The Rockchip RK3568 is a difficult processor to sell with benchmark charts in 2026. It has four Cortex-A55 cores, a small Mali-G52 GPU, and none of the Cortex-A76 cores that make newer Rockchip boards feel noticeably faster.
But CPU performance is only half the story. The RK3568 has PCIe, SATA, dual Gigabit Ethernet support, multiple display interfaces, optional ECC memory, and a small NPU. That combination explains why it continues to appear in industrial computers, network appliances, NVRs, and storage devices.
It isn’t a good choice for a performance-focused desktop. For a product that needs useful I/O without the cost, heat, and complexity of an RK3588, it can still make sense.
Four Cortex-A55 Cores Are Enough-Sometimes
The RK3568 uses four Arm Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 2.0 GHz. Cortex-A55 is an efficient Armv8.2-A core, but it was designed for efficiency rather than strong single-threaded performance. The chip handles Linux services, network traffic, device control, media playback, and basic Android applications reasonably well.
The limitations become obvious with heavier workloads. Large web pages, software compilation, CPU-based emulation, and complex desktop applications benefit from larger out-of-order cores. Even the older RK3399 can be faster in some CPU tasks because it includes two Cortex-A72 performance cores.
The difference is larger with the RK3588, which combines four Cortex-A76 cores with four Cortex-A55 cores. Our article about Arm Cortex-A76 architecture and performance explains why those cores provide a much more responsive desktop experience.
| Component | Rockchip RK3568 |
| CPU | 4× Cortex-A55, up to 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G52 2EE |
| NPU | Up to 1 TOPS |
| Process | 22 nm |
| Memory | DDR3, DDR3L, DDR4, LPDDR3, LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X |
| ECC support | Available with compatible memory designs |
| Video decoding | H.265, H.264 and VP9 up to 4K60 |
| Video encoding | H.264 and H.265 up to 1080p60 |
| Display interfaces | HDMI 2.0, eDP, LVDS, MIPI-DSI, RGB and EBC |
| High-speed I/O | PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.1, SATA 3.0 and USB 3.0 |
The RK3568 Is Really an I/O Chip
The CPU isn’t the most interesting part of the RK3568. Its high-speed interfaces are.
Rockchip gave the chip PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.1, up to three SATA 3.0 interfaces, USB 3.0, and networking options that include QSGMII. A board manufacturer can use those interfaces for NVMe storage, SATA drives, additional Ethernet controllers, cellular modems, Wi-Fi modules, or other PCIe devices.
That makes the RK3568 a better fit for a compact NAS, router, industrial gateway, or NVR than its CPU performance might suggest. A faster consumer processor with fewer interfaces could require USB bridges or additional controllers to build the same device.
Of course, the SoC specification doesn’t guarantee that every RK3568 board has three SATA ports or two Ethernet connectors. Board designers decide which interfaces to expose, and some low-cost SBCs use only a small part of what the chip supports.
Gigabit Ethernet also requires an external physical-layer transceiver. If you’ve noticed an RTL8211F chip near the Ethernet port on a Rockchip board, our guide to the Realtek RTL8211F Ethernet PHY explains what it does.
RK3568 Versus Other Rockchip Processors
The RK3568 and RK3566 look almost identical in a basic specification table. Both have four Cortex-A55 cores, Mali-G52 graphics, a 4K60 video decoder, and an NPU rated at up to 1 TOPS.
The practical difference is connectivity. The RK3566 was designed for less complicated consumer products, while the RK3568 offers more useful storage, networking, PCIe, and display options. If a board only needs HDMI, USB, and one Ethernet port, there may be little reason to pay for an RK3568. If it needs SATA storage or several network interfaces, the difference matters.
