Banana Pi is one of the providers you’ll always see in “Alternatives to Raspberry Pi” lists. It has several solutions, although probably the most famous is the M2 Zero, which competes in the segment of the most economical and with low consumption, the Pi Zero.

The Banana Pi BPI-W3, which the manufacturer has just put on sale, is completely different. It’s still a single-board computer, but it’s bigger, more powerful, and more connected, processor-based. Rockchip RK3588, with four Cortex-A76 CPU cores, four Cortex-A55 cores and neural processing for up to 6 TOP AI performance. It has 8 GB RAM and 32 GB eMMC storage expandable up to 256 GB.

SBCs excel in connectivity and this model offers a wide range, starting with 2.5 GbE Ethernet LAN and three HDMI ports, two outputs and one input. One of the USB Type-C ports has support for Display Port 1.4 and MIPI DSI (4Kp60) completes the video interface.

It includes a connector to increase the capacity and performance of the internal storage M.2 2280 to install the SSD. There is also a 40-pin GPIO connector (common for this type of board) and an audio jack capable of digital audio output via HDMI or DisplayPort.

The board has an additional M.2 connector where you can optionally install a chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth like Intel AX210. In terms of ports, it has two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 and one USB Type C for charging, data or video expansion. It has power, reset and recovery buttons; 3-pin debug connector; another 4-pin for fans and RGB LEDs.

Certainly very complete in connectivity, although it must be said that its size is larger than other boards such as Raspberry with dimensions 148 x 100 mm. Its price is also higher and is currently sold on Aliexpress for 184 euros.