ML
    • Recent
    • Categories
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Register
    • Login

    Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved IT Discussion
    raspberry piraspberry pi 4linuxlinux desktop
    33 Posts 10 Posters 2.7k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • travisdh1T
      travisdh1 @scottalanmiller
      last edited by travisdh1

      @scottalanmiller Nothing comes close to the RPi boards at the same price/performance. They sell SO many more than any of the competition.

      Orange Pi could be good if the EMMC main storage is fast enough. It's got to be better than an SD card, but how much better I don't know. 8GB ram model http://www.orangepi.org/Orange Pi 4/

      Looks like the Orange Pi 3 has a PCI slot of some sort. Might be able to get one of those tinny m.3 drives on it.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • 1
        1337
        last edited by 1337

        Problem with RPI4 is that when you want it to be as fast as possible, you are getting close to the Intel price range. So as an option it works best if you stick to a basic config.

        And to get a useable desktop you also need a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. Say $150 if you have modest needs.

        So

        • Desktop with RPI4 (4GB RAM & 32GB microSD) $250
        • Desktop with NUC J3455 or similar (8GB RAM & 120GB SSD) $325

        The desktop with the Intel CPU has probably double the performance for 30% higher overall price. So value for money is better - if you need the extra performance.

        NUC are also SBCs and the Odroid H2 mentioned above is the same (Intel J4105).

        Intel CPUs to look for that are low-end but still significantly faster - J3455 (older model), J4105 and J5005. These are 10W Celerons with 4 cores in the 1.5 to 2.5GHz range.

        Obviously something like an i3 is much faster but it will bump up the price another notch.

        scottalanmillerS IRJI 4 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • 1
          1337
          last edited by 1337

          I'd love for Raspberri Pi to come out with something higher performance. Even a low-end phone has 8 cores and will beat the RPI-4.

          If you think about it something like the Moto G7 play has 8 cores, 2GB RAM, 32 GB storage, a touch screen and a phone and is $129. The slower RPI4 is $99 with a case, power supply and a memory card.

          Yes, two different things I know, but if you look at the hardware they are similar.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • 1
            1337
            last edited by

            Right now the storage and the GPU performance is what holds the RPI4 back the most.

            Maybe Raspberry Pi 5 will be it. (But I've been thinking that since the first Rasberry Pi, 7 or 8 years ago)

            scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Emad RE
              Emad R @scottalanmiller
              last edited by

              @scottalanmiller

              ROCK Pi 4
              https://rockpi.org/

              scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @jt1001001
                last edited by

                @jt1001001 said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                Have you looked at Odroid? I have a buddy who just got an H² for some testing. Though that boards probably a bit pricy.

                Do they have a 4GB board?

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • scottalanmillerS
                  scottalanmiller @1337
                  last edited by

                  @Pete-S said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                  So

                  Desktop with RPI4 (4GB RAM & 32GB microSD) $250
                  Desktop with NUC J3455 or similar (8GB RAM & 120GB SSD) $325

                  That's a good point. That's a small price difference and even just the double RAM is big.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • scottalanmillerS
                    scottalanmiller @Emad R
                    last edited by

                    @Emad-R said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                    @scottalanmiller

                    ROCK Pi 4
                    https://rockpi.org/

                    This one was on my radar.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • scottalanmillerS
                      scottalanmiller @1337
                      last edited by

                      @Pete-S said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                      Right now the storage and the GPU performance is what holds the RPI4 back the most.

                      Maybe Raspberry Pi 5 will be it. (But I've been thinking that since the first Rasberry Pi, 7 or 8 years ago)

                      The GPU is plenty, I think, for me. Need extremely little. But the storage, that's a killer.

                      1 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • scottalanmillerS
                        scottalanmiller @1337
                        last edited by

                        @Pete-S The NUC8i3BEK is so nice, but the price starts to get way too high 😉 Although all it would need is a small 120GB M.2 and an 8GB stick and voila. I like the short models so much better.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • scottalanmillerS
                          scottalanmiller
                          last edited by

                          The Khadas VIM3 looks really promising. It's quite a bit more powerful than the similar RockChip models. Sext core, 4GB, HDMI, M.2, etc.

