[wrxtasy]

Looks like the HardKernel boys have been busy getting their budget ODROID C4 Board ready.
Priced at $50 (click) and Shipping 28th April.

CoreELEC v9.2.2 (click) that includes Kodi Leia v18.6 is already available for it.



2020 ODROID C4 Tech Specs (click):

• SoC - AMLogic S905X3
  
• CPU - ARM A55 Quad Core 2.0GHz
  
• GPU - ARM Mali (Bifrost) G-31@650Mhz
  
• RAM - 4 GB DDR4
  
• HDMI 2.0 - 4K HDR@60Hz capable
  
• LAN - Gigabit (1000M)
  
• USB3 x4
  
• MicroUSB 2.0 (OTG) x 1
  
• GPIO pins x 40
  
• Infra Red receiver
  
• Sold Separately:
  
• Storage - microSDHC or eMMC module
  
• WiFi & Bluetooth USB dongles
  
• Black C4 Case is $4.50
  
• 12V/2.0 Amp Power Supply is $5.50
  

W.

[auren]

Looks hot [emoji1786]

[noggin]

Interesting - looks like it has hardware crypto extensions which could be useful for non-Kodi uses if the kernel support is there.  Might make a nice little VPN server.

Looks like it, understandably, ships with a passive heat sink that isn't pictured in the original post (as it would obscure the CPU/SoC and RAM?)

[lightsout]

This loos like a sweet little setup, I hope to get one down the road, hopefully Ameridroid gets them. I didn't know they make the HiFi shield, 
looks like it could be a sweet little audio device. 

If one doesn't do any gaming but wanted these simply for media (coreelec). I am wondering if the N2 has any benefit. Seems like this would be enough.

[hdmkv]

Would S905X3-based be any better than the current S922X-based N2? Isn't latter a better performer?

[PANiCnz]

Would S905X3-based be any better than the current S922X-based N2? Isn't latter a better performer?

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4.

[noggin]

Would S905X3-based be any better than the current S922X-based N2? Isn't latter a better performer?

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4. 

Yep - the C4's advantage is that it's £20/unit cheaper I guess?  (Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2)

[lightsout]

Would S905X3-based be any better than the current S922X-based N2? Isn't latter a better performer?

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4. 

Yep - the C4's advantage is that it's £20/unit cheaper I guess?  (Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2)

Was it really that big of an issue? I didn't see that many actual users complaining about failures. Mostly just talk of failures.

[Sholander]

(Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2) 

Any numbers or percentages to support this claim ?
I know that everybody with a faulty device looks different on reliability from those that don't have problems; so not to be subjective, numbers are always the only way to objectivity.

[wrxtasy]

Would S905X3-based be any better than the current S922X-based N2? Isn't latter a better performer?

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4. 

Yep - the C4's advantage is that it's £20/unit cheaper I guess?  (Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2)

I doubt the N2’s reliability was better or worse vs any other mainstream Kodi hardware.
But boy did we sure hear about it from vocal users !

[noggin]

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4. 

Yep - the C4's advantage is that it's £20/unit cheaper I guess?  (Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2) 

Was it really that big of an issue? I didn't see that many actual users complaining about failures. Mostly just talk of failures. 

I heard about more failures of the N2 than I did about other boards - though this may have been because of the terrible warranty that Hardkernel offer (at least from a European point of view)

Most of the failures seem to have been related to HDMI outputs.

[noggin]

The S922X in the N2 is a faster SoC, no performance gains to be had by "upgrading" to the C4. 

Yep - the C4's advantage is that it's £20/unit cheaper I guess?  (Hopefully it will have a better reliability record than the N2) 

I doubt the N2’s reliability was better or worse vs any other mainstream Kodi hardware.
But boy did we sure hear about it from vocal users !  

Yes - if Hardkernel had a better attitude to RMAs and a decent warranty I suspect they would have been less vocal...

[the_bo]

No oboard WiFi or Bluetooth is a bummer as there will only be one usb slot left, when you plug in WiFi Bluetooth and remote

[Sholander]

No oboard WiFi or Bluetooth is a bummer as there will only be one usb slot left, when you plug in WiFi Bluetooth and remote

Odroid C4 has 5 USB ports, 4 x USB3.0 and 1x USB2.0, so 3 ports will still be available...

[noggin]

No oboard WiFi or Bluetooth is a bummer as there will only be one usb slot left, when you plug in WiFi Bluetooth and remote

Suspect many will use either Bluetooth for remote OR an RF USB remote dongle rather than both, plus you can use the Micro USB 2.0 OTG port as a 5th USB port - using a cheap OTG cable that you would use with a Pi Zero.  Lots of us would use that to connect an RF remote dongle so as not to waste a USB 3.0 port. That means many of us will only use one USB 3.0 port for WiFi (if we even use WiFi - I don't).