RK3399
The long-lived hexa-core SoC (2× A72 + 4× A53) behind a generation of SBCs and Chromebooks. It has PCIe 2.1 x4, dual Type-C/DP and a very mature mainline story. RK3399Pro added a separate 3 TOPS NPU.
- 2× A72 + 4× A53
- PCIe 2.1 x4
- Mature mainline
- Dual ISP
- Long-term availability
Specifications
| Architecture | ARMv8-A big.LITTLE |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2× Cortex-A72 up to 1.8–2.0 GHz + 4× Cortex-A53 up to 1.4–1.5 GHz |
| GPU | Arm Mali-T860 MP4 |
| NPU | None (RK3399Pro: 3 TOPS NPU) |
| Memory | DDR3 / DDR3L / LPDDR3 / LPDDR4, up to 4 GB |
| Storage | eMMC 5.1, SD 3.0, SPI flash, NVMe over PCIe |
| Video decode | 4K@60 H.265 / VP9, 4K@30 H.264 |
| Video encode | 1080p@30 H.264 |
| Display | HDMI 2.0, eDP 1.3, DP 1.2 (via Type-C), MIPI DSI ×2; dual display |
| Camera / ISP | Dual ISP (13 MP each), MIPI CSI-2 ×2 |
Interfaces
| PCIe | PCIe 2.1 x4 |
|---|---|
| USB | USB 3.0 Type-C ×2 (with DP alt mode), USB 2.0 host ×2 |
| Ethernet | 1× GMAC (RGMII) |
| MIPI | MIPI CSI-2 ×2, MIPI DSI ×2 |
| I2C / SPI / UART | I2C ×9, SPI ×6, UART ×5 |
| Other | I2S, SPDIF, PWM, SARADC, SDIO 3.0 |
Interface counts depend on pin-muxing and combo-PHY configuration. Verify against the official RK3399 datasheet / TRM.
Development
One of the best-supported ARM SoCs in mainline, with Panfrost GPU, Hantro/rkvdec video and ISP.
Older Android releases; community ports exist for newer versions.
Mainline U-Boot with open-source TPL/SPL. No DDR blob is required.
Include rk3399.dtsi.
Upstream Buildroot defconfigs for many boards.
meta-rockchip.
Operating systems
Typical use cases
- Legacy products & long-tail maintenance
- Chromebooks and ARM laptops
- Mainline-first projects
RK3399 Tutorials
Build Mainline U-Boot for Rockchip (RK3588, RK3568, RK3399)
Build a mainline U-Boot image with TF-A and the Rockchip DDR blob, then write it to SD, eMMC or SPI flash.
Build the Rockchip Linux Kernel (Vendor BSP and Mainline)
Cross-compile a Rockchip kernel on an x86 host, install the Image, DTB and modules, and know when to choose the vendor BSP or mainline.
Configure GPIO on Rockchip: Pin Numbering, Device Tree and libgpiod
Convert GPIO3_B5-style names to Linux line numbers, drive pins with libgpiod, and describe them properly in the device tree with pinctrl and overlays.
Flash Any Rockchip Board with rkdeveloptool (Linux & macOS)
Build rkdeveloptool from source, set up udev permissions, and flash raw images, partitions and SPI flash on Rockchip boards.
How to Identify a Rockchip SoC (from Linux, U-Boot, USB or the Chip Marking)
Five quick ways to find out exactly which Rockchip SoC and board you are dealing with, even on an unknown device.
Rockchip Boot Process Explained: BootROM, TPL, SPL, BL31, U-Boot and Linux
A stage-by-stage walkthrough of how a Rockchip SoC boots, where each piece lives on flash, and how to tell from the serial log which stage failed.
Rockchip Ethernet PHY Debugging: RGMII Delays, MDIO and Link Problems
No link, link but no traffic, or heavy packet loss on a Rockchip GMAC? Diagnose PHY detection, RGMII timing, clocks and reset in a systematic order.
Rockchip USB Device Not Detected: Host, OTG, VBUS and PHY Checklist
A USB port that shows nothing in lsusb usually has a role, power or PHY problem. Here is the order to check them on Rockchip SoCs.
What Is MaskROM Mode? Rockchip Recovery and Loader Mode Explained
MaskROM is the Rockchip BootROM's USB recovery mode, the reason Rockchip boards are nearly unbrickable. Learn how to enter it, how it differs from Loader mode, and how to flash from it.
Boards using RK3399
Compare RK3399
RK3399 FAQ
What CPU does the RK3399 have?
The RK3399 uses 2× Cortex-A72 up to 1.8–2.0 GHz + 4× Cortex-A53 up to 1.4–1.5 GHz (ARMv8-A big.LITTLE), built on a 28 nm process.
Does the RK3399 have an NPU, and how many TOPS?
No, the RK3399 has no NPU (None (RK3399Pro: 3 TOPS NPU)). AI workloads run on the CPU or GPU, or on an external accelerator.
What memory does the RK3399 support?
DDR3 / DDR3L / LPDDR3 / LPDDR4, up to 4 GB.
Does the RK3399 support PCIe and NVMe SSDs?
Yes: PCIe 2.1 x4. NVMe SSDs work on PCIe lanes routed to an M.2 M-key slot, provided the controller, PHY, power and reset are enabled in the device tree.
Which operating systems run on the RK3399?
Mainline Linux (mature), Vendor Linux 4.4 / 4.19, Android 7–11, Debian, Ubuntu, Buildroot, Yocto, ChromeOS. One of the best-supported ARM SoCs in mainline, with Panfrost GPU, Hantro/rkvdec video and ISP.
What video can the RK3399 decode and encode?
Decode: 4K@60 H.265 / VP9, 4K@30 H.264. Encode: 1080p@30 H.264.
Which boards use the RK3399?
Boards in our database include Pine64 ROCKPro64. See the hardware database for full specs.
What is the RK3399 used for?
Typical applications: Legacy products & long-tail maintenance, Chromebooks and ARM laptops, Mainline-first projects.
Documentation & official resources
- Rockchip official website
- Rockchip open-source wiki
- rockchip-linux on GitHub (kernel, U-Boot, rkbin, tools)
- Mainline U-Boot: Rockchip board docs
- linux-rockchip kernel tree (mainline SoC support)
Have a RK3399 question not covered here? Ask the community or browse RK3399 questions.
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Designing with RK3399?
Schematic and carrier-board design, BSP bring-up, device tree, drivers and AI integration for RK3399-based products.