:
- Will you plug in a screen? The Pi 4 uses micro HDMI, not full-size HDMI. The Complete Starter Kit includes the right cable. The GPIO kit doesn't, so add a micro HDMI to HDMI cable if you need one.
- Will you wire things to it? If you're connecting relays, switches or sensors, the GPIO terminal block gives every pin a labelled screw terminal, so there are no loose jumper wires.
- Where will it live? On a desk or a shelf, any of the cased kits will do. In a control panel or next to a consumer unit, a DIN rail case clips onto the same rail as your breakers and meters.
- Is it for Home Assistant energy monitoring? Then the Home Assistant Energy Monitoring Kit saves buying the meter, adapter and power supply separately. Our guide Home Assistant Energy Monitoring Kit: what you need explains each part.
Why a Pi 4 with 8GB?
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has a quad-core 64-bit processor, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, two USB 3.0 ports and two micro HDMI outputs. The 8GB version is the largest memory option. That gives room for Home Assistant with several add-ons, Docker containers, a media server or a Linux desktop with lots of browser tabs, without running short.
It runs Raspberry Pi OS and Home Assistant OS, and a large range of cases and add-on boards are made for it.
Pi 4 or Pi 5?
The Raspberry Pi 5 is faster. It also needs a larger 27W (5V 5A) power supply to run at full power, and it has its own cases, because Pi 4 cases don't fit it. For Home Assistant, dashboards, Pi-hole, automation and most learning projects, a Pi 4 8GB has plenty of power, runs on the standard 15W supply and is well proven. Choose a Pi 5 if you need the extra speed for demanding work such as heavy desktop use or processing video.
Memory cards and power supplies matter
Most problems with a Raspberry Pi that has been running for a while come down to two parts. One is a memory card that wears out under constant writing. The other is a power supply that can't hold a steady 5V. Our starter kit comes with the official Raspberry Pi UK power supply and a SanDisk card with Raspberry Pi OS already installed. For a Pi that writes data around the clock, such as a Home Assistant server, a high-endurance card or a USB SSD will last longer. If you buy the board on its own, use a good 5V 3A USB-C supply rather than a phone charger.
Delivery, returns and warranty
Every kit is held in UK stock. Order before 2pm on a working day and it is dispatched the same day by Royal Mail Tracked 24, free on UK orders of £39 or more. You can return unused items within 30 days, and every kit carries a one-year OmniKit warranty against faults.
Common questions
Are these genuine Raspberry Pi boards?
Yes. Every kit uses a genuine Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB.
Will a Pi 4 8GB run Home Assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant OS supports the Raspberry Pi 4. Our Home Assistant Energy Monitoring Kit comes with it already installed on the memory card.
Do I need a fan?
For most uses the heatsinks are enough. A fan helps if the Pi will run hard all day in a warm place. The cases in the GPIO kit and the Case & Fan kit both have one built in.
Can I use my phone charger?
It's not a good idea. The Pi 4 needs a steady 5V at up to 3A. A weaker supply causes random restarts and a warning symbol on screen. Use the official 15W supply or a good 5V 3A USB-C supply.
Do you supply schools, businesses and installers?
Yes. See our trade page for bulk orders and trade accounts.
Not sure which kit suits your project? Email customersupport@omnikit.co.uk and tell us what you're building.