Top 5 New SBCs 2024 -- plus 12 more contenders!

[@FoxWolfWorld]

Things you can be sure of: -Death -Taxes -Chris’s love for SBCs

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

Oh, definitely.

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@ricardomartinez1871]

I have a feeling that he has a Swiss Army Knives collection too.

[@sorphin]

- Chris sharing his love for SBCs with us through an informative and well done video. (You missed that one)

[@MikeKirkReloaded]

A couple years ago I would never have guessed that x64 would be dropping down into the SBC market from above... while RISC-V is rising up into it from below. ARM is feeling the squeeze!

[@PrivateSi]

I'd like (so)dimm slots that take a coprocessor too that can be switched off but its RAM still used by the host when not being used the dimm CPU. X86 mini-itx with PCI development board or just a slightly smart small backplane. Risc-V, Arm and AMD as well as Intel X64 chips. AMD are missing out and should be more power efficient.

[@sbrazenor2]

Competition drives innovation. The more, the better.

[@IngwiePhoenix_nb]

I mean, while Qualcom and ARM are duking it out, x86 and RISC-V do be seeing this as... _it's free realestate..._ ;)

[@edwardharding5677]

I don't think I've seen so many SBCs in one video! How exciting! I bet and had a great time unboxing all these boards!

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

I sure hope they did. ❤

[@jpmyers6950]

It took a lot of work to make this video, thanks Chris, much appreciated. I think the N100 is incredible. I built my ASRock N100 last December and it's just amazing. I have a real problem now with listening to fans, this board has no fan and it's beyond cool. Going on to build anything is going to have to work with no fan. Silence is golden.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this, and I totally agree about the ASRock N100 board.

[@PrivateSi]

I don't understand why AMD has never gone for the SBC market, esp. since Intel launched its atom X and N100 ultra low power chips. AMD are much more power efficient - Arm / Risc-V power consumption with much more processing power surely doable competitively.

[@saszab]

​@PrivateSi I have the same question for years. Especially now, given the fact that Intel supports the ongoing g€n0c!d€.

[@saszab]

​@PrivateSi I have the same question for years. Especially now, given the fact that Intel supports the g € n 0 c ! d € in Gazza.

[@jmwintenn]

@@PrivateSi amd has a lot of industrial sbcs, they dont really need to move into personal sbcs. the mini pcs using their chips will blow away any sbc.

[@montecorbit8280]

At 4:46 Rock 2A and 2F Those look like interesting boards! They're inexpensive, like Raspberry Pi used to be, and like most people expect or SBCs. I vote for them to be on your list of "when I can get around to it" videos.... Now, back to finish the video!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks -- and agreed, and noted.

[@NathanCroucher]

Yep, second that

[@johnkelly7264]

This is brilliant!. I've just started planning a cyberdeck, and I'm going to binge here to see what I can learn.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck with the cyberdeck -- lots of options here! :)

[@ThomasBrisco]

I think Christopher has just given me my Christmas list! 🙂

[@divya_]

I've been using the Odroid H4 (N97) and it's also a powerful SBC that is priced well.

[@johncundiff7075]

Go man go! You rock Mr. Barnatt!

[@andrewfalconbridge2744]

I really like the Radxa X4. Nice informative video again Chris. Looking forward to your 2025 videos.

[@waynebickell1793]

I put off buying an SBC for so long that N100 mini PCs have become the better choice for me. My Beelink Mini S running Mint is chugging away nicely! I would like to get an SBC though to tinker, and your reviews make it easy to pick the right board (at the right price!) We have to pay through the nose here for Raspberry Pis though!

[@waynebickell1793]

I take that back! An 8Gb Pi 5 is about 72 quid here. During Covid the prices were out of this world! Things are back to abnormal!

[@VeryUsMumblings]

Glad to see that number One is a board with a proper 3.5mm audio out jack. 👍😀

[@pavelperina7629]

Which one is proper? With microphone input?

[@sc0or]

)) Proper for what? To listen to an embedded audio codec? And so what’s the problem with a bluetooth capsule?

