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Raspberry Pi 5 4GB vs ZimaBoard 2

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

both judged against single-board computers at a similar price

The Raspberry Pi 5 4GB scores 7.9/10 overall, ahead of the ZimaBoard 2 at 6.3/10.

The Raspberry Pi 5 4GB leads on software support, performance and value.

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

The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi 5 4GB scores 10/10 to the ZimaBoard 2's 5/10.

Raspberry Pi 5 4GB

Raspberry Pi 5 4GB

7.9/10verdict: buy

The Raspberry Pi 5 4GB is for homelabbers and developers who want a small Linux board with official OS support and a standard 40-pin GPIO header. It suits people moving up from a Pi 4 who want more CPU performance for services, projects or display output. Buyers should be ready to sort out a proper 5A power supply and think about cooling.

Typically about £105.60 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

ZimaBoard 2

ZimaBoard 2

6.3/10verdict: wait for deal

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

CriterionWeightRaspberry Pi 5 4GBZimaBoard 2
Software support30%10/105/10
Performance25%8/107/10
Storage15%6/107/10
I/O and networking15%7/108/10
Value15%6/105/10
Overall7.9/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecRaspberry Pi 5 4GBZimaBoard 2
Processor (SoC)Broadcom BCM2712, quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor @ 2.4GHz, 512KB L2 per core and 2MB shared L3 cacheIntel N150 (4 cores, 4 threads, up to 3.6GHz)
MemoryLPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM, offered in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB variants8GB (832) or 16GB (1664) LPDDR5 4800 MHz, soldered and not upgradable
Storage optionsmicroSD card slot with SDR104 support; M.2 storage needs a separate adapter over PCIe 2.0 x132GB (832) or 64GB (1664) onboard eMMC; two SATA 6Gbps ports
NetworkingDual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0/BLE, Gigabit Ethernet; PoE+ needs a separate HATDual 2.5GbE
GPIOStandard 40-pin headernot listed
Video outputsDual 4Kp60 HDMI output with HDR support; VideoCore VII GPU; micro-HDMI connectorOne Mini DisplayPort 1.4, up to 4K at 60Hz
Power input5V/5A DC via USB-C with Power Delivery support12V DC barrel input, 60W adapter

Strengths and weaknesses

Raspberry Pi 5 4GB

  • + Official Raspberry Pi OS images built for the Pi 5
  • + Quad Cortex A76 cores at 2.4GHz; owners report big gains
  • + Standard 40-pin header, two USB 3.0 ports, dual 4K HDMI
  • − Owners report high temperatures, throttling and shutdowns
  • − Needs a 5A supply; some 3A and laptop chargers fail
  • − M.2 storage needs a separate adapter; Ethernet is Gigabit only

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 2.5GbE or faster wired networking on the board
  • Anyone who wants native M.2 NVMe without buying an adapter
  • Buyers who cannot supply a 5A USB-C power supply or plan for cooling
Read the full Raspberry Pi 5 4GB review ›

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 ZimaBoard 2 review ›

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