ZimaBoard is a single board computer that can be used for many projects, such as building a home media center, network attached storage , or a smart home router. It is designed to be an affordable and customizable alternative to other single board computers such as the Raspberry Pi or Arduino.

ZimaBoard is powered by Rockchip RK3399 6-core processor and comes with 2GB or 4GB or 8GB of RAM. It also includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI out, USB 3.0 and USB Type-C ports, and a 40-pin GPIO connector.

A unique feature of ZimaBoard is its modular design, which allows users to add or remove various modules to customize its functionality. For example, users can add a SATA module to connect hard drives, or a PCIe module to add additional ports or devices.

Overall, ZimaBoard is a versatile and affordable option for DIY and hobbyists looking to create custom computer projects.

Zimaboard

In recent years, quite a few low-cost x86 SBCs have appeared on the market, mostly based on the Intel Cherry Trail processor, such as the Atomic Pi and Rock Pi X. Ice Whale Technology has developed its low-cost Intel single board computer, the ZimaBoard “single board server” , which is primarily designed for network storage solutions, but thanks to a mini DisplayPort connector with 4K support, it can also be used as a standard SBC or mini PC.

There are two versions of the board with Apollo Lake processors: the ZimaBoard 216 with a dual-core Celeron N3350 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC flash, and the ZimaBoard 832 with a quad-core Celeron N3450 processor with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

In recent years, quite a few low-cost x86 SBCs have appeared on the market, mostly based on the Intel Cherry Trail processor, such as the Atomic Pi and Rock Pi X. Ice Whale Technology has developed its low-cost Intel single board computer, the ZimaBoard “single board server” , which is primarily designed for network storage solutions, but thanks to a mini DisplayPort connector with 4K support, it can also be used as a standard SBC or mini PC.

There are three versions of the board with Apollo Lake processors:

• The ZimaBoard 216 with a dual-core Celeron N3350 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC flash,
• The ZimaBoard 432 with a quad-core Celeron N3450 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage,
• The ZimaBoard 832 with a quad-core Celeron N3450 processor with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

Get ZimaBoard

ZimaBoard is not a “hacker board” in the sense that it is not designed specifically for hacking or security testing.

While it is true that ZimaBoard is a versatile and customizable single-board computer, and it can be used for various purposes including security testing, its primary purpose is not focused on hacking or illegal activities.

What zimaboard is used for

ZimaBoard can be used for a wide range of applications, including but not limited to:

• Media center: ZimaBoard can be used as the basis for a DIY home media center, running software such as Kodi or Plex to stream and organize media content.
• Network-attached storage (NAS): ZimaBoard can be used to build a low-cost NAS device, providing centralized storage for data and media files that can be accessed by other devices on the same network.
• Router/firewall: ZimaBoard can be configured to act as a router or firewall, using open-source software such as OpenWRT or pfSense to manage network traffic and security.
• IoT hub: ZimaBoard can be used as a hub for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing a central point for managing and controlling various sensors and smart devices.
• Gaming system: ZimaBoard can be used to build a small gaming system, running retro games or lightweight modern titles.
• Computer cluster: Multiple ZimaBoards can be combined to create a low-cost computer cluster, suitable for parallel processing or distributed computing tasks.

Overall, ZimaBoard’s versatility and modular design make it a flexible platform for a wide range of computing projects and applications.

ZimaBoard Specs

The board is passively cooled by a case that acts as a heatsink and comes with Linux by default, though it hasn’t been revealed which distribution it will be, possibly Ubuntu 20.04. But since it’s an x86 platform, other operating systems are supported, including Windows, OpenWrt, pfSense, Android, and LibreELEC.

Typical use cases include a personal NAS, a VPN gateway, a software router, a 4K media server, or a Smart Home gateway. It can also be used to stream 4K videos. The PCIe slot offers more flexibility than other similar SBCs, but it’s likely to be awkward to use as the board will just hang outside the case.

ZimaBoard operating systems

ZimaBoard supports a variety of operating systems, including:

• Android: ZimaBoard comes with a pre-installed Android 8.1 image, which can be used as a general-purpose operating system or as a platform for developing Android applications.
• Linux: it supports a range of Linux distributions, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Kali Linux will work perfect on Zimaboard.
• FreeBSD: ZimaBoard also supports the FreeBSD operating system, which is a Unix-like operating system that can be used for server applications, networking, and security.
• Windows: it can run Windows 10 IoT Core, a version of Windows 10 designed for Internet of Things devices.
• Other operating systems: ZimaBoard is compatible with other operating systems, such as OpenBSD and NetBSD, which can be used for various server and networking applications.

In general, the choice of operating system depends on the specific application and requirements of the project. Users can choose the operating system that best suits their needs and can install it on the ZimaBoard.