When it come to brawny and reliablemini - estimator , one of the most popular options is theRaspberry Pi . In fact , this particularPCgets most of the mini - C.P.U. fanfare , but that does n’t mean it ’s the only small computer worth considering . If you ’re think about investing in a chomp - sized machine , we ’ve put together this leaning of four mini microcomputer in direct rival with Raspberry Pi .
Best overall
Orange Pi 5
While the Orange Pi 5 has fairly flown under the radar , you might be surprised to find out that it ’s quite competitive in terms of eyeglasses with the Raspberry Pi . Granted , it is a piffling bit more expensive , but it has the power behind it to make it worth the spare monetary value , and that ’s not to note the fact that it came out before the Raspberry Pi 5 . So , if you ’re looking for the best alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5 , then the Orange Pi 5 is the one , although it ’s crucial to mention from the get - go that it does n’t have a portion of crossing - compatibility , which is one likely issue when change over to it .
In terms of processing power , the Orange Pi 5 comes with a Rockchip RK3588S , which is a quad - essence A76 and musculus quadriceps femoris - core A55 compounding for a total of 8 centre running on a 64 - minute architecture and can arrive at 2.4GHz . You also get an ARM Mali - G610 GPU with some 2d and 3d acceleration , but more imposingly , it has the power to display 8k resolutions , which gives you a few more options in terms of how you desire to do by your display . The highest - end model comes with 16 GB of RAM , but you may also get models with 32 GB and 8 GB of RAM , as well as a bundled version that include a 256 GB eMMC .
As for connectivity , you have a pretty great spread , and it include an HDMI out , a USB 3.0 type - C , two USB 2.0 type - As , a Gb LAN port , and a USB 3.1 type - blow port wine for business leader , the latter of which is nice to have . You also get a 26 - pin GPIO cope , the ability to use an M.2 PCIe2.0 , and a complement of LCD and camera interfaces . So , really , you have a ton of direction you could relate to the Orange Pi 5 and yield entropy , make this a perfect pick for gamy - execution and demanding task .
Best premium Raspberry Pi alternative
UDOO BOLT V3
The truth is that the UDOO BOLT V3 is probably move to be overkill for reasonably much most use case , but if you really need something that ’s almost as hefty as an entry - level laptop , then this is what you require . Of course , it almost cost the same as a budget laptop , but it has like processing power go bad for it , so it ’s not all that bad . In fact , the AMD Ryzen plant V1202b is quite powerful and can hit 2.3ghz normally and up to 3.2ghz when further , so it can handle a lot more complex tasks than your average SBC .
With that kind of processing power , you may run reasonably much any Linux statistical distribution you may cogitate of and potentially even Windows 10 , which is impressive for this small of a equipment . It also comes with an AMD Radeon Vega 3 GPU , which is about the layer of an old GTX 800 or 900 serial publication laptop GPU , but that ’s still quite a band of power in such a lowly parcel . Even better , it mean that you could use this for various types of game emulation if you want to make a small - configuration - factor emulation rig , which would be an interesting project .
As for RAM , you get two dual - line 64 - act So - DIMM Sockets that can handle up to 32 GB of ECC RAM , which is a lot of power to have under the hood and hone for more vivid tasks , and the 32 GB of EMMC memory is also fairly bang-up . Overall , the UDOO BOLT V3 is well one of the most herculean overall SBCs that you could get and is expectant for everything from emulation to VR projects and then some . That said , if that ’s not enough power for you still , you could always pass an extra $ 100 and get yourself a UDOO BOLT V8 that has a much better CPU and GPU combo and could potentially rival some entryway - stage laptops in terms of processing power .
Best budget Raspberry Pi alternative
Libre Le Potato
Buying an SBC does n’t have to be an expensive attempt , and while something like the Raspberry Pi 3 is usually a good go - to for budget options , it can be hard to see in stock these days , specially with the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 out . fortuitously , the choice is still somewhat good and come in in the form of the Libre Le Potato , which not only has an adorable name but is also surprisingly powerful for what you get . Granted , it does show its age like the Pi 3 , but at just $ 35 MSRP for the 2 GB RAM version , you ca n’t really blame it for that .
In terms of processing , you get quadriceps 64 - bit 1.5GHz weapon system Cortex - A53 C.P.U. , which are pretty powerful for most use compositor’s case and do n’t require the monumental amount of RAM you usually receive on more expensive SBCs . For a GPU , you get the ARM Mali-450 at 750MHz , which can handle 4k at 60FPS but is n’t really powerful enough to do most 3d rendering that you might need for emulation software package . That enjoin , you could potentially manage some of the really old - schoolhouse gaming that has 2D interpretation and is n’t as mightiness - hungry , which is perfectly in line with the cost shred .
There ’s also quite a portion of compatibility between this and the Raspberry Pi 2 and 3 , so if you have parts for those , they ’ll likely fit on this , which is groovy . That read , because this is n’t as well - have it off an SBC as some others on this leaning , it has essentially no documentation , making this almost impossible for beginners to use and image out , which is a shame given how cheap it is . Also , the embrasure are moderately dated , and you wo n’t find any USB 3.0 here , and no case - C port , which is frustrating .
