🔬 Sovereign Lab — EU Buying Guide
Everything you need from v0.9 → v1.0 → v2.0. All links go directly to product pages.
📦 Already purchased
| Item | Variant | Status | Where | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lista a preencher. User precisa de listar items adquiridos via ticket de follow-up ou diretamente neste card.
Sugestao de items a tracker (cobre tudo no shopping list abaixo): | |||||
| RPi 5 | 4GB ou 8GB | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| Official PSU 27W USB-C | SC1152 branco / SC1153 preto | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| Active Cooler | SC1148 | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| microSD | Endurance ou ? | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| NVMe SSD | ? | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| M.2 HAT | Geekworm X1004 / Argon | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
| Case | Argon ONE V3 / V5 / outro | unknown | ? | ? | ? |
⭐ Final Analysis: 2026-05-01
labs.jeremytrindade.com and the next decade of personal-infra projects. This is the "if you only read one section, read this" entry. Reasoning per-question lives in the FAQ section below.
Context
The decision sat at the v0.9 → v1.0 transition for labs.jeremytrindade.com. The infra is ready, SSL is live, auto-deploy works, and the only remaining bottleneck is hardware: the GCP e2-micro free tier is at 73.4% RAM, the v1.9 signal. The buy needed to:
- Be cheap enough to act on today.
- Be capable enough to host labs at v1.0 with years of headroom.
- Slot cleanly into the sovereign-lab framework (Pi rotates across 5–10 projects in a decade).
- Avoid regret across that decade, not just optimise day 1.
The questions, decided
| Question | Decision | Why in one line |
|---|---|---|
| 4GB CeX €75, or 8GB online €185–250, or both? | 4GB CeX | Workload fits 4GB at 17.4%; RAM is soldered so the 8GB premium buys delay of v2.0, not avoidance. |
| Argon ONE V5 (€40,80) or V3 M.2 NVMe (€53,90)? | V3 | The Pi rotates across many projects. V3's HDMI + power button + IR are €13 of decade-proof options. |
| Storage path? | NVMe via case slot | microSD wears out under server-class writes within months. NVMe at v1.0, not at v1.1. |
Final shopping list (every product has a direct link)
| Item | Direct link | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPi 5 4GB (Grade B used) | CeX product page (Grade B) ↗ | €75,00 | In-store pickup at Glicínias. Phone first, only ~2 units typical. 5yr CeX warranty. |
| RPi 5 4GB (Grade A fallback) | CeX product page (Grade A) ↗ | €85,00 | Same warranty, less cosmetic wear. |
| Official PSU 27W USB-C white (SC1152) | mauser.pt SC1152 ↗ | €12,92 | Free PT shipping above €25. |
| Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe PCIe (ASIN B0CVL9BRZL) | Amazon.de official listing ↗ · mauser.pt PT fallback (€59,10) ↗ | €53,90 | Case + NVMe slot + fan + full HDMI + power button. 74 reviews, 4.4★ (verified 2026-05-01). |
| Kingston NV3 256GB NVMe | Amazon.es search (4★+) ↗ | ~€22 | RPi 5-compatible, ≤3W TDP. |
| WD SN770 256GB (fallback) | Amazon.es search ↗ | ~€23–28 | Equivalent if Kingston NV3 OOS. |
| Samsung PM991a 256GB (fallback) | Amazon.es search ↗ | ~€25–30 | Equivalent, proven with RPi 5. |
| Total to running Pi with NVMe | ~€164 | ~€102 cheaper than Scenario B (new 8GB + V5). | |
How this fits the framework
| Stage | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 (now → 1–2 weeks) | Pi assembled with NVMe, OS installed, labs migrated from GCP. | Acts on this buy. |
| v1.x (months 1–18) | Labs grows. Maybe ESP32 satellites are added. RAM stays well below 70%. | Pi runs the full software stack. |
| v1.9 (sustained RAM > 70%) | M720q is bought (~€182 unit + 32GB RAM). The migration trigger fires. | Probably 12–24 months out. |
| v2.0 | Labs lives on M720q. Pi gets a new SSD (~€30) and starts hosting Project B at v1.0. | The Pi never goes idle. |
| v2.x → ∞ | Pi rotates across Projects B, C, D… with V3's HDMI + power button + IR available whenever a project needs them. | The €13 V3 premium pays back any time the Pi runs Kodi, a mini desktop, a home hub, or anything with a screen. |
What was explicitly rejected and why
- Buying the 8GB online: €110+ premium for RAM you cannot upgrade later, when the next step up is x86 anyway.
