Station PCs are thin and small Mini PCs based on Single Board Computers powered by Rockhip’s SoCs, from Firefly. Station M2 and Station P2 are not typical mini computers that can be used more than just home entertainment.
Rightly named Mini Geek PC because they can be used to implement various projects, solutions, using various operating systems.
However, the most important question is which Station PC is for me. Is Station P2 or Station M2?
In the following, we will try to introduce you to the features and compare the specifications of Station P2 and Station M2 Mini PC. Here you will find: Firefly’s RK3566 new products – Comparison the upgrades to previous gen
Availability and price
Station P2 Mini PC powered by RK3568 SoC now is available on Firefly’s store for $165 (4GB/32GB). The cheaper 2GB/32GB version is available for $149
On the other hand, the Station M2 Mini PC powered by RK3566 SoC is available for $129 (4GB/32GB) with 256GB SSD for $193 , $173 (8GB/64GB). The cheaper 2GB/32GB version is available for $103.
Station PCs are “full” devices that come with the enclosure, so you don’t have to worry about everyday use and portability. You can always have them with you in a backpack or jacket.
Station P2 powered by RockChip RK3568 vs Station M2 powered by RockChip RK3566
For easier understanding of the differences between Station P2 and Station M2, below you will find a comparison of the specifications of both devices.
SOC | RockChip RK3568 | RockChip RK3566 | ||||
CPU | Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55, 22nm lithography process, frequency up to 2.0GHz | Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55, 22nm lithography process, frequency up to 1.8GHz | ||||
GPU | ARM G52 2EE | ARM G52 2EE | ||||
Embedded high-performance 2D acceleration hardware | Supports OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2. OpenCL 2.0. Vulkan 1.1 | |||||
Supports OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 | Embedded high-performance 2D acceleration hardware | |||||
NPU | 0.8Tops@INT8, integrated high-performance AI accelerator RKNN NPU | |||||
Supports one-click switching of Caffe/TensorFlow/TFLite/ONNX/PyTorch/Keras/Darknet | ||||||
VPU | Supports 4K 60fps H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding | Supports 4K 60fps H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding | ||||
Supports 1080P 100fps H.265/H.264 video encoding | Supports 1080P 100fps H.265/H.264 video encoding | |||||
Supports 8M ISP, supports HDR | Supports 8M ISP | |||||
RAM | 2GB / 4GB / 8GB LPDDR4 | 2GB / 4GB / 8GB LPDDR4 | ||||
32Bit, frequency up to 1600MHz, supports all-data-link ECC | 32Bit,supports all-data-link ECC | |||||
Storage | 32GB / 64GB / 128GB eMMC | 32GB / 64GB / 128GB eMMC | ||||
M.2 PCIe 3.0 × 1 (Expand with 2242 / 2280 NVMe SSD) | M.2 PCIe 2.0 × 1 (Expand with 2242 NVMe SSD) | |||||
SATA 3.0 x 1 (Expand with 2.5” SSD/HDD) | TF-Card Slot x1 (Expand with TF card) | |||||
TF-Card Slot x1 (Expand with TF card) | ||||||
Hardware Features | ||||||
Ethernet | Supports dual Gigabit Ethernet ports (1000 Mbps) | Supports Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45, 1000 Mbps) | ||||
Among them, LAN (PoE) port supports POE+ (802.3 AT, output power 30W) power supplying | ||||||
WiFi | Supports WiFi 6 (802.11 AX) | Supports dual-band WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n) | ||||
Supports BT5.0 | Supports BT5.0 | |||||
Display | 1 × HDMI2.0, supports 4K@60fps output | 1 × HDMI2.0. Supports 4K@60fps output | ||||
1 × MIPI DSI. Supports 1920*1080@60fps output (or dual-channel 1 × MIPI DSI 2560*1440@60fps) | ||||||
Audio | 1 × HDMI audio output | 1 × HDMI audio output | ||||
1 × Earphone output | 1 × Earphone output | |||||
Camera | 2-channel MIPI-CSI camera interface (MIPI CSI 0 / MIPI CSI 1) | |||||
Supports dual cameras and HDR, image remains clear under backlight or strong light conditions | ||||||
Interface | 1 × M.2 PCIe3.0 (Expand with NVMe SSD) , | |||||
1 × SATA 3.0 (Expand with 2.5” SATA SSD/HDD) , | ||||||
1 × USB3.0 | 1 × USB3.0 | |||||
2 × USB2.0 | 1 × USB2.0 | |||||
1 × Type-C | 1 x 5V (DCIN Via Type-C port /OTG) 5V (DCIN Via Type-C port /OTG) 5V (DCIN Via Type-C port /OTG) |
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1 × RJ45 (Expand with 1 × RS485 + 2 × RS232 ) | 1 × RJ45 | |||||
1 x HDMI2.0 | 1 x HDMI2.0 | |||||
1 × Phone | ||||||
OS/Software | ||||||
OS | Supports Android 11.0 , Ubuntu 18.04, Buildroot+QT, Station OS | |||||
Boot Way | Supports TF card, EMMC, U disk bootup, making bootup more convenient and simple. | |||||
Others | ||||||
Size | 142 mm * 89 mm * 31.5 mm | 93.8 mm × 65.0 mm x15.8mm | ||||
Appearance | Toothed aluminium alloy case in matte black under high-precision CNC machining and with good air flow design | |||||
Operating Temperature | -10℃~60℃ | |||||
Operating Temperature | -20℃~70℃ | |||||
Storage Humidity | 10%~80 % |
Additionally, both Station PCs supports Android (Android 11), Ubuntu, Linux+QT, Station OS and other systems, and supports to boot the system via TF card, U disk, EMMC, etc. Besides devices are configured with Station OS (Firefly Geek System). Station OS is a combination of Desktop mode and Media mode, you can switch the mode easily to study/work/entertainment.
Is it worth buying Station P2 or Station M2?
You have to answer this question yourself as usual. First of all, it all depends on your budget, preferences or the project you want to implement. While, Station P2 and Station M2 are undoubtedly worth attention.
If you value system freedom, and you need a device based on a powerful processor not only for entertainment, but also for work and development projects. Besides, you want to have access to a huge amount of data at hand, as well as a lot of useful interfaces, then the Firefly Station P2 Geek PC you should be more interested.
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