| SoC | CPU | GPU | NPU | Maximum video decode | Practical position |
| RK3399 | 2× Cortex-A72 + 4× Cortex-A53 | Mali-T860 MP4 | None | 4K60 | Older SBCs with better single-core CPU performance |
| RK3566 | 4× Cortex-A55 | Mali-G52 2EE | Up to 1 TOPS | 4K60 | Affordable consumer devices and basic SBCs |
| RK3568 | 4× Cortex-A55 | Mali-G52 2EE | Up to 1 TOPS | 4K60 | Industrial, network and storage products |
| RK3576 | 4× Cortex-A72 + 4× Cortex-A53 | Mali-G52 MC3 | 6 TOPS | Up to 8K | Newer mid-range AI and multimedia devices |
| RK3588 | 4× Cortex-A76 + 4× Cortex-A55 | Mali-G610 MP4 | 6 TOPS | Up to 8K60 | High-performance SBCs and edge AI systems |
Rockchip’s product range wasn’t always this broad. The company started with much simpler media processors before moving into Linux-capable application processors, AI chips, and modern SBC platforms. We covered that development in Rockchip’s path to modern SBCs.
Multimedia and AI Have Clear Limits
The RK3568 can decode H.265, H.264, and VP9 video at up to 4K60. It also supports two independent displays through HDMI 2.0, eDP, LVDS, MIPI-DSI, RGB, and other interfaces. That is enough for digital signage, industrial displays, control panels, and media players.
Video encoding is limited to 1080p60, and the ISP supports cameras up to 8 megapixels. Those capabilities work for monitoring and basic embedded vision, but this isn’t the chip for a modern multi-camera system processing several high-resolution streams.
The NPU follows the same pattern. Up to 1 TOPS is useful for lightweight object detection, classification, and other small models, but it is far behind the 6 TOPS accelerators in the RK3576 and RK3588. AI can be a supporting feature on an RK3568 device; it probably shouldn’t be the device’s main reason to exist.
The RK3588 is much faster, but it also raises the board price and cooling requirements. Our RK3588 SBC comparison shows how much complete boards can differ even when they use the same flagship processor.
Software Support Matters More Than the Logo
RK3568 boards commonly run Linux or Android, and the platform has been available long enough to develop a reasonably mature software ecosystem. Basic CPU, storage, networking, and display support is generally available, including through mainline Linux for many functions.
But hardware video decoding, camera pipelines, Mali GPU acceleration, and NPU access may still require vendor kernels, binary components, or board-specific packages. Two boards with the same RK3568 can therefore provide very different Linux experiences.
Before buying one, check the actual operating-system images, kernel version, documentation, update history, and support for the interfaces you plan to use. The processor tells you what is technically possible. The board and its software determine how much of that potential is practical.
Is the RK3568 Still Worth Using?
The Rockchip RK3568 isn’t fast by current SBC standards. Its Cortex-A55 cores and Mali-G52 GPU are better suited to embedded workloads than desktop computing, gaming, or serious AI inference.
But replacing it with an RK3588 isn’t automatically an upgrade for every product. If the device needs SATA, PCIe, multiple network interfaces, 4K video, and moderate CPU performance, the RK3568 may cost less, consume less power, and require less cooling.
That is why the chip has aged better in industrial equipment than in consumer SBCs. Its CPU is ordinary. Its I/O is what keeps it useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Rockchip RK3568 good for Linux?
Yes, but support quality depends on the board. Networking, storage, and basic display functions are generally well supported, while hardware video, NPU, camera, and GPU features may require vendor software.
What is the difference between RK3568 and RK3566?
Their CPU, GPU, NPU, and media capabilities are similar. The RK3568 offers more PCIe, SATA, networking, and display connectivity, making it better suited to industrial and network devices.
Is the RK3568 faster than the RK3399?
Not in every workload. The RK3399’s Cortex-A72 cores can deliver better single-threaded performance, while the RK3568 has newer efficiency cores, an integrated NPU, and more flexible I/O.
Can the RK3568 play 4K video?
Yes. Its hardware decoder supports H.265, H.264, and VP9 at up to 4K60. Actual playback performance depends on the operating system, drivers, and media software.
Does the RK3568 support NVMe and SATA?
The SoC supports PCIe and SATA, but individual boards may expose only some of these interfaces. Always check the board specification rather than relying on the RK3568 feature list.
How powerful is the RK3568 NPU?
It provides up to 1 TOPS for compatible neural-network workloads. That is sufficient for smaller edge-AI models but far below the 6 TOPS performance of the RK3576 and RK3588.