Milk-V

Milk-V Mars

Expert rating6.8 / 10

Single-board ComputersView on milkv.io

SoC:: Rockchip RK3566
CPU:: Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
Memory:: Up to 8GB LPDDR4
Storage:: microSD + eMMC socket
Price:: $45

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Manufacturer: Milk-V Last updated: 2026-09-14

Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board) Review

Milk-V Mars single-board computer with a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core CPU, up to 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, a Raspberry Pi 4-matching 40-pin GPIO header and mounting-hole layout, Gigabit Ethernet, and a small onboard NPU.

Milk-V, better known for its RISC-V boards, built the Mars as a deliberately Pi-compatible ARM board -- same GPIO pinout, same 85 x 56mm mounting holes, same case compatibility -- so existing Pi 4 HATs and enclosures drop straight on, at a price closer to a Pi Zero 2 W than a Pi 4.

Overview

Rather than compete on raw specs, the Mars competes on drop-in compatibility: its GPIO pinout, board dimensions, and mounting holes match the Raspberry Pi 4 closely enough that many existing Pi 4 cases and HATs fit without modification, undercutting official Pi 4 pricing in the process.

Performance & Connectivity

RK3566's Cortex-A55 cores trail the Pi 4's A72 cores in single-thread speed but include a small onboard NPU the Pi 4 lacks, useful for basic RKNN-accelerated vision tasks. Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, dual micro-HDMI, and a 40-pin header round out a genuinely usable general-purpose spec sheet.

Comparison to Alternatives

Against the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (8GB), the Mars is noticeably cheaper and adds a small NPU, but trails on single-thread CPU speed and software polish. Compared to the Orange Pi 3B, another RK3566 board in this catalog, the Mars gives up SATA storage support in exchange for closer Raspberry Pi 4 GPIO and case compatibility. Against the Pine64 PINE H64, another budget board, the Mars offers better GPIO/case compatibility with existing Pi 4 accessories, and versus the RISC-V StarFive VisionFive 2, the Mars trades architectural novelty for a more mature ARM software stack at a lower price.

Specifications

Identity

Brand	Milk-V

CPU Architecture	ARM
Memory	8 GB
Storage Type	eMMC
Has AI Accelerator / NPU	Yes
Wireless	WiFi 5
GPIO Header	Yes
Price	45 USD
Use Case	General Purpose
Model	Mars
Processor	Rockchip RK3566, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
GPU	Mali-G52 2EE
Power	5V/3A USB-C
Board Dimensions	85 x 56 mm (Raspberry Pi 4 form factor and mounting-hole compatible)
USB Ports	2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A
Video Output	2x micro-HDMI (4K30 each)
Video Decode	4K@60fps H.265/VP9
Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet
Storage	microSD + optional eMMC module socket
Camera/Display Connectors	MIPI-CSI, MIPI-DSI
Audio	HDMI audio out
RTC	Yes, onboard battery connector
Operating System Support	Debian, Ubuntu, Android
Price Variants	2GB $35 / 4GB $40 / 8GB $45

Expert Review

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

Expert rating6.8 / 10

A smart budget play for anyone who already owns Pi 4 HATs or cases and wants to save money without changing their physical setup.

Best for

Budget GPIO projects reusing existing Pi 4 HATs/cases
Basic NPU-accelerated vision on a tight budget
Cost-sensitive fleet deployments needing many identical boards

Not for

Peak single-thread CPU performance needs
Buyers wanting the largest tutorial/community base
Workloads needing official Raspberry Pi OS support

FAQs

What are the key specifications of the Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board)?

The Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board) is a single board computer from Milk-V. Key specs: Processor Rockchip RK3566, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz, CPU Architecture ARM, GPU Mali-G52 2EE, Memory 8, Storage Type eMMC.

Will the Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board) work with my current setup?

The Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board) lists Processor is Rockchip RK3566, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz. 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 Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board) best suited to?

It suits budget gpio projects reusing existing pi 4 hats/cases, basic npu-accelerated vision on a tight budget, cost-sensitive fleet deployments needing many identical boards.

What are the drawbacks of the Milk-V Mars (Single-Board Computer/Rockchip RK3566/Quad-Core Cortex-A55 1.8GHz/Up to 8GB LPDDR4/Raspberry Pi Form-Factor Budget Board)?

It is a poor fit for peak single-thread cpu performance needs, buyers wanting the largest tutorial/community base, workloads needing official raspberry pi os support.