Orange Pi Zero 3W Review: $25 Dual Video Pi Zero 2W Killer?

Connectivity

This board provides all the essentials for constructing a compact multimedia device capable of streaming music and video in 1080P quality. Bluetooth connectivity performed excellently when paired with an external speaker. Expect a wireless throughput of approximately 300-350 Mbps.

If you prefer a wired connection, you’ll likely be pleased to know that we successfully used our USB to LAN 1 Gbps adapter, which the operating system recognized automatically. This option works well, and we recommend using a compatible USB Type-C hub with sufficient USB ports. Additionally, an Ethernet USB adapter based on the popular Realtek chip should provide good compatibility with this board.

A PCIe 3.0 socket is included as well.

Another remarkable feature of this compact board is its PCIe 3.0 socket, which offers read and write speeds of 700–900 MB/s, significantly surpassing microSD. By using this interface, you can connect an external NVMe SSD; however, you will need to draw 5V power from the GPIO header or the USB Type-C port and will also need to purchase the appropriate adapter and a compatible flat cable. Having said that, if this option seems too complex and assuming you have a proper USB hub, you can simply connect an external USB-powered HDD to one of the USB ports.

What You Need

Here are the two available hardware options:

✔ Option B — Key‑E → PCIe x1 Riser → NVMe Adapter

Best for external mounting or tight cases.

✔ Option C — Powered NVMe Carrier Board

Useful for high‑power NVMe drives that may draw more than the SBC can supply.

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The device enx000ec684043d has been recognized as our Ethernet to USB adapter.

root@orangepizero3w:~# ifconfig
enx000ec684043d: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.1.171  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.1.255
        inet6 2a0d:6fc2:5c50:4b00:5ff4:cde8:a649:4e3f  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fdbb:78b2:6f99:0:85b8:d043:a5e2:7d2f  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fe80::965f:c71d:2a31:d46d  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 00:0e:c6:84:04:3d  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

Our USB to Ethernet adapter is hooked up to the Orange Pi Zero 3W board via a USB hub.

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Wireless Connectivity Speed

The board features integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support that operates effectively. According to information found on Google, the Cdtech 20800D8-00 (also known as CDW-20800D8-00 and based on the AIC8800D80 chip) is an ultra-compact, surface-mount (SMD) wireless module. It supports dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.4, making it ideal for embedded hardware and Single Board Computers. Based on our general tests, the average output we achieved using our 1GB fiber ISP plan was approximately 320-350 Mbps. This number is not fixed and may improve with some adjustments to OS settings.

Core Specifications

• Chipset: AIC8800D80
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (up to 600.4 Mbps) & Bluetooth 5.4
• Antenna: Features a connector for an external IPEX antenna.
• Data Interface: SDIO/USB interface.

The Orange Pi Zero 3W WiFi/BT Chip

The option for an external antenna

The board includes a simple wired antenna connected to the board’s MHF4 socket. While this may not be the optimal setup, if you prefer an alternative configuration, consider designing a case with a mounting hole that can accommodate a WiFi antenna with an SMA connector.