Every Single Board Computer I Tested in 2025
2 days ago
- #2025 Tech Trends
- #Single Board Computers
- #Hardware Review
- 2025 saw the release of 15 single board computers (SBCs) from 8 manufacturers, featuring SoCs from Rockchip, Broadcom, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Allwinner, StarFive, CIX, and Texas Instruments.
- Prices ranged from $42 to $590, with a wide variety of options including RISC-V boards, Qualcomm's entry into the SBC market, and new SoC vendor CIX making an impact.
- Notable budget boards under $50 include the BeagleBone Green Eco, StarFive VisionFive 2 Lite, Arduino UNO Q, Orange Pi RV and RV2, and the standout Radxa Cubie A7A.
- Mid-range boards ($50-$100) featured Rockchip's RK3576, Qualcomm's QCS6490 in the Radxa Dragon Q6A, and the networking-focused Banana Pi R4.
- High-end boards ($100+) included the Raspberry Pi 500+, ArmSoM AIM7, Radxa Orion O6N, Orange Pi 6 Plus, and the premium Qualcomm-based Radxa Fogwise Airbox Q900.
- CIX P1 emerged as the breakout SoC of the year, with impressive performance in the Radxa Orion O6N and Orange Pi 6 Plus.
- Qualcomm made a strong entry into the SBC market with competitive performance and pricing, particularly with the Radxa Dragon Q6A.
- RISC-V boards showed progress but still lag behind ARM in performance, with options like the StarFive VisionFive 2 Lite and Orange Pi RV/RV2.
- Rockchip's RK3576 became a mid-range workhorse, appearing in multiple boards with consistent performance.
- RAM prices increased in 2025 due to shifts in production towards higher-margin memory types, affecting SBC pricing and availability.
- Raspberry Pi focused on iterative improvements with the Pi 500+, rather than revolutionary changes.
- The SBC market in 2025 offered a wide price spectrum, from budget to premium, catering to diverse use cases.