CuriousBytes: PINE64 the company behind the powerful $15 single board gaming micro computer PINEA64 has created another powerful single board computer, ROCK64 which is capable of delivering 4K HDR content and can run on Android Nougat 7.0. This SBC comes at a price of US$25 and up.

PINE64, the company that developed one of the most affordable and powerful single board computer PINEA64, has now introduced another development board ROCK64, which is as powerful as the latest version of the most popular credit card sized development board Raspberry Pi.

What Is ROCK64?

ROCK64 is a powerful 64-bit single board computer which is look alike of popular DIY development board Raspberry Pi. ROCK64 has raised the bar a bit above by featuring 4K HDR capability on a SBC.

Specifications and Hardware:

Its size can be compared to a  credit card. This palm sized computer is packed with a rich hardware specifications. ROCK64 comes with Rockchip RK3328 Quad-Core ARM Cortex A53 64-bit processor, a 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM that can be expanded up to 4GB , Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 support, 128Mb SPI Flash, as well as an eMMC module socket.

Additionally this tiny single-board computer also features a Pi-2 bus, a Pi-P5+ bus, a 3.5mm barrel power jack (5V/3A), an A/V jack, two USB 2.0 dedicated hosts, a power button, a reset button, a recovery button, an eMMC jumper, an IR (infrared) receiver port, and a MicroSD Card slot and 40 GPIO pins.

Unlike Raspberry Pi, it is not capable of handling all the Linux operating systems. According to its makers it can run Android Nougat 7.0, Debian and Yocto. The folks at PINE64 are working to expand this list in near future.

These enhanced specifications might make it a major competitor to the best selling Raspberry Pi.

ROCK64 V/S Raspberry Pi 3:

Its size might be similar to that of Raspberry Pi. Both are 64- bit computers. ROCK64​ is available with 4GB RAM variant and comes with USB 3.0 which is absent in RPi 3.

Coming to connectivity RPi 3 has taken out ROCK64 because it lacks WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Where this has been substituted with Ethernet that is 10 times faster than latest Raspberry board.

ROCK64 has clearly out ranked every other micro computer by offering 4K HDR capabilities. That’s the biggest advantage of it.

ROCK64 Price:

This little beast is definitely one of the best priced single board computer giving total value for money. It has three different price tags starting from $25. The ROCK64 is available with 1GB memory for $25, 2GB memory for $35, and 4GB memory for $45. It will start shipping from 31 July.

ROCK64 As Media Center:

As said earlier that this can output 4K video content, it might become a powerful and affordable board for developing media streaming devices and smart boxes. If the DIY and hobbyist communities explore the ROCK64 capabilities then it can take on Raspberry Pi. With this at your desk you can enjoy more fun and entertainment at home with endless possibilities.

Suggested Read: Learn How to Build a 8-bit Computer From Scratch Using Breadboards

So what do you think of this tiny little computer that can stream you a 4K resolution video to your TV. Tell your opinion in the comments below.

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