The Latest SBCs to Finish Out Summer 2025 (Part 2)
SBCs are plentiful. We should all cheer that. With so many options, development has never been easier. What I see separating most boards is simply the community that surrounds and uses it. I’m happy to say, every board has a fan. Below are seven more to make our list. If you haven’t seen Part 1, check it out first.
PocketBeagle 2
BeagleBone’s PocketBeagle 2 is an upgraded version of the popular PocketBeagle incorporating TI’s AM6232 SoC that packs a dual-core Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M4F processors, along with an MSPM0L1105 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller for ADC pins. The board also features 512 MB of LPDDR4 SDRAM, 32 kB of flash, 4 kB of SRAM, and a microSD card slot for storage.
The PocketBeagle 2 is slim when it comes to ports, featuring just a single USB Type-C port for power and connectivity options. However, it packs a 72-pin header for expansion capabilities, as well as a JST-SH 1.00mm UART debug port.
ZimaBoard 2
IceWhale’s ZimaBoard 2 is more of a single-board server (SBS) than a traditional SBC. The platform is touted as a server, NAS, and home lab, and comes equipped with an Intel Processor N150 quad-core processor, Intel UHD graphics, and up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 64 GB of eMMC flash. The platform also includes a Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 2x 2.5-GbE RJ45 ports, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A ports, 2x SATA 3.0 6-Gb/s ports, a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and an LPC connector.
Muse Pi Pro
The Muse Pi Pro is a RISC-V-based SBC that’s powered by a SpacemIT M1 octa-core 64-bit RISC-V AI SoC with an Imagination IMG BXE-2-32 GPU, up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 128 GB of eMMC, and an NPU capable of delivering 2 TOPS. Storage options include a microSD slot and an M.2 M-Key 2230 socket for NVMe SSDs. It also features an HDMI 1.4 port, 2-lane MIPI DSI 15-pin FPC connector, 4-lane MIPI CSI via 22-pin FPC connector, and a 2-lane MIPI CSI via 15-pin FPC connector.
Networking offers a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 module with two USB ports, Fl antenna connectors, and support for an additional wireless/cellular module via M.2 or mPCIe socket. USB ports are plenty, with 4x USB 3.0 Type-A ports and a single USB 2.0 Type-C OTG port.
UDOO Bolt V8
The UDOO Bolt V8 is more of a PC than an SBC, designed around an AMD RYZEN Embedded V1605B quad-core CPU. It comes equipped with an AMD Radeon VEGA 8 GPU and up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM. Storage options for the board include a 32-GB EMMC 5.0 High Speed Drive, an SSD SATA module slot, an M.2 Socket key B 2260 (also featuring PCI-E X2) NVME module slot, and a M.2 Socket key M 2280 (PCI-E X4 Gen 3 Interface) SATA 3.0 connector.
Among the networking options for the Bolt V8 are a Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) Realtek RTL8111G WI-FI/BT combo module slot and an M.2 socket 1 key E 2230. Ports are plenty here as well: 2x HDMI 1.4 / 2.0A (CEC), 2x DP Alternate Mode on USB Type-C, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 2x USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) 3.0.
Boardcon Compact3576
Boardcon recently introduced the Compact3576, a modular SBC designed around Rockchip’s RK3576 SoC that packs 4x Cortex-A72 cores, 4x Cortex-A53 cores, and an Arm Cortex-M0 MCU. The board features an Arm Mali-G52 MC3 GPU, an NPU capable of pushing 6 TOPS, and up to 8 GB of LPDDR4/4x RAM. Storage options include up to 128 GB of eMMC flash, an NVMe SSD via M.2 socket, and a microSD card slot.
The Compact3576 offers an HDMI 2.1 port, a second HDMI 2.0 via DP port, 2x USB 3.0 host Type-A ports, and a USB 3.0 OTG/Host Type-A port. Also in the mix are a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port via Realtek RTL8211F-CG, a Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 module, and an mPCIe socket with Nano SIM (4G LTE module support).
XpressReal T3
The XpressReal T3 is the result of a partnership between Fyde Innovations, Radxa, and Realtek. The SBC features a Realtek RTD1619B SoC equipped with a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor, an Arm Mali-G57 MP1 GPU, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and an NPU capable of delivering 1.6 TOPS. The board also features 4 MB SPI flash for boot, 32 GB of eMMC flash, a microSD card slot, and an M.2 NVMe SSD slot for storage options.
The XpressReal T3 also packs a low-profile Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port with Passive PoE, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity options. It also comes with the typical number of USB ports, including a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen1 port, a USB Type-A 2.0 port, and a USB Type-C port for Power, along with a 40-pin header for add-on boards.
iWave iW-RainboW-G54S
iWave Systems’ iW-RainboW-G54S is the company’s latest SBC, equipped with either an STM32MP133 or STM32MP135 SoC, featuring an Arm Cortex-A7 processor and up to 1-GB RAM, plus up to 128-GB flash. It also incorporates 512 MB of DDR3L RAM, 4 GB of eMMC flash, and 16 kb of EEPROM. An on-module Gigabit Ethernet PHY port or a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 jack handles networking.
In addition, the iW-RainboW-G54S features a single Micro USB 2.0 OTG port and a USB header, along with a trio of 100-pin connectors, offering a wide range of expansion options.
Conclusion
The latest SBCs show just how fragmented and exciting the ecosystem has become. Some of the boards listed here lean heavily into AI acceleration, although this roundup was never about “the best SBCs with AI.” I love the idea of running a local LLM. But, I also love the idea of running a classic Doom server. Both are kind of not that important.
Other boards doubled down on industrial IO, while a few look to break traditional roles to be servers and PCs in their own right. Those examples were never intended to be part of a specific article; rather, they’re an eclectic group of the latest boards or revisions that powered us through the summer. So, whether you’re prototyping hardware, running edge AI, or just need a flexible embedded platform, there’s no shortage of options for any project build.
