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Add to SafariWhen comparing ODROID-XU4 vs ODROID-HC4, the Slant community recommends ODROID-XU4 for most people. In the question“What are the best single-board computers for building a NAS system?” ODROID-XU4 is ranked 2nd while ODROID-HC4 is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose ODROID-XU4 is:
Much faster than 10/100 as it contains a gigabit ethernet port.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Fast ethernet
Much faster than 10/100 as it contains a gigabit ethernet port.
Pro Great performance
The performance runs laps around competitors in terms of raw power with its impressive specs and octa-core processing.
Pro Includes cooling system
Includes fan and heatsink combo standard. Fan spins when CPU is load is high. Other single-board computers require a seperate purchase where fan runs constantly, has improper power supply, or requires complex setup for proper funtion.
Pro USB 3.0 ports
The ODROID-XU4 has two USB 3.0 ports. Making it one of the few single board computers to have them.
Pro Great OS support
ODROID supports and can run a full desktop version of Ubuntu. Other than that it can run Android, of which there are some excellent ports for ODROID-XU4.
Pro Supports eMMC 5.0 storage
Pro Includes a power button
Some single-board computers have no power button, requiring the power supply to be unplugged or customization to add a button.
Pro Fast processor and good memory capacity
It is very good for emulation.
Pro Fast processor and good memory capacity
Very good for emulation
Pro Practically very usable general purpose computer experience
Practically very usable general purpose computer experience with much lower power consumption when eMMC 5.0 storage is used for booting.
Pro Includes power adapter
Many single-board computers require you to purchase a power adapter separately.
Pro All the necessary features to setup a true NAS with disk mirroring
When installing OpenMediaVault with Debian it feels pretty fast for such a small thing. Easy and well documented and an active community at the software side.
Pro Dual drive for RAID mirroring
Useful to keep your data backed up in case of single drive failure.
Pro 3.5" drive and 12V support
No extra cables necessary for 3.5" drives and plenty of power.
Cons
Con SD card corrupts
SD card corrupts easily with the XU4, use emmc for more stability but even then it is not that reliable. Also need to reimage the memory every so often.
Con No Audio CODEC
To get Audio out of the XU4 you need to use an HDMI device that has built-in speakers. A USB pdif will work, too.
Con Expensive
It’s expensive for a SBC, for ~$20 more you can get a faster x86 PC barebone.
Con No SATA port
Con Requires a separate power supply (no power via USB OTG)
Con Does not natively support most accessories and sensors on the market
The ODROID GPIO pins operate at 1.8V which means that it cannot support most accessories and sensors on the market which operate at 3.3V or 5V. But this can be fixed for the XU4 with the XU4 Shifter Shield which adapts them for voltages used in the market. It comes at an extra cost of $18 though.
Con SD card corrupts
SD card corrupts easily with the XU4, you can use emmc for more stability but even then it is not that reliable. You will also need to reimage the memory every so often.
Con Unstable USB support
Con Requires 15V power supply
12V 5.5/2.2mm barrel supplies are everywhere, but it should 1up with USB C power input instead.
Con Only one USB port and does not like power cut
Better to use a small UPS and keep a SD card with the flash boot installed.
Con Boot button is on bottom
Makes it more difficult to access when drives are installed, as opposed to on the back, sides, or front.
