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This Raspberry Pi rival offers a beefy CPU, 4K video, and more
- The Renegade Elite, from tech company Libre Computer, is a single-board computer that delivers more power than the Raspberry Pi.
- It isn’t the cheapest single board computer around, at $100, but you’re getting a lot for your cash.
- The Renegade Elite sports a hexacore processor, USB Type-C ports and 4K support.
The Raspberry Pi is one of the most versatile platforms around, spawning a ton of credit card-sized computers. It’s not the best platform for 4K content and graphically advanced games though, so we’re glad to see the more capable Renegade Elite break cover.
Libre Computer, the company behind the platform, is set to run an IndieGogo promotion for the device, Liliputing reports. Pre-orders start at $100, which is way more expensive than the $35 Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Plus, but you’re getting a solid upgrade.
For one, the Renegade Elite has a hexacore processor, featuring two powerful Cortex-A72 cores and four lightweight Cortex-A53 cores. The Elite also packs a Mali-T860 MP4 GPU and 4GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the latest Raspberry Pi sports four Cortex-A53 cores (no heavy lifting cores here), a VideoCore GPU, and 1GB of RAM. In plain English, the Elite should deliver faster loading times and a smoother experience.
What do you get for $100?
The extra power means 4K video content shouldn’t be a problem for the Renegade Elite — the Raspberry Pi apparently handles 4K at a poor framerate. So if you’re hoping to watch UHD content on a monitor or TV (and don’t want an Android TV box), this might be up your alley.
The improved grunt should theoretically equate to more advanced games than the Raspberry Pi too, so the latest Android titles (e.g. PUBG) should run at a decent framerate. The board also seems ideal if you want to create an emulation station, as the horsepower means PSP emulators and the like should run at a decent clip.
Other noteworthy features include support for Android Oreo, three USB 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort-compatible USB Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, a microSD slot, eMMC interface, and an IR receiver.
The Renegade Elite isn’t the only major Raspberry Pi rival on the market now, either. Some of the more prominent (and affordable) boards include the $60 ASUS Tinker Board, the Rock64 (up to $45), and Libre’s own wonderfully named Le Potato ($25). All of these boards support Android in some form also, meaning familiar apps are but a few steps away.
What do you make of the Renegade Elite? Keen on viewing more details? Then visit the website listing below.