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ASUS Tinker Board S vs Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero: Comparison

ASUS Tinker Board S vs Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero gpu model compared

The first real difference is gpu model: ASUS Tinker Board S Mali-T760 MP4 against Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero Mali-G31 MP2. Wireless is not the same on both, WiFi 5 on the ASUS Tinker Board S versus WiFi 6 on the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero. They differ on use case too, General Purpose on the ASUS Tinker Board S versus Ultra-Compact / Budget on the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero.

ASUS Tinker Board S vs Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero: which one fits your build

The ASUS Tinker Board S suits digital signage and kiosk displays needing reliable boot storage and always-on embedded installs avoiding SD card failure, though it is the wrong buy for new projects needing current-generation performance and GPU-intensive or 4K video applications. Buy the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero for battery-powered IoT sensors needing WiFi 6 and ultra-compact embedded projects with tight space budgets, though it is not built for projects depending on the Pi Zero HAT ecosystem and beginners wanting maximum tutorial availability. Our rating of the ASUS Tinker Board S (6.5/10): dated performance-wise, but the onboard eMMC still makes it a sensible pick for always-on signage and kiosk deployments. Our rating of the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero (6.7/10): A capable, WiFi 6-equipped Pi Zero rival for battery-powered IoT projects, held back mainly by a thinner tutorial and HAT ecosystem than the official Pi Zero line.

Which is cheaper, ASUS Tinker Board S or Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero?

Cost splits them too. Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero sits at $20.00, ASUS Tinker Board S at $79.00, 295% more.

Frequently asked questions

Do the ASUS Tinker Board S and Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero differ on storage type?

Yes. Storage Type reads eMMC on the ASUS Tinker Board S versus microSD on the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero.

Is the CPU Architecture the same on the ASUS Tinker Board S and Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero?

It is. Both are listed at ARM, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

ASUS Tinker Board S (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3288/Quad-Core Cortex-A17/2GB LPDDR3/Onboard eMMC Storage)
ASUS

$79.00

Consumercarts listing

@ Consumercarts listing ›
Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero (Single-Board Computer/Allwinner H618/Quad-Core Cortex-A53 1.5GHz/Up to 2GB LPDDR4/Ultra-Compact WiFi 6 Pico Board)
Banana Pi

$20.00

Consumercarts listing

@ Consumercarts listing ›

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    ASUS
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Banana Pi
  • CPU Architecture

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    ARM
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    ARM
  • Model Number

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    Tinker Board S
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    BPI-M4 Zero
  • Memory

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    2GB LPDDR3
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    2 GB
  • Storage Type

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    eMMC
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    microSD
  • SoC Model

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    Quad-Core Cortex-A17 up to 1.8GHz
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Allwinner H618, Quad-Core Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz
  • Has AI Accelerator / NPU

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    No
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    No
  • Wireless

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    WiFi 5
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    WiFi 6
  • GPIO Header

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    Yes
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Yes
  • Price

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    79 USD
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    20 USD
  • Use Case

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    General Purpose
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Ultra-Compact / Budget
  • GPU Model

    ASUS Tinker Board S
    Mali-T760 MP4
    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Mali-G31 MP2

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose ASUS Tinker Board S if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Choose Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Price comparison

    RetailerASUS Tinker Board SBanana Pi BPI-M4 Zero
    Consumercarts listing

    $79.00

    View on Consumercarts listing

    $20.00

    View on Consumercarts listing

    Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.

    Verdict

    ASUS Tinker Board S

    6.5 / 10 Expert Rating

    Dated performance-wise, but the onboard eMMC still makes it a sensible pick for always-on signage and kiosk deployments.

    Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero

    6.7 / 10 Expert Rating

    A capable, WiFi 6-equipped Pi Zero rival for battery-powered IoT projects, held back mainly by a thinner tutorial and HAT ecosystem than the official Pi Zero line.

    More comparisons in Single-board Computers