Cubieboard vs. Raspberry Pi: Differences between the ARM minicomputers
In this comparison, we show you what the differences between the ARM minicomputers Cubieboard and Raspberry Pi are.
Cubieboard vs. Raspberry Pi: hardware
- In terms of hardware, the Raspberry Pi clearly lags behind. The ARMv6 processor with 512 MB RAM cannot match the Cortex-A7 dual-core chip of the current Cubieboard 3 with 2 GB RAM.
- Both the Raspberry Pi and the Cubieboard 3 can play videos in 1080p.
- The most common version of the Raspberry Pi has two USB 2.0 ports and a 10/100 Mbit / s Ethernet controller. In addition to USB inputs, the Cubieboard also has an SPDIF interface and supports WLAN and Bluetooth. The Cubieboard Ethernet controller allows 10/100/1000 Mbit / s connections.
Cubieboard vs. Raspberry Pi: software
- In terms of software, the advantages are on the Raspberry Pi side. Thanks to the large community, numerous open source operating systems are available.
- There is no such active community around the Cubieboard and so there are currently only a few software extensions for the pre-installed Android system. However, Lubuntu can still be installed on the Cubieboard.
Cubieboard vs. Raspberry Pi: size & price
- With a size of 8.6 × 5.6 × 2.1 centimeters, the Raspberry Pi is slightly smaller than the Cubietruck with 11 × 8 × 1.4 centimeters.
- In terms of price, there are clear differences between the two ARM mini computers: While the Raspberry Pi costs around 35 euros in online retail, the Cubietruck costs around 100 euros.
Conclusion: Stronger hardware for an affordable price
Whether the Cubieboard or a Raspberry Pi is more suitable for you depends on the purpose. If you have enough know-how and rely on strong hardware, the Cubietruck (Cubieboard 3) is well advised. The Raspberry Pi is significantly cheaper, but also much less powerful. However, the diverse uses and the active community speak for the Pi. If you want to buy a mini computer for the first time, you should probably start with the Raspberry Pi.
In the next article we will introduce you to other alternatives to the Raspberry Pi.