Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
all judged against single-board computers at a similar priceThe Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB scores 7.0/10 overall, ahead of the Radxa ROCK 5C at 6.5/10.
The Radxa ROCK 5C leads on performance, storage and value.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB leads on software support and I/O and networking.
The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB scores 10/10 to the Radxa ROCK 5C's 5/10.
The ROCK 5C is for homelabbers and developers who want a lot of CPU and RAM in a small board. It suits people who are happy to follow Radxa's own Debian and Android images or the third-party systems listed for it. It is a weaker fit if you want native M.2 storage.
Check price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details
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
| Criterion | Weight | Radxa ROCK 5C | Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software support | 30% | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Performance | 25% | 9/10 | 5/10 |
| Storage | 15% | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| I/O and networking | 15% | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Value | 15% | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall | 6.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Spec | Radxa ROCK 5C | Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB |
|---|---|---|
| Processor (SoC) | Rockchip RK3588S2 | Broadcom 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) |
| Memory | 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB; V1.1 uses LPDDR4X, V2.1 uses LPDDR5 | 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on model); the 1GB variant is one option |
| Storage options | 1x eMMC connector, 1x microSD card slot, no SPI flash; no native M.2 slot; PCIe 2.1 1-lane via FPC connector | Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage; no M.2 or NVMe interface listed |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet (PoE via optional HAT), WiFi 6, BT 5.4 with external antenna connector | 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE; Gigabit Ethernet (PoE requires a separate add-on PoE HAT) |
| GPIO | 40-pin header, Raspberry Pi-style layout, 3.3V logic, up to 27 GPIO | Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards); 28x user GPIO |
| Video outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1 up to 8K, 1x MIPI DSI up to 2K | 2 × 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 input | 5V via USB Type-C; at least 10W recommended, 25W with full USB and PCIe load | 5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A) |
Skip it if:
Skip it if:
Compare all single-board computers · Best single-board computers