Radxa’s “Rock Pi 4 Model C” SBC starts at $59 with a Debian-driven RK3399, 4GB RAM, and NVMe and dual-display support. Radxa is also offering some free beta samples of its Intel-based Rock Pi X.

Last October, Radxa unveiled its Rock Pi 4 Model C variant of its similarly Rockchip RK3399 based Rock Pi 4 Model A and B that adds dual display capability. The SBC was expected to ship later that month for $75 but has been delayed until now. Radxa also announced it has begun sampling its Intel Cherry Trail Atom based Rock Pi X SBC (see farther below).

Rock Pi 4 Model C, front and back (updated images)
(click images to enlarge)

The Rock Pi 4 Model C sells for $59 on AllNet China, $100 on Aliexpress, and $110 on Amazon. It’s unclear why the prices are so divergent, as they all ship with the standard 4GB LPDDR4, built in 802.11ac with Bluetooth, and empty eMMC and M.2 sockets.

The Rock Pi 4C is identical to the Rock Pi 4B except for the addition of a 2-lane mini-DisplayPort. Along with the existing HDMI 2.0a port, this enables dual simultaneous displays. The HDMI port has been switched to a micro-HDMI, although with the same up to 4K @ 60Hz support. The mini-DP 1.2 port is limited to 2560 x 1440 @ 60Hz.

Like the other Rock Pi models, the Rock Pi 4C closely matches the Raspberry Pi layout and feature set, including the 40-pin connector. The board integrates a native GbE port and unlike FriendlyElec’s RK3399-based NanoPi M4, it offers an M.2 slot for SSDs.

The Rock Pi 4C supplies a pair each of USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, an audio jack with mic, and an RTC. The open-spec, community-backed SBC has a 0 to 80°C range and a 5.5-20V input.

As noted in the CNXSoft post that alerted us to the launch, Radxa is currently offering only a Debian 9 image, although other images available for the Rock Pi 4 A/B, including Android TV 7/9, Ubuntu, and Armbian, will likely work without support for the DisplayPort. Most Rock Pi 4 accessories should also work, including a heatsink, PoE HAT, and Penta SATA HAT.

The Rock Pi B and C models differ from the Model A in that they include dual-band WiFi-ac and Bluetooth. Pricing remains the same as listed in our January Linux hacker board catalog, which also lists many other RK3399 based SBCs. The Model A costs $39 (1GB), $49 (2GB), or $65 (4GB). The Model B sells for $49 (1GB), $59 (2GB), or $75 (4GB).

Dual simultaneous display support is rarely seen on under-$200 maker boards. Other examples include the Amlogic based Khadas Vim3 boards, including the lower-end, $70 and up Khadas Vim3L and the Allwinner H8 based, $90 Cubieboard 5.

Specifications listed for the Rock Pi 4 Model C include:

• Processor — Rockchip RK3399 (2x Cortex-A72 at up to 2.0GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz); Mali-T860 MP4 GPU
• Memory/storage:
  • 4GB LPDDR4 RAM (dual-channel)
  • 4MB SPI flash
  • eMMC socket for 8GB to 128GB (bootable)
  • MicroSD slot for up to 128GB (bootable)
  • M.2 socket with support for up to 2TB NVMe SSD
• Networking:
  • Gigabit Ethernet port; PoE support (requires RPi PoE HAT)
  • 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz) with Bluetooth 5.0 with antenna
• Media I/O:
  • Micro-HDMI 2.0a port (with audio) for up to 4K at 60Hz
  • Mini-DP 1.2 for up to 2560 x 1440 @ 60Hz.
  • MIPI-DSI (2-lane) via FPC; dual display mirror or extend with HDMI
  • MIPI-CSI (2-lane) via FPC for up to 8MP camera
  • 3.5mm audio I/O jack (24-bit/96KHz)
  • Mic interface
• Other I/O:
  • USB 3.0 host port
  • USB 3.0 Type-C OTG port with power support and HW switch for host/device
  • 2x USB 2.0 host ports
• Expansion — 40-pin GPIO header; M.2 slot for SSD (see mem/storage)
• Other features — RTC with optional battery connector
• Power:
  • 5.5-20V input
  • USB Type-C PD 2.0, 9V/2A, 12V/2A, 15V/2A, 20V/2A
  • Qualcomm Quick Charge support for QC 3.0/2.0 adapter, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
  • 8mA to 20mA consumption
• Operating temperature — 0 to 80°C
• Dimensions — 85 x 54mm
• Operating system – Debian 9 image

 
Rock Pi X available in free beta-testing samples

In a July 26 blog post, Radxa revealed that the Intel Cherry Trail Atom based Rock Pi X SBC that was revealed last September had begun sampling. Interested developers can apply to receive a free sample with 4GB RAM.

Updated images for Rock Pi X
(click image to enlarge)

The Rock Pi X features a quad-core, 1.84GHz Atom x5-Z8350 with a 500MHz Intel Gen 8 HD 400 GPU. The Raspberry Pi lookalike is equipped with GbE with optional PoE and optional WiFi/BT. You also get a USB 3.0 Type-C OTG port, 3x USB 2.0 ports, up to 4K HDMI and eDP, MIPI-DSI/CSI, and audio I/O.

Radxa reports that the pre-release Rock Pi X supports Ubuntu 20.04 and Win 10, which both run fine with eMMC, although neither supports bootable microSD. Win 10 support seems to be a bit further along except for the 40-pin GPIO. One note reads: “40P GPIO is not tested under Windows (any ideas how?)”

 
Further information

The Rock Pi 4 Model C is available with 4GB of RAM and WiFi/BT for $59 at AllNet China, $100 at Aliexpress, and $110 on Amazon. The AliExpress and Amazon models are sold via SmartFly. More information may be found on Radxa’s Rock Pi 4 wiki.