- Buying both Pis (4GB + 8GB): ~€260–325 spent on two identical-capability ARM boards instead of one Pi + the M720q.
- Argon ONE V5: cheaper today, but lacks HDMI + power button. Regret risk across the decade is not worth saving €13.
- microSD as primary storage: wears out under server writes. Saves €25 today, costs hours of downtime within months.
- Tier 1 case (cooler-only): skips NVMe entirely and forces a case re-buy at v1.1.
Open items after this buy
- Stand up labs on the Pi at v1.0 once the parts arrive (PSU + V3 + NVMe ship from EU).
- Migrate the GCP VM workload across once Pi is on the home network.
- Free the GCP VM (still useful as a remote canary or bin for a different role).
- Watch RAM. The signal that fires next is sustained > 70%, mirroring what Cockpit currently shows.
Common Argon V3 misidentifications, what NOT to click on
While shopping for the V3 M.2 NVMe PCIe, three near-identical-looking listings come up that are NOT what you want. Verified live on 2026-05-01:
| ASIN | What it actually is | Price | Why to skip |
|---|---|---|---|
| B0D1Y4QJQZ ↗ | Argon ONE V3 base (NO M.2 slot) | €37,60 | The "cheap one" is missing the NVMe slot. To get NVMe you would buy the expansion board separately and lose the price advantage and case cleanliness. Not the same product. |
| B0D2M8BVWK ↗ | Same hardware as the recommended B0CVL9BRZL, on .es by GeeekPi | €55,39 | €1,49 more expensive for identical hardware. Plus the .es listing flags "Este produto só pode ser enviado para França e Mónaco", probably will not ship to Portugal. |
| B0D4YCKHGC ↗ | Yahboom clone, NOT an official Argon product | €59,96 | Third-party brand, only 13 reviews at 3.9★, partial aluminium (top lid alu, base ABS plastic). Also flagged "France and Monaco only" shipping. |
D:\claudeui\.research\2026-05-01-argon-case-variants.md). Reasoning per-question is captured in the FAQ section; this analysis is the consolidated executive summary.
Should I wait for RPi 6?
| Model | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RPi 5 announcement | 28 Sep 2023 | Confirmed |
| RPi 5 launch | 23 Oct 2023 | Confirmed, 4GB $60 / 8GB $80 |
| RPi 6 launch | Q4 2026 to early 2027 (estimate) | Rumour, no official date |
- 4GB CeX at €75 is protected in any scenario. By the time RPi 6 launches, this Pi 5 will already have served v1.0 -> v1.x of labs and will be rotating into Project B. €75 already discounts the resale risk.
- 8GB new at €185-250 would hurt more if RPi 6 lands in 6-12 months, since a new high-end board loses resale value faster than a used low-end one. Another argument for the CeX path.
- M720q (v1.9 / v2.0) is unaffected. It is x86, a completely different role from any Pi generation.
- Specific rumour: some sources point to Q4 2026 with a native AI NPU. Even if it confirms, it does not impact the 24/7 home-server role we want from the Pi 5.
1 RPi 5 Board
The reference platform for all v1.0 projects. See the 4GB vs 8GB verdict below before deciding which to buy.
