🏆 Quarterfinal 2: Raspberry Pi 4 vs Intel NUC
Final Score: Intel NUC – 4 | Raspberry Pi 4 – 1
This quarterfinal clash was a symbolic battle between maker versatility and desktop-class dominance. The Raspberry Pi 4 entered as a community favorite, while the Intel NUC brought unmatched raw power, aiming to show why x86 systems still rule high-performance computing.
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Pre-Match Overview
Raspberry Pi 4 features a Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU, up to 8 GB of RAM, dual micro-HDMI outputs, and USB 3.0 connectivity. Known for education, IoT projects, and DIY solutions, it thrives on accessibility and community support.
Intel NUC, in contrast, comes equipped with Core i3/i5/i7 processors, up to 32 GB of RAM, NVMe SSD storage, and Iris Xe graphics, making it a compact yet powerful mini-PC for 4K media, virtualization, and professional workloads.
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Match Highlights
Raspberry Pi 4 opened strong, scoring first in affordability and community ecosystem. Its massive library of tutorials, GPIO projects, and accessories gave it an edge in maker flexibility, appealing to hobbyists and educators alike.
But Intel NUC struck back quickly with brute performance. In CPU-intensive benchmarks like video rendering and virtualization, it outperformed Raspberry Pi by over 8x, making a clear statement about desktop-class processing.
NUC then doubled its lead in storage speed, leveraging NVMe SSDs that delivered transfers at gigabytes per second, while the Raspberry Pi relied on microSD cards or USB storage.
The third NUC goal came during media and gaming tests. With Iris Xe graphics, it delivered smooth 4K playback and light PC gaming, while Raspberry Pi struggled beyond 1080p streaming.
In the second half, Raspberry Pi showed resilience with power efficiency and IoT versatility, demonstrating that it could control sensors and run lightweight servers at a fraction of the energy cost. However, NUC sealed the match with a fourth goal, showcasing multitasking superiority by running multiple virtual machines, video calls, and productivity apps simultaneously.
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Performance Summary:
Maker Flexibility: Raspberry Pi excels for hobbyist projects and education.
CPU & Storage: Intel NUC dominates with desktop-class speed and NVMe performance.
Media & Graphics: Intel NUC easily handles 4K, while Raspberry Pi remains 1080p-focused.
Power Efficiency: Raspberry Pi is far more energy-efficient but lacks raw capability.
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Final Verdict:
Intel NUC wins 4-1, advancing to the semifinals as the clear powerhouse of the tournament. Raspberry Pi 4 remains the people’s champion for makers, but NUC’s unmatched performance proved decisive on the big stage.