sbc-reviews
sbc-reviews is a public repository of single-board computer (SBC) benchmarking data and review notes maintained by Jeff Geerling, covering Raspberry Pi, Radxa, Orange Pi, and other platforms. It provides raw test results, methodology documentation, and reusable benchmark scripts to help engineers evaluate SBC performance and selection.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | geerlingguy/sbc-reviews |
| Owner | geerlingguy |
| Primary language | Python |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 985 |
| Forks | 28 |
| Open issues | 65 |
| Latest release | Unknown |
| Last updated | 2026-05-25 |
| Source | https://github.com/geerlingguy/sbc-reviews |
What sbc-reviews is
The project contains Python-based benchmark automation scripts using pyinfra (with parallel Ansible implementations), Hugo-driven static documentation, and SSH-based remote testing infrastructure. It captures CPU, memory, I/O, and board-specific performance metrics across diverse ARM and x86 SBC platforms.
Get the sbc-reviews source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/geerlingguy/sbc-reviews.gitcd sbc-reviews# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires SSH access to target SBC; inventory and group_data must be configured for each new board before running benchmark tasks.
- Benchmark suite is modular (tinymembench, storage I/O, etc.); run setup.py first, then select individual or full test pipelines depending on test duration tolerance.
- Python dependencies (pyinfra) and alternative Ansible playbooks both available; choose one execution engine and ensure compatibility with your infrastructure.
- Website generation via Hugo in `web` directory; GitHub Actions automates builds; local `hugo server` enables offline development and testing.
- Data is compiled in GitHub Issues per board; methodology is documented in templates; manual data curation is part of the workflow, not fully automated.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Proprietary Automotive or Safety-Critical Certification Required — The repository is designed for open-source community reference, not formal qualification documentation or vendor-signed test reports needed for certification workflows.
- Real-Time Performance or Hard Latency Guarantees Needed — Benchmarks capture throughput and basic latency under test conditions; they do not provide worst-case latency analysis or RTOS-level guarantees for hard real-time constraints.
- Closed-Source SBC or Proprietary Board Not Covered — The repository focuses on community and mainstream SBC platforms; proprietary or niche boards may not be tested or may require significant methodology customization.
- Automated CI/CD Test Result Ingestion Without Adaptation — The data and scripts are reference implementations; integrating results into production CI/CD pipelines requires validation and hardening specific to your infrastructure and use case.
License & commercial use
MIT License (permissive, OSI-approved). Allows use, modification, and distribution for any purpose, including commercial, provided the original copyright and license notice are retained.
MIT License permits commercial use of the code and data. However, the repository is reference benchmarking data, not certified documentation or warranty. Commercial distribution of results or integration into production qualification workflows should include attribution and acknowledgment that results are subject to your own testing and validation.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
No embedded secrets or credentials detected in repository. SSH authentication is external (assume your credential management). Benchmark scripts perform system reads and stress tests; run only on systems under your control. No network exposure or public endpoints identified. Review pyinfra and Ansible dependency security postures separately.
Alternatives to consider
Phoronix Test Suite
Multi-platform (Linux, Windows, macOS) automated benchmarking framework with larger test corpus and online result sharing; better for cross-vendor hardware profiling but less SBC-specific and steeper learning curve.
SPEC CPU/Storage Benchmarks
Industry-standard, vendor-neutral, formally validated benchmarks; required for certification and competitive comparisons, but expensive, closed-source, and overkill for quick SBC hardware decisions.
Custom In-House Benchmark Harness
Tailor tests to your exact use case and hardware; avoids dependency on third-party data, but requires significant engineering effort and ongoing maintenance.
Build on sbc-reviews with DEV.co software developers
Leverage sbc-reviews as a starting point for hardware evaluation, or let our team adapt the methodology and scripts to your specific platform requirements and production constraints.
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sbc-reviews FAQ
Can I use these benchmark results to select an SBC for production?
Can I redistribute the benchmark data or fork the scripts for my own SBC testing?
How current is the benchmark data for new SBC releases?
Can I automate running these benchmarks on my SBC fleet?
Work with a software development agency
Need help beyond evaluating sbc-reviews? DEV.co is a software development agency offering software development services and web development for teams of every size. Our software developers and web developers build custom software, web applications, APIs, and open-source testing integrations — and maintain them long-term.
Need SBC Benchmarking & Hardware Validation?
Leverage sbc-reviews as a starting point for hardware evaluation, or let our team adapt the methodology and scripts to your specific platform requirements and production constraints.