March 8, 2026
Tiny boards, huge beef
Every Single Board Computer I Tested in 2025
15 mini computers, big fight: real Linux or bust
TLDR: A tester ran 15 new mini computers through benchmarks—complete with a surprise Arduino SBC and rising memory prices—while the comments exploded over one thing: real Linux support. Fans want upstream drivers, security updates, and simple summaries, with a side battle over router boards that crush 10G internet without melting CPUs.
Fifteen tiny, credit‑card computers marched through the bench in 2025—priced from $42 to a wild $590—and the crowd went feral. There’s a little of everything: RISC‑V experiments, Qualcomm crashing the party, a new chip vendor (CIX) stealing glances, and even an Arduino SBC twist with the UNO Q. Raspberry Pi kept tinkering with its keyboard PC, and memory prices soared thanks to “RAMageddon.” Benchmarks? They’re all on sbc.compare, if you’re the numbers type.
But the comments? Pure drama. The loudest chorus screamed: “Does it run mainline Linux?” Translation: will these boards work with the real, up‑to‑date Linux kernel and get security fixes, or are buyers stuck with flaky “vendor” downloads. One long‑timer admitted they stopped buying SBCs over this, wondering if regular PCs are still safer. Another blasted “braindead boot ordering” and begged for drivers that are actually upstreamed so real distros work. Meanwhile, a networking warrior hyped the BPI‑R4 for 10G internet with PPPoE offload, throwing shade at pricier gear that still burns CPU. There were jokes, too: “RISC‑V is still vibes‑only at $43,” and “Arduino got Qualcomm’d.” And the everyman plea: someone just make a table. Benchmarks are cool, but the crowd wants support, security, and sanity.
Key Points
- •15 SBCs released in 2025 were tested from eight manufacturers, with prices ranging from $42 to $590.
- •The boards use SoCs from Rockchip, Broadcom, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Allwinner, StarFive, CIX, and Texas Instruments.
- •All boards were benchmarked and can be compared on sbc.compare; links are provided for each model.
- •Rising LPDDR4/LPDDR5 memory costs since late 2025 have affected SBC pricing and availability, including Raspberry Pi.
- •Budget highlights: BeagleBone Green Eco ($42, TI AM3358, 512MB DDR3L), VisionFive 2 Lite ($43, JH7110S, Geekbench 59/180, 4GB), Arduino UNO Q ($44, Qualcomm QRB2210, 2GB LPDDR4X, Geekbench 190/527).