Even with the scarcity of semiconductors, the Orange Pi 5 has drawn attention with its affordability compared to its peers. This SBC has had a steadily growing fanbase since it was first released, but is it just about the price, or does it really have the features to justify the hype?
At this point, it’s not hard to imagine that some SBCs are gaining popularity just because of this scarcity, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. This board has everything game emulation fans would want and more with 8K video, an M.2 slot, and a dual display output – all at a fair price.
We’ll take a closer look at these features and much more in this article to see what this little orange has to offer and why so many are seeking it out.
Features
The Orange Pi 5 isn’t as compact as the Raspberry Pi 4, but it’s still relatively small when you consider everything that comes with it. Let’s look at some of the things that make it an excellent choice for small-scale computing applications.
New-Generation AIoT Chip
With each new generation, processors try to reduce consumption while increasing performance, and the Rockchip RK3588S has done quite a good job meeting that goal. This chip promises to deliver 6 TOPS of AI computing power – a four-fold improvement in performance compared to its predecessor Rockchip RK3399. It also supports INT4/INT8/INT16 hybrid computing to empower various AI scenarios.
Flexible Storage & Memory
The Orange Pi 5 release promised plenty of room for creativity with several storage options such as the 16-MB SPI Flash, M.2 NVMe SSD slot, and, of course, RAM options of 4, 8, 16, and 32 GB according to the manufacturer. Although finding all of these options to purchase is another issue we’ll get to later. The M.2 PCIe 2.0 socket allows you to reach speeds of up to 300 MB/s on average for reading or writing data and can also be used for a Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 module.
Exceptional Image Performance
One of the most attention-grabbing aspects of this SBC is its two video outputs, one display port, and a full-sized HDMI port that can simultaneously display screens in up to 8K resolution if the operating system has adequate support. In addition to these, you also have three inputs for video cameras via MIPI if you have other applications in mind. Note that the display port and USB 3.1 ports are multiplexed, and the port is shared with a Type-C.
Reviews
Users have put the upgraded performance of the Orange Pi 5 to the test, showing that it’s capable of running Android games like Call Of Duty as well as some heavier emulators like PSP, PS2, and Nintendo Wii. SBC fans were also excited by the M.2 slot that allows for greater performance in the storage of both operating systems and games. These kinds of features can make all the difference in creating a compact and efficient system.
Despite being a little bigger than a Raspberry Pi, the Orange Pi 5 has a GPIO header of only 26 pins. It’s also impossible not to notice the lack of built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. While some say this isn’t a problem if you use a USB adapter rather than sacrificing the M.2 slot to insert a module for wireless connections, that solution may not work great for all projects.
One creative maker worked around the lack of wireless connectivity for their media gaming project. In this example, they used a 256-GB M.2 SSD to store the Orange Pi OS and another 1-TB external hard drive for other video files, games, and so on. The USB Type-C slot was perfect to complete this game set with Nreal Air augmented reality glasses.
With the NVMe resource, it’s not difficult to understand why many prefer to use this board as storage for operating systems. After all, even though the community is not as large as the one for Raspberry Pi, there are several systems available to download such as Orange Pi OS, Ubuntu, Debian, Android, Armbian, and Linux.
Even though many still don’t believe that this SBC is strong enough to be a Raspberry Pi killer, the community has shown a lot of activity and growth on forums like Reddit.
Specs
Let’s take a look at the details of this impressive SBC:
- CPU: 8-Core 64-bit Rockchip RK3588S
- GPU: Arm Mali-G610 MP4 “Odin” GPU
- Memory: 4, 8, 16, or 32 GB（LPDDR4/4x）
- Built-in storage: QSPI NOR Flash 16 MB, MicroSD (TF) card slot, M.2 M-Key Socket (supports PCIe Wi-Fi 6 + BT 5.0 or SSD)
- Wireless connectivity: Nothing built-in
- Ports and slots: 2x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, UART, PWM, I2C, SPI, CAN, GPIO interface
- Size: 62 x 100 mm, 46 g
- Input voltage: 5 V, Type-C
Price
In addition to all the processing power and features that users have been enjoying, the price has also influenced this board’s positive reception. Unfortunately, the growing fan base isn’t doing any favors for the already low stock. While there should be models out there with up to 32 GB of RAM, they’re not easily found.
There’s bound to be a large range of prices given the possible RAM upgrades and extra features. You may be able to find the most basic 4-GB board without a power cable starting at around $75. At the time of writing, upgrading to a more flexible 16-GB version will cost you around $150 at online retailers. Complete kit options that include a power cable, a mouse, a webcam, and even a monitor could be yours if your budget can accommodate up to $300 (for 16 GB RAM).
Similar Devices
There are many SBCs similar to the Orange Pi 5, though each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at the main options.
Raspberry Pi 4
Raspberry Pi 4 boards, despite their popularity, are quite pricey if you consider that for almost $120, you only get 2 GB of RAM. Other features like the duplicated Mini-HDMI outputs aren’t quite as flexible as a USB Type-C that can be converted to a display port. This board may be famous, but it’s not a candidate for the best-bang-for-your-buck award.
Radxa Rock 5
The Rock 5 has been highly sought after, however, the prices aren’t very encouraging if youre’ on a tight budget. If you’re not planning on using it for IoT or robotics applications and a few GPIO ports aren’t a problem for you, you’ll be able to make beautiful game emulations with this board and enjoy every penny of the $175 price tag.
Orange Pi 5B
The Orange Pi 5B variant was released recently, but it’s already doing very well. Perhaps this model was created just to complete what everyone was wishing for in its predecessor. Namely, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 are included onboard, but it’s worth mentioning that you’ll have to give up the M.2 slot. The 16-GB and 256-GB eMMC version is available for ~$170.
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