[@d.barnette2687]

Greetings from across the pond near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Super groovy video. Really, just where else can one find this kind of info in one place? Wait -- I have the answer. NOWHERE! 😀

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support. :)

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Thank you for the recap! Very helpful as the field is more crowded.

[@thomasbrothers7199]

.Chris: Love all of ur vids. Can't wait until Sunday morning here in CA, USA for the next video. May I suggest a video on the tools you use in your toolbelt, such as conducting benchmarks, disk speeds, I/O, CPU stress tests, temp., etc. I get confused/overloaded by all the options, but if anybody can sort it out, it would be you! Thanks from all million + subscribers

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this -- a great video idea. Noted! :)

[@keithmiller9665]

Thank you for pulling this list together. I have moved from Raspberry Pis to N100 based mini PCs but it is good to know all the alternatives.

[@IngwiePhoenix_nb]

The amount of Radxa and RockChip is telling - but the selection of good RISC-V is amazing this year! I threw the Radxa Rock 5 ITX into a SuperMicro 1U case, filled up the drive slots and it's now my NAS. Absolute beauty, works like a charm - Armbian Stable on it is superb. To me, this board is the "SBC for Pros" in a way. It's not a small fidgety little board, you can use whatever case you can come by, it has an actually proper cooling solution, takes a lot of standart hardware, is really well documented and has a super good SOC. Totally amazed by this lil thing. It's staying in the rack for a while, that's for sure. I just wish we would get boards that had 8 equal cores, or maybe even more (4 big ones, 8 little ones or something). 2025 gonna be lit!

[@sayooda-15]

This guy has a very classic look and way of explaining.

[@ouijim]

Purchased on sale $194 from Amazon GMKTec G3 with N100, 16gb memory and 1tb NVME. Included is Windows 11 Pro which Boots to Local Account setup : ) I added a 1tb M.2 Sata and installed Ubuntu 24.04.1. Dual Boot which Boots to Ubuntu as default ; ) Been running this setup 24/7 for nearly 2 months now without problem. I like it so much I purchased another for other location. I use them for personal computers and basic tasks, banking , internet, video streaming, music and Amateur Radio. Thank You : )

[@proteque]

What a time to be interested in alternative plaforms. the Radxa Rock 5B has ended up as my main desktop computer! With the open source mali driver everything works great! Thanks for your great content on SBCs this year as well! :)

[@perrymcclusky4695]

That Radha X4 is an impressive SBC. Looking forward to your next video!

[@KMcKaig72]

Thank you for this video Chris, I'm looking to build an RTL-SDR remote listening station in my garage, away from as much household RFI as possible and you've given me lots of good options to consider.

[@samaitcheson7057]

It's difficult to deny the Radxa X4 has excellent performance v cost. Best SBC video this year. Thank you.

[@Prophes0r]

Well thought out list. I'm a little sad that the Orange Pi 3b missed the cutoff by 2 months though. (August 2023 initial release) Especially since the newer board revision was released this year (v2.1 June 2024) and made some noteworthy upgrades to the M.2 and wifi systems. I picked up 2 of the 8GB ones for $45 each earlier this year and they are IMO the best mid-range ARM SBC right now. The ROCK 2A/2F are SUPER interesting on the low end though. If only because the ZERO 3E still seems hard to get, and the rarity leads to lack of community pressure/support. Wifi is a nice bonus, but wired ethernet is a must in any application I've ever used an SBC for. The idea of being able to get an SBC with Ethernet that can run DietPi and run something like PiHole for...$20 out of pocket is very nice. Now that RasPi isn't a Maker/Hacker/Enthusiast/Educational board maker anymore, it is great that we have some affordable options.

[@Jeff_Seely]

I have nothing to say but positives. I find this video entertaining and exciting. Your choices are very relevant to the direction that you host EC and you summarized each board with the points that I wanted to know. It's hard to stay current and keep up in these speedy transitions toward SBC and so anything I suggest would be picking a nit and I can't do that with this great content. I express my gratitude for what EC is and not what it isn't. Cheers Christopher!

