# Brand new uConsole, CM4 or CM5? 🤔
**URL:** https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201
**Category:** uConsole
**Tags:** hardware, cm4, cm5, alternative-board
**Created:** [March 22, 2025, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201 "2025-03-22T05:58:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Joel](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Joel)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2025, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/1 "2025-03-22T05:58:31Z")
Hi all, finally bit the bullet on a uconsole, bought it without a mainboard due to trying to get faster shipping. I’m having trouble deciding whether to go with the CM4 or CM5..
I’m leaning towards the CM4 due to it sounding easier / less hassle, but wondering about people’s experiences on here. Is the CM4 too underpowered to make the uconsole useful for anything? Or does the CM5 have good speed but drain batteries too fast to be useful for anything?
Also what would you recommend to do on a fresh uconsole to improve the experience? 😁
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### Author:  [@white-round-square](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/white-round-square)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/2 "2025-03-22T11:11:52Z")
> [@Joel](#):
>
> to go with the CM4 or CM5
simple decision helper: do you want to watch youtube on uconsole?
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### Author:  [@white-round-square](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/white-round-square)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2025, 11:15am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/3 "2025-03-22T11:15:14Z")
> [@Joel](#):
>
> Also what would you recommend to do on a fresh uconsole to improve the experience? 😁
1.
> **[GitHub - cjstoddard/Clockworkpi-uConsole: 10 things to do after you get your ClockworkPi...](https://github.com/cjstoddard/Clockworkpi-uConsole)**
>
> 10 things to do after you get your ClockworkPi uConsole
buy screen protector, point 9
1. case? [Found a Case on amazon](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/found-a-case-on-amazon/16013)
2. [Just received my uConsole, now what? A list of links of interest](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/just-received-my-uconsole-now-what-a-list-of-links-of-interest/15322)
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### Author:  [@Joel](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Joel)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/4 "2025-03-25T01:25:26Z")
Not as a primary use case but I suppose it would be nice if I wanted to. Is YouTube viewing just not possible on the CM4?
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### Author:  [@Joel](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Joel)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/5 "2025-03-25T01:28:09Z")
Awesome, thanks for the link! I was also thinking of getting some replacement trackballs, I heard the default one is a bit crappy so I can replace it I don’t like it, or just keep them as spares 🙂
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### Author:  [@luqezr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/luqezr)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2025, 8:18am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/6 "2025-03-25T08:18:33Z")
I made a handheld device with both Regular RPi4 and RPi5 and the difference in performance is abysmal. Currently I’m using a RPi5 (8gb w/m.2 SSD) in my HackberryPi5 and it works flawlessly, everything is super smooth in comparison to the handheld I’ve made with the RPi4 (4gb w/MicroSD)
I bought a uConsole and still haven’t been able to use it because I’m waiting for the CM5116064 version that will release in Q2 2025, as this model has 16gb RAM and 64 eMMC, which is much faster and reliable than an SD card. 8GB version should be more than enough as well.
Another thing to keep in mind, I talked with Alex from ClockworkPi and he mentioned that they are working on a new motherboard, but he didn’t mentioned any dates or more details, so its very likely that _eventually_ a motherboard with ssd capabilities will appear eventually either by clockwork or by the community, which the CM5 can support. Besides all issues with the CM5 are logical/software so eventually they can be fixed.
TLDR buy CM5, all the issues will eventually be fixed, and whatever you buy, **make sure it has wifi**.
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### Author:  [@white-round-square](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/white-round-square)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2025, 9:10am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/7 "2025-03-25T09:10:29Z")
> [@Joel](#):
>
> Not as a primary use case but I suppose it would be nice if I wanted to. Is YouTube viewing just not possible on the CM4?
barely works in browser. you can listen, but not watch.
> [@Joel](#):
>
> I was also thinking of getting some replacement trackballs
mine is fine, but it’s very simple to replace so try it!
also people say that updating keyboard firmware to QMK also improves trackball.
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### Author:  [@YoelFievelBenAvram](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/YoelFievelBenAvram)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/brand-new-uconsole-cm4-or-cm5/16201/8 "2025-03-25T23:07:38Z")
I’m managing to watch YouTube with a maxed overclock on Firefox with hardware acceleration turned off. I get dropped frames but it’s not so bad that I can really tell.