#raspberry-pi #cm5 #carrier-board #homelab #open-hardware #buying-guide # Overview Full survey of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 carrier / baseboard options as of 2026-09-11 — 42 boards across official, compact, full-size I/O, NAS, cluster, industrial and robotics categories. Two things are flagged for every board: whether **anyone outside the vendor has written about it**, and whether **design files are actually published**. Those two columns are the point of this note — the CM5 carrier market is full of boards that exist only as a vendor product page. Companion note: [[CM5 Carrier Boards with NVMe]] covers the narrower NVMe-boot question for the CM5002000 Lite module, plus the config.txt / BOOT_ORDER procedure. Interactive version (sortable, filterable): [CM5 Carrier Board Index](https://claude.ai/code/artifact/a8ce6920-8bff-4994-b46f-fd9530f1d26f) ## Column key | Marker | Meaning | |---|---| | Reviews: **Yes** | A substantive independent piece — hands-on review, build article, teardown, documented project | | Reviews: **Brief** | Exists in a database or short news post; nobody has put one on a bench in public | | Reviews: **None** | Searched, came up empty | | Open: **Full** | Complete design files (KiCad / Altium / Gerbers) under a stated licence | | Open: **Sch** | Schematic PDF and maybe 3D models, no editable source | | Open: **No** | Nothing published | # Design ## CM5 is not a drop-in for every CM4 carrier - Same 55×40 mm outline and the same pair of 100-pin Hirose connectors, so it **physically** fits CM4 boards. - Appendix C of the CM5 datasheet documents roughly two dozen pins that moved — clustered around Ethernet, USB and the MIPI lanes. That is where CM4 carriers break. - CM4 exposed separate CAM0 / CAM1 / DISP; CM5 consolidates to **two combined 4-lane DSI/CSI-2 ports**. Camera-heavy CM4 boards often will not map cleanly. - CM5 adds **2× USB 3.0 via RP1**. A CM4 carrier never routed those, so USB 2 speeds are the ceiling. - Power moved onto the module (Pi 5-style PMIC). The CM4 IO board's 12 V barrel jack is gone on CM5IO — budget **5 V at 5 A**. - PCIe is officially **Gen 2 ×1** per the datasheet. Gen 3 works the same unofficial way it does on a Pi 5 — not something to design around. See [[CM5 Carrier Boards with NVMe]] for the `dtparam=pciex1_gen=3` procedure. ## Module cost dominates CM5 now starts at **$67.50** and the 16 GB / 64 GB wireless SKU is **$375**. The carrier is rarely the expensive half of the build — which argues against optimising too hard on a $10 board price difference. # Resources ## Official | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [CM5 IO Board Rev 2](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/compute-module-5-io-board/) | $20–31 | Full | Yes — [Geerling](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2024/raspberry-pi-cm5-2-3x-faster-drop-upgrade-mostly/), [Tom's](https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-compute-module-5-review) | 160×90 mm. M.2 M-key, 2× USB 3.0, GbE, 2× HDMI 2.0, dual MIPI, HAT+, RTC. $20 list; shop around. Full build detail: [[Raspberry Pi CM5 IO Board Rev 2]] | | [CM5 Dev Kit](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/cm5-dev-kit/) | $195 | Full | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/11/27/a-first-look-at-the-raspberry-pi-development-kit-for-cm5/) | CM5 4 GB/64 GB wireless + IO board + case + cooler + 27 W PSU | | [EDATEC ED-CM5IO](https://www.edatec.cn/ext/CM5_IO_Board) | ~$45 | Full | Brief | EDATEC build of the reference design; publishes its own design-file zip | ## Compact and mini | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Waveshare CM5-NANO-A](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-nano-a.htm) | $14.99 | Sch | Yes — [kevsrobots](https://www.kevsrobots.com/reviews/waveshare-cm5-nano-a.html) | 55×40 mm. GPIO, 1× USB 3.2, dual MIPI, microSD. No Ethernet, HDMI or PCIe | | [Waveshare CM5-NANO-B](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-nano-b.htm) | $17.99 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/03/17/waveshare-cm5-nano-b-compact-raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board/), [kevsrobots](https://www.kevsrobots.com/reviews/waveshare-cm5-nano-b.html) | Adds GbE, mini-HDMI, PCIe FFC, audio, USB-C 5 V/5 A. Best coverage-per-dollar on the list | | [Waveshare CM5-IO-BASE-A](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-io-base-a.htm) | $19.99 | Sch | Brief | 85×56 mm. PCIe FFC, no M.2. Geekworm sells a *different* board with the same name | | [Waveshare CM5-IO-BASE-B](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-io-base-b.htm) | $23.99 | Sch | Yes — [kevsrobots 4.4/5](https://www.kevsrobots.com/reviews/waveshare-cm5-io-base-b.html) | Same as A but on-board M.2 M-key (2230/2242) plus EEPROM + ATSHA204 | | [Waveshare CM5-to-Pi5 Adapter](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-to-pi5-adapter.htm) | $18.97 | Sch | Brief | Pi 5 port layout. GbE, 4× USB, 2× HDMI, PCIe FFC, USB audio codec, RTC | | [Seeed CM5 MINIMA](https://www.seeedstudio.com/CM5-MINIMA-p-6485.html) | $65 | Full | Yes — [Hackster](https://www.hackster.io/news/seeed-studio-partners-with-pierluigi-colangeli-on-the-compact-cm5-minima-carrier-341006c314b6), [Liliputing](https://liliputing.com/cm5-minima-is-a-tiny-65-raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board-with-m-2-ethernet-and-hdmi/) | 61×61 mm, CERN-OHL-S v2. M.2 for NVMe or Hailo-8L, on-board STM32 + accelerometer | | [Argo CM5](https://www.crowdsupply.com/azlan-works/argo-cm5) | TBD | Full | Yes — [Hackster](https://www.hackster.io/news/azlan-works-argo-cm5-a-tiny-battery-ready-raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-readies-for-crowdfunding-3c87ecbff079) | 55×41 mm with **on-board LiPo charging**. Pre-launch, not shipping | | [Diodes Delight Piunora](https://www.crowdsupply.com/diodes-delight/piunora) | $30–39 | Full | Yes — [LinuxGizmos](https://linuxgizmos.com/open-spec-piunora-and-mirkopc-carriers-for-rpi-cm4-feature-m-2-for-nvme/) | Arduino Uno footprint, M.2 B-key underneath. CM4 board, vendor-confirmed CM5 forward-compatible (power button needs a solder jumper) | | [Pineboards Modulo5 Basic / IO PoE+](https://pineboards.io/collections/carrier-boards-cm4-cm5) | €35 / €47 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/17/raspberry-pi-cm5-gets-carrier-boards-poe-poe-plus/) | Pi 5 form factor with the Pi 5 PCIe HAT connector. M.2 2280, 25 W PoE+ on the IO variant | | [Geekworm CM5-Tiny](https://geekworm.com/products/cm5-tiny-kit) | $49.90 | No | None | CNC case included. One 16-pin PCIe slot — NVMe *or* Wi-Fi 7 *or* 2.5G NIC *or* Coral TPU | ## Full-size I/O, routers and gateways | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Waveshare CM5-PoE-BASE-A](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-poe-base-a.htm) | $31.99 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/17/raspberry-pi-cm5-gets-carrier-boards-poe-poe-plus/), [kevsrobots 3.9/5](https://www.kevsrobots.com/reviews/waveshare-cm5-poe-base-a.html) | 160×90 mm, 802.3af/at PoE, M.2 2230–2280 with NVMe boot. Unresolved forum report of `brcm-pcie` link-down on 8/16 GB eMMC CM5s | | [Waveshare CM5-DUAL-ETH-BASE](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-dual-eth-base.htm) | $54.99 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/08/21/raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board-supports-dual-ethernet-1gbe-2-5gbe-and-wide-7v-36v-dc-input/) | 1 GbE + 2.5 GbE, M.2 NVMe boot, 7–36 V input. Router/firewall candidate | | [Waveshare