[@edwardfitz-gibbon6484]

Well done Chris. I don’t think I ever tire of your videos. Your enthusiasm is contagious 👍👍🤣.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks 👍

[@martinsmith5028]

Thanks Chris. You must have an impressive number of sbc's in your storage shed! Have fun

[@prehistoricBanana]

Great and informative video as always, Anne Robinson. I love your passion for SBCs and hope to shop for one soon.

[@SusanAmberBruce]

Greetings Chris, thanks for another Sunday special.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Susan. :)

[@rickster2317]

Hey Chris. So many SBC's, so little time (and money!)! Thanks for another great video! Take Good Care.

[@kaiying74]

The ITX board at number 2 is a very interesting option for a tidy little home NAS.

[@SuperDavidEF]

That's what I thought about, too. Just need a case that balances a tiny size and plenty of mount points for SATA drives.

[@Kw1161]

Thanks Chris for another year of most excellent SBC reviews and you still look 29 years old🎉😂! Well it looks a year of change and with planned buying that’s all I’ll have…😮! Have a great week.

[@brianwood5220]

Excellent selections, Chris. Great ideas for Christmas. Thanks for sharing.

[@Techmagus76]

Top 5 list of SBCs from my favorite channel for this kind of topic.

[@brunesi]

A sensible #1 place choice. When prototyping and/or designing for production, the last thing one wishes is to add to the usual challenges the lack of availability or compatibility of packages, dependencies and softwares. In the mid-far future, perhaps Arm or even Risc-V boards and SOMs really do become mainstream, however I have chosen, and intend to keep choosing, x86 based units whenever dealing with work related designs.

[@simonlauer9379]

I have a video suggestion. It’s not something you usually cover I guess, but it would be interesting to many viewers I think: Board level repair and the repair of electronics in general. I find it amazing seeing someone replacing one dead capacitor on a board and get the laptop back to life. One technician who is posting educational videos on YT is Adamant IT. Just an idea.

[@MichelMorinMontreal]

Some time ago, the world of SBCs seemed to be turning into a dull, uneventful place... Sceptics (myself included!) are undeniably amazed!

[@LuenWarneke]

I don't know much about the differences between the SBCs but I bought an Odroid M2 and happy with it. A bit more power than the Raspberry Pi 5 for high-performance applications.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, a nice board the M2.

[@bembelknecht]

Crazy how expensive those ARM boards became with little gain in computing power; just ordered 2 radxa x4 with different amounts of RAM to play around with

[@LeaveMyFreedomBe]

Accurate list for the current state of the SBC marketplace. I have not found a reason to buy a new SBC in years. Mini-PC's are just better for my use cases.

[@anonylesss]

i've ordered Radxa X4 4gb/32 + case about a week ago, can't wait for it to arrive . it's going to replace my mom's Raspberry Pi 4 4GB as a home PC :)

[@jumpnjack808]

@anonylesss i think you will really like it. I have 2. Using a 230 nvme is something you might think about for maximum performance.

[@anonylesss]

@@jumpnjack808 very happy with it so far . had no idea Debian 12 + KDE Plasma are such RAM "lovers" though..had to remove tons of services etc. but it's working great for casual web browsing and KZbin - even with "only" 4GB of RAM

[@prscrystalized3706]

Great update video. Any thoughts on FPGA board reviews?

[@trevorford8332]

I nearly forgot you were posting a video today. 🙂 Afternoon Chris.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings!

[@natearrigoni]

I love your videos, thanks for making these! I have the MU and it's a neat little board but the 8gb ram is a bummer. I was looking at the X4 and it looks like they have 12gb ram options, but the 64gb would be more than enough for my use. It's on the Ali list now for when I have some spare coin.

[@neamupanselutelor7309]

I also just got a Milk-V Jupiter and I can't wait for the Oasis to coms out.

[@Adam-rs4en]

New to me but the pi-zero 2 is unreal value for me. Another great video, EC!

[@ExplainingComputers]

The Zero 2W is indeed a great board for the money. I just wish it had a little more RAM. :)

[@RafaCoringaProducoes]

There is that "download more ram" trick in 'pi apps' comunitary app store, never tested it myself

[@jazzairwaves]

Very pleased with the Radxa X4. Looking forward to your reviews

[@JazzTechie]

I have both the lattepanda mu with lite carrier, and the Radxa x4. I prefer the mu's implementation of n100 over the way the x4 does it.

