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Orange Pi 5 Plus vs Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

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

all judged against single-board computers at a similar price

The Orange Pi 5 Plus scores 7.4/10 overall, ahead of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B at 6.4/10.

The Orange Pi 5 Plus leads on performance, storage, I/O and networking and value.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B leads on software support.

The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B scores 10/10 to the Orange Pi 5 Plus's 5/10.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

6.4/10verdict: good, not the best

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B suits people who want a small board for GPIO projects, simple services or learning. It fits builders who need a 40-pin header with camera and display ports. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs fast networking, USB 3 or storage beyond a microSD card.

Typically about £33 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

CriterionWeightOrange Pi 5 PlusRaspberry Pi 3 Model B
Software support30%5/1010/10
Performance25%9/105/10
Storage15%9/104/10
I/O and networking15%8/105/10
Value15%7/105/10
Overall7.4/106.4/10

Specifications

SpecOrange Pi 5 PlusRaspberry Pi 3 Model B
Processor (SoC)Rockchip RK3588 (8nm), four Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores up to 1.8GHz, Mali-G610 MP4 GPU, 6 TOPS NPUBroadcom BCM2837, quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.2 GHz
Memory4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB (optional configurations)1GB RAM
Storage optionsQSPI NOR flash 16MB/32MB, microSD slot, eMMC module socket (16GB to 256GB modules), M.2 M-key PCIe 3.0 x4 slotmicroSD slot only, for OS and data
NetworkingTwo 2.5G Ethernet ports; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth only via M.2 E-key module (not on board)100Base Ethernet; wireless LAN and Bluetooth
GPIO40-pin expansion header (Raspberry Pi compatible) with GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI, CAN and PWM40-pin extended GPIO header
Video outputsTwo HDMI outputs, one HDMI input, HDMI 2.1 8K output, Type-C DP1.4A, MIPI DSIFull-size HDMI, 4-pole stereo and composite video port, CSI camera port, DSI display port
Power inputUSB-C power input, recommended 5V/4A supply; no USB PD negotiationMicro USB, up to 2.5 A switched supply

Strengths and weaknesses

Orange Pi 5 Plus

  • + Dual 2.5GbE ports and an M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
  • + RK3588 with RAM options up to 32GB
  • + Owners praise its low price for the hardware
  • − Mainline Linux is listed as not supported
  • − Heavy sustained loads need a heatsink or active cooling
  • − Wi-Fi and Bluetooth need an extra M.2 E-key module

Skip it if:

  • Beginners who want Raspberry Pi level software polish and community help
  • Anyone who needs mainline Linux support
  • Buyers who need built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without adding a module
Read the full Orange Pi 5 Plus review ›

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B

  • + 40-pin GPIO header plus CSI camera and DSI display ports
  • + Built-in wireless LAN and Bluetooth
  • + Production promised until at least January 2028
  • − Ethernet is 10/100 only, not gigabit
  • − No USB 3; four USB 2.0 ports
  • − microSD only, with no M.2 or NVMe support published

Skip it if:

  • Anyone who needs gigabit Ethernet or USB 3 for fast file transfers
  • Buyers who want NVMe or M.2 storage rather than a microSD card
  • People who need more than 1GB of RAM for several services or VMs
Read the full Raspberry Pi 3 Model B review ›

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