CM5-DUAL-ETH-MINI](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-dual-eth-mini.htm) | $23.99 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/04/19/cm5-dual-eth-mini-box-is-a-dual-gigabit-ethernet-router-box-for-the-raspberry-pi-cm5/) | 55×68 mm. Dual GbE and nothing else — no HDMI, MIPI or PCIe | | [Waveshare CM5-DUAL-ETH-4G/5G-BASE](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-dual-eth-4g-5g-base.htm) | $55.99 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/11/10/raspberry-pi-cm5-industrial-carrier-board-features-dual-ethernet-optional-4g-lte-5g-cellular-connectivity-metal-case/) | M.2 M-key **and** M.2 B-key for a modem, plus GPIO6 modem power control | | [Waveshare CM5-IO-WIRELESS-BASE](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-io-wireless-base.htm) | $51.29 | Full | None | 2× isolated RS485 + 1× isolated CAN, dual M.2, 7–36 V screw terminal. Apache-2.0 GitHub repo and zero reviews | | [Waveshare CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-eth-rs485-4g-base.htm) | $70.95 | Sch | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/04/10/raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board-dual-ethernet-quad-rs485-4g-lte-5g/) | 4× isolated RS485, isolated DI, 10 A relay, dual M.2, 7–36 V | | [MCUzone 5003 CM5 5G Router](https://wiki.mcuzone.com/) | $69.99+ | No | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/08/11/70-raspberry-pi-cm5-5g-router-expansion-board-offers-five-gbe-ports-supports-up-to-four-4g-lte-modems/) | **Five Ethernet ports**, up to four 4G/5G modems at once | | [MCUzone 5009 CM5_3ETH + ~18 more](https://wiki.mcuzone.com/) | varies | No | None | 3× Ethernet, native PCIe, 2× HDMI + 2× MIPI. Roughly 20 CM5 SKUs, essentially no independent press and no schematics | ## NAS and storage | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Radxa Taco v1.61](https://radxa.com/products/io-board/taco/) | $65 | Sch | Yes — [Liliputing](https://liliputing.com/this-board-turns-a-raspberry-pi-cm5-into-a-nas-with-support-for-5-hdds/), [LinuxGizmos](https://linuxgizmos.com/radxa-taco-updated-for-raspberry-pi-cm5-with-5x-sata-and-raid-support/) | **5× SATA** + M.2 2280 + M.2 2230 E-key, 2.5 GbE + GbE. ==v1.61 is CM5-only; v1.3 is CM3/CM4-only — check the revision== | | [Exaviz Cruiser / Lite / Keel](https://www.exaviz.com/product-page/cruiser-carrier-board-v1-0) | $99–149 | No | Yes — [Hackster](https://www.hackster.io/news/exaviz-turns-the-raspberry-pi-compute-module-5-into-a-16-port-poe-switch-dual-drive-nas-powerhouse-e909574ce53f) | 8-port GbE PoE+ switch (16 with add-on), 2.5 GbE WAN, 2× SATA with hardware RAID, M.2, on-board ESP32-C6 for Wi-Fi 6 / Zigbee. NDAA 889 | | [Axzez / Exaviz Interceptor v2.0](https://www.exaviz.com/interceptor) | $79–99 | No | Yes — [Geerling (CM4)](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2022/building-desktop-pi-pc-axzezs-interceptor/), [Electronics-Lab](https://www.electronics-lab.com/axzez-releases-interceptor-os-with-raspberry-pi-cm5-and-banana-pi-support/) | JMB585 for 5 drives, RTL8367 switch with 4× GbE. **With CM5: no USB 3, no PoE, power button disabled** | | [Geekworm XNAS1](https://geekworm.com/products/xnas1) | $99 | No | None | 4-bay 3.5″ SATA with steel cage, 1 GbE + 2.5 GbE, 120 mm fan. Cannot boot from SATA — OS on eMMC or microSD | | [Geekworm X1502](https://geekworm.com/products/x1502) | $72 | No | None | **4× M.2 M-key** up to 16 TB, 1 GbE + 2.5 GbE, 12 V/5 A. All four share the one PCIe lane | | [Geekworm X1500 / X1501](https://geekworm.com/products/x1500) | $48 / $55 | No | Brief | Dual M.2, 2× HDMI, PoE header, Hailo-8 support. X1501 trades two USB ports for 2.5 GbE over USB 3.0 | | [Geekworm X1507](https://geekworm.com/products/x1507) | $51 | No | None | Fanless by design for a sealed case. Dual