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MIPS Creator CI20 Now Available, Costs $65 USD

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  • MIPS Creator CI20 Now Available, Costs $65 USD

    Phoronix: MIPS Creator CI20 Now Available, Costs $65 USD

    While many Linux users still cringe over hearing Imagination Technologies due to their shoddy Linux graphics driver history with the PowerVR series and lack of open-source friendship, their MIPS Creator CI20 development board just became available for sale and in the months ahead we'll see how their Linux support evolves...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    I'm not sure I like it's weird shape. Specs are definitely impressive.

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    • #3
      Driver state for other components

      and no information on the driver state of the board's other components.
      All other components have open drivers, and the only other binary firmware is for the WiFi/Bluetooth (see http://elinux.org/CI20_Distros#Debian_7_FSF_Image and http://elinux.org/CI20_upstream)

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      • #4
        Originally posted by b15hop View Post
        Specs are definitely impressive.
        Well, not really. The jz4780 is rather "old" (core-wise), I'd get one if imgtec put
        a cpu with their p5600 core on it (the ones with the interesting new features, like
        micromips or the addressing mode extensions).
        Last edited by mlau; 04 December 2014, 04:31 PM.

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        • #5
          PowerVR is definitely holding the MIPS architecture back these days. Act, IMG. Act.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by libv View Post
            PowerVR is definitely holding the MIPS architecture back these days. Act, IMG. Act.
            Agreed. I'd much rather have the same board but with a JZ4770. Ingenic had been using Vivante GPUs up till they made the JZ4780; the JZ4770 is a little slower, but with a Vivante GC860 gpu.

            @mlau: IIRC, Alexandru Voica said (either here or on the imgtech blog, I forget which) that it's usually somewhere in the 16-20 month range to go from design to hardware on the market, which would mean that you won't see that till Summer 2016 at the earliest.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by jhogan View Post
              All other components have open drivers, and the only other binary firmware is for the WiFi/Bluetooth (see http://elinux.org/CI20_Distros#Debian_7_FSF_Image and http://elinux.org/CI20_upstream)
              The GPU component in the Peripheral Drivers section is still conveniently blank.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Sonadow View Post
                The GPU component in the Peripheral Drivers section is still conveniently blank.
                I did intentionally say "other" twice to clarify I was only refuting the FUD in the article about the questionable state of the other drivers.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by phoronix View Post
                  Sadly, Imagination Technologies made no announcement concerning the open-source support for this board with the PowerVR OpenGL driver surely to be a binary blob and no information on the driver state of the board's other components.
                  I have one of these boards running Gentoo, and it uses a proprietary firmware blob for the WiFi (this was already mentioned by jhogan).
                  The graphics uses the framebuffer or modesetting driver depending on the kernel version. Only if you want accelerated graphics you need to install a proprietary driver blob (along with an old X server).

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by libv View Post
                    PowerVR is definitely holding the MIPS architecture back these days. Act, IMG. Act.
                    While I would appreciate MIPS being pushed alot more, the rather horrible halfassed product management was a problem ever since SGI "went bad" and the reason competitors could advance towards and in some cases beyond the area and power-efficiency.
                    Nowadays its also the issue fighting the overwhelming industry support of ARM, there are tons of IP blocks ready and tested to use for Arms AMBA buses and whatnot. Its an uphill battle, and PowerVR will struggle to get some of the market share back.

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