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Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero vs Banana Pi BPI-M7: Comparison
What is the difference between BPI-M2 Zero and BPI-M7?
The first real difference is gpu model: BPI-M2 Zero Mali-400MP2 against BPI-M7 Mali-G610. There is a split on power input as well, 5V/2A Micro-USB on the BPI-M2 Zero versus USB Type-C PD, 9V/2A, 12V/2A or 15V/2A on the BPI-M7. The memory figures are near enough to ignore, 1 GB on the BPI-M2 Zero versus 8GB to 32GB LPDDR4x on the BPI-M7. They differ on soc model too, Allwinner H2+, Quad-Core Cortex-A7 @ 1.2GHz on the BPI-M2 Zero versus Octa-core on the BPI-M7.
BPI-M2 Zero vs BPI-M7: which one fits your build
Buy the BPI-M2 Zero for extremely simple headless IoT or sensor nodes and learning basic embedded Linux at minimal cost, though it is not built for any workload needing more than 512MB RAM and desktop use or anything CPU-intensive. It is the wrong buy for new builds where the Pi Zero 2 W's price difference is small. Take the BPI-M7 for Edge-AI and network-appliance builds that want dual 2.5GbE alongside RK3588 compute. It is not the one for buyers who don't need the extra networking ports and want to save money on a single-GbE board. Our rating of the BPI-M2 Zero (5.5/10): A functional, extremely cheap Pi Zero clone for the lightest headless tasks, but its 512MB RAM ceiling and dated CPU make the Zero 2 W or BPI-M4 Zero better investments for most new projects. Our rating of the BPI-M7 (8/10): full RK3588 silicon plus dual 2.5GbE in a Pico-ITX board built for edge-AI and network appliances.
BPI-M2 Zero vs BPI-M7 price
Cost splits them too. BPI-M2 Zero sits at $15.00, BPI-M7 at $165, 1000% more.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- Banana Pi
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- Banana Pi
Model Number
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- BPI-M2 Zero
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- BPI-M7
Memory
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- 1 GB
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- 8GB to 32GB LPDDR4xBest
SoC Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- Allwinner H2+, Quad-Core Cortex-A7 @ 1.2GHz
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- Octa-core (4x Cortex-A76 + 4x Cortex-A55)
Price
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- 15 USD
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- 165 USD
GPU Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- Mali-400MP2
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- Mali-G610
Power Input
- Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
- 5V/2A Micro-USB
- Banana Pi BPI-M7
- USB Type-C PD, 9V/2A, 12V/2A or 15V/2A
Which one should you pick?
Choose Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Banana Pi BPI-M7 if you want the higher memory (8GB to 32GB LPDDR4x vs 1 GB).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero | Banana Pi BPI-M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $15.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $165.00 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
Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero
5.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A functional, extremely cheap Pi Zero clone for the lightest headless tasks, but its 512MB RAM ceiling and dated CPU make the Zero 2 W or BPI-M4 Zero better investments for most new projects.
Banana Pi BPI-M7
8 / 10 Expert Rating
Full RK3588 silicon plus dual 2.5GbE in a Pico-ITX board built for edge-AI and network appliances.