FriendlyElec

FriendlyElec NanoPi M4

Expert rating7 / 10

SoC:: Rockchip RK3399
CPU:: Hexa-core (Dual Cortex-A72 + Quad Cortex-A53)
RAM:: 1GB to 4GB LPDDR3
Connectivity:: Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth
Price:: From $50

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

Manufacturer: FriendlyElec Last updated: 2026-10-10

FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 Review

The NanoPi M4 was one of the earliest widely-available RK3399 boards, and remains a familiar name in the SBC hobbyist community years after its original launch thanks to steady price drops and continued availability.

At launch, the NanoPi M4 undercut several competing RK3399 boards on price, and price drops over its lifetime have kept it a recurring recommendation for buyers wanting RK3399-class performance on a budget.

An Early RK3399 Value Leader

Dual-Band WiFi in a Compact Board

5GHz and 2.4GHz dual-band WiFi came standard even on the base model, a spec some competing budget RK3399 boards of the same era left out or made optional.

Comparison to Alternatives

Against the Radxa ROCK 3A covered in this batch, the NanoPi M4's RK3399 offers more raw CPU cores (six versus four) but lacks the ROCK 3A's integrated NPU. Against the Pine64 RockPro64 covered in this batch, both use RK3399-family silicon, with the NanoPi M4 taking a smaller, more Pi-like form factor.

Our verdict

Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.

Expert rating7 / 10

Proven, long-available RK3399 performance at a budget price, minus an NPU.

Best for

Budget buyers who want proven, long-available RK3399-class performance.

Not for

Buyers who want a built-in NPU or the newest available silicon.

Specifications

What these specs mean

Identity

Brand	FriendlyElec

Processor

SoC Model	Rockchip RK3399

Graphics and AI

GPU Model	Mali-T864

Memory

RAM Capacity	1GB to 4GB LPDDR3

Storage

Onboard Storage	microSD slot; eMMC socket (no onboard eMMC)

Networking

Ethernet Speed	Gigabit
Bluetooth Version	4.1

Power

Power Input	5V/3A DC via USB Type-C or GPIO

Price	50 USD

Measured results

sbc-bench results

7-Zip MIPS, multi-threaded	6,400 MIPS	sbc-bench run · NanoPi M4 (RK3399); 2000/1500 MHz; kernel 4.19; Stretch arm64 · Source
7-Zip MIPS, single-threaded	1,835 MIPS	sbc-bench run · NanoPi M4 (RK3399); 2000/1500 MHz; kernel 4.19; Stretch arm64 · Source
OpenSSL AES-256-CBC, single thread	1,128,330 KB/s	sbc-bench run · NanoPi M4 (RK3399); 2000/1500 MHz; kernel 4.19; Stretch arm64 · Source
Memory copy bandwidth (tinymembench memcpy)	4,080 MB/s	sbc-bench run · NanoPi M4 (RK3399); 2000/1500 MHz; kernel 4.19; Stretch arm64 · Source

The author states these are not pure hardware numbers: they depend on kernel, distro and settings, and openssl (AES) numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. Single run, as listed in sbc-bench Results.md.

Retrieved 23 Sept 2026

sbc-bench by Thomas Kaiser (github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench, Results.md). Copyright (c) 2018, Thomas Kaiser. All rights reserved. Redistributed under the BSD 3-Clause License; full notice, conditions and disclaimer: github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench/blob/master/LICENSE

FAQs

What are the key specifications of the FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3399/Hexa-Core Cortex-A72+A53/Up to 4GB LPDDR3)?

Key specs for the FriendlyElec NanoPi M4: SoC Rockchip RK3399, CPU Hexa-core (Dual Cortex-A72 + Quad Cortex-A53), RAM 1GB to 4GB LPDDR3, GPU Mali-T864, Storage microSD slot; eMMC socket (no onboard eMMC), Ethernet Gigabit.

Will the FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3399/Hexa-Core Cortex-A72+A53/Up to 4GB LPDDR3) work with my current setup?

The FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3399/Hexa-Core Cortex-A72+A53/Up to 4GB LPDDR3) lists SoC is Rockchip RK3399. Check that against the hardware you already own before buying, since this is the field that most often decides whether a part fits.

Who is the FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3399/Hexa-Core Cortex-A72+A53/Up to 4GB LPDDR3) best suited to?

Best suited to: Budget buyers who want proven, long-available RK3399-class performance.

What are the drawbacks of the FriendlyElec NanoPi M4 (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3399/Hexa-Core Cortex-A72+A53/Up to 4GB LPDDR3)?

Not the best fit for: Buyers who want a built-in NPU or the newest available silicon.