1a — RPi 5 8GB · New
| Retailer | Country | Price | Ship to PT | Stock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCDiga | 🇵🇹 | €119,90 | FREE | ❌ OOS | Best PT price — set stock alert |
| Farnell PT | 🇵🇹 | ~€111–117 | check | check | Official PT distributor |
| BerryBase.de | 🇩🇪 | €184,90 | ~€6–8 | ✅ 100+ | Best EU stock depth |
| Tiendatec.es | 🇪🇸 | €185,95 | €5,03 GLS | ✅ | Max 1 unit/customer |
| mauser.pt | 🇵🇹 | €190,70 | FREE | ✅ 2 un. | PT invoice + free shipping |
| Kiwi Electronics | 🇳🇱 | €193,71 | ~€6–10 | ✅ | NL specialist |
| PTRobotics.com | 🇵🇹 | €207,13 | FREE (>€75) | ⚠️ order | PT, by order |
| Kubii.com | 🇫🇷 | ~€210 ⚠️ | ~€8–12 | ✅ | FR specialist — verify price |
| YouGet.pt | 🇵🇹 | €249,90 | FREE | ✅ | 3-year PT warranty |
| PcComponentes.pt | 🇵🇹 | €269,99 | check | ✅ | Marketplace — verify seller |
| Pimoroni | 🇬🇧 | ~£75 / ~€88 | ~€10–15 | ✅ | UK specialist, great accessories |
| The Pi Hut | 🇬🇧 | ~£75 / ~€88 | ~€10–15 | ✅ | UK, excellent accessory range |
1b — RPi 5 4GB · New
| Retailer | Country | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kubii.com | 🇫🇷 | €130,50 ⚠️ | 4GB variant on same product page |
| BerryBase.de | 🇩🇪 | ~€125–135 | Check stock |
| Tiendatec.es | 🇪🇸 | ~€120–130 | Check stock |
1c — RPi 5 4GB · Used (CeX Portugal)
| Grade | Price | Condition | Warranty | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | €85,00 | Functionally perfect, minimal cosmetic wear | 5 years | pt.webuy.com ↗ |
| Grade B | €75,00 | Fully functional, visible cosmetic marks | 5 years | pt.webuy.com ↗ |
1d — 4GB vs 8GB: Which do you actually need?
The GCP VM runs Cockpit on 1 GB total and uses 711 MB. A headless RPi OS Lite install idles at ~200 MB — similar OS overhead to a cloud VM. So Cockpit migrates directly to 4GB with no issues on day one. The question is purely about where you end up at v1.3–v1.5 when you start stacking services.
| What's running | Est. RAM used | 4GB — % used | 8GB — % used |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPi OS Lite idle (no apps) | ~200 MB | 5% ✅ | 2.4% ✅ |
| + Cockpit (same as GCP today) | ~711 MB | 17% ✅ | 8.7% ✅ |
| + Docker + monitoring + backups (v1.3) | ~1.5–2.5 GB | 37–61% 🟡 | 18–30% ✅ |
| + Local LLM 3B model (v1.5) | ~2.5–3.5 GB | 61–85% 🔴 | 30–43% 🟡 |
| + Local LLM 7B model | ~5–6 GB | out of RAM ❌ | 61–73% 🟡 |
2 Mandatory Accessories
These are not optional — without them the build either won't work or will fail within weeks.
2a — Official PSU 27W USB-C
| Retailer | Price | Colour | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| mauser.pt | €12,92 | White (SC1152) | mauser.pt ↗ |
| mauser.pt | €13,30 | Black (SC1408) | mauser.pt ↗ |
| BerryBase.de | ~€12–14 | Both | berrybase.de ↗ |
| Tiendatec.es | ~€13–15 | Both | tiendatec.es ↗ |
2b — Official Active Cooler SC1148
| Retailer | Price | Direct Link | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| mauser.pt | €5,99 | mauser.pt ↗ | Board exposed, no case |
| BerryBase.de | ~€6–8 | berrybase.de ↗ | Board exposed, no case |
| Tiendatec.es | ~€6–8 | tiendatec.es ↗ | Board exposed, no case |
3 Storage
- Simplest start
- Wears out under heavy writes
- Fine for v1.0 learning
- Upgrade to NVMe at v1.1
- Best performance + lifespan
- Native PCIe 2.0 on RPi 5
- Recommended from v1.0
- Needs HAT or Argon case
- Works if you own one
- Slower than NVMe
- Adds a USB dongle
- Acceptable compromise
microSD — Endurance variants only
| Product | Size | Price | Amazon.es | Amazon.de |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk MAX Endurance | 32GB | ~€9–12 | search ↗ | search ↗ |
| Samsung PRO Endurance | 32GB | ~€10–14 | search ↗ | search ↗ |
NVMe SSD — RPi 5 compatible models
| Model | Size | Price | Buy link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston NV3 | 500GB | ~€25–35 | Amazon.es ↗ | Best value, confirmed RPi 5 compatible |
| WD Blue SN770 | 250GB | ~€28–35 | Amazon.es ↗ | Widely used, reliable with RPi 5 |
| Samsung PM991a | 256GB | ~€25–30 | Amazon.es ↗ | Proven compatible with RPi 5 PCIe |
