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Short answer: Orange Pi O1 could be a more convenient edge-AI or storage platform than Raspberry Pi 5 because its reported design puts a 16 TOPS INT8 neural-network accelerator, an M.2 NVMe socket and SATA III directly on the board. That does not yet prove it is faster overall or a drop-in Raspberry Pi replacement: measured benchmarks, retail pricing, availability and a verified software-support matrix have not been published in the available reporting.
What Orange Pi O1 actually adds
CNX Software’s 2026 report describes Orange Pi O1 as a single-board computer built around Sophgo’s BM1688. Its headline specification is an eight-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor running at 1.65GHz, paired with a 1.2GHz RISC-V C906 co-processor and a Sophgo neural-network accelerator rated at up to 16 TOPS at INT8.
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That 16 TOPS number belongs to the TPU, not the Cortex-A53 CPU. It is a theoretical integer-inference throughput figure for supported neural-network workloads; it is not a general-purpose CPU benchmark and cannot by itself establish that O1 is faster than Raspberry Pi 5.
The report lists 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4/LPDDR4X memory. Storage options include an M.2 M-Key PCIe 3.0 socket for NVMe, SATA III, optional eMMC capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, 128Mbit or 256Mbit SPI flash, and a microSD slot. This combination is unusual for a compact SBC because it offers both a high-speed solid-state interface and a conventional SATA path without making an adapter the starting point.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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Orange Pi O1 versus Raspberry Pi 5: established differences
| Feature | Orange Pi O1 | Raspberry Pi 5 context |
|---|---|---|
| AI acceleration | BM1688 Sophgo TPU, up to 16 TOPS at INT8 (CNX Software, 2026) | No directly comparable accelerator figure is established by the cited Raspberry Pi documentation |
| CPU | Eight Cortex-A53 cores at 1.65GHz plus a 1.2GHz RISC-V C906 co-processor (CNX Software, 2026) | A directly comparable O1-versus-Pi 5 benchmark is not established |
| Memory | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4X (CNX Software, 2026) | Not stated in the cited material |
| NVMe | Onboard M.2 M-Key PCIe 3.0 socket (CNX Software, 2026) | Raspberry Pi’s official documentation describes an M.2 HAT+ or similar adapter for its PCIe connection; official SSDs use NVMe 1.4 over PCIe Gen 3 |
| SATA | SATA III listed as a board storage interface (CNX Software, 2026) | No SATA interface is established in the cited Raspberry Pi documentation |
| Video | Up to sixteen 1080p30 streams decoded and ten encoded, according to the BM1688 capabilities reported by CNX Software | A directly comparable stream-count figure is not established |
| Display and cameras | HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60, four-lane MIPI DSI, and two four-lane MIPI CSI connectors | Not compared here because equivalent figures are not established in the cited material |
| Networking | Dual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi‑Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3; optional 4G/5G | Not compared here because equivalent O1-specific evidence is not established |
Why onboard NVMe matters
With O1, an M.2 drive can be part of the board’s physical design rather than an add-on board attached to a PCIe cable or connector. That can simplify an appliance, camera gateway or edge server enclosure and leave the expansion header available for other hardware.
Raspberry Pi 5 can also use NVMe, but Raspberry Pi’s documentation specifies an M.2 HAT+ or a similar adapter to connect a drive to the board’s PCIe interface. The official SSD documentation identifies NVMe 1.4 over PCIe Gen 3. The practical distinction is therefore integration and parts count, not a proven throughput win for O1.
Rank #2
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- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Does O1 run NVMe and SATA at the same time?
The reported specification lists both an M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe socket and SATA III, but it does not verify simultaneous operation, lane sharing, boot limitations or the exact connector implementation. Treat “NVMe plus SATA” as available interface choices until a board manual or tested configuration confirms concurrent use.
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The TPU could be valuable for local computer vision, object detection, camera analytics, speech or other models that have a supported BM1688 software path. The same report attributes up to sixteen 1080p30 video streams decoded and ten encoded to the BM1688, which points toward multi-camera and media-processing workloads.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
TOPS figures are not interchangeable across architectures. Actual results depend on model operators, quantization, compiler support, memory movement, thermal limits and the application’s software stack. No measured O1 inference benchmark or CPU benchmark is established here, so choosing it solely because “16 TOPS” is printed on the specification would be premature.
Where O1 could be the better fit
- Edge-AI appliances: the dedicated INT8 accelerator and two MIPI CSI camera interfaces target inference close to the cameras.
- Storage-heavy gateways: onboard M.2 and SATA options could simplify a recorder, cache server or local data collector.
- Memory-intensive services: the reported 16GB configuration may be useful for containers or larger models, provided the operating system and applications support it.
- Connected field equipment: dual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and optional cellular connectivity cover several deployment patterns.
Where Raspberry Pi 5 remains the safer choice
Raspberry Pi 5 has a documented PCIe path for NVMe with an adapter ecosystem, while O1’s software maturity, kernel support, accelerator toolchain, camera drivers and long-term update policy are not established in the available material. For a project that depends on widely documented tutorials, a known community workflow or a specific peripheral driver, those unknowns matter as much as the connector list.
Rank #4
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- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
The same caution applies to power and mechanics. No verified O1 power measurements, thermal results, enclosure compatibility, launch price, regional stock data or sustained-load tests are available here. A board that looks stronger on paper may still require a fan, a custom case or more software work than a familiar alternative.
What to verify before buying
- Find the official O1 product page or manual and confirm the exact board revision, connector types and whether NVMe and SATA can operate concurrently.
- Check the supported operating-system images, kernel version, boot process and installation instructions for the TPU runtime.
- Confirm that your intended AI framework and model operators are supported at INT8; ask for application-level benchmarks rather than relying on the TOPS headline.
- Check power input requirements, cooling recommendations and the enclosure’s clearance for the M.2 drive and SATA cabling.
- Verify current price and regional stock before designing around O1, since those figures are not established in the current reporting.
The current verdict
Orange Pi O1 makes a credible hardware case for edge AI and integrated storage: 16 TOPS INT8 acceleration, up to 16GB of memory, onboard PCIe 3.0 NVMe, SATA III, extensive camera and networking I/O, and optional cellular connectivity. It makes Raspberry Pi 5 look less convenient specifically when you need NVMe physically on the board or want a listed SATA interface.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
It does not yet make Raspberry Pi 5 categorically obsolete. Without independent benchmarks, confirmed software support, thermal data, pricing and stock information, the defensible conclusion is narrower: O1 is a promising alternative for workloads that can use its BM1688 accelerator and storage interfaces, while Raspberry Pi 5 remains the lower-risk choice when ecosystem certainty is the priority.
Quick Recap
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