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Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Orange Pi 3B: Comparison
Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Orange Pi 3B gpu model compared
They are built to different briefs, and gpu model shows it, Banana Pi BPI-M5 Mali-G31 MP2 against Orange Pi 3B Mali-G52 2EE. Add memory to that, 4 GB on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus 8 GB on the Orange Pi 3B, and the pattern holds.
Who each one is for
Buy the Banana Pi BPI-M5 for 4K media center boxes (Kodi/LibreELEC) and budget GPIO projects needing a Pi 4-style header, though it is not built for projects requiring official Raspberry Pi OS support and AI/ML workloads needing an onboard NPU. The Orange Pi 3B suits budget NAS builds using a SATA hard drive and basic media-center or file-serving duty, though it is the wrong buy for performance-focused builds (see Radxa ROCK Pi 4C Plus) and buyers who need the widest Linux distro support. Our rating of the Banana Pi BPI-M5 (6.9/10): A solid, GPIO-compatible Pi alternative for media and general tinkering, though the driver ecosystem needs more patience than the official Raspberry Pi line. Our rating of the Orange Pi 3B (6.6/10): A genuinely useful budget option for anyone wanting SATA-based storage without stepping up to a pricier board -- the standout feature at this price.
Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Orange Pi 3B price
The Banana Pi BPI-M5 asks 30% more, $65.00 against $50.00 for the Orange Pi 3B.
What Banana Pi BPI-M5 and Orange Pi 3B have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, cpu architecture, gpio header, power input and wireless included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Banana Pi BPI-M5 and Orange Pi 3B differ on storage type?
Yes. Storage Type reads eMMC on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus eMMC + M.2 B-key on the Orange Pi 3B.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Banana Pi
- Orange Pi 3B
- Orange Pi
CPU Architecture
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- ARM
- Orange Pi 3B
- ARM
Model Number
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- BPI-M5
- Orange Pi 3B
- Orange Pi 3B
Memory
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 4 GB-50%
- Orange Pi 3B
- 8 GBBest
Storage Type
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- eMMC
- Orange Pi 3B
- eMMC + M.2 B-key (SATA via adapter)
SoC Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Amlogic S905X3, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
- Orange Pi 3B
- Rockchip RK3566, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
Has AI Accelerator / NPU
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- No
- Orange Pi 3B
- Yes
Wireless
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- WiFi 5
- Orange Pi 3B
- WiFi 5
GPIO Header
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Yes
- Orange Pi 3B
- Yes
Price
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 65 USD
- Orange Pi 3B
- 50 USD
Use Case
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- General Purpose
- Orange Pi 3B
- NAS / Server
GPU Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Mali-G31 MP2
- Orange Pi 3B
- Mali-G52 2EE
Power Input
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 5V/3A USB-C
- Orange Pi 3B
- 5V/3A USB-C
Which one should you pick?
Choose Banana Pi BPI-M5 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Orange Pi 3B if you want the higher memory (8 GB vs 4 GB).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Banana Pi BPI-M5 | Orange Pi 3B |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $65.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $50.00 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-M5
6.9 / 10 Expert Rating
A solid, GPIO-compatible Pi alternative for media and general tinkering, though the driver ecosystem needs more patience than the official Raspberry Pi line.
Orange Pi 3B
6.6 / 10 Expert Rating
A genuinely useful budget option for anyone wanting SATA-based storage without stepping up to a pricier board -- the standout feature at this price.