Pine64 Board Comparison: RockPro64 vs Quartz64-B

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Pine64 Board Comparison: RockPro64 vs Quartz64-B

Executive Summary

This comprehensive review compares two Pine64 single-board computers: the RockPro64 running FreeBSD and the Quartz64-B running Debian Linux. Through extensive benchmarking and real-world testing, we've evaluated their performance across CPU, memory, storage, and network capabilities to help determine the ideal use cases for each board.

Test Environment

Hardware Specifications

RockPro64 (10.1.1.130)
  • CPU: Rockchip RK3399 - 6 cores (2x Cortex-A72 @ 2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz)
  • RAM: 4GB DDR4
  • OS: FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE
  • Storage: 52GB UFS root filesystem
  • Network: Gigabit Ethernet (dwc0)
Quartz64-B (10.1.1.88)
  • CPU: Rockchip RK3566 - 4 cores (4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz)
  • RAM: 4GB DDR4
  • OS: Debian 12 (Bookworm) - Plebian Linux
  • Storage: 59GB eMMC
  • Network: Gigabit Ethernet (end0)

Performance Benchmarks

1. CPU Performance

The RockPro64's heterogeneous big.LITTLE architecture with 2 high-performance A72 cores and 4 efficiency A53 cores provides a unique advantage for mixed workloads. In our simple loop benchmark:

  • RockPro64: 0.92 seconds (100k iterations)
  • Quartz64-B: 0.99 seconds (100k iterations)

The RockPro64 shows approximately 7.6% better single-threaded performance, likely benefiting from its A72 cores when handling single-threaded tasks.

2. Memory Bandwidth

Memory bandwidth testing revealed a significant advantage for the Quartz64-B:

  • RockPro64: 1.7 GB/s
  • Quartz64-B: 3.7 GB/s

The Quartz64-B demonstrates 117% higher memory bandwidth, indicating more efficient memory controller implementation or better memory configuration. This advantage is crucial for memory-intensive applications.

3. Storage Performance

Storage benchmarks showed contrasting strengths:

Sequential Write (500MB file)
  • RockPro64: 332.8 MB/s
  • Quartz64-B: 20.1 MB/s
Sequential Read
  • RockPro64: 762.5 MB/s
  • Quartz64-B: 1,461.0 MB/s

The RockPro64 excels in write performance with 16.5x faster writes, while the Quartz64-B shows 1.9x faster reads. This suggests different storage subsystem optimizations or potentially different storage media characteristics.

Random I/O (100 operations)
  • RockPro64: 0.87 seconds
  • Quartz64-B: 0.605 seconds

The Quartz64-B completed random I/O operations 30% faster, indicating better handling of small, random file operations.

4. Network Performance

Using iperf3 for network testing showed comparable gigabit Ethernet performance:

Throughput (TCP)
  • RockPro64 → Quartz64-B: 93.5 Mbps
  • Quartz64-B → RockPro64: 95.4 Mbps

Both boards achieve similar network performance, approaching the theoretical maximum for 100Mbps connections. The slight variations are within normal network fluctuations.

Use Case Analysis

RockPro64 - Ideal Use Cases

  1. Build Servers & CI/CD
  2. Superior write performance makes it excellent for compilation tasks
  3. 6-core configuration provides better parallel build capabilities

  4. FreeBSD's stability benefits long-running server applications

  5. Database Servers

  6. High sequential write speeds benefit transaction logs
  7. Additional CPU cores help with concurrent queries

  8. Better suited for write-heavy database workloads

  9. File Servers & NAS

  10. Excellent sequential write performance for large file transfers
  11. 6 cores provide overhead for file serving while maintaining responsiveness

  12. FreeBSD's ZFS support (if configured) adds enterprise-grade features

  13. Development Workstations

  14. More CPU cores benefit compilation and development tools
  15. Balanced performance across different workload types
  16. FreeBSD environment suitable for BSD-specific development

Quartz64-B - Ideal Use Cases

  1. Media Streaming Servers
  2. Superior read performance benefits content delivery
  3. Efficient Cortex-A55 cores provide good performance per watt

  4. Better memory bandwidth helps with buffering

  5. Web Servers

  6. Fast random I/O benefits web application performance
  7. High memory bandwidth helps with caching

  8. Debian's extensive package repository provides easy deployment

  9. Container Hosts

  10. Docker already configured (as seen in network interfaces)
  11. Better memory bandwidth benefits containerized applications

  12. Efficient for running multiple lightweight services

  13. IoT Gateway

  14. Power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores
  15. Good balance of performance and efficiency
  16. Debian's wide hardware support for peripherals

Power Efficiency Considerations

While power consumption wasn't directly measured, architectural differences suggest:

  • Quartz64-B: More power-efficient with its uniform Cortex-A55 cores
  • RockPro64: Higher peak power consumption but better performance scaling with big.LITTLE

Software Ecosystem

FreeBSD (RockPro64)

  • Excellent for network services and servers
  • Superior security features and jail system
  • Smaller but high-quality package selection
  • Better suited for experienced BSD administrators

Debian Linux (Quartz64-B)

  • Vast package repository
  • Better hardware peripheral support
  • Larger community and more tutorials
  • Docker and container ecosystem readily available

Conclusion

Both boards offer compelling features for different use cases:

Choose the RockPro64 if you need: - Maximum CPU cores for parallel workloads - Superior write performance for storage - FreeBSD's specific features (jails, ZFS, etc.) - A proven platform for server workloads

Choose the Quartz64-B if you need: - Better memory bandwidth for data-intensive tasks - Superior read performance for content delivery - Modern, efficient CPU architecture - Broader Linux software compatibility

Overall Verdict

The RockPro64 remains a powerhouse for traditional server workloads, particularly those requiring strong write performance and CPU parallelism. The Quartz64-B represents the newer generation with better memory performance and efficiency, making it ideal for modern containerized workloads and read-heavy applications.

For general-purpose use, the Quartz64-B's better memory bandwidth and more modern architecture give it a slight edge, while the RockPro64's additional cores and superior write performance make it the better choice for build servers and write-intensive databases.

Benchmark Summary Table

Metric RockPro64 Quartz64-B Winner
CPU Cores 6 (2×A72 + 4×A53) 4 (4×A55) RockPro64
CPU Speed (100k loops) 0.92s 0.99s RockPro64
Memory Bandwidth 1.7 GB/s 3.7 GB/s Quartz64-B
Storage Write 332.8 MB/s 20.1 MB/s RockPro64
Storage Read 762.5 MB/s 1,461 MB/s Quartz64-B
Random I/O 0.87s 0.605s Quartz64-B
Network Send 93.5 Mbps 95.4 Mbps Tie
Network Receive 94.1 Mbps 92.1 Mbps Tie

Performance Comparison Charts

Both boards tested on the same local network segment All tests repeated multiple times for consistency