M.2 (2230/2242 only). Vendor quotes ~57 °C after 30 min load | ## Cluster | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Sentinel Core](https://www.crowdsupply.com/sanctuary-systems/sentinel-core) | $129 | Full | Yes — [Hackaday](https://hackaday.com/2025/12/28/raspberry-pi-gets-desktop-form-factor/), [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/04/03/sentinel-core-raspberry-pi-cm5-mini-itx-carrier-board-with-a-pcie-x16-slot/) | Mini-ITX with a **physical PCIe ×16 slot**, 24-pin ATX power, CERN-OHL-P. Takes a real HBA, NIC or GPU | | [Uptime Lab Compute Blade](https://computeblade.com/) | ~$90/blade | Full | Yes — [Geerling DB](https://pipci.jeffgeerling.com/boards_cm/uptime-lab-compute-blade.html) | 1U blade, 20 per chassis. M.2 up to 22110, 30 W PoE+, TPM 2.0. ==Listed CM4+CM5 but no public report of anyone running CM5 blades== | | [Sipeed NanoCluster](https://wiki.sipeed.com/hardware/en/cluster/NanoCluster/index.html) | varies | Full | Yes — [Geerling](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/sipeed-nanocluster-fits-7-node-pi-cluster-6cm/), [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/08/05/sipeed-nanocluster-palm-sized-cluster-board-takes-up-to-7-system-on-modules/) | 7 SOM slots in 88×57 mm, RISC-V GbE switch. **65 W budget — Sipeed says 4–5 CM5s, not 7** | | [DeskPi Super4C](https://deskpi.com/products/deskpi-super4c-raspberry-pi-cm5-cluster-mini-itx-board-esp32-wroom-32e-n4-module-supports-2-4ghz-wi-fi-bluetooth-power-supply-included) | $219 | Sch | Yes — [Geerling](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2026/deskpi-super4c-sbc-cluster/) | Mini-ITX, 4 nodes, **CM5 only**. ESP32 BMC for per-node power, 2× INA3221 monitoring, redundant 19 V inputs, 89 W PSU included | ## Industrial and DIN-rail | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Oratek TOFU5 / TOFU5+](https://store.oratek.com/products/tofu5plus) | CHF 129 / 189 | Sch | Brief | Swiss-made. 4× USB 3.0, dual M.2, crypto IC, **5–36 V in**. Both sold out; all the strong press is CM4-era TOFU | | [EDATEC ED-IPC3630](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/03/24/edatec-ed-ipc3630-raspberry-pi-cm5-powered-industrial-pc-di-docan-bus/) | £237–376 | No | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/03/24/edatec-ed-ipc3630-raspberry-pi-cm5-powered-industrial-pc-di-docan-bus/) | DIN-rail. 4× isolated RS232/485, 2× isolated CAN, 8× DI, 8× DO, 9–36 V, −25 to 60 °C, supercap option | | [EDATEC ED-IPC3100 / 3110](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/11/edatec-ed-ipc3100-raspberry-pi-cm5-based-industrial-computers/) | $280–288 | No | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/11/edatec-ed-ipc3100-raspberry-pi-cm5-based-industrial-computers/) | Compact industrial computer. RS232/485, dual Ethernet, optional 4G | | [Waveshare IPCBOX-CM5-A / -B](https://www.waveshare.com/ipcbox-cm5-a.htm) | $99.99 | Full | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/03/05/raspberry-pi-cm5-industrial-computer-features-rs485-rs232-can-bus-dio-interfaces-dual-ethernet-optional-4g-5g-cellular-module/) | Aluminium, DIN + VESA. 4× RS485 (A) or 2+2 RS232 (B), CAN, isolated DIO, dual M.2, 7–36 V | | [Seeed reComputer Industrial R2145](https://www.seeedstudio.com/reComputer-Industrial-R2145-12-p-6549.html) | quote | No | Brief | Fanless, −20 to 65 °C. 2× isolated RS485/RS232/CAN FD, DIO, optional **Hailo-8 at 26 TOPS** | | [Sixfab ALPON X5 AI](https://sixfab.com/product/alpon-x5-ai/) | $549 | No | Yes — [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/07/30/alpon-x5-raspberry-pi-cm5-edge-ai-computer-25-tops-accelerator-4g-lte-connectivity/) | DeepX DX-M1 NPU, **25 TOPS in ~3.5 W**, LTE with eSIM, 9–30 V, IP40 | | [Kunbus RevPi Connect 5](https://revolutionpi.com/shop/en/revpi-connect-5) | ~€499 | No | Brief | TH35 DIN-rail, RS485, CAN FD, **TPM 2.0**, 24 V, RevPi module bus | | [Techbase ModBerry 500 CM5](https://modberry.techbase.eu/modberry/modberry-500-cm5-new-processor-module-for-industrial-iot-automation/) | quote | No | Brief | DIN-rail, configurable DIO/AIO, RS232/485, CAN, 1-Wire, M-Bus, CODESYS. Support committed through 2036 | | [Chipsee CS-CM5-BOX / PPC / EPC](https://chipsee.com/product/cs-cm5-box/) | $239–349 | No | Brief | Box PC plus 5″, 7″ and 10.1″ touch panel PCs with RS232/485 and CAN FD | | [Waveshare CM5-HMI-BOX / HMI-xA-ACCE](https://www.waveshare.com/cm5-hmi-box-a.htm) | $82.99–129.99 | No | None | Fanless box PC and 7/8/10.1″ touch all-in-ones. Least-documented products in Waveshare's CM5 line — no schematic, no write-up | | [Makerfabs Industrial Computer / Panel PC](https://www.makerfabs.com/raspberry-pi-cm5-based-industrial-computer.html) | $247–316 | No | None | Standard industrial port set | | [Comfile ComfilePi CPi-J](https://comfiletech.com/linux-panel-pc/) | quote | No | None | UL-listed panel PC, GPIO I/O expansion boards, USB CFNET modules | ## Robotics, handheld and odd | Board | Price | Open | Reviews | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | [ARK Just A Pi](https://arkelectron.com/product/ark-just-a-pi/) | $335 | No | Yes — [Hackster](https://www.hackster.io/news/a-raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board-with-zero-footprint-penalty-dbf35ca6f141), [CNX](https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/08/31/ark-just-a-pi-a-tiny-ndaa-compliant-raspberry-pi-cm5-carrier-board-for-drones-and-robots/) | Mounts to the back of the CM5 at the same outline. JST-GH and FFC only, built-in 100 Mbps switch. NDAA compliant | | [ClockworkPi uConsole + CM5 adapter](https://www.clockworkpi.com/uconsole) | kit | Full | Yes — [Geeky Gadgets](https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/uconsole-from-clockwork-pi-diy-handheld-linux-pc-gets-a-raspberry-pi-compute-module-cm5-upgrade/) | Handheld cyberdeck, GPLv3 schematics and case files. CM5 adapter unlocks PCIe/NVMe, USB 3.0 and a fan header — the fan is not optional | | [Cytron CM4 Maker Board](https://www.cytron.io/p-cm4-maker-board-and-kits) | ~$40 | No | None | Maker breakout with expanded GPIO/audio/camera headers. ==CM5 compatibility is a vendor claim with no independent confirmation== | # Troubleshooting ## Known not to work with CM5, or barely - **Turing Pi 2 / 2.5** — a Turing Pi forum moderator states CM5 "is not currently supported on any Turing Pi v2 cluster board," despite company social posts claiming otherwise. Users report dead USB-A, dead NVMe and mPCIe, boot only in nodes 1–2, >90 °C idle and PSU under-power warnings. [Forum thread](https://forum.turingpi.com/t/23484197/rpi-cm5) - **DeskPi Super6C** — DeskPi's own [wiki](https://wiki.deskpi.com/super6c/) calls CM5 support partial, warns USB and NVMe may not work, and points CM5 buyers at the Super4C. - **BTT Manta M5P / M8P** — BIGTREETECH documents CM4 and CB1 only. GitHub issues [#131](https://github.com/bigtreetech/Manta-M8P/issues/131) and [#142](https://github.com/bigtreetech/Manta-M8P/issues/142) report CM5 boot failures on M8P V2, both unanswered by the vendor. Relevant to the existing Manta M5P + CM5 pairing — worth knowing the official position if it ever misbehaves. - **PiKVM** — V4 Plus and V4 Mini are still CM4. No CM5 model or roadmap found. - **Axzez / Exaviz Interceptor** — CM5 boots and holds 2.4 GHz under 24 h load, but current firmware has no USB 3, no PoE, and the power button is disabled. ## Corrections to secondary reporting - **"CM5 IO Board Rev 2 moved the fan mount for better cooling"** — widely repeated (originating in Hackster's coverage) and **not what the PCN says**. [PCN 