Time and again we have highlighted the need for more processing power from the Raspberry Pi. Cost, compatibility and temperature issues limit any drastic performance jump, but those willing to adopt other platforms will find things like the HiKey 960, which delivers an eight-core SoC, 3 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a PCI Express 2.0 connector, and AOSP support. In other words, a high-end smartphone on your desktop.
Projects based on the Raspberry Pi are multiplying, especially among retro console and arcade machine reproductions. Since Nintendo confirmed the cancellation of its NES Classic Mini, many users have started exploring the web for information on RetroPie, alternative cases, compatible gamepads and other installation details. The two main challenges are finding a robust power supply and working around certain performance bottlenecks when emulating more demanding systems. The Raspberry Pi 3 has its limits, as do its optimizations; therefore, those who truly need more juice should consider an advanced platform.
HiKey 960 specifications
In that space we find the HiKey 960 mini computer, manufactured with the involvement of Huawei and Google. Its SoC is an eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 960 with a big.LITTLE configuration, split into four Cortex-A73 cores at 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.8 GHz. It is exactly the same chip that Huawei used in its Mate 9 smartphone, launched in November. The available RAM is 3 GB of LPDDR4, it comes with 32 GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD slot, HDMI 1.2 output and DSI connector, three USB ports (one of them USB Type-C), WiFi ac and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, a PCI Express 2.0 M.2 interface with 'M' key, and a 40-pin GPIO. The supported operating system is AOSP with Linux kernel 4.4.
Of course, not everything that glitters is gold with the HiKey 960. The use of a Kirin 960 chip implies the presence of a Mali module, and if my memory serves me right, the state of open source drivers for that video is a nightmare. Then there's the price detail: distributors want $240 for the computer. At least that makes it clear that the HiKey 960 is not aimed at enthusiasts, but rather seeks to tempt Android developers.