[@GustavoMsTrashCan]

Chris, I think you should do a "Top 5 losers of 2024" list -- which shows sbc's with a reasonable performance, whilst at the same time an incredibly low power draw. Pretty sure most of your subscribers would enjoy this -- myself included. Also, great video as always.

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

Another year, another top 5 SBC list. This sure has been a good year for them!

[@anurasenarathna1703]

Raspberry Pi created a history with their early versions of SBC as low cost PCs as an education computers, programming tools and electronic works, mainly for kids and enthusiasts. Looks like they are loosing the battle probably due to higher cost. It looks like that the SBC are now getting into more general purpose computing while Zero type boards are for enthusiasts and makers. Hope Raspberry will keep manufacturing their Pi 2 and Pi 3 for some time.

[@oldhedders]

Well, that's often the way. The market creator often doesn't end up as the market leader.

[@pavelperina7629]

I don't see use of SBC as a general purpose computer, it's not upgradable, it has poor peak performance limited by cooling and the cooler is tiny and noisy in general. Refurbished USFF PC has way more power and idle power consumption can be just a few watts higher. I want an SBC that is reliable, does not restart every few weeks due to a short power outage or something, that has enough power to encode video and do something else and that is silent and maybe can run day from power bank. Like RPI 3B but with faster IO, slightly faster CPU and halved power consumption.

[@Handelsbilanzdefizit]

Great show, as always. What does the new Risc-V RVA23 Profile mean, in practice? Will Risc-V Chips become faster? I use Risc-V emulation (QEMU) and it's incredible slow. Does the RVA23 profile also improve emulation or virtualization? India started an enourmous RISC-V campaign, for more independent hardware. Unfortunately, our (german) minister for economics seems unwilling to make fruitful cooperations.

[@rxmas7234]

Another great video! Thanks for this list.

[@OpenLogicEFI]

Just starting the video now. I really hope to see Mr. ✂️. He's my favorite character in the show. I really want to get his autograph one day. 😂

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

Mr. Scissors is the best!

[@jpwillm5252]

Thanks for this excellent presentation of the five remarkable SBCs. I see that x86 is still relevant and that RiscV is now in the race. ** Merci pour cette exellente présentation des cinq SBC remarquables. Je vois que x86 est toujours d'actualité et que RiscV est maintenant dans la course.

[@gearsgamer7115]

Currently watching this on a radaxa x4. its been my daily driver

[@ExplainingComputers]

This says it all. :)

[@gearsgamer7115]

@@ExplainingComputers Yes. With an Egpu is even good for gaming!

[@max1mus2k]

​@@ExplainingComputers great video Chris, but any reason you didn't mention the Rock 5c its RK3588 compatable with many Rpi4 cases and there is even a lite version with disabled GPU and npu that potentially can be re-enabled !

[@naturebc]

I bought one of those intel nucs and added 32 g of ram and 512 ssd for a software project. So far love it. Thunderbolt is really cats ass.

[@aperrao]

great video as usual....unfortunately this will make my christmas gift's list more difficult LOL

[@jameswubbolt7787]

You sure have been busy. Great work ,thank you.

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the reviews. Things certainly are getting better in the SBC world. Do they all come with an optional housing case??

[@iandron7119]

Thanks Chris, excellent video.

[@SeverityOne]

The Radxa Rock 5 ITX is the ARM mini-ITX board that I've been waiting for for a very long time; so long, in fact, that I wonder whether ARM for the PC segment has missed the boat altogether. We're not exactly flooded with ARM desktops and laptops running Windows.

[@bookvee]

You must have a whole warehouse full of sbc's by now!

[@dmckrk]

Recently I found in my storage old odroid c2, interesting board and guess what, there was quite recent ubuntu for it. This makes me idea to run all my sbcs in kubernetes cluster :) Chris should do the same with his boards, k3s supports x86, arm and risc-v :)

[@gshingles]

I think the point is, you don't need the warehouse ;)

[@PhG1961]

Excellent video as usual. Indeed I enjoyed it very much!