Best Raspberry Pi alternative for networking and streaming
ODROID N2+
If you ’re depend for something that ’s various and not bad for networking and streaming or watch your media , then you ca n’t go wrong with the ODROID N2 + , which is a considerable raise to the previous ODROID N2 + . In fact , it has a much little footprint and heatsink , which is optimally place so it can chill without an extra fan or any caloric throttling . That intend you are n’t going to have to struggle to fit a fan on here or find a type that work on with it , which is already a bit difficult since there is n’t much cross - compatibility between this and the Raspberry Pi .
In terms of processing mogul , you get the Amlogic S922X SoC which includes a Quad - core Cortex - A73 and a dual - core Cortex - A53 , so you get a pretty self-coloured amount of central processing unit king to work with . As for GPU , there ’s the ARM Mali - G52 which can underpin 4k and bothHDR10and HLG , the latter of which is an HDR criterion most play broadcaster use , so it ’s a good selection for stream that type of content . It ’s also brawny enough to run away some game emulation software package , although do n’t expect anything too fancy or high - end .
RAM is limit to 4 GB , which is more than enough for most uses you ’d have for this , and there ’s no on - board storage , although it does have both a MicroSD slot and a spot for eMMC memory board , so it reckon on how much you desire to fling and whether you need that faster storage rate . As for ports , you get four USB 3.0 type - A , an HDMI , ethernet , Micro USB , and a DC port for power . It also has a 40 - oarlock GPIO header , which is also great to see , although it is important to note that the knowledgebase is n’t as detailed or available as it is for the Raspberry Pi , so there is some learning curve here .
Best Raspberry Pi alternative for GPU performance and AI
Nvidia Jetson Nano
If you ’re a more advanced user and are in the market for an SBC that ’s great for deep learning and AI , then the Nvidia Jetson Nano is the perfect solution , as it ’s been made by Nvidia specifically for that usage . A lot of that is due to the very muscular 128 - burden Maxwell GPU , which is well - suited for the sorting of processing that deep learning requires . It can also start the Dolphin ape for some playing GameCube and Wii , but it ’s not really built for that , and you might want to go with something that has a more traditional GPU architecture like UDOO BOLT V3 .
When it amount to the CPU , you get a Quad - core ARM A57 running at 1.43 gigacycle per second , so it ’s fairly powerful , although it does n’t really compete with some other SBCs on the list . That ’s all right , though , since the focus is more on the GPU than the CPU , and being able-bodied to picture complex simulations or run machine learnedness does n’t trust on have the most brawny CPU out there when the GPU is more than capable . That said , computer storage does top out at 4 GB , and there is no interior storage , so you ’ll have to rely on the MicroSD identity card or anexternal hard driveplugged in through USB .
Beyond that , there ’s not much to say ; as luck would have it , the Nvidia Jetson Nano has fantabulous software documentation and SDK , with reenforcement for Linux OS and the Nvidia software system suit , such as the Nvidia CUDA , cuDNN , and TensorRT software system libraries , which make it very versatile . You also have a good selection of ports , including four USB 3.0s and a USB 2.0 Micro - USB , as well as an HDMI port wine ; although it would have been nice to see a duad of Type - C ports , they are n’t very necessary for what this is going to be used .
When vetting and examine the salutary Raspberry Pi option for 2024 , some of our most crucial criterion include :
Versatility
While we ’ve sort of put each of the above SBCs into a specific family , the trueness is that most of them are very versatile , and that was one of the most important thing we need to focus on . That means that they have enough performance and capability that you could switch them around for various uses if you desire to , rather than experience something that ’s super - specialized . The only real deviation from that is the Nvidia Jetson Nano , which is really purpose - made for AI and political machine erudition and has become very popular over the age .
Connectivity
Being capable to have several stimulant and outputs is a assay-mark of an SBC , especially if you want to utilize thing like extra silver screen and cameras . To that end , we ’ve done our best to pick ones that have a lot of ports and connections for you to act upon with and that let in larger PIN number headers or more port than what you might chance on a Raspberry Pi . Again , there is one deviation from that , which is the Libre Le Potato , which has a lot of ports , but they are a flake dated in interchange for getting a really good price on it , so we feel it ’s worth the deal - off .
Support
If you ’re going to fan out from Raspberry Pi , then you have to come to footing with the fact that you are n’t run low to find as much documentation and noesis out there for other SBCs . That ’s not really their fault , debate that the Raspberry Pi is one of the most popular SBCs out there , so there ’s a huge community of interests . As such , be aware that the level of bread and butter will depart wide from having precise proficient corroboration from the likes of Nvidia to just having some forums where you could ask questions , such as in the face of the Libre Le Potato .
That said , we do go for to see more support pick up for the lesser - known SBCs as people become more aware of them , so even if there ’s not much documentation now , that might commute in a few months , so do n’t allow that stop you if you have some experience and care to tinker .
