Leading Windows on Budget PCs

Single-board computers (SBCs) are pretty capable devices and part of their appeal is the excellent price-to-performance ratio. However, a good number of these tiny computers struggle to perform everyday tasks that most of us have come to take for granted, such as running the Windows operating system.

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Some of these boards won’t run Windows at all, and some of those that can run it perform poorly and stutter every step of the way. Your options are limited if you’re looking for a single-board computer that can run Windows properly. However, there are a few devices out there that can do the job quite well.

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Windows System Requirements

Most SBCs have processors that are ARM-based which affords themcertain benefits over x86 processors , such as being inexpensive and energy-efficient. With Windows on ARM, you can run Windows and emulate standard x86 applications. It isn’t perfect yet, but it is getting there very slowly. x86-based single-board computers are generally better suited to running Windows.

To determine single-board computers that will be able to run Windows, we need to establish the criteria they need to meet. So, let’s take a look at the basic requirements to run Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Windows 10 system requirements:

• Processor: 1GHz or faster
• RAM: 1GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
• Storage: 16GB for 32-bit OS or 20GB for 64-bit OS
• Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
• Display: 800 x 600

Windows 11 system requirements:

• Processor: 1GHz or faster with two or more cores
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB or larger
• Display: High definition (720p) display; greater than 9” diagonally
• Trusted Platform Module : TPM version 2.0

1. LattePanda 3 Delta

The LattePanda 3 Delta is the much more powerful successor to the original LattePanda released in 2018. It is also known as LattePanda 3 Delta 864, with the ‘8’ and ‘64’ representing the 8GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, respectively.

This SBC has a powerful quad-core processor and a sizable amount of RAM, making it capable of running not only Windows 10 but also Windows 11.

LattePanda 3 Delta key specs:

2. Khadas Edge2

Image Credit: Khadas

The Khadas Edge2 is an ARM-based single-board computer that is designed to provide maximal performance in a minimal form factor. It is particularly suited for deep learning and natural language processing applications due to the embedded neural processing unit (NPU) capable of computing at 6 TOPS (tera operations per second).

With up to 16GB of RAM and a high-powered octa-core processor, the Khadas Edge2 is capable of running ARM versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 without any problems.

Khadas Edge2 key specs:

3. Hackboard 2 SBC

TheHackboard 2 is a single-board-compute r marketed as a small, affordable desktop replacement with a wide range of connectivity options. It features a dual-core Intel Celeron N4020 processor which clocks up to 2.8GHz and comes with 64GB eMMC storage. You can get it with either Windows 10 Pro or Debian Linux pre-installed.

The base edition with 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, and Windows 10 Pro bundled is available for around $200 on theHackboard website.

Hackboard 2 key specs:

4. UDOO BOLT V8

The UDOO BOLT V8 is quite expensive at $550, but it packs a lot of specs that may appeal to users who need the heavy-lifting power. For purists, the V8 is not technically a single-board computer, as the RAM is inserted in SODIMM sockets and is not embedded in the board itself.

However, it features the typical amount of connectivity that is usually included in single-board computers. It also boasts almost twice the performance of a Macbook Pro 13” with an Intel i5 processor and three times that of a Mac Mini.

UDOO BOLT V8 key specs:

Honorable Mention: Raspberry Pi 4

While the experience is anything but seamless, and you may have trouble with some drivers, running Windows on theRaspberry Pi 4B flagship SBC might be a worthwhile challenge for some users. If you’re interested, we have written a complete guide on how toinstall Windows on a Raspberry Pi the easy way . It is not ideal for everyday use, but it is workable with a certain amount of elbow grease.

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B key specs:

Run Windows on a Single-Board Computer

Both ARM and x64 single-board computers are capable of running the Windows operating system. That aside, you will have an easier time running Windows on x64 computers. If you’re planning to use an ARM SBC as your daily driver, Windows is not the best choice currently. You’ll be better served with an operating system created specifically for ARM computers such as Armbian or a supported Android distribution.

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