# SBC Selection: Orange Pi 5

**Decision:** Orange Pi 5 (base model, non-Plus) 16GB RAM

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## Options Considered

| Board | RAM | Price | NVMe | WiFi | Notes |
|-------|-----|-------|------|------|-------|
|**Orange Pi 5 16GB**| 16GB | $70-100 | PCIe 2.0 M.2 | No | **Selected** |
| Orange Pi 5 Plus 16GB | 16GB | $130-150 | PCIe 3.0 M.2 | E-key slot | Better specs, higher cost |
| Raspberry Pi 5 8GB | 8GB | $80 | HAT required | No | Familiar ecosystem, less RAM |
| Rock 5B 16GB | 16GB | $140 | PCIe 3.0 M.2 | No | Higher cost |

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## Orange Pi 5 Specifications

### Model Variants

| Model | NVMe Slot | WiFi Slot | NVMe Speed |
|-------|-----------|-----------|------------|
| Orange Pi 5 (base) | M.2 M-key (PCIe 2.0) | None | ~300 MB/s |
| Orange Pi5 Plus | M.2 M-key (PCIe 3.0) + E-key | E-key for WiFi | ~2000 MB/s |

### RK3588S SoC

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| CPU | 8-core (4× Cortex-A76 + 4× Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MC4 |
| NPU | 6 TOPS AI accelerator |
| Process |8nm |

### Memory

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Configurations | 4/8/16/32GB |
| Type | LPDDR4/LPDDR4X |
| Selected | 16GB |

### Storage Support

| Interface | Speed |
|-----------|-------|
| MicroSD | Up to 512GB |
| M.2 NVMe (base) | PCIe 2.0 x1 (~300 MB/s) |
| M.2 NVMe (Plus) | PCIe 3.0 x2 (~2000 MB/s) |
| USB 3.0 | 5 Gbps |

### Connectivity (Base Model)

| Port | Count | Speed |
|------|-------|-------|
| USB 3.0 | 1 | 5 Gbps |
| USB 2.0 | 2 | 480 Mbps |
| USB-C | 1 | Power + DisplayPort |
| Ethernet | 1 | 1 Gbps |
| HDMI | 1 | 4K60 |
| MIPI DSI | 1 | Display |
| MIPI CSI | 2 | Camera |
| GPIO | 26-pin | I2C, SPI, UART, PWM |

### Power

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Input| USB-C PD or barrel jack |
| Voltage | 12V (barrel), 5V (USB-C) |
| Current | 2A recommended |
| Typical draw |5-8W under load |

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## Rationale

### Why Orange Pi 5 (Base)

1. **Cost:** $70-100 vs $130-150 for Plus
2. **RAM:** 16GB excellent for desktop Linux, dev work
3. **Performance:** RK3588S significantly faster than Pi 5
4. **Availability:** Widely available on eBay with bid flexibility

### Why Not Orange Pi 5 Plus

- NVMe speed improvement (2000 MB/s) not critical for cyberdeck use
- WiFi card slot (E-key) not needed - USB dongle acceptable
- Price difference ($30-50) better spent on storage and peripherals

### Speed Reality Check

| Use Case | Base (PCIe 2.0) | Plus (PCIe 3.0) |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Boot time | ~10s | ~8s |
| App load | Adequate | Faster |
| File transfer | ~300 MB/s | ~1500 MB/s |
| Development| Fine | Fine |

**For a cyberdeck used as portable workstation, PCIe 2.0 NVMe is adequate.**

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## eBay Bid Strategy

| Auction | Bid Limit | Shipping | Total Max |
|---------|-----------|----------|-----------|
| Orange Pi 5 16GB | $99 | $5 | $104 |

**Bid late, bid once.** Set max bid and let proxy handle it.

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## Accessories Needed

### Required

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Power supply (USB-C PD or 12V barrel) | $8-12 |
| MicroSD card (64GB Endurance) | $10-12 |

### Recommended

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Heatsink + fan | $5-10 |
| Case (or custom build) | TBD |

---

## Resources

- [Orange Pi 5 Wiki](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-5.html)
- [RK3588 datasheet](https://www.rock-chips.com/)
- [Armbian for Orange Pi 5](https://www.armbian.com/orange-pi-5/)