Video : Review Orange Pi 3

Hi all.
I've made a new review video about the Orange Pi 3.
This is a 1.8Ghz quad-core Allwinner H6 with USB3, GbE, eMMC and 5G Wifi SBC's that's sold for less than $35.

Here is my video.
https://youtu.be/D2SIpXTOb9A

Greetings,
NicoD

I've always wanted to give one a try just cuz, then have to remind myself I'd need a keyboard and monitor, then see the price and say to myself, I'd pay more for that then what I've paid for my laptop(s), 100 US Bucks (each) for more than they they come with.

I use SBC's as laptop, desktop pc, server, blender render farm, for video editing and rendering when traveling, ...
My Odroid C2 with a 26800mAh Ravpower power bank + my 13" monitor can run for +10 hours. I've got 2 of those power banks. And also 2 solar panels to charge the power banks when I'm traveling.
I could not do all that with a laptop.
I can keep using my power banks(battery), keyboard and display when I buy a new SBC. So it's way cheaper for me than a laptop(I do get many for free)
But SBC's are not for everybody.
I don't have a smart phone, and don't use a normal laptop or tablet. I've got my SBC's instead. And I love them.
Greetings.

ps. You don't need a keyboard and mouse to use an sbc. You can just use your laptop and ssh, or with uart, or with vnc.

Am I right in assuming that the power bank you use is either very bulky or very expensive?

That said I did use my Rpi3 as my first pc , it worked great. I had a monitor, powerful micro usb transformer and an sdcard, so no money there. But my next couple laptops were much faster and much cheaper...$0ea

Another option for the Pi is vnc. This allows you to use any old smartphone as a screen and touchpad.

Originally Posted by Mill J Am I right in assuming that the power bank you use is either very bulky or very expensive? That said I did use my Rpi3 as my first pc , it worked great. I had a monitor, powerful micro usb transformer and an sdcard, so no money there. But my next couple laptops were much faster and much cheaper...$0ea Another option for the Pi is vnc. This allows you to use any old smartphone as a screen and touchpad.

This is it.
https://www.v-nix.nl/ravpower-power-...kaAnk6EALw_wcB
Almost a half kg, around $50 for one. I bought them cheaper. I use them almost daily. So they've been worth the money.

Raspberry is the slowest board on the market. I use it for gaming. But for serious work that's not going to do it.
What I need can't be done with a laptop. Most of my sbc's run headless, they are completely silent. They consume almost nothing of power.

You have got to use the right tool for the job. I've got a laptop. But the thing only lasts 2 hours, and it's a heavy one too + it's power brick. I prefer an sbc + power bank.
I also use them with small 3.5" displays as handheld. I've got a 7' display too.
That's the environment I like. Everything Linux. Everything is made and set up for the goals I made it for.
It's my hobby an lifestyle. As said before, it's not for everybody.

Originally Posted by NicoD SBC This is it. https://www.v-nix.nl/ravpower-power-...kaAnk6EALw_wcB Almost a half kg, around $50 for one. I bought them cheaper. I use them almost daily. So they've been worth the money.

I've actually used a smaller mAh battery pack with my pi and was pleasantly surprised how it improves the performance. Also running a sbc on a window sill in the middle of the winter has much better results than running it in a warm room.

Raspberry is the slowest board on the market. I use it for gaming. But for serious work that's not going to do it. What I need can't be done with a laptop. Most of my sbc's run headless, they are completely silent. They consume almost nothing of power.

Good to know. What is the most powerful sbc ~$35? I'd consider getting another sbc just for arm development, currently it takes a very long time to compile my gui libraries.

Originally Posted by NicoD SBC This is it. https://www.v-nix.nl/ravpower-power-...kaAnk6EALw_wcB Almost a half kg, around $50 for one.

it's 8.1cm X 17.3cm X 2.2cm - like a very large smartphone, or a very small tablet, but thicker.

Originally Posted by Mill J Good to know. What is the most powerful sbc ~$35? I'd consider getting another sbc just for arm development, currently it takes a very long time to compile my gui libraries.

The Raspberry is the slowest because of it's too weird architecture, and because it's still using DDR2 vs all the others using ddr3/ddr4.
It all depends on what you want to use it for.
My absolute favorite is the NanoPi M4. But this one is a lot more expensive. The performance of it is just amazing(2x2Ghz A72 +4x1.5Ghz A53). It's great for gaming, desktop use in Linux, heavy cpu loads, power efficiency, great heatsink,... For an ARM lover this is just the perfect thing.

There are a lot great SBC's for around 35euro. If you want to do heavy multi-core tasks(datacrunching), then the NanoPi Fire3-LTS is the best choice. 8 cores of 1.4Ghz for $35. But only 1GB RAM.
https://www.friendlyarm.com/index.ph...product_id=206

The NanoPi K2 should be great for multimedia stuff. It's the same SoC as the Odroid C2(my 2nd favorite SBC). 2GB ddr3, eMMC port, great heatsink... $39
https://www.friendlyarm.com/index.ph...product_id=186
Or le potato, the same as the K2/C2, but possible with 1GB of ram for $30.
https://www.amazon.com/Libre-Compute...ms&sr=1-1&th=1


I'm now working with the PineH64 model B. Seems to be decent. $36 for 2GB model. It runs at 1.5Ghz. But it's not ready yet for regular users. Will take some months.
https://www.pine64.org/?product_cat=pine-h64-boards

If you would want the performance of the NanoPi M4, but don't want to pay so much, there's the RockPi 4A with 1GB RAM for $40. This is without on-board wifi/bleutooth. Or the NanoPi NEO4 for $50.

I personally find 1GB RAM too little these days. But for some tasks it's ok.

There are many more sbc's for around $35. Do know that these boards are development boards, and with many things don't work out of the box.
Only FriendlyElec and HardKernel(Odroid) do great on that. Most others you've got to build the images yourself, and search the right drivers to make things work. That's why it isn't for everyone, you've got to love to search and so...

The NanoPi M4 for example has great software, while the RockPi4 has a lot less software while they have the same SoC, and in large part the same hardware.

If you really want something great that can last you for years with tons of fun, then I'd say buy the NanoPi M4 with 2GB ram and 16GB eMMC. You can also add a sata hat to add 4 sata ports on it. But that will cost you $100 with everything included.
If you just want to play, then a Le Potato/K2. For some light server use I then again would say some Orange Pi with sata.
If you want it very small but still powerfull. Then the Banana Pi M2 Zero. (same size as the raspberry pi zero, but with 4 cores instead on 1)
Enough choice. The hardest thing is knowing what you want.
Greetings.