Chinese retailers are beginning to take orders for the ROCK5 Model B , a single board computer (SBC) similar in lens to the Raspberry Pi , but with significantly more performance.
We are talking about a plate in the pico-ITX format with dimensions reduced to 100 x 72 mm. Its hardware base is the new processor RK3588 from Rockchip with 4 ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores at 2.4 GHz, another 4 ARM Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz, a Mali-G610MC4 GPU and a unit neural processing with a throughput of 6 Teraflops.
ROCK5 Model B can equip up to 16 GB of RAM memory LPDDR4x and a PCIe 3.0 x4 connector for storage NVMe SSD which undoubtedly raises the bar compared to other integrated storage solutions that they are usually used in this type of SBC plates. You can output video on three different displays at the same time (with resolutions up to 8K at 60 Hz) thanks to two HDMI 2.1 ports and a USB-C port.
It also has an HDMI 4k / 60 input, a 40-pin GPIO connector, two MIPI-CSI connectors, two USB 3.0 type A ports and two USB 2.0 type A ports. It also supports advanced wireless connectivity, WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
ROCK5 Model B, versions and prices
Radxa, the company behind this board, says it is compatible with the Linux 5.10 kernel and will be able to run operating systems like Android 12 and Debian 10 Buster.
The manufacturer says it is distributing the board with a $ 5 deposit / coupon code system for pre-orders to help gauge demand and manage inventory at a time when a shortage of the supply chain makes it difficult to source components. However, people who book now can cancel their order and receive a refund at any time.
Retailers like Allnet China support pre-orders that allow you to pay those $ 5 now to get a coupon that will serve to reduce $ 50 over the retail prices listed below:
- ROCK5 with 4 GB RAM for $ 129.
- ROCK5 with 8 GB RAM for $ 149.
- ROCK5 with 16GB of RAM for $ 189.
This plate is not bad at all for a price that with the proposed discount will start at $ 79. More powerful than the leading development of Raspberry Pi single board computers.