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

SBC computers are always nice thanks for making videos about them. You are the best.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks.

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

Thank you for giving Joshua a shoutout!

[@ExplainingComputers]

He is doing amazing work.

[@USBMEDICMalcolmScole]

Ill take a 4gb radx zero .... Im looking for a swap with a couple of hoverboard motors which could be used on a robot project....I want to become fluent in kernelbased egpu coding . . . .cant do a lot from a tent but maans gota try....Cheers for your hard effort chris

[@jbuchan12]

Fantastic video as always, thank you.

[@anthonydilello1395]

The Orange Pi 5 Max looks quite interesting at the price you quoted. Of course it's only worth it if it has usable software. Do you have any plans to review this one?

[@DJgregBrown]

shaming them on price, you'r the first reviewers to question some of the ridiculous prices. I want to start RiscV but prices on SBC's in uk.

[@PS_Tube]

Greetings. Certainly no surprise in this list. These boards are great devices.

[@Praxibetel-Ix]

They sure are. :)

[@thefanboy3285]

Mr Explainer, can you do or do you have a video about defining interfaces and form factors ? Sometimes I get these two mixed up and I really don't know what's what. A video about very basic technical vocabulary would be nice.

[@ecu4321]

While not actually an sbc, but the new minisforum bd790i se is a barebones itx sff that packs a 16-core ryzen 9 7940hx with full pcie 5 support for 329usd

[@zodiacfml]

great overview on the landscape of current SBCs. While all these are compelling many projects, there is still none for a power users/gamers. It would be nice for an SBC with the power found on x86s gaming handhelds. Maybe SBC manufacturers can't match the volume/scale of something like an ASUS/Lenovo/MSI and cant offer lower prices?

[@AmanbirSingh-z3c]

Thanks for this great information. Plz a video of old Android set top box, for use for other purpose like old pc. Thanks again for such great information.

[@dsmith004]

Chris, maybe this is a crazy notion. How about a video demonstrating how to design a circuit board, mount a SoC, other components, and loading an OS?

[@lilblackduc7312]

Thank you, Professor...🇺🇸 👍☕

[@Broken_robot1986]

Really amazing options.

[@CedroCron]

The Radxa that is your #1 would be killer if it had 2x NIC's because it would make a great PfSense router.

[@davidunderwood3605]

Still have not committed to one yet. Prices are great, and these boards definitely are far better than the amd system i built ( put all the parts together) in 2007 even with the great video board and other goodies. But this video puts me closer. Thank you for taking the time to throw your 2 p's in although its really worth a lot more as it saves many of us money and trials and errors.

[@quademasters249]

Unless you need GPIO. You're far better off buying a couple year old HP SFF PC. I've picked PC's out of the trash that are more powerful than the best of these SBC's. The only one that I'd even consider is the Radxa X4 with the Intel N100. Still ebay is full of better choices for not much more.

[@davidunderwood3605]

@quademasters249 possibly. I'm 1st looking to those inexpensive audrino ( spelling? )boards for control of watering in my very small greenhouse and venting needs then on to the small garden spots then sending their information out to the SBC and adding other house and yard checks to the system. However my main interest in the inexpensive SBC s are in robotics as these are ready made for redundancy allowing each part of the unit from drive wheels, tracks or whatever, arms or appendages camera's, sensors or what have you to have it own brain so to speak capable of taking over if the main fails. And basically with out all the R&D associated with that kind of project. As long as it's not a cascading power or data surge failure . These are off the shelf solutions that can do so much with good programs. And cheaper than some being built now. 4 SBC s way less expensive and a lot more functional than some purposes built robotics units

[@marcse7en]

I've had no experience of SBCs, but I love my £129.99 Minisforum GK41 Mini PC! ... My old self-built Core 2 Duo PC, from the year dot, has been re-purposed as a CD, DVD, and Blu-ray ripper. I'm ripping my Doctor Who DVDs and Blu-rays to HDD, to create a Doctor Who media library. I'll probably have to buy a helium-filled 20TB Toshiba? How's your Tosh, Chris?

