5 ms·

Unless you specifically need the 8GB RAM (where Rpi 4 is the only contender in this range as of right now AFAIK), IMO for server use-cases it'd be better to con

Unless you specifically need the 8GB RAM (where Rpi 4 is the only contender in this range as of right now AFAIK), IMO for server use-cases it'd be better to consider either Odroid C4 or Rock Pi 4 - both offer better storage interfaces than USB/microSD natively. Also easier to run vanilla Debian/Ubuntu (or Armbian, which is very close to vanilla but can be easily built custom for either board preconfigured with necessary kernel modules/dtbs/boot loader/drivers/firmware for each board).

m463 6y ago
I have many pis, but when it comes to making a mini server, wouldn't it be worth it to spring for a low end intel machine, or used mini-pcs? They already come with things like power supplies, RTC+battery, on-off switches, sata and/or m.2, expandable memory, etc.
- Legogris 6y ago
  Maybe, depends on what your priorities are! Personally I use ARM SBCs to get physically separate hosts for things like Consul/Vault/Nomad servers, k8s control plane, some monitoring instances, workers for loads that don't need blazing single-thread performance, etc. This way I can run something close to "best practices" HA redundant clusters while staying low on purchase and electricity costs, and my whole setup can fit in a suitcase if I need to move. Some of the things you mention (m.2, RTC, switches) are things that are either included or cheap and easy add-ons to the boards I mentioned. Another nice upside is the low power means it's easier to power them via PoE, so you don't need a power supply in the first place. I also try to go as far as I can in the direction of libre/open software/firmware/hardware, which means I try to minimize the reliance on Intel and AMD CPUs.
  - hinkley 6y ago
    I’m using my old Anker charging station to power most of my SBCs. I think the “it depends” also depends on what you think the next ten years holds for ARM vs x64. Getting some more hours in dealing with ARM ‘servers‘ might be a decent way to hedge your bets.
- lultimouomo 6y ago
  AKA the scooter computer: https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-scooter-computer/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-scooter-computer/
- megous 6y ago
  Can it idle at 1W? I'll be running the server all the time, so every watt counts.
  - bullen 6y ago
    Idle for the 4 is around 3W, peak 7W.
HeadsUpHigh 6y ago
I don't know if things have improved but traditionally every other alternative SBC had better hardware but was stuck in one image provided by the vendor that was never updated and buggy. Has the situation improved, i.e. can you just run apt upgrade on an Odroid C4? Can you run Arch on it?
- hddherman 6y ago
  The Armbian project has been a pretty good platform for various boards. The support will be different from board to board, but personally had a great experience with it on an Orange Pi Zero. https://www.armbian.com/ https://www.armbian.com/
  - hinkley 6y ago
    I haven’t dug very far yet but it seems to be doing okay on the nanopi boards so far.
- apple4ever 6y ago
  I've run into that exact situation too. The Pi is the only SBC with an excellent OS ecosystem.
tssva 6y ago
There are official Ubuntu server releases available for the RPi2-4. Both 32 bit and 64 bit versions are available.
justin66 6y ago
> better storage interfaces than USB/microSD natively. For this micro-server form factor, with a tiny little board in a tiny little case, what is a better storage form factor than a little portable SSD connected via USB 3? (I wouldn't be wild about using a microSD card for a server that relied much on storage)
- novok 6y ago
  A direct m.2 or sata slot so you don't have to deal with USB annoyances.
  - justin66 6y ago
    Since the Pi people finally got USB boot finished for the Pi 4, I'm not sure what USB annoyances are left to worry about? That's really why I asked the question. A USB 3 SSD seems about as trouble-free as a storage device can possibly be.
    - the_pwner224 6y ago
      A M.2 SSD is more trouble free. I recently built a desktop computer. It uses a 6x6 inch mini-ITX motherboard. The motherboard has a CPU and 2 sticks of RAM in it, raising the height to about 2 inches. The SSD goes inside the motherboard in the M.2 slot. Aside from this 6x6x2" unit, the only other things are: - the gigantic graphics card - not necessary on these type of computers - the power supply unit - standard USB unit for these - and the CPU cooler which is a big hunk of metal sticking out and raising the total height to about 6 inches - again not necessary, maybe a tiny passive heatsink M.2 is faster and lets you put a tiny SSD (literally just a PCB with flash chips on it) inside the thing instead of having a large external USB SSD with a cable to connect. So in the end you have a super compact computer that is basically just one PCB with another PCB inside it and maybe a tiny heatsink.
      - justin66 6y ago
        It's a slightly different paradigm, that's for sure. It feels technically neater to interface a little more directly with the storage hardware. I'm not sure how much I'd give up for that, though. > having a large external USB SSD with a cable to connect. The Samsung t5 and t7 SSDs I'm using with RPi 4s are about the size of a credit card (a stack of five credit cards, I guess). The tiny, very solid flirc cases for the Pis aren't much bigger, and dissipate heat beautifully. I like this solution a lot more than I anticipated I would.
hinkley 6y ago
I have a nanopc T4 with a rockchip and 4Gb that’s been moldering away on a shelf for a year and a half. Finally getting it up and working. Armbian isn’t so bad. Full sized hdmi port, USB-C with DisplayPort, gigE, and connectors for two WiFi antennae, and an M.2 4x slot on the backside of the board that would be great for an nVME card. It also has two screw holes and a power header for mounting a heat sink.

m463 6y ago

I have many pis, but when it comes to making a mini server, wouldn't it be worth it to spring for a low end intel machine, or used mini-pcs? They already come with things like power supplies, RTC+battery, on-off switches, sata and/or m.2, expandable memory, etc.

