Rock64 Review

[boudiicca]

Rock64 4Gb Quick 5 min Review just arrived 14days from dispatch to the UK. and it rocks!

* Spun up Android using DD on a Sandisk Ultra (10) 16Gb Micro SDMC.
* Tested various media with RKMC including 4K 30hz and x265, No major issues except Big Buck 4k 60hz stuttered.
* Needs a heatsink....gets quite hot without it. slapped one on, with 3M Heatsink Adhesive tape...all good

Pretty good start so far. Will test Linux over the next few days.

[fire219]

Rock64 4Gb Quick 5 min Review just arrived 14days from dispatch to the UK. and it rocks!

* Spun up Android using DD on a Sandisk Ultra (10) 16Gb Micro SDMC.
* Tested various media with RKMC including 4K 30hz and x265, No major issues except Big Buck 4k 60hz stuttered.
* Needs a heatsink....gets quite hot without it. slapped one on, with 3M Heatsink Adhesive tape...all good

Pretty good start so far. Will  test Linux over the next few days.

Good to see someone with one of the production boards working perfectly, with all the issue reports that are showing up.

Yea, it really needs a heatsink when under reasonable load. But, Pine didn't want to give the impression that it puts off a ton of heat. They are planning to sell (or maybe include) heatsinks at some point.

[stuartiannaylor]

Rock64 4Gb Quick 5 min Review just arrived 14days from dispatch to the UK. and it rocks!

* Spun up Android using DD on a Sandisk Ultra (10) 16Gb Micro SDMC.
* Tested various media with RKMC including 4K 30hz and x265, No major issues except Big Buck 4k 60hz stuttered.
* Needs a heatsink....gets quite hot without it. slapped one on, with 3M Heatsink Adhesive tape...all good

Pretty good start so far. Will  test Linux over the next few days.

Good to see someone with one of the production boards working perfectly, with all the issue reports that are showing up.

Yea, it really needs a heatsink when under reasonable load. But, Pine didn't want to give the impression that it puts off a ton of heat. They are planning to sell (or maybe include) heatsinks at some point.

I watched peters CpuBurn test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umLnsBlOtmo&lc
The pre-release samples where real burners apparently but now even a passive heatsink seems to cope when maxed out.
The pi kits supposedly fit well and are cheap and avail.

[Jakr]

I think the PI kits will work fine. All the ports on the rock 64 line up exactly with a pi 3. the only place anyone would have a problem in if they needed to access the 2nd set of io pins .. Even then, there are some PI cases (I have one) ... where the top swings open.

Also, I should mention .. a PI case, will probably not let you access the reset on the rock 64. Also, unless the pi 3 case is clear, you wouldn't see the led's.

Jake

[stuartiannaylor]

I think the PI kits will work fine. All the ports on the rock 64 line up exactly with a pi 3. the only place anyone would have a problem in if they needed to access the 2nd set of io pins .. Even then, there are some PI cases (I have one) ... where the top swings open.

Also, I should mention .. a PI case, will probably not let you access the reset on the rock 64. Also, unless the pi 3 case is clear, you wouldn't see the led's.

Jake

Yeah I was thinking about the heatsink kits the Pi ones are cheap and avail.
I have gone a bit nuts as whilst still waiting for my board have ordered the following.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5PCS-TOP...85649.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/16-Chann...46931.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Raspberr...26240.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2-Pieces...56281.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Geekworm...27090.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-Road-O...42236.html

Each item was just a couple of quid apart from the UPS board which was £16.

My first project is an active cooling side blower fan with a battery psu / UPS.

Dunno if you have ever stacked a few boards or got a case with a fan on for the PI but it all quickly becomes a bit pointless with a majority of the cases out there.
When it comes to the Pi some of the most aesthetic cases are those layered plastic sheet ones but after experience of tinkering boy they are a pain in the ass if you are actually going to do anything.

Even if I just had the Battery / Ups board you end up with a case with a board stuck on the top in the open.
Then if you get a fan like most of the supplied any added board actually blocks the fan intake.
Its why I have got a side blower as why no-one supplies has, has bugged me for ages.

The case that is in the store or similar for the Pi that is simple & stackable in my opinion is probably the best option.
I use the prototype boards as stackable headers to create layers for ancillary boards but as you can see my little project quickly negates the majority of cases out there.

