Raspberry Pi vs. Beaglebone Black
| Pi Model | CPU | RAM | features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | ARMv6 | 512 MB LPDDR2 | low power consumption, single-core CPU. |
| 4 | ARMv8 (A72) | 1..8 GB LPDDR4 | quad-core CPU, GPU, Bluetooth 5, 802.11ac, gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 |
| 3+ | ARMv8 (A53) | 1 GB LPDDR2 | quad-core CPU, GPU, Bluetooth 4.2 / 802.11ac, gigabit Ethernet |
| 2 | ARMv8 (A53) | 1 GB LPDDR2 | no onboard wireless. |
| 1 | ARMv6 | 512 MB LPDDR2 | high power consumption, single-core CPU. |
The benchmarks for Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3 show far faster performance than the Raspberry Pi 1 / Zero. Using the graphical desktop and 4 GB of RAM, the Raspberry Pi 4 is useful for modest desktop use. The new CPU-direct USB and Ethernet of the Raspberry Pi 4 brings drastically faster IO.
The Raspberry Pi Zero has an ARMv6 single core CPU but much lower idle power for battery-powered applications.
Beaglebone deterministic IO due to the PRU is a key advantage for certain applications. The Beaglebone DDR3L RAM, and ARMv7 CPU is nearly twice as powerful as the Raspberry Pi Zero, native Ethernet, onboard SSD (eMMC), better onboard I/O (for local sensors), etc. However, CPU or GPU demanding tasks should consider the latest Raspberry Pi or Intel NUC, etc. instead.