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ROCK5 Model B RK3588 single board computer is up for pre-order for $79 and up
Some will say "finally!" After years of waiting for [the] Rockchip RK3588 processor, ROCKPi Trading Limited/Radxa got some samples for their ROCK5 Model B single board computer and has started to take pre-orders with discounted prices starting at $79 through distributors.
But let's check out the specifications first, with the octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 Pico-ITX SBC shipping with up to 16GB RAM, M.2 NVMe storage, 2.5GbE, optional WiFi 6E, 8K video output via HDMI or USB-C ports, 4K HDMI input, and more.
[...] So how much does the board cost exactly? Those are the standard prices:
- $129 with 4GB RAM
- $149 with 8GB RAM
- $189 with 16GB RAM
This is getting quite close to Intel hardware, but ROCK5 Model B has some features not found in most platforms at that price including HDMI input, MIPI CSI camera interfaces, GPIO header, and 2.5GbE.
But as mentioned in the introduction you can get the board for as low as $79 by pre-ordering the board. To get this price, you'll need to pay a $5 deposit (called R3 code "Radxa ROCK5 Redeem") to reserve the board, and then you'll be able to get a $50 discount on the prices above, meaning $79 for the 4GB version, $99 with 8 GB RAM, and $139 for the model with 16GB RAM. This is only valid for one board, and the R3 code is refundable at any time before shipping if you decide you don't want to[sic] board anymore.
Beware the VAT.
Previously:
Rockchip RK3588 Datasheet Available, SBCs Coming "Soon"
CNX Software: Year 2021 in Review
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 10 2022, @06:03PM
Pine is OK. Any of the Rockchip boards should work with Armbian out of the box, although I don't think Quartz (the newest) is fully supported yet. Quality isn't much different from a RasPi, accessories are often dodgy. Hardkernel/ODROID make better SBCs, but charge higher prices and are more conservative about pushing out hardware and don't necessarily focus on what's friendly to free software. Remember that USB/PCI slots are often sharing the bus and research+plan accordingly.