We recently posted only the other day about the new “Ultimate64“, a C64 FPGA board with an Ultimate II+ built in! This is very exciting News and I have added this board to my “to-buy” list. However I have just found some more C64 News regarding a similar project, not FPGA based but a new reproduction C64 board. Casian over on Twitter has just announced that the C64 Reloaded MK2 will be available in the first week of August!
The Commodore 64 Reloaded MK2 is a C64 Motherboard for building a C64 on your own. The board is shipped with empty ZIF sockets for the key chips such as CPU, port chips, sound/video chips. All other components are already assembled and pre-tested before shipment.
For building a C64 computer with this board, you need to supply the key chips on your own:
- CPU 6510 or 8500
- two pcs. CIA 6526 or 8521
- video chip 6567, 6569, 8565 or 8562
- one or two sound chips 6581 and/or 8580
This leaves me with a difficult decision, do I go with the FPGA or the purist board? Both are quite expensive, but are great solutions to owning a brand new C64 computer! Which would you choose?
good question. the MK2 just has s-video, the ultimate has hdmi, the mk2 doesn’t emulate anything (ok, apart from some parts like the pla) but uses real chips – but you need them at first, ultimate has a real sid chip (if you like) and includes Ultimate-II+. both need an (original or new) case.
the mk2 has some flash rom for using own roms.
they both have good arguments. needs definitely more research before making a decision ;-)
I’m dying inside quietly waiting for the Mega65 to actually be released.
oh yes, the one shown at revision. so there are 3 options (each for a different audience I’d guess):
* Ultimate 64
* C64 Reloaded mk3
* Mega65
(and there is MIST, too)
@Kitty: how about a comparision post about those ;-)
sorry for the “mk3” typo – it should read “mk2” .. the mk3 will be the successor of the mk2, but is based on fpga (like the ultimate 64)
mk2 is now available for preordering with delivery 31 Oct 2017…
I’m going the mk2 route – together with a new case (sx 64 style – see https://shop.return-magazin.de/newsletter/index.html) and with spare c64 parts (5 original chips needed, have a spare keyboard as well).