Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
all judged against single-board computers at a similar priceThe Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W scores 6.9/10 overall, ahead of the Radxa ROCK 5C at 6.5/10.
The Radxa ROCK 5C leads on performance, storage and I/O and networking.
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W leads on software support.
They score the same on value.
The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W 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.
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The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is for people who need a wireless quad-core Arm board for headless projects. It suits those replacing an original Pi Zero or building embedded and IoT jobs that need a 40-pin footprint and Bluetooth. It is a poor fit for anyone who wants a desktop, wired networking or fast storage.
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| Criterion | Weight | Radxa ROCK 5C | Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software support | 30% | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Performance | 25% | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Storage | 15% | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| I/O and networking | 15% | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Value | 15% | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Overall | 6.5/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Spec | Radxa ROCK 5C | Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W |
|---|---|---|
| Processor (SoC) | Rockchip RK3588S2 | Broadcom BCM2710A1, quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 at 1GHz |
| Memory | 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB; V1.1 uses LPDDR4X, V2.1 uses LPDDR5 | 512MB LPDDR2 |
| 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 | microSD card slot only |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet (PoE via optional HAT), WiFi 6, BT 5.4 with external antenna connector | 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, onboard antenna; no Ethernet |
| GPIO | 40-pin header, Raspberry Pi-style layout, 3.3V logic, up to 27 GPIO | 40-pin HAT-compatible I/O header footprint, unpopulated |
| Video outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1 up to 8K, 1x MIPI DSI up to 2K | Mini HDMI port; composite video via test points |
| Power input | 5V via USB Type-C; at least 10W recommended, 25W with full USB and PCIe load | Micro USB, rated 5V DC 2.5A (supply rating) |
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