RK3566 vs H700: SoCs Comparison

Choosing the right SoC (system-on-chip) matters more than ever when you design tablets, mini-PCs, media players or embedded devices. This article provides a neutral, engineer-focused comparison of the Rockchip RK3566 and the Allwinner H700, highlighting where each excels, and explains which is a better fit depending on product goals.

Quick summary RK3566 vs H700

• RK3566 – a low-to-mid range, efficient quad-core Cortex-A55 platform with Mali-G52 GPU, good multimedia support and solid software/ecosystem for RK-based products. Great for low-power tablets, kiosks, industrial HMIs, and cost-sensitive mini-PCs.
• H700 (Allwinner) – a quad-core Cortex-A53 multimedia-centric SoC with Mali-G31 GPU and a focus on 4K60 video decoding and display features (HDMI2.0, SmartColor picture engine). Suited to dedicated media boxes, lightweight gaming consoles and low-cost handhelds

Comparison table – RK3566 vs H700

(RK3566 vs H700 Table: compiled from vendor briefings, community datasheets and independent spec summaries.)

Detailed analysis – when to pick RK3566

Choose RK3566 if you need:

• Better CPU efficiency and updated microarchitecture: Cortex-A55 offers a good balance of single/multi-thread efficiency and power draw for battery devices and always-on HMIs
• A more flexible ecosystem: Rockchip platforms have broad board partner support, multiple carrier boards and active SDKs which speeds development for tablets and mini-PCs.
• Reasonable GPU & codec support for UIs, web content, and light media playback – while keeping BOM cost down.

Limitations: If your product absolutely requires 4K@60 seamless hardware decode with advanced display features out of the box, the RK3566 variants may require additional tuning or higher-end RK SKUs.

Detailed analysis – when to pick Allwinner H700

Choose Allwinner H700 if you need:

• Dedicated 4K60 video playback and display features: H700 is marketed specifically as a multimedia platform with native 4K@60 10-bit decode and HDMI2.0 interfaces, plus Allwinner’s SmartColor image engine – attractive for OTT boxes or low-cost console/handhelds focused on video.
• Simplicity for pure multimedia appliances: If the device is a media-centric product with limited background AI/compute needs, H700 can be a cost-effective choice.

Limitations: Cortex-A53 is an older microarchitecture than A55; for CPU-heavy apps or modern ML workloads you may want a chipset with a stronger NPU or newer cores.

Software, drivers and long-term considerations for RK3566 vs H700

Both Rockchip and Allwinner (RK3566 vs H700) offer Android and Linux BSPs (board support packages). However, Rockchip tends to have broader community contributions and multiple open-source resources for downstream developers, which can reduce time-to-market for custom firmware and Linux builds. Allwinner historically provides competitive BSPs for Android TV and multimedia appliances, but community support varies by SoC and device. Always validate long-term driver maintenance and mainline Linux support if your product lifecycle is multi-year.

Typical product examples

• RK3566: rugged tablets, industrial HMIs, low-cost Chromelike boxes, e-readers with Android UI.
• H700: 4K media streamers, budget gaming handhelds/retro consoles, HDMI-centric set-top devices.

Sources

• Rockchip RK3566 brief / datasheet (official): Rockchip brief & datasheet.
• Allwinner H700 whitepaper / brief (official): Allwinner H700 multimedia platform brief.
• Notebookcheck – RK3566 processor overview (benchmarks/spec summary).