Alternative Raspberry PI 4

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1

Hello everyone :slight_smile:

I’m going to talk to you here about an alternative to Raspberry Pis as well as the advantages and disadvantages.

For those who haven’t understood, I’m talking about MiniPCs.

Like Raspberry Pis, these are compact mini-computers that allow you to install an OS and use it as a computer, but in our case, especially for Gladys.

There are several brands, each with their own pros and cons!

But I’m going to introduce the one I use:
https://www.bee-link.com/catalog/product/index?id=245

Comparison

…
Raspberry PI 4:
Processor: 1.5 GHz - 4 Core - ARM64
Memory: 8 GB
Storage: Micro SD
USB Ports: 2 x (2.0) + 2 x (3.0)
WiFi: 802.11ac standard (Max speed 1,300 Mbit/s)
Bluetooth: Version 5
Price: 79.99€
…

…
Beelink GK Mini:
Processor: 2.70 GHz - 4 Core - 64 Bits
Memory: 8 GB DDR4 2400 MHz
Storage: M.2 NVMe SSD 2280 (128GB / 256GB - 2 TB MAX) + 1 x 2.5" HDD / SSD that can be added
USB Ports: 4 x (3.0)
WiFi: WiFi 5 standard (Max speed 3,600 Mbit/s)
Bluetooth: Version 4
Price: 205€
…

Explanations

Processor:
We have the Beelink GK Mini which is superior to the Raspberry PI 4 in terms of frequency, but not only!
The Raspberry PI 4 has an ARM64 architecture, unlike the Beelink GK Mini which has a 64 Bits architecture, which is more powerful but also a bit more power-hungry.

Memory:
For memory, we have the same capacity and the Beelink GK Mini is in DDR4, I couldn’t find more information for the Raspberry PI 4.

Storage:
Here, we have the biggest technical difference!
The Raspberry PI 4 only has a Micro SD slot by default, which is good to start with but Micro SDs have low read/write speeds and age quickly.
The Beelink GK Mini, on the other hand, has a more powerful and reliable M.2 NVMe SSD over time. It can also accommodate a 2.5" SSD or HDD.
It is possible to put an SSD on the Raspberry PI 4, but you will need to add a card to connect the SSD and the SSD to your purchase.

USB Ports:
For USB ports, we have the same number, the only difference is that we have 4 USB 3.0 on the Beelink GK Mini compared to 2 USB 3.0 for the Raspberry PI 4.

WiFi:
More powerful on the Beelink GK Mini than the Raspberry PI 4.

Bluetooth:
Generation 5 on the Raspberry PI 4 compared to the Beelink GK Mini in generation 4.

Price:
Now the price!
Obviously, the Beelink GK Mini is much more expensive when bought barebones, but you have to think that the power supply for the Raspberry PI 4 is extra, as is the additional card for the SSD and the SSD itself. You can also add the purchase of a suitable case to put the Raspberry PI 4 + SSD card + SSD.

In the end, we don’t end up with such a big price difference :slight_smile:
But the Beelink GK Mini keeps a better processor, probably faster RAM, and an integrated On/Off button :stuck_out_tongue:

That’s it! I’ll let you tell me what you think and don’t hesitate to let me know if any information is missing or to be completed :smiley:

Thanks!

2

With the component shortage, it should increase as they are now starting at €239.

I thought of a solution like this to try to solve my Zigbee problems.

But I didn’t know the reference.

3

Great for the details of this alternative :slight_smile:

There’s also the solution of a NUC, no need to take overly powerful models, an old model found on leboncoin works perfectly for not very expensive and super performance compared to the Rpi!

4

Personally, I’ve been using 2 Beelink BT3 Pro II (4GB RAM 64GB ROM Intel Atom Z8350 Processor HD Graphics 400 Desktop PC, VGA HDMI Output Gigabit Ethernet LAN 2.4/5.8G WiFi Bluetooth 4.0 USB 3.0) for a year, bought on sale for 80€ two years ago, but now available for 150€ on Amazon at the moment https://www.amazon.fr/SeeKool-Processeur-Graphiques-Ethernet-Bluetooth/dp/B07CQGRZKF/ref=asc_df_B07CQGRZKF/?tag=googshopfr-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=353904430202&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15455102807735521513&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9110270&hvtargid=pla-547821014133&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69466803537&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=353904430202&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15455102807735521513&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9110270&hvtargid=pla-547821014133. In terms of performance, no issues. I add as a technical/cost advantage a microphone input and an audio output that doesn’t need to be amplified! On one, Gladys runs, on the other, HA!

5

In general, I think that if you don’t need GPIO ports, it’s better to opt for this kind of equipment; it will be simpler. When I see the hassle with SSD power supply, etc., on Raspberry Pi, I think it’s not very intuitive.

On my side, I have a small server (recycled workstation) with a Xeon processor and 32GB of RAM running all my containers :grin:

6

Yes! After that, I moved on to this model to anticipate the performance needs of Gladys/Nod-red when I have many sensors with my upcoming projects. :slight_smile:

7

Nice!

8

Yes, that’s exactly why I sent a message to @Checconio yesterday to see if he could share his hardware with the community :slight_smile:

The Raspberry Pi is great, but it’s still aimed at a public that wants to tinker a bit.

Consumer NAS / or mini-PCs are more plug-and-play, it’s consumer hardware with customer support!

9

On the server side, there are HP N40L or HP N54L on LBC, which are mini NAS servers (4 HD and 8 Go Max) or HP GEN8! I’ve had 2 HP N40L 8Go since 2011 (80€ with ODR), no failure, power consumption of a Synology, with OpenMediaVault on it since the beginning (but Proxmox or Esxi also work on it) and an ILO card (remote control) that we unfortunately can’t find anymore! I host HA, domoticz, jeedom containers and of course Gladys with OMV, which allows me to test, compare the different solutions and well Gladys is the easiest to use even if it’s not the richest…for the moment :slightly_smiling_face:! Otherwise for the functional production, it’s on the BT3 Pro :wink:!

10

And for those who would like to use the GPIO, there is the UNIPI card which is quite good :wink: it is compatible up to PI4!
https://www.unipi.technology/products/unipi-1-1-1-1-lite-19?categoryId=1&categorySlug=unipi-1-1

Features

  • 8 × changeover relays (250 VAC/10 A; 30 VDC/10 A)
  • 12+2 galvanically isolated digital inputs (triggered by 5–24 VDC)
  • 2 × 0–10 V analogue input
  • 1 × 0–10 V analogue output
  • 1 × 1-Wire port (suitable for connection of for example digital 1-Wire thermometers or other 1-Wire sensors)
  • 1 × I2C port for extension
  • 1 × Battery slot for RTC (Real Time Clock)
  • 1 × UART port for external serial communications
11

I was using my Raspberry Pi 4 so far, which works very well. But I’m afraid that one of these days I’ll have to change my USB boot key. Given that SSDs sometimes cause issues (I don’t want to use a Pi + a powered USB hub + an SSD…), I’ll probably end up on my NAS under Unraid since it seems to be working wonderfully!

12

I found this board:

13

I saw it today too :+1: