When it comes to selecting a single-board computer (SBC) for your next project, both the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Radxa ROCK 5A offer compelling options. Here’s a detailed comparison of their technical specifications and performance:
1. System on a Chip (SoC)
- Raspberry Pi 5: Broadcom BCM2712, a 4-core 64-bit SoC, featuring four Arm Cortex-A76 cores running at up to 2.4GHz .
- ROCK 5A: Rockchip RK3588S, an 8-core 64-bit SoC, featuring four Cortex-A76 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores, also running at up to 2.4GHz .
- Impact: The ROCK 5A’s DynamicIQ technology effectively balances performance and power efficiency, offering more than double the computing power in heavy workloads.
2. Memory
- Raspberry Pi 5: Available options include 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4X SDRAM .
- ROCK 5A: Offers a wider range with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR4x SDRAM.
- Impact: Greater memory options on the ROCK 5A aid in handling more complex applications and multitasking .
3. Storage Options
- Raspberry Pi 5: Supports Micro SD and a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface.
- ROCK 5A: Supports Micro SD, eMMC, and PCIe with M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs.
- Impact: The availability of eMMC and NVMe SSD support in the ROCK 5A enhances storage performance and durability.
4. Connectivity and I/O
- Raspberry Pi 5: Dual 4k HDMI outputs, USB-C power, 2x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 ports, Dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 5.0 along with Gigabit Ethernet.
- ROCK 5A: Dual 8k HDMI outputs, USB-C power, several USB ports, dual-band WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, and Gigabit Ethernet.
- Impact: The ROCK 5A provides enhanced connectivity options, including higher WiFi standards and additional display outputs.
5. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
- Raspberry Pi 5: VideoCore VII, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2 .
- ROCK 5A: Mali G610MC4, supporting OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2 .
- Impact: The Mali GPU in the ROCK 5A supports a broader range of high-resolution video decoding and graphics standards, beneficial for media-intensive applications.
6. Power Supply
- Raspberry Pi 5: Relies on a 27W USB-C power supply delivering up to 5A at +5.1V .
- ROCK 5A: USB Type-C with Power Delivery 2.0, supporting a wide voltage range and potentially more robust power options.
- Impact: Flexible power supply options make the ROCK 5A more adaptable to various power environments.
7. AI and Machine Learning Capabilities
- Raspberry Pi 5: Does not feature a dedicated AI acceleration module .
- ROCK 5A: Includes a 6 TOPS NPU (Neural Processing Unit), facilitating efficient AI and ML tasks.
- Impact: The built-in NPU on the ROCK 5A accelerates AI workloads and enhances capabilities for applications involving machine learning .
Summary
While the Raspberry Pi 5 continues to be a popular choice due to its affordability and robust community support.