Radxa Orion O6: Ambitious Open-Source Arm V9 Motherboard, But Needs Refinement

2025-02-04

Radxa's Orion O6 motherboard boasts being the world's first open-source Arm V9 motherboard, promising high performance, low power consumption, and enhanced security. However, real-world testing reveals performance doesn't quite match the marketing hype of rivalling Apple's M1 chip. While outperforming some competitors in certain benchmarks, results are mixed elsewhere. Furthermore, the open-source hardware claim is questionable, with full schematics and OSHWA certification currently absent. Software-wise, the pre-installed OS presents issues like a default device tree configuration and unusual CPU core load distribution. In short, the hardware shows promise, but software and driver support require significant improvement. Proceed with caution and temper expectations.

Hardware