25](https://pip-assets.raspberrypi.com/categories/1168-pcn/documents/RP-008021-PC-3-PCN%2025_%20Raspberry%20Pi%20CM5%20IO%20board%20revision%202.pdf) records *"Mechanical (Form, Fit, Function) Changes: No change"*. Rev 2 is a FAN-output pull-up, an LED driver simplification and two silkscreen fixes. The reporting appears to conflate the board revision with a separate IO Case revision. Details in [[Raspberry Pi CM5 IO Board Rev 2]]. - **CM5 module "from $45"** — that is the November 2024 launch floor, still quoted everywhere. Actual floor as of 2026-09-11 is **$67.50**. ## Naming collisions to watch for - **"CM5-IO-BASE-A"** — Waveshare and Geekworm both ship a board under this exact name. Completely different products. - **"CM5 Tiny"** — Geekworm and MCUzone both use it. - **"Waveshare CM5 Base"** on pipci is the same product family PiShop and The Pi Hut list as **"Mini Base Board A/B"** — this resolves the open question in [[CM5 Carrier Boards with NVMe]]. # Decisions - **Best open-hardware pick with real coverage: Sentinel Core ($129).** Mini-ITX with a physical PCIe ×16 slot, CERN-OHL-P, covered by Hackaday, CNX and Notebookcheck. The only CM5 board that takes a standard HBA or NIC. - **Cheapest honest NAS path: Radxa Taco v1.61 ($65).** Five SATA ports plus M.2. Nothing else in that price band does real SATA. - **Best small open board: Seeed CM5 MINIMA ($65).** CERN-OHL-S v2, 61×61 mm, M.2 that takes a Hailo-8. - **Cheapest reviewed board with Ethernet + HDMI + PCIe: Waveshare CM5-NANO-B ($18).** - **Avoid Geekworm and MCUzone unless the spec is unbeatable.** Between them that is ~26 boards with essentially zero independent coverage and no published design files. Geekworm's XNAS1 is a $99 four-bay SATA NAS carrier nobody outside the vendor appears to have touched. - **Coverage is wildly uneven by vendor.** Waveshare ships ~15 CM5 SKUs and CNX Software has reviewed most of them; that alone makes Waveshare the safer budget choice over Geekworm at similar prices. - **Open-source and well-reviewed is a short list:** CM5 MINIMA, Sentinel Core, Compute Blade, Sipeed NanoCluster, the official CM5 IO Board, and Argo CM5 (not shipping yet). # TODO - ==Verify Pineboards is still trading — pineboards.io did not resolve correctly during the 2026-09-11 research pass, redirecting to an unrelated site. Confirm the store is genuinely live before entering payment details== - ==Compute Blade lists CM4 + CM5 but no independent report of CM5 blades running exists — ask in their community before committing to a rack== - ==Sentinel Core: confirm what actually works in the ×16 slot on a Gen 2 ×1 lane before planning an HBA build== - ==Radxa Taco is pre-order via arace.tech — check lead time and whether v1.61 has actually shipped== - ==Decide whether a CM5 NAS is worth it at all vs. adding storage to the existing Proxmox cluster== # References - [Raspberry Pi PCIe Database — CM boards (geerlingguy)](https://pipci.jeffgeerling.com/boards_cm/) - [Jeff Geerling — CM5 is 2-3x faster, drop-in upgrade (mostly)](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2024/raspberry-pi-cm5-2-3x-faster-drop-upgrade-mostly/) - [CM5 module datasheet (PDF)](https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cm5/cm5-datasheet.pdf) — Appendix C lists the CM4 → CM5 pin differences - [CM5 IO Board datasheet (PDF)](https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cm5/cm5io-datasheet.pdf) - [Raspberry Pi design files portal (PIP)](https://pip.raspberrypi.com/categories/1098-design-files) — CM5 IO Board KiCad - [CNX Software — CM5 tag archive](https://www.cnx-software.com/) - [[CM5 Carrier Boards with NVMe]] — NVMe-focused buying guide and boot configuration - [[Raspberry Pi CM5 Cooling]] — heatsinks, active coolers, thermal data, and cooling on the Manta M5P/M8P