Soon as I saw the 4Gb 64bit USB3.0 I thought wow that could be a great little server, but its just a play project but demonstrated how problematic most of the offered cases are.
Also out of interest with active cooling controlled by the junction temperatures I wondered maybe if I could tinker with the DTS and add .1Ghz.
I love what Marcus did with the shipping container and maybe Pine might want to expand that idea and provide stackable ones that are purposely designed for maker cases.
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=4961
Make it a bit tighter fitting with space on the header side and drop the hinged lid for the peelable type for a whole new range of Tupperware IT solutions

[MarkHaysHarris777]

stuartiannaylor

I think the PI kits will work fine. All the ports on the rock 64 line up exactly with a pi 3. the only place anyone would have a problem in if they needed to access the 2nd set of io pins .. Even then, there are some PI cases (I have one) ... where the top swings open.

<snip> 
When it comes to the Pi some of the most aesthetic cases are those layered plastic sheet ones but after experience of tinkering boy they are a pain in the ass if you are actually going to do anything.
<snip>
         
Not quite sure what you mean.  Most of my boards are cased in C4Labs Zebra cases ( the layered ones you're mentioning ) and they are not only classy, but highly functional as well.  They are well built, easily assembled, and when done ( as you can see ) you can do anything you want with them.

[stuartiannaylor]

stuartiannaylor

I think the PI kits will work fine. All the ports on the rock 64 line up exactly with a pi 3. the only place anyone would have a problem in if they needed to access the 2nd set of io pins .. Even then, there are some PI cases (I have one) ... where the top swings open.

<snip> 
When it comes to the Pi some of the most aesthetic cases are those layered plastic sheet ones but after experience of tinkering boy they are a pain in the ass if you are actually going to do anything.
<snip>
 
Not quite sure what you mean.  Most of my boards are cased in C4Labs Zebra cases ( the layered ones you're mentioning ) and they are not only classy, but highly functional as well.  They are well built, easily assembled, and when done ( as you can see ) you can do anything you want with them.

Exactly you have a case with a load of external wires. Just opinion but a fail to see the point of an enclosure that means any additional boards are external.
The enclose the Pi in plastic and make it impossible to fit things like the CSI camera ribbon and others.
Highly functional as in glossy plastic?

Your Pine container is far superior

[MarkHaysHarris777]

The enclose the Pi in plastic and make it impossible to fit things like the CSI camera ribbon and others.
Highly functional as in glossy plastic?

No, I disagree;  in fact, your statement is simply false.  The top clear plastic has appropriate slots for both CSI camera (applicable only to PI) and the display connector ribbon !  both easily installed and active on three of my PI(s).  Of course the Rock64 has no need for those;  

Cabling is a maker standard. My production cables are thinner and neater, but the breadboard setups you'll find in my pics on this forum are clean concise and easily followed;  For the Rock64 the only thing I had to do was to dremel out an additional slot in the top (which you can see in the pic) for the PI P5 bus;  easily done in less than twenty minutes.

also, with any bus extender, I can easily mount any POT hat that I want to without messing with the enclosure at all;  all very simple and elegant.

[stuartiannaylor]

The enclose the Pi in plastic and make it impossible to fit things like the CSI camera ribbon and others.
Highly functional as in glossy plastic?

No, I disagree;  in fact, your statement is simply false.  The top clear plastic has appropriate slots for both CSI camera (applicable only to PI) and the display connector ribbon !  both easily installed and active on three of my PI(s).  Of course the Rock64 has no need for those;  

Cabling is a maker standard. My production cables are thinner and neater, but the breadboard setups you'll find in my pics on this forum are clean concise and easily followed;  For the Rock64 the only thing I had to do was to dremel out an additional slot in the top (which you can see in the pic) for the PI P5 bus;  easily done in less than twenty minutes.

also, with any bus extender, I can easily mount any POT hat that I want to without messing with the enclosure at all;  all very simple and elegant.

Its not false as its purely opinion. I had one exactly the same from Pimoroni and when I was doing anything every time it came out of the case.
Once complete it looked lovely, but apart from that with me they don't compute.
The fact that you had to have a dremmel and twenty minutes just to make a space for the P5 says it all to me.
Pointless glossy plastic.

That is purely opinion but definately not false.

[MarkHaysHarris777]

The enclose the Pi in plastic and make it impossible to fit things like the CSI camera ribbon and others.
Highly functional as in glossy plastic?

Your false statement is the one above;  not an opinion, clearly a false statement.

I mean, you don't even attempt to qualify the statement,  you simply state that it's impossible !