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Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO vs Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against single-board computers at a similar price

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB scores 7.0/10 overall, ahead of the Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO at 4.6/10.

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB leads on software support, storage, I/O and networking and value.

They score the same on performance.

The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB scores 10/10 to the Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO's 5/10.

Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO

Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO

4.6/10verdict: skip

The Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO is for people who want a small, wireless board for light, single-purpose jobs. It suits builders who already have Raspberry Pi Zero cases or GPIO accessories to reuse. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs wired networking, fast storage or a lot of memory.

Typically about £23.93 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB

7.0/10verdict: buy

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB is for beginners, tinkerers and homelabbers who want official Raspberry Pi OS support and an active community for light, low-memory jobs. It suits GPIO projects, small services and learning Linux, where the software ecosystem matters more than raw capacity. It is less suited to anyone who needs fast native storage or plans to run it hot without cooling.

Typically about £44.30 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightBanana Pi BPI-M2 ZERORaspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB
Software support30%5/1010/10
Performance25%5/105/10
Storage15%3/104/10
I/O and networking15%4/108/10
Value15%5/106/10
Overall4.6/107.0/10

Specifications

SpecBanana Pi BPI-M2 ZERORaspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB
Processor (SoC)Allwinner H3 quad-core Cortex-A7Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC at 1.5-1.8GHz (sources conflict: 1.8GHz on the manufacturer page, 1.5GHz in the datasheet and Amazon listing)
Memory512 MB DDR3, shared with GPU1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on model); the 1GB variant is one option
Storage optionsmicroSD (TF) card up to 64 GB; no onboard flashMicro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage; no M.2 or NVMe interface listed
NetworkingOnboard Wi-Fi 802.11n via AP6212/K016 (SDIO); no onboard Ethernet2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE; Gigabit Ethernet (PoE requires a separate add-on PoE HAT)
GPIO40-pin header, pin-compatible with Raspberry Pi 3Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards); 28x user GPIO
Video outputsMini HDMI 1.4, 1080p30 output; decodes 1080p60 H.264, encodes 1080p30 H.2642 × micro-HDMI ports (up to 4kp60 supported); 2-lane MIPI DSI display port; 2-lane MIPI CSI camera port; 4-pole stereo audio and composite video port
Power inputMicro USB, 5V/2A5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A)

Strengths and weaknesses

Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO

  • + Pin-compatible 40-pin GPIO header, matching Raspberry Pi 3
  • + Onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi
  • + Owners report Raspberry Pi Zero cases and accessories fit
  • − No onboard Ethernet; wired networking only via GPIO
  • − 512 MB of RAM, shared with the GPU
  • − microSD only, with a single USB 2.0 OTG port

Skip it if:

  • Anyone who needs onboard wired Ethernet or gigabit networking
  • Buyers wanting NVMe, M.2 or storage beyond a 64 GB microSD card
  • Homelabbers planning several containers or VMs on more than 512 MB of RAM
Read the full Banana Pi BPI-M2 ZERO review ›

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB

  • + Official Raspberry Pi OS and a large, supportive community
  • + Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and the standard 40-pin GPIO header
  • + Dual micro-HDMI outputs with up to 4kp60 support
  • − Micro-SD only, with no M.2 or NVMe interface listed
  • − Owners report heavy heat and throttling without better cooling
  • − 1GB is the smallest memory option in the range

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need native M.2 or NVMe storage rather than micro-SD
  • Anyone running several containers or VMs who needs more than 1GB of memory
  • People who want a board that stays cool without adding a heatsink or fan
Read the full Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB review ›

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