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Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Radxa Rock Pi X: Comparison
Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Radxa Rock Pi X: the cpu architecture difference
The first real difference is cpu architecture: Banana Pi BPI-M5 ARM against Radxa Rock Pi X x86. They differ on gpu model too, Mali-G31 MP2 on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus Intel HD Graphics on the Radxa Rock Pi X. Memory is closer, 4 GB on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus 2GB or 4GB LPDDR3 on the Radxa Rock Pi X. Soc model is not the same on both, Amlogic S905X3, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus Intel Atom x5-Z8350 on the Radxa Rock Pi X. They differ on use case too, General Purpose on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus x86 Compatible on the Radxa Rock Pi X.
Who each one is for
The Banana Pi BPI-M5 is the one to take for 4K media center boxes (Kodi/LibreELEC) and budget GPIO projects needing a Pi 4-style header, though it is the wrong buy for projects requiring official Raspberry Pi OS support and AI/ML workloads needing an onboard NPU. The Radxa Rock Pi X suits kiosk or POS terminals needing stock Windows drivers and legacy x86 software with no ARM port, though it is not built for performance-per-watt builds and machine learning or heavy compute workloads. 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 Radxa Rock Pi X (6.5/10): A niche but genuinely useful pick when the requirement is 'must run x86 Windows or Linux,' not general performance.
Which is cheaper, Banana Pi BPI-M5 or Radxa Rock Pi X?
The Banana Pi BPI-M5 asks 67% more, $65.00 against $39.00 for the Radxa Rock Pi X.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, storage type, gpio header, has ai accelerator / npu and wireless included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Banana Pi BPI-M5 or Radxa Rock Pi X?
The Banana Pi BPI-M5 asks 67% more, $65.00 against $39.00 for the Radxa Rock Pi X.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Banana Pi
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- Radxa
CPU Architecture
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- ARM
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- x86
Model Number
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- BPI-M5
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- ROCK Pi X
Memory
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 4 GBBest
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- 2GB or 4GB LPDDR3
Storage Type
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- eMMC
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- eMMC
SoC Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Amlogic S905X3, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- Intel Atom x5-Z8350 (Cherry Trail)
Has AI Accelerator / NPU
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- No
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- No
Wireless
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- WiFi 5
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- WiFi 5
GPIO Header
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Yes
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- Yes
Price
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 65 USD
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- 39 USD
Use Case
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- General Purpose
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- x86 Compatible
GPU Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Mali-G31 MP2
- Radxa Rock Pi X
- Intel HD Graphics (Gen8)
Which one should you pick?
Choose Banana Pi BPI-M5 if you want the higher memory (4 GB vs 2GB or 4GB LPDDR3).
Choose Radxa Rock Pi X if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | Banana Pi BPI-M5 | Radxa Rock Pi X |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $65.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $39.00 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.
Radxa Rock Pi X
6.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A niche but genuinely useful pick when the requirement is 'must run x86 Windows or Linux,' not general performance.