M.2 HAT (only if not using an integrated case)
| Option | Price | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official RPi M.2 HAT+ | ~€10–15 | mauser.pt ↗ | Official RPi Foundation board |
| Waveshare / GeeekPi M.2 HAT | ~€8–13 | Amazon.es ↗ | Budget option, good reviews |
4 Cases & Enclosures
- Official Active Cooler €5,99
- + basic case €6–10
- No NVMe support
- Best for: microSD or USB SSD
- Argon ONE V5 or Neo 5
- NVMe slot included
- Fan included
- Best value all-in-one
- Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe
- Full-size HDMI ports
- Physical power button
- Most polished build
Tier 2 options
| Product | Price | Direct Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argon ONE V5 (newest) | €40,80 | kubii.com ↗ | Newest Argon, NVMe PCIe included ⚠️ verify specs |
| Argon Neo 5 M.2 NVMe PCIe | ~€42–44 | Amazon.de ↗ | Lower profile, same NVMe + cooling |
Tier 3 — Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe PCIe
| Retailer | Price | Stock | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.de | €53,90 | ✅ | amazon.de/dp/B0D1Y4QJQZ ↗ |
| mauser.pt (42 units) | €59,10 | ✅ 42 un. | mauser.pt ↗ |
5a What is an ESP32?
Your RPi 5 is a full computer — it runs Linux, Docker, databases, web servers. But it lives in a box on a shelf, connected to power and ethernet. It can't "feel" the room temperature, detect if a door opened, or switch on a physical relay to control a lamp.
An ESP32 is a tiny chip — smaller than a matchbox — that bridges the gap between the software world (your RPi 5) and the physical world. It has pins you can connect to sensors, buttons, relays, lights, motors, and anything electronic. It also has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, so it can talk to your RPi 5 wirelessly.
The key difference: an ESP32 doesn't run Linux. It runs one single program — read temperature every 10 seconds and send it over WiFi to the RPi 5. That's it. It boots in milliseconds, uses ~0.25W of power, and costs €3–8.
The RPi 5 is the brain and hub. The ESP32 is the sensor and actuator at the edge. One RPi 5 can talk to dozens of ESP32 nodes simultaneously, each doing something different in a different room or location.
What can you actually do with an ESP32?
How to program it: Connect via USB to your computer, write code in MicroPython (easiest — it's just Python) or Arduino C++, click upload. The ESP32 immediately starts running your program every time it powers on.
5b Satellite Nodes — Where to Buy
ESP32 — Recommended first satellite
| Product | Price | Where | Direct Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-WROOM-32 DevKit (generic) | €3–6 | Amazon.es | Amazon.es top-rated ↗ | Buy 2 — one to test, one to deploy |
| AZ-Delivery ESP32 | ~€8–10 | Amazon.de | Amazon.de top-rated ↗ | German brand, premium quality, excellent docs |
| ESP32-S3 DevKit (newer chip) | €5–9 | Amazon.es | Amazon.es ↗ | More RAM, USB native, better for future projects |
| mauser.pt | ~€10–15 | Portugal | mauser.pt ↗ | PT stock, no shipping wait |
| PTRobotics.com | ~€8–12 | Portugal | ptrobotics.com ↗ | PT specialist |
RPi Zero 2W — Lightweight Linux satellite
For satellites that need a full Linux OS — camera streams, complex daemons, anything that needs pip install.
| Retailer | Price | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon.de | ~€18–22 | amazon.de/dp/B09KLVX4RT ↗ |
| BerryBase.de | ~€18–20 | berrybase.de ↗ |
| mauser.pt | ~€20–25 | mauser.pt ↗ |
| Tiendatec.es | ~€18–22 | tiendatec.es ↗ |
Arduino — Physical control & learning
| Model | Price | Amazon.es | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arduino Uno R3 | ~€20–25 | Amazon.es ↗ | Learning, prototyping |
| Arduino Nano | ~€15–20 | Amazon.es ↗ | Compact builds |
| Arduino Mega 2560 | ~€30–40 | Amazon.es ↗ | Many I/O pins |
6 v2.0 Hardware — Lenovo M720q Tiny
When the RPi 5 becomes the bottleneck. Triggers: CPU sustained >70%, ARM64 Docker incompatibilities, need for >8GB effective RAM, or dual storage requirement.