                          scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • 1
                            1337 @scottalanmiller
                            last edited by

                            @scottalanmiller said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                            @Pete-S said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                            Right now the storage and the GPU performance is what holds the RPI4 back the most.

                            Maybe Raspberry Pi 5 will be it. (But I've been thinking that since the first Rasberry Pi, 7 or 8 years ago)

                            The GPU is plenty, I think, for me. Need extremely little. But the storage, that's a killer.

                            The GPU performance might not be a GPU performance problem itself but rather a lack of support in the GPU for decoding common video streams. For instance VP8/VP9 (WebM) are used in things like youtube, html5 video, video conferencing etc.

                            When the system encounters a video stream and it doesn't have hardware decoding support, it needs the power to decode it in real-time with the CPU or you end up with stuttering video. RPI 4 doesn't have that power on 1080p.

                            scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                            • scottalanmillerS
                              scottalanmiller @1337
                              last edited by

                              @Pete-S said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                              The GPU performance might not be a GPU performance problem itself but rather a lack of support in the GPU for decoding common video streams. For instance VP8/VP9 (WebM) are used in things like youtube, html5 video, video conferencing etc.

                              OIC, shouldn't be an issue here, won't be used for that. But very good to be aware of.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • scottalanmillerS
                                scottalanmiller @Emad R
                                last edited by

                                @Emad-R said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                @scottalanmiller

                                ROCK Pi 4
                                https://rockpi.org/

                                So after more research, this one is bubbling up to the top over and over again. Low cost (found it for $75) with great specs (6 core, 4GB) and the connector that we need (M.2 and GigE.) Likely this is what we are going to start with.

                                Emad RE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                • scottalanmillerS
                                  scottalanmiller @scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by

                                  @scottalanmiller said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                  The Khadas VIM3 looks really promising. It's quite a bit more powerful than the similar RockChip models. Sext core, 4GB, HDMI, M.2, etc.

                                  So the issues here...

                                  4GB model is $130 which is a little high. PoE and hard drive connectors are on an expansion board for another $30 or so. By the time all is said and done, it adds up a bit. The Rock Pi offers nearly the same CPU but from a bigger vendor, with the same RAM and the drive connector that we want all on a board for half the price and only a single board instead of two boards that have to be mounted together.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • Emad RE
                                    Emad R @scottalanmiller
                                    last edited by Emad R

                                    @scottalanmiller said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                    @Emad-R said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                    @scottalanmiller

                                    ROCK Pi 4
                                    https://rockpi.org/

                                    So after more research, this one is bubbling up to the top over and over again. Low cost (found it for $75) with great specs (6 core, 4GB) and the connector that we need (M.2 and GigE.) Likely this is what we are going to start with.

                                    I'm sensing YT Video review idea

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • ObsolesceO
                                      Obsolesce
                                      last edited by

                                      I've been thinking about this too, to turn a smart TV into a genius TV. Something permanently attached would be convenient.

                                      travisdh1T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • travisdh1T
                                        travisdh1 @Obsolesce
                                        last edited by

                                        @Obsolesce said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                        I've been thinking about this too, to turn a smart TV into a genius TV. Something permanently attached would be convenient.

                                        If nothing else, you can always velcro a case to the back of the TV. I bet you could also print off a mount from thingiverse if you have a makerspace somewhere close (or your own 3d printer, but that's not so common yet.)

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • scottalanmillerS
                                          scottalanmiller
                                          last edited by

                                          We are talking about getting a 3D printer for not just custom cases for this project, but custom wall racks.

                                          travisdh1T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • travisdh1T
                                            travisdh1 @scottalanmiller
                                            last edited by

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Making a Raspberry Pi 4 or Similar SBC Desktop:

                                            We are talking about getting a 3D printer for not just custom cases for this project, but custom wall racks.

                                            If you've done any 3D modeling in the past, the current tools are so, so much easier to use. Still not something just anyone can just pickup and do, but the consumer 3D printers tend to have all the software wrapped up and taken care of, unlike in the past. The tooling workflows from the 90s that I dealt with were atrocious.

                                            scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • 1
                                            • 2
                                            • 1 / 2
                                            • First post
                                              Last post