Quoted from PinMonk:

SEE:Lack of schematics for spike node boards.

Quoted from hocuslocus:

Your right, and I guess even if the components are cheaper in the end there are a crap ton more of them being used in a smaller area.
But 1k for a cpu board? I've built several PC's for cheaper then that with higher specs. Just wish they did something that was interchangeable, with the mainstream.
I was able used a 2017 parts on my RFM/SWE1 build. Mainly because I wanted to use a smaller form factor mobo to use the original P2k 2000 case.
Ran into a lot of compatibility issues though, since nucore was built on ubuntu 10.1 or something like. think I was able to get away with using ubuntu 15.10, while keeping all the original libs compatible with that version. Lot of fun, learned a lot about Linux.
Think regardless of what they do there is only so many years of software compatibility, unless they update the build with each release.
it's the same reason why a lot of apps stop working after a new IOS release.

that's basically what half the posts on internet forums are. I appreciate when people correct me, it all helps me understand the different viewpoints and aspects of the topic on hand. Then you have the people who get super defensive, and won't hear anything else regardless of how illogical their viewpoint may seem. Think we are all guilty of this to some extent though.

Quoted from gstellenberg:

We don't really suggest any particular processing element over any other. Every pinball manufacturer has different requirements, and the P3-ROC works with any processing element that can master the USB bus. Machines with our boards use processing elements ranging from R-Pis (custom machines with low processing needs) to new Intel motherboards with separate NVidia video cards (P3) and everything in between (Up boards, Intel NUCs, etc). CPU/GPU power, memory size, and cost can scale with the needs of a particular machine.
- Gerry
https://www.multimorphic.com

Quoted from mcbPalisade:

I don't think the processor is the issue per se, it is the chipset

Quoted from PinMonk:

Electronics in the backbox on B/W machines, not on the playfield where vibration is amplified like spike is. Also B/W boards use much more robust through-hole tech with little or no surface-mount tech. Spike is almost all SMD, which is not super strong.
I'm really surprised there's no hard disk-style anti-vibration grommets used for board mounting spike node boards. Pretty cheap and it would isolate at least the vibration issue out of contention.

Quoted from pinballwil:

I'am 43 years in the pinball hobby, repaired almost every brand, collected/owned hundred+ pinball machines. Building 3 machine's myself.
And now for the first time bought a Stern spike 2 (JP)
Always was very sceptic about spike because I had a highway FT with a bricked node board (my wife fixed it).
Now with Spike 2 i took the gamble because
Spike is a few years on the market now.
It like it a lot and a spare node cost only 178 dollar if I can't repair it. So 200 buck for a 8k machine isn't a big deal. Cpu is 1300,thats very steep. Maybe they comes cheaper in the future.
System looks mutch robust than I thought.
A old tech like myself can't fix smd so my brain has some resistance for smd pinball machines hahaha. I'am happy with my Stern JP, glad to have it.