vs GCP VM — how much bigger is this upgrade?
| Hardware | RAM | RAM vs GCP | CPU | CPU note | Cockpit usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCP e2-micro (baseline) | 969 MB | — baseline | 2 shared vCPUs (fractional, throttled) | baseline — shared, burst-only | 73.4% 🟡 |
| RPi 5 4GB | 4096 MB | +323% · 4.2× | 4× A76 @ 2.4GHz | 4 dedicated cores — no throttling | 17.4% ✅ |
| M720q + 32GB RAM | 32768 MB | +3,280% · 33.8× | 6× i5-8500T @ 3.5GHz boost | 6 dedicated cores — significantly faster | <3% ✅ |
6a — M720q Unit
| Retailer | Config | Price | Shipping | Direct Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay.de — enter-leszno | i5-8500T / 8GB / 256GB / Win11 | €177–187 | FREE EU | ebay.de ↗ | ⭐ Best price |
| eBay.es — yournextit | i5-8400T / 8GB / 256GB / Win11 | €206,80 | check | ebay.es ↗ | Good backup |
| PCDiga 🇵🇹 | HP EliteDesk G4 i5-8500 / 16GB | €279,90 | FREE | pcdiga.com ↗ | ⚠️ Non-T CPU (65W TDP) |
6b — RAM Upgrade 32GB
| Kit | Price | Where | Direct Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crucial 2×16GB DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM | ~€45–60 | Amazon.de/es | Amazon.es ↗ | Best value, confirmed M720q compatible |
| Kingston 2×16GB DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM | ~€45–60 | Amazon.es | Amazon.es ↗ | Alternative brand |
6c — Storage for M720q
| Use | Product | Price | Direct Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS + services (SATA 2.5") | Samsung 870 EVO 500GB | ~€45–55 | Amazon.es ↗ |
| Fast workloads (NVMe M.2) | WD Blue SN770 500GB | ~€35–45 | Amazon.es ↗ |
7 Complete Build Scenarios
| RPi 5 4GB Grade B (CeX) | €75,00 |
| Official PSU 27W | €12,92 |
| Official Active Cooler | €5,99 |
| SanDisk Endurance 32GB microSD | ~€9 |
| Basic case (~€8) | ~€8 |
| RPi 5 8GB (mauser.pt) | €190,70 |
| Official PSU 27W | €12,92 |
| Argon ONE V5 (case+NVMe+fan) | €40,80 |
| Kingston NV3 500GB NVMe | ~€30 |
| RPi 5 8GB (mauser.pt) | €190,70 |
| Official PSU 27W | €12,92 |
| Argon ONE V3 NVMe (Amazon.de) | €53,90 |
| Kingston NV3 500GB NVMe | ~€30 |
| Everything in Scenario B | ~€266 |
| ESP32 DevKit ×2 | ~€8–12 |
| Lenovo M720q i5-8500T (eBay.de) | ~€182 |
| 32GB RAM 2×16GB DDR4-2666 | ~€50 |
| Storage (NVMe + SATA) | ~€80–100 |
| RPi 5 4GB Grade B (CeX) | €75,00 |
| Official PSU 27W | €12,92 |
| Official Active Cooler | €5,99 |
| SanDisk Endurance 32GB microSD | ~€9 |
| M720q i5-8500T / 8GB / 256GB | ~€182 |
| 32GB RAM DDR4-2666 | ~€50 |
| NVMe SSD 500GB | ~€35–45 |
FAQ Why not skip the RPi 5 and start on the M720q directly?
The M720q is €177 and more powerful than a €190 RPi 5 8GB. It's a fair question — here's the full honest answer.
Verdict: drive to CeX Glicínias today and buy the 4GB at €75. The 8GB online does not buy migration runway you actually use, and buying both Pis is the only path that wastes money. Decision asked while standing up labs.jeremytrindade.com.