Legogris 6y ago
Maybe, depends on what your priorities are! Personally I use ARM SBCs to get physically separate hosts for things like Consul/Vault/Nomad servers, k8s control plane, some monitoring instances, workers for loads that don't need blazing single-thread performance, etc. This way I can run something close to "best practices" HA redundant clusters while staying low on purchase and electricity costs, and my whole setup can fit in a suitcase if I need to move. Some of the things you mention (m.2, RTC, switches) are things that are either included or cheap and easy add-ons to the boards I mentioned. Another nice upside is the low power means it's easier to power them via PoE, so you don't need a power supply in the first place. I also try to go as far as I can in the direction of libre/open software/firmware/hardware, which means I try to minimize the reliance on Intel and AMD CPUs.
- hinkley 6y ago
  I’m using my old Anker charging station to power most of my SBCs. I think the “it depends” also depends on what you think the next ten years holds for ARM vs x64. Getting some more hours in dealing with ARM ‘servers‘ might be a decent way to hedge your bets.
lultimouomo 6y ago
AKA the scooter computer: https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-scooter-computer/ https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-scooter-computer/
megous 6y ago
Can it idle at 1W? I'll be running the server all the time, so every watt counts.
- bullen 6y ago
  Idle for the 4 is around 3W, peak 7W.

HeadsUpHigh 6y ago

I don't know if things have improved but traditionally every other alternative SBC had better hardware but was stuck in one image provided by the vendor that was never updated and buggy. Has the situation improved, i.e. can you just run apt upgrade on an Odroid C4? Can you run Arch on it?

hddherman 6y ago
The Armbian project has been a pretty good platform for various boards. The support will be different from board to board, but personally had a great experience with it on an Orange Pi Zero. https://www.armbian.com/ https://www.armbian.com/
- hinkley 6y ago
  I haven’t dug very far yet but it seems to be doing okay on the nanopi boards so far.
apple4ever 6y ago
I've run into that exact situation too. The Pi is the only SBC with an excellent OS ecosystem.

tssva 6y ago

There are official Ubuntu server releases available for the RPi2-4. Both 32 bit and 64 bit versions are available.

justin66 6y ago

> better storage interfaces than USB/microSD natively. For this micro-server form factor, with a tiny little board in a tiny little case, what is a better storage form factor than a little portable SSD connected via USB 3? (I wouldn't be wild about using a microSD card for a server that relied much on storage)

novok 6y ago
A direct m.2 or sata slot so you don't have to deal with USB annoyances.
- justin66 6y ago
  Since the Pi people finally got USB boot finished for the Pi 4, I'm not sure what USB annoyances are left to worry about? That's really why I asked the question. A USB 3 SSD seems about as trouble-free as a storage device can possibly be.
  - the_pwner224 6y ago
    A M.2 SSD is more trouble free. I recently built a desktop computer. It uses a 6x6 inch mini-ITX motherboard. The motherboard has a CPU and 2 sticks of RAM in it, raising the height to about 2 inches. The SSD goes inside the motherboard in the M.2 slot. Aside from this 6x6x2" unit, the only other things are: - the gigantic graphics card - not necessary on these type of computers - the power supply unit - standard USB unit for these - and the CPU cooler which is a big hunk of metal sticking out and raising the total height to about 6 inches - again not necessary, maybe a tiny passive heatsink M.2 is faster and lets you put a tiny SSD (literally just a PCB with flash chips on it) inside the thing instead of having a large external USB SSD with a cable to connect. So in the end you have a super compact computer that is basically just one PCB with another PCB inside it and maybe a tiny heatsink.
    - justin66 6y ago
      It's a slightly different paradigm, that's for sure. It feels technically neater to interface a little more directly with the storage hardware. I'm not sure how much I'd give up for that, though. > having a large external USB SSD with a cable to connect. The Samsung t5 and t7 SSDs I'm using with RPi 4s are about the size of a credit card (a stack of five credit cards, I guess). The tiny, very solid flirc cases for the Pis aren't much bigger, and dissipate heat beautifully. I like this solution a lot more than I anticipated I would.

hinkley 6y ago

I have a nanopc T4 with a rockchip and 4Gb that’s been moldering away on a shelf for a year and a half. Finally getting it up and working. Armbian isn’t so bad. Full sized hdmi port, USB-C with DisplayPort, gigE, and connectors for two WiFi antennae, and an M.2 4x slot on the backside of the board that would be great for an nVME card. It also has two screw holes and a power header for mounting a heat sink.