The upcoming Orange Pi 5 is a credit card-sized computer that looks a lot like a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B at first glance. But this little computer from has a faster processor, faster wireless connectivity, support for more RAM, and a few other characteristics that help it stand out.
It’s the latest in a line of single-board computers from Shenzhen Xunlong sold under the Orange Pi brand, and it’s the most powerful to date.
That’s largely due to the Rockchip RK3588S processor at the heart of the Orange Pi 5. It’s an octa-core chip with four 2.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores, four 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, Mali-G610 MP4 graphics, and neural processing unit (NPU) with support for up to 6 TOPS of AI performance.
But the system also features WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, HDMI 2.1 video output, and features 32GB of eMMC flash memory in addition to a microSD card slot for removable storage. There’s also support for up to 32GB of LPDDRx4 memory, which is four times more than you get from a top-of-the-line Raspberry Pi 4 (although entry-level configurations will have far less – available options including 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB).
That all points to a device that will likely cost more than a typical Raspberry Pi, but as CNX Software points out, Shenzhen Xunlong tends to price its hardware rather competitively so it’s likely that the Orange Pi 5 will cost less than some other single-board PCs with RK3588 chips.
Ports on the Orange Pi 5 include:
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C (with power delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 support)
- 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x HDMI 2.1
- 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
- 1 x 3.5mm audio
- 1 x DC power jack (5V/4A power supplies supported)
There’s also an onboard microphone, a 26-pin header, MIPI D-PHY and MIPI CSI connectors for cameras or displays.
The Orange Pi 5 measures 100mm x 62mm (3.94″ x 2.44″) and weighs 46 grams (1.6 ounces).