When comparing Intel NUC boards vs ESPRESSObin, the Slant community recommends Intel NUC boards for most people. In the question“What are the best single-board computers?” Intel NUC boards is ranked 12th while ESPRESSObin is ranked 28th. The most important reason people chose Intel NUC boards is:
You can have 16GB GSkill DDR4 Memory + 500gb SSD and 10TB external HDD. Go with the kit so you can be assured that it runs Linux and only Linux (or whatever your preference) out of the box and isn't subjected to any unnecessary use/abuse at the hand of Doors.
Specs
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Pros
Pro On paper the J5005 maxes out at 8gb DDR4 RAM however it can accommodate at lease double that
You can have 16GB GSkill DDR4 Memory + 500gb SSD and 10TB external HDD. Go with the kit so you can be assured that it runs Linux and only Linux (or whatever your preference) out of the box and isn't subjected to any unnecessary use/abuse at the hand of Doors.
Pro Has at least one SATA port
Pro DRAM is not soldered
DRAM modules are not soldered to the board so they can be changed, upgraded or replaced.
Pro x86-based
Can run all IBM-PC compatible software.
Pro 3x Gigabit LAN
It has three Gb ethernet ports.
Pro Das U-Boot bootloader
It uses the opensource boot loader "Das U-Boot".
Pro Fast SATA III port
Pro Mini-PCI-E slot
Few SOC boards have this feature--and there are a couple Mini-PCIE RAID cards on the market that might work nicely
Cons
Con Cost as much as other Barebones
Price is almost the same as a full Intel/Zotac barebone, which can also be dismantled.
Con No GPIO
So it is not really useful for DIY projects.
Con No DRAM included
DRAM modules must be bought separately.
Con Only one SATA port
It has only one SATA port.
