Hardkernel ODROID-H5 is an affordable Intel Core i3-N300 octa-core Alder Lake-N SBC providing a 10GbE RJ45 networking jack, and four M.2 PCIe slots for storage, wired/wireless networking, or AI accelerator expansion.
It relies on the same SoC as in the earlier ODROID-H4 Ultra SBC, but trades a single PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 slot and four SATA ports for four M.2 slots, and upgrades from dual 2.5GbE to single 10GbE. It still features four USB ports, but only one USB 3.0 port, and three USB 2.0 ports.
ODROID-H5 specifications:
- SoC- Intel Core i3-N300
- CPU – Octa-core “Alder Lake-N” processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo single-core) or 2.3 GHz (Turbo multi-core) with 6MB cache
- GPU – 32EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 1.25 GHz
- TDP: 7W
- System Memory – Up to 64GB DDR5 4800 MHz SO-DIMM memory
- Storage
- Up to 4x 2280 NVMe SSDs via M.2 slots (See Expansion section)
- eMMC flash connector
- Optional SATA expansion card adding 6x SATA ports
- Video and Audio Output
- HDMI 2.0 ports up to 4Kp60
- 2x DisplayPort connectors up to 4Kp60
- Triple independent display support
- Networking
- 10GbE RJ45 port with WoL support via Realtek RTL8127AT 10 Gbps Ethernet controller; PCIe Gen3 x2; tested up to 9.49 Gbps with iperf3.
- Optional 10GbE M.2 card(s)
- Optional WiFi 6E or WiFi 7 via third-party M.2 modules
- USB
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-A port
- 3x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
- Expansion
- 3x M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x2) slots
- 1x M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x1) slot
- 24-pin I/O expansion port with 2x I2C, 3x USB 2.0, 1x UART, 1x HDMI-CEC, 1x external power button, 5V, 3.3V, and GND
- Misc
- Power and Reset buttons
- System LEDs for Power, Sleep, PMIC, and NVMe (data transfer)
- Passive heatsink
- 4-pin PWM + Tacho fan connector for optional 12V fan
- Dual BIOS with backup battery
- Power Supply – 11-20V via 5.5/2.1mm DC jack (15V/4A DC adapter recommended)
- Power Consumption
- Headless Idle – 3.3W
- Desktop GUI Idle – 4.5W
- CPU + GPU stress test – 25W
- Power off – 0.4W
- Suspend – 0.9~1.3W
- Dimensions – 120 x 120 x 44 mm
- Weight – 320 grams with heatsink
ODROID-H4 and ODROID-H5 SBCs are quite expandable, and the Korean company provides multiple expansion cards for their Intel SBC. However, the new ODROID-H5 doesn’t support them all, and unsurprisingly, drops support for M.2 expansion cards (since it already has four) and the 2.5GbE networking card.
| Accessories | ODROID H4 | ODROID H4 Ultra | ODROID H5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODROID 4-ports 2.5GbE Net Card | Yes | Yes | No |
| ODROID M.2 2×2 Card | Yes | Yes | No |
| ODROID M.2 4×1 Card | Yes | Yes | No |
| ODROID M.2 10GbE Card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ODROID M.2 6-port SATA Card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3rd Party M.2 WiFi 6e, 7 x1 Card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Here’s the ODROID-H5 board fitted with a 6x SATA port M.2 module on top…
… and three M.2 modules (NVMe SSD, Hailo AI accelerator…) and a DDR5 SO-DIMM module on the bottom side.
The company tested the board with Ubuntu 24.04/26.04 (host), Windows 11, and Debian 13 (Guest OSes) using hardware virtualization (VT-x), each showing on a separate display to demonstrate operating system support and triple display configurations.
The company also offers a range of cases and accessories, just like for the previous ODROID-H series boards. You’ll find more details in the long forum announcement about the new ODROID-H5 board and in the wiki.
I can’t find a direct competitor to the ODROID-H5, but the closest alternatives are probably 10GbE Alder Lake-N platforms, such as the iKOOLCORE R2 MAX mini PC and MW-N100-NAS mini-ITX motherboard, although they are based on older 10GbE controllers, rather than the new, low-cost, power-efficient RTL8127 10GbE PCIe controller.
The ODROID-H5 SBC sells for just $250, which looks pretty good for an octa-core Intel SBC with 10GbE networking, four M.2 sockets, and triple display support. However, it’s a barebone system at that price, and you still need to add storage, memory, a 15V/4A power supply ($11), and potentially other accessories such as an enclosure, wireless module, and so on.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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