London-based Imagination Technologies has announced that it is now shipping its Creator CI20 microcomputer. This direct competitor to little-computer king, Raspberry Pi, is noted specifically for its low-power requirements while still pumping out high-performance graphics. Particularly, the C120 is capable of running the Quake 3 game engine at 1080p while using just 2.5 watts of power at a very competitive price point.
The Creator CI20 is now shipping at a price of $65 and is capable of running Linux and Android 4.4 KitKat. Powered by a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, this microcomputer includes PowerVR SGX540 graphics, dedicated lower-power video hardware capable of 1080p at 30fps and full wireless connectivity (Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11b/g/n). Additionally, it has 1GB of on-board RAM, 4GB of flash memory, an SD expansion slot and a HDMI output.
Microcomputers have found increased popularity in recent years with its competitive pricing and ability to be customized to user-specific needs. They have opened up a whole new world of educational and at home, hobbyist computing because its simple design. The CI20 comes in at roughly $20 more than most Raspberry Pi models but offers an expanded feature set with significantly upgraded internals. In comparison, the CI20 packs a processor that is nearly double in speed of the Raspberry Pi B+ and wireless networking, which the B+ lacks.
You can order direct from Imagination Technologies from its online store with shipping set to begin today.
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Creator CI20 now shipping to Europe and North America
by on January 29, 2015 in MIPS Processors, PowerVR Developers, PowerVR Graphics
The Creator CI20 microcomputer made quite a splash at its original launch in December, impressing reviewers with good specifications and an affordable price tag. The development board has been widely popular with the maker community, being already used in several home automation and IoT projects.
Creator CI20 was also recently featured in a CES 2015 article from The Tech Report – the editors were amazed to see it running the Quake 3 game engine at 1080p while sipping less than 2.5 watts of power.
The wait is over: Creator CI20 is finally here
Today we are announcing that Creator CI20 is now shipping to developers from Europe and North America (full list of countries here) who’ve pre-ordered the microcomputer since launch.
For those unfamiliar with the development board, Creator CI20 sports an Ingenic JZ4780 application processor which packs a dual-core 1.2 GHz MIPS-based CPU, a PowerVR SGX540 GPU and a H.264-capable video decoder. Storage specs include 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of flash (we’ve added 4 GB more for all your multimedia needs) and an SD card slot for additional memory.
Connectivity options consist of Fast Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0. A full-size HDMI port allows you to hook up a 1080p screen, while Debian 7 keeps things running on the software side; users can also install other versions of Linux or Android 4.4 KitKat.
Unboxing and quick hands-on
We recently received some samples in our office last week and the first thing we did was to take out our cameras and snap some photos; several pictures of the final retail package can be found below.
We’ve made Creator CI20 purple!
The box contains a (very purple) Creator CI20 development board, a power cable and a basic user manual containing a summary of the spec sheet.
The complete retail package, including the microcomputer and the power cable
I’ve also compiled a short hands-on review of the board, covering gaming, web browsing and a few other multimedia apps under Linux and Android; you can find the videos here and here.
Get your Creator CI20 now for $65/£50
For more information on how to purchase Creator CI20, head over to our international store or follow www.imgtec.com/creator to visit our dedicated product page.
Creator CI20 is the ideal board for developers looking for that perfect mix of good performance at ultra-low power (and a reasonable price tag of $65/£50). If you’ve already received your Creator CI20 development board, share your unboxing videos or photos on Twitter using the #CreatorCI20hashtag.
Make sure you also follow us on Twitter (@ImaginationTech, @MIPSdev, @PowerVRInsider) for the latest news and announcements from Imagination.
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