26 July 2024, 12:37 | #1 |
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Cheap-o MiSTer clones have arrived
Seems the first 99USD MiSTer "clones" have already appeared (and promptly disappeared).
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005007...apt=4itemAdapt They have one with baked in 128 RAM too though, at 129 USD https://t.co/G3ClbQe4yE It's not compatible with official daughter boards, but they say they will produce their own. What does it mean for Amiga fans? Well, now you can have an HDMI-capable FPGA board for under 150 USD, and it handles Amiga A500 / A1200 core with extremely high accuracy. I think A500 is cycle accurate (or thereabouts). A1200 isn't - it's somewhat faster than the real thing, but still pretty much spot on (you can use RTG as well). Plus, of course, it covers most of the old microcomputers and consoles up to PSX/Saturn/N64 level. Seriously recommended as an extremely capable emulation box. And if you're a CRT fan, it's the best solution out there. |
26 July 2024, 13:17 | #2 |
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26 July 2024, 13:30 | #3 |
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Yeah, I don't know that 100%, hence "thereabouts". It can be a tricky thing to ask about.
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26 July 2024, 13:54 | #4 |
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Not sure that I would jump on that wagon, at least not yet. I don't think we need clone of MiSTer FPGA, we need future one with faster CPU and more memory that is capable to mimic Sega DC, GC and Pentium PCs. One with possible eMMC instead of sd micro card.
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26 July 2024, 15:46 | #5 | |
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The full-stack MiSTer, which is still the most promoted one (even though it's a bit silly) will set you off north of 500 USD. Even a basic one, similar to this board + RAM would be > 300 USD.
So, bringing the price to this level, approachable for mass consumer is quite a breakthrough. Of course, if you already have a MiSTer this news might leave you cold, but tbh I feel an itch to get one even though I have 2 already. Quote:
Terasic's also prepping a new board (DE-25) but I doubt it'll be a cheap affair. Last edited by dreadnought; 26 July 2024 at 15:53. |
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26 July 2024, 16:32 | #6 | |
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Quote:
As you say, the chipset's not cycle accurate but with a few exceptions (in particular, the way scroll registers are handled) it mostly does the right things at the right time now. |
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26 July 2024, 18:22 | #7 | |||
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Quote:
Don't get me wrong, I like cheap(er), but in this case incapability of 'clone' with real board means you either will have to have the same teams working on 2 different projects, or new teams trying to copy what original team has done and make it work. In worst case you will have erosion of support for MiSTer FPGA project and less programmers supporting either one. Quote:
Quote:
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28 July 2024, 17:49 | #8 | |
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Quote:
And on the software side, as long as the clones are 100% compatible then it doesn't make any difference for the core devs. |
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28 July 2024, 23:51 | #9 |
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I would say go for it - it could hardly be any worse than the Terasic DE-10 nano, which has basically no protection against damage from static or other sources, then the FPGA ends up with dead pins and nothing can be done.
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29 July 2024, 07:35 | #10 |
Digital Corruption
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All currently showing as unavailable (sold out) on the Aliexpress store page.
I might pick one up when they come back into stock though, price is right. Some earlier QMTECH products had issues where they didn't follow manufacturer instructions regarding PCB trace lengths to DDR rams. Keep an eye out for any bug reports before taking the plunge. Cheers, Red |
30 July 2024, 22:14 | #11 |
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There is a
[ Show youtube player ] video about these clones.
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