[@karstentopp]

The Radxa X4 isn’t too bad. I tried Fallout London on it and it’s very playable, albeit not in Full HD.

[@Yenkna_PCs]

Chris, unexpectedly a 2 GB Raspberry Pi 5 was released. I own one and it's my webserver.

[@ExplainingComputers]

It was indeed, but I decided that it was not a new SBC, but a new variant of an existing model. Nice board through.

[@eidgenossenarkebuse]

Whats your recommendation SBC 2024 for Gaming? Thanks Christopher.

[@kiodiekin]

X4 or x1

[@drewnewby]

I felt the Radxa N100 just might take the top spot, but I am most curious about the NIO 12L for the price.

[@aw34565]

Great video! No love though for the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5?

[@ExplainingComputers]

I debated including it, and didn't. A great board, but I see it as more of a variant of last year's winner. :)

[@gsdggasgs1799]

Unless you need GPIO SBCs are old hat. Cheap minipcs cost about the same yet do way more. They gotta bring new innovations to SBCs!

[@GustavoMsTrashCan]

Then you are missing the point of SBC's -- they aren't for performance, but for really low power draws.

[@gsdggasgs1799]

@@GustavoMsTrashCan its about the same tbh n100 minipcs can easily idle at like

[@GustavoMsTrashCan]

@@gsdggasgs1799 That is about 4.5 times as much compared to the Orange pi 5 -- which idles at 1.8 watts.

[@ronm6585]

Good list, thank you.

[@boydpukalo8980]

Please cover the Jupiter support for Radeon PCIE GPU's as the other videos on it did not really cover that aspect. How is discrete GPU support under RISC-V?

[@DoctorOnkelap]

I see an update in the near future after you try the Radxa zero 2 pro. Unfortunately mine arrived damaged (the wifi antenna seemed to have murdered the wifi/bluetooth chip due to an unfortunate alignment and quite dense packaging)

[@strawberriebabieex3]

Chris, I’ve followed your KZbin channel for years and love your insights. However, I don’t think you need to focus only on budget options. With inflation and tech advancements, it’d be great if you reviewed computers up to $1,000 USD. Most people expect to spend more than $100 and get higher quality. This is just constructive feedback-your expertise is still incredibly valuable!

[@judsonleach5248]

"Show of Hands"?! Who else can't WAIT for the American Ellections to be over?! So we can get back to what ACTUALLY Matters! - Single Board Computers!!! 😀

[@skyak4493]

The SBC market has changed dramatically. Ras Pi started it as a dirt cheap super versatile project base. Many others have followed but failed to match the software support and community. Now intel X86 has dropped the hammer, as evidenced by Chris’s pick this year. X86 SBC’s tie into the deep reliable linux software base makes it a clear winner for esentialy all plugged in computer projects. For “glutton’s for punishment” Risc-V is absolutely the battle to join.

[@hurricane31415]

The ITX one may be my favorite.

[@jacobnoori]

Honey wake up, new EC video just dropped.

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@GeorgeC-vy3pd]

AI has advanced so far. What software do you use to generate the character?

[@naturetech9983]

I love radxa X2l with Celeron, since im looking for something for PFsense\OpnSense..but it's missing the second LAN. I'd love to see some board designed for this, being rewieved by you! Thanks Sir!

[@andic6676]

If you need a power efficient PC, you can do worse than using recent laptop with an external monitor and keyboard/mouse. Secondhand laptops from the 8th Gen intel era are now quite affordable on eBay, and they are ready to go.

[@allanvincent4450]

Thank you for this review. winner!

[@yllib2012]

Nothing from FriendlyElec? I love their RK3588 boards and their CNC machined aluminum cases are great. I have a R6C with 8GB RAM and a NanoPC-T6 with 16GB RAM setup as emulation machines. Both models (and some others) have a slot for an M.2 SSD and both have onboard eMMC storage. Both can emulate up to GC and PS2 and do reasonably well with some Switch emulation.

[@manyamaggot]

Several of this sbc cost more than mini pcs that come with storage memory and psu .you can buy one of those and take off the case.