Why the 4GB is enough for labs.jeremytrindade.com
Labs is a software-first project alongside Cockpit-class workloads. Cockpit, the bigger of the two, runs on a GCP e2-micro with 1 GB total RAM and uses 711 MB. Move that exact workload to a RPi 5 4GB and it occupies 17.4% of memory with 3.3 GB free. Labs is lighter than Cockpit. There is no measured workload currently in the stack that 4GB cannot host comfortably.
Side-by-side: 4GB CeX vs 8GB online
| Factor | 4GB CeX €75 | 8GB online €185–250 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €75 | €185–250 |
| Stock | ✅ today, in person | ✅ days of shipping |
| Warranty | 5 years (CeX PT) | 1–3 years |
| Headroom for labs today | 3.3 GB free | 7.3 GB free |
| Headroom in 2 years | Tight at v1.5+ if running 7B LLM | Comfortable |
| Migration target when maxed | → M720q (32GB, x86) | → M720q (32GB, x86), same |
Why buying both Pis is the worst option
Two Pis at €75 + €185–250 = ~€260–325 leaves you with two 4-core ARM boards. What you actually want as your second machine is the M720q (x86, 32GB, no ARM Docker incompatibilities) for roughly the same money. Two Pis is the only path that spends real money without unlocking a single capability you don't already have.
The honest catch
4GB is permanent. If you later decide to run a 7B local LLM on the Pi specifically (not on the M720q), you cannot, that needs ~5–6 GB just for model weights. The framework's answer to "I want big LLM inference" is M720q with 32GB. So the only real loss from choosing 4GB is: you lose the option of running heavy Docker stacks plus LLMs on the Pi tier. Given that the v2.0 path already exists in the framework, that loss is not a real loss.
Which case to pair with the 4GB
CeX only sells the bare board. The case is a separate online order. The framework's whole point is that the Pi gets re-deployed across 5–10 projects in a decade, so the case decision needs to survive role-changes, not just optimise for the current role.
| Tier | Case | Price | Extras over V5 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active Cooler + basic case | ~€12–16 | (none, no NVMe slot at all) | ❌ skip, microSD wears out |
| 2 | Argon ONE V5 | €40,80 | (baseline) | Cheapest case-with-NVMe, no HDMI/power button |
| 3 ⭐ | Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe | €53,90 | 2× full-size HDMI, physical power button with soft-shutdown, IR receiver, magnetic GPIO lid | ✅ regret-proof for the decade |
Likely future projects: which want V3's extras?
| Future project | Wants V3 extras? |
|---|---|
| Pi-hole / DNS node | No |
| Camera / surveillance node | No |
| Edge AI inference | No |
| Home Assistant | Maybe (power button for safe reboot) |
| Sandbox / dev box | Maybe (HDMI is convenient) |
| Retro gaming / media (Kodi, RetroPie) | Yes, HDMI + IR + power button |
| Mini desktop occasional | Yes, HDMI + power button |
| Home hub with screen | Yes, HDMI |
Probability that at least 1 of the next 5–10 projects benefits from V3's extras across a decade: very high (>80%).
• Buy V5, regret it later → buy V3 anyway (€53,90), V5 ends up in a drawer or sold at loss. Effective: €94,70 in cases + redundant hardware.
• Buy V3, never use the extras → paid €13 for unexercised options. No redundant hardware.
The V3 is €13 more in exchange for zero regret risk across the framework's intended decade-long lifecycle.
Final shopping list with the case
| Item | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| RPi 5 4GB Grade B | CeX Glicínias today | €75,00 |
| Official PSU 27W | mauser.pt | €12,92 |
| Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe (case + NVMe + fan + HDMI + power button) | Amazon.de | €53,90 |
| Kingston NV3 256GB NVMe | Amazon.es | ~€22 |
| Total to running Pi with NVMe | ~€164 | |
Recommended sequence from this decision
2. This week: Order PSU 27W (€12,92) at mauser.pt + Argon ONE V3 M.2 NVMe (€53,90) at Amazon.de + Kingston NV3 256GB (~€22) at Amazon.es. Total to running Pi with NVMe: ~€164.
3. v1.0 → v1.x: Stand up labs.jeremytrindade.com on the 4GB. Watch RAM. Same v1.9 signal as Cockpit: sustained >70%.
