Review: ODROID-N2 "So Good, I Got Two"

I picked up one of these to replace an Rpi3 running LibreElec. The N2 is the best kodi box (CoreElec) that I've ever seen. Very fast, updates libraries quickly, supports x265 encodes, 4K UHD, passes DTS:MA and Atmos tracks through to my receiver and playback so far has been flawless.

I also set up another as a desktop replacement running Ubuntu Mate 18.04. It works very well for lightweight tasks and runs Ubuntu exceptionally.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

I'm using it for almost a year so far to run a Nextcloud server
Love it because is fast and quiet since the passive cooling solution doesn't require a fan
I tried my server on a Rpi3 and XU-4 so far but N2 is miles ahead
Totally happy , no issues whatsoever , highly recommended for small server applications

Everything works so far on the hardware side. I dont like the UI of android,So I changed to Ubuntu mate. If you want a desktop like experience I think Ubuntu would serve you well. Unfortunately there are bugs. I have a 1080p monitor but the highest resolution I get from the N2 is 1360x786. Tried all things to raise it higher but no luck. Etcher doesn't run on this copy of Ubuntu. So I am still stuck at using a windows PC to create my bootable disk. Further, I have noticed that the included heat sink gets very hot. So I removed the heat sink and replaced the termal paste with Artic Silver 7. To get the old paste off took a bit of work. But with some Isopropyl alcohol nothing is impossible. Also to further keep the N2 cool I rigged up a cooler with old parts I had laying around. I think it's an 80mm 12 volt computer fan and a mounting bracket made out of plywood. Power for this fan was gained from splicing the wire that supplies the N2 with 12 volt power. I have a 12volt 5amps power supply so that supplies adequate power for the N2 and my cooling contraption. Now my N2 is ice cold!!! I am looking forward to better software support in the future so that the bugs I encountered can be resolved. In a nut shell I am very pleased with this purchase and I can recommend it to anyone. If anyone wants to see what my cooling contraption looks like please message me on WhatsApp 5926196500 and I will send you some pictures. All the best

Very happy with the N2 after years of using the XU4. Highly recommend.

Purchased five ODroid N2's and put together a home-lab cluster. For those interested, here is the link:

https://www.polarsparc.com/xhtml/N2-Cluster.html

ODroid N2 has been very snappy and responsive at everything have thrown at it. including building hyperledger docker images from source. It took half the time of what it took on ODroid C2 or Rock64 (4GB model)

I received my Odroid N2 4GB today and let me tell you it is AMAZING.

I already had an Ameridroid branded EMMC module and it worked as i expected. Plus i ordered a 16GB emmc for it as well. The Case is clear and slides into place, it's nice being able to see through it.

I installed CoreELEC's test build for the N2 right away and so far it works perfectly, i copied my Kodi setup from my Odroid C2 over to the N2 using Samba and my Win10 PC and all of my videos from my cheap NAS plays perfectly, even the HEVC x265. A few add-ons for streaming also work just fine although i am not a fan of using 3rd party add-ons.

Android PIE is good, a few Bugs but nothing major.

Ubuntu has trouble because it doesn't have hardware acceleration yet, but as we know HardKernel will fix that it's just a matter of time.

I have not messed with Petitboot or Ubuntu minimal just yet but i will soon.

If you are on the fence about ordering this i would recommend it to anyone who is unsure. It is FAST, stable, and runs super cool. It is worth every dollar!