The pioneer of single-board computers (SBCs) is the Raspberry Pi, a pocket computer in a tiny plate that was originally created to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools, but later it became so popular that its developers, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, started selling it outside of its target market, and now the Raspberry Pi is going after its third version, The Raspberry Pi 3 model B.
Since then we have witnessed some manufactures launch similar devices, but none has had the acceptance of the Raspberry Pi, probably because they weren’t so good or didn’t offer anything new or better. But now, it seems that some real competition has finally arrived with the launch of the Rock64 Media Board Computer, and part of that competitive edge applies to its price too, since it can be acquired at pre-order for just 25 dollars.
The Rock64, developed by the company Pine 64, is also slightly more powerful than the latest Raspberry Pi model. Its Rockchip RK3328 quad-core ARM Cortex A53 64-bit processor runs at 1.5 GHz, a little higher than the 1.2 GHz processor built in the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.
The Rock64 is literally the size of a credit card
Furthermore, this little piece of credit card-sized silicone comes with a Mali-450MP2 GPU and supports up to 4GB LPDDR3. It can also be connected to a monitor or 4K HDR TV via an HDMI port, which is a very good thing because it supports 4K video at 60 fps and HDR to boot. It also has a slot for a MicroSD card, so you can turn the Rock64 into a portable multimedia center for hauling around your movies in one of the most compact fully equipped ways possible today. The Rock64 is also ideal for emulators and older computers and has enough power to play Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 titles.
As for connectivity, the Rock 64 comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0a (for maximum 4K@60Hz compatibility) and a 3.5 mm jack connector, but unfortunately it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you happen to want one of these tiny little powerhouses of 4K multimedia and computing, the Rock64 is available on pre-order at Pine 64’s online store, with a cost ranging from $24.95 to $44.95, depending on the amount of RAM in the model you choose, which come in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB versions. The company will start shipping each unit as of July 31th, 2017.
Story by 4k.com