4. When v1.9 hits: Buy M720q (~€182) + 32GB RAM, NOT a bigger Pi. The 4GB Pi becomes the permanent testing ground.
Decision tree updated for this question
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Will the 4GB run labs.jeremytrindade.com today? | Yes, with 3+ GB headroom |
| Will the 4GB run labs in 12 months as it grows? | Yes, until you stack 3+ heavy Docker containers or local LLMs |
| Is the 8GB worth a €110+ premium? | No, the next step up is M720q anyway |
| Is buying both Pis a good plan? | No, the second machine should be x86 |
| What is the right buy today? | 4GB CeX €75 |
The RPi 5 draws 5–15W under normal load. The M720q Tiny with i5-8500T draws 35–65W. For a home server running 24/7, that difference compounds fast.
- ~88 kWh/year
- ~€18/year (at €0.20/kWh PT)
- ~€54 over 3 years
- Silent even under load
- ~438 kWh/year
- ~€88/year (at €0.20/kWh PT)
- ~€264 over 3 years
- Fan noise under load
Over 3 years, you pay ~€210 more in electricity for the M720q. The M720q "only €177" becomes "effectively €387" if it runs a project that could fit on a Pi for 3 years. The Pi's cost savings are not just upfront — they compound daily.
The RPi 5 has a 40-pin GPIO header. You can directly wire sensors, relays, LEDs, motors, and displays to it. The M720q is a standard PC — it has USB ports and that's it.
Every project in sovereign-lab is designed to potentially extend into the physical world (sensors, automation, presence detection). The RPi 5 can do that directly at v1.x. With the M720q you'd always need an ESP32 or Arduino as a middleman even for simple things — the Pi can sometimes just do it natively.
When you build on a Pi, every architectural decision is under pressure. "Does this need to run as a container? Can I use a lighter stack? Is this query efficient?" — these questions get asked naturally when you only have 8GB RAM and an ARM chip.
When you graduate to the M720q, you already know the software works. You get the speed boost as a reward, not a crutch. If you build exclusively on x86 with 32GB RAM from day one, you tend to accumulate bloat you never notice until you try to migrate or replicate.
The framework's v1.0 stage on RPi 5 is intentionally constrained. The constraint is the feature.
When your project moves to the M720q at v2.0, the Pi isn't sold or put in a drawer. It becomes the v1.0 host for the next project, which costs only ~€25–35 for a new SSD. The RPi 5 you buy today will run 5–10 projects over a decade.
If you go M720q-only from day one: you need another M720q for your second project, and another for your third. Or they all share one machine (which works, but you lose hardware isolation and the low-power "always testing" benefit).
Your instinct is right: buy the RPi 5 4GB at €75 (CeX) + the M720q at ~€182 together. This is Scenario F above and it's the smartest setup in this guide.
Here's why it works perfectly for you:
- All new project ideas start here
- v0.1 → v0.9 → v1.0 always on Pi
- €75 with 5-year warranty (CeX)
- Low power: always-on is fine
- GPIO available if needed
- The "is this worth building?" stage
- Proven projects live here (v2.0+)
- 32GB RAM, x86, fast NVMe
- No ARM64 Docker issues
- Multiple services, no resource pressure
- Runs while Pi tests the next thing
- The "this is infrastructure" stage
The only thing to avoid: don't skip the Pi stage and go M720q-first for new ideas. That defeats the purpose of the framework. The Pi's constraints are what force good decisions. Once something is proven and depended upon — then it earns the M720q.
Yes — this is a legitimate and smart path. Buying the M720q first and adding the RPi 5 later still gets you to the exact same destination: both machines in the lab, working the way the framework intends. You just arrive in reverse order.
- Run v1.0 AND v2.0 projects on one machine
- No need to migrate hardware later
- Full x86, 32GB RAM potential from day one
- When RPi arrives: it slots as the permanent testing node
- Framework still works — M720q plays both roles
- ~€88/year electricity vs €18/year on Pi
- No GPIO pins — physical world needs an ESP32 middleman
- You miss the "build lean on constraints" experience until Pi arrives
- All projects share one machine until you get the Pi
The M720q can run v1.0 projects perfectly fine — it just doesn't have the low-power always-on charm of a Pi, and no GPIO for direct sensor wiring. For software-first projects (self-hosted apps, Docker services, Home Assistant, etc.) it handles everything.
