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Khadas VIM3 vs IceWhale ZimaBoard 2

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

all judged against single-board computers at a similar price

The Khadas VIM3 scores 6.6/10 overall, ahead of the IceWhale ZimaBoard 2 at 6.3/10.

The Khadas VIM3 leads on software support and storage.

The IceWhale ZimaBoard 2 leads on I/O and networking.

They score the same on performance and value.

Khadas VIM3

Khadas VIM3

6.6/10verdict: buy

The Khadas VIM3 is for tinkerers who want a six-core Arm board with NVMe support and a 40-pin header. It suits media, display and embedded projects where the NPU and flexible storage matter. It is less suited to anyone who wants a board that runs cool with no extra cooling.

Check price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

ZimaBoard 2

IceWhale ZimaBoard 2

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The ZimaBoard 2 is for homelabbers who want a compact x86 board for a small NAS or Docker host. It offers an Intel N150, dual 2.5GbE and two SATA ports, with 8GB or 16GB of soldered RAM. It suits people who value low power draw and quiet running over upgradeability.

Typically about £288.89 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

CriterionWeightKhadas VIM3IceWhale ZimaBoard 2
Software support30%6/105/10
Performance25%7/107/10
Storage15%8/107/10
I/O and networking15%7/108/10
Value15%5/105/10
Overall6.6/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecKhadas VIM3IceWhale ZimaBoard 2
Processor (SoC)Amlogic A311D, four Cortex-A73 cores at 2.2GHz and two Cortex-A53 cores at 1.8GHz, with 5 TOPS NPUIntel N150 (4 cores, 4 threads, up to 3.6GHz)
Memory2GB or 4GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4X8GB (832) or 16GB (1664) LPDDR5 4800 MHz, soldered and not upgradable
Storage optionseMMC 5.1 16GB or 32GB, micro-SD slot, M.2 2280 socket for NVMe (PCIe 2.0 x1)32GB (832) or 64GB (1664) onboard eMMC; two SATA 6Gbps ports
NetworkingGigabit Ethernet with Wake-on-LAN; AP6398S 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0Dual 2.5GbE
GPIO40-pin GPIO header, 2.54mm pitchnot listed
Video outputsHDMI with CEC, MIPI-DSI display interface, touch-panel connectorOne Mini DisplayPort 1.4, up to 4K at 60Hz
Power inputVIN connector 5–12V; USB-C port 5–20V USB Power Delivery input12V DC barrel input, 60W adapter

Strengths and weaknesses

Khadas VIM3

  • + M.2 NVMe socket alongside eMMC and microSD
  • + Six-core A311D with NPU; owners praise efficiency
  • + Several official OS images, including mainline Linux
  • − Owners report heat and instability without a fan
  • − Power delivery quirks reported, including bootloops and shutdowns
  • − RAM stops at 4GB

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want a fanless, cool-running board with no extra cooling
  • Anyone needing more than 4GB of RAM
  • Builders who can't test and choose their power supply carefully
Read the full Khadas VIM3 review ›

IceWhale ZimaBoard 2

  • + Dual 2.5GbE with about 275 to 280 MB/s reported real-world
  • + Low idle power draw, and silent without the fan
  • + Two SATA 6Gbps ports plus a PCIe 3.0 x2 lane
  • − RAM and eMMC are soldered and cannot be upgraded
  • − Throttling and 90s C package temperatures in passive tests
  • − UK buyers can only pay in US dollars on Zima's store

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want to upgrade RAM or onboard storage later
  • Anyone planning sustained heavy load with passive cooling
  • Projects that need a Raspberry Pi-style GPIO header
Read the full IceWhale ZimaBoard 2 review ›

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