For many projects, dedicating an entire PC to a project is overkill. This is where single-board computers come in handy.
The best know SBC is, without a doubt,
the Raspberry Pi
. It's known the world over for its versatility, low power consumption, reliability, and ease of use. But there are a number of alternatives to the Raspberry Pi available that can be used to bring their own uniqueness to a project, whether you want more performance, AI, VR support, or a board that is rated for industrial use.
Or maybe you want something smaller than the Raspberry Pi!
Let's take a look.
A desktop computer in the palm of your hand
Tech specs:
Powerful but yet energy-efficient, this would be my choice if I wanted to replace a desktop computer with an SBC. This board can run various flavors of Linux, including the latest Ubuntu, as well as the flexibility to run Android.
High-end laptop performance for VR, AR, and AI projects
Tech specs:
There's not much that the UDOO BOLT V8 can't handle, from AAA games, high-end VR, cryptocurrency mining, AI, IoT, edge computing, and much more. But at $459, this is a very expensive board.
Comes with support for many popular AI frameworks
Tech specs:
The Nvidia Jetson Nano Developer Kit is a single-board computer that allows you to work with multiple neural networks in parallel for applications like image classification, object detection, segmentation, and speech processing. It also comes with support for many popular AI frameworks, like TensorFlow, PyTorch, Caffe, and MXNet. There's also a full desktop Linux environment to make it even easier to work with.
A great kit for hobbyists and enthusiasts
Tech specs:
This board has a number of nice touches that make it great for hobbyists. I particularly like the color-coded GPIO header, which makes it easy to recognize respective pin headers. I also like the detailed silk-screen print on the face of the board that makes it clear where everything goes.
A Raspberry Pi 4 gutted down for industrial use
Tech specs:
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 incorporates a quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 processor, dual video output, and a wide selection of other interfaces.
You can read our full review for a more in-depth look at the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4.
Here is an honorable mention:
Get a Raspberry Pi! Get to know the setup, the GPIO pins, and work through the basics from there!
You can find a lot of generic cases out there, but if you can drive a 3D printer, then you'll have an endless supply of them!
You can try to waterproof the case it's in, like spray it with conformal coating to resist moisture. But there's no way to make them waterproof.
Put simply, they all offer something that the Raspberry Pi doesn't. The Raspberry Pi is a great bit of hardware, but it has been built within a specific set of constraints and for mass appeal. These SBCs take what the Raspberry Pi brought to the table, and take it further.
I've also had a chance to use all of this hardware, and they have all been tested to ascertain its quality, reliability, and whether it delivers on the promises made.
The ASUS Tinker Board S is on the list because it is the perfect choice for a hobbyist or someone who wants to learn their way around what these boards can do. It's a nicely designed board that is aimed at making it easy to use. The board is clearly labeled and that means less time looking at a manual and more time working on projects.
Also in this list is an SBC that is better suited to harsher industrial use, which allows for projects in environments that would otherwise destroy a lesser board.
When you are dealing with a cheap SBC, it's a case of buying a board and getting on with the project. Buf if you are thinking about spending more money on hardware, you want to make sure that you're not throwing money away.
I suggest starting with a clear idea of what the project is. This can be the hard part, but getting it wrong can mean getting derailed partway through the project resulting in a massive setback — costing time and money.
Then, it's a case of doing research. How much power and performance do you need? What operating system do you need?