When you later buy a RPi 5: the 4GB from CeX (~€75) is all you need. By the time you can afford it, your first projects will already be on the M720q, and the Pi slots in perfectly as the permanent "new ideas" testing ground — which is exactly the role it's designed for in the framework.
Decision tree — which order to buy
Can afford ~€182 only? → M720q first → RPi 5 CeX €75 when possible
Can afford ~€103 only? → RPi 5 CeX first (Scenario A) → save for M720q
Can afford ~€75 only? → RPi 5 CeX 4GB + microSD + PSU → start learning today
The Cockpit personal dashboard (Flask + SQLite + AI queue + email processing) runs on a GCP e2-micro with 1 GB of RAM. Measured live on 2026-04-30:
- RAM: 711 MB used / 969 MB total
- Memory usage: 73.4%
- CPU load (1m): 0.04 — idle
- Disk: 6.12 GB / 29.3 GB used
- 2 shared vCPUs (throttled)
- Uptime: 10.9 days stable
- RAM: 4096 MB available
- Same workload = ~17% memory
- 3.3 GB headroom to grow
- Quad-core A76 @ 2.4GHz — dedicated
- NVMe storage (vs cloud disk I/O)
- Always-on, ~€18/year electricity
The RPi 5 4GB has 4× the RAM of the current production VM and a significantly faster CPU. The entire Cockpit stack uses 711 MB — that leaves 3.3 GB free on 4GB. Even if the app grows 3× in memory usage, it still fits comfortably.
The 8GB is not needed for this workload. It makes sense if you plan to run many heavy Docker containers simultaneously — but for a personal app stack (Cockpit + email + SQLite + AI queue), 4GB has years of headroom.
8 EU Retailer Reference
All retailer links go directly to the RPi 5 8GB product page, not the homepage.
Specialist RPi / Maker Retailers
| Retailer | Country | Ships to PT | RPi5 8GB | Direct Product Link | Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mauser.pt | 🇵🇹 | FREE | €190,70 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | Best PT all-rounder, broad stock |
| PTRobotics.com | 🇵🇹 | FREE (>€75) | €207,13 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | PT components specialist |
| YouGet.pt | 🇵🇹 | FREE | €249,90 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | 3-year PT warranty |
| Farnell PT | 🇵🇹 | check | ~€111–117 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | Official PT distributor |
| BerryBase.de | 🇩🇪 | ~€6–8 | €184,90 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | Best EU stock depth, fast |
| Tiendatec.es | 🇪🇸 | €5,03 GLS | €185,95 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | Spain, fast GLS delivery |
| Kubii.com | 🇫🇷 | ~€8–12 | ~€210 ⚠️ | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | FR specialist, great accessories |
| Kiwi Electronics | 🇳🇱 | ~€6–10 | €193,71 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | NL specialist, reliable |
| Pimoroni | 🇬🇧 | ~€10–15 | ~£75 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | UK, unique accessories |
| The Pi Hut | 🇬🇧 | ~€10–15 | ~£75 | RPi 5 8GB ↗ | UK, excellent accessory range |
Retailers to Avoid
| Retailer | Reason |
|---|---|
| chip7.pt | Does not carry RPi or maker hardware — confirmed zero results |
| electrofun.pt | No RPi 5 boards — accessories only |
| PcComponentes marketplace | €269,99 vs €190 elsewhere — no justification for the premium |
9 Future Projects Cost
When this project moves to v2.0 and the RPi 5 is freed, starting the next project costs almost nothing.
♻️ Cost to start the next project after v2.0 migration
| Item | Status | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| RPi 5 board | ✅ re-used | €0 |
| PSU 27W | ✅ re-used | €0 |
| Cooling / case | ✅ re-used | €0 |
| New NVMe SSD 256–500GB | ❌ new | ~€25–35 |
↓ Pi freed → ~€30 for new SSD
Project B: uses same Pi → v1.0 → v1.x → v2.0
↓ Pi freed again → ~€30
Project C: same Pi → v1.0 → ...