Archive for: ARM
The mobile processor scene is about to get a lot more crowded. We already know that Intel has plans to get inside our pockets. And now LG has their own ambitions with news that the company has acquired an ARM license for Cortex-A9 and Cortex-15 processors as well as Mali-T604 graphics chips. The latter 1-2 punch will be “the” hardware in 2012 and onward, so they’re setting themselves up for domination.
Cost and manufacturing are two things Korean-based LG has lots of, so getting these chips into hardware and into our hands shouldn’t be a problem.
While the underlying structure of several of the top SoC designs from the likes of Nvidia, Samusng, and LG will be very similar, it’ll be interesting to see the small tweaks each company makes and how it affects real world performance. Who’s excited?
The question is quick and to the point: Would you buy an Intel-powered smartphone manufactured by ZTE? Current rumors say that is such a pairing would be Intel’s first foray into the world of smartphones using the company’s popular Atom netbook processor. According to the same rumor, the resulting love child would be a Chinese-only device, so if you live elsewhere, don’t get too excited — yet.
There’s always the possibility such a device could make it’s way stateside. Thus far however, only a select few ZTE devices have managed to make the trek across the pond. Though if a ZTE/Intel phone featured the needed parts to knock our socks off, the brand and processor wouldn’t really matter. What would matter is a device that can power through 1′s and 0′s faster while also sipping battery juice better than Samsung, ARM or TI’s current crop of silicon.
Can it be done? Will it be done?
The iPad 2 was long rumored to have a dual-core ARM processor humming along at 1GHz. But alas, the truth has come out and it’s not quite so true. The iPad 2′s dual-core ARM processor is actually clocked at 900MHz per core, this according to Anandtech. Is 100MHz going to make a huge difference? Hardly. Apple likely had battery life in mind when it reigned in speeds slightly. How are all the new iPad 2 owners enjoying their new tablet beauty tonight?
Besides their new GT540M mobile GPU, Nvidia had plenty more to talk about today. Hands down more exciting than some extra FPS on your latest gaming laptop was news that Nvidia is teaming up with ARM to build their own desktop CPU — yes, the Intel vs. Nvidia fight just got nasty. The Nvidia/ARM CPU is part of “Project Denver”
Nvidia is in a really good spot right now. Even though Intel reiterated they are focusing on the mobile market, their attempts thus far have been poor at best. Nvidia meanwhile already has an amazing desktop line of desktop hardware. Taking a GPU and turning it into a CPU is in our minds, a bit easier than going about it the other way — exactly what Intel is trying to do. If I were Intel, I’d be might worried right now. If one thing’s for sure, the next few years are going to be very exciting in the desktop computing scene.
While we sit here and contemplate the events that have transpired today, we offer you to jump inside and check out the press release in its entirety.
- September 9, 2010 7:07 am
Tech bloggers and smartphone junkies alike may be rantin’ and ravin’ over the upcoming ARM Cortex A9 processor and it’s lofty 1.5GHz speeds and dual-core possibilities, but there are much greater things on the horizon.
Introducing the ARM Cortex A15. This architecture, codenamed “Eagle”, will usher in heaping amounts of digital masculinity in the form of 2.5GHz clock speeds as well as dual and quad-core designs. Even more mind boggling, the A15 will feature support for up to 1TB of RAM. Yes, a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU on a phone. For the record, expect this processor of the gods to come in 32nm and 28nm variants, with plans to also take on server roles in their next life. Interesting…
Of course, the A9 isn’t even publicly available yet in any form. So to say the A15 is coming “soon” is slightly misleading. Then again, all things considered, 2013 isn’t that far off, is it? Larger pic of the A15 architecture and upcoming ARM roadmap after the jump…
- September 2, 2010 10:31 am
Intel may think they have a fighting chance in the smartphone world, but with ARM and their upcoming A9 chip, it’s more apparent than ever that Intel doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.
How can I say that? Take a look at the A9′s preliminary specs:
- 2.0GHz with “voltage overdrive” (read: Intel Turbo Boost-esque tech) can push A9 to 2.5GHz, with possible maximum at 2.8GHz.
- Oh yeah, the biggie — It’s dual-core.
The A9 chips are built upon a 28-nm process, meaning they’re tiny. With that tiny size comes a pretty hefty power savings. Though admittingly, tossing in an extra core and playing around with voltages will nullify a fair chunk of the claimed battery saving abilities.
For now, there’s not even a slight hint of when we could see these in mass produced phones. But I’ll do my part and take a stab at it: 2 years. Your turn…
Speed. Yes, we talk about it a lot here. Not in the sense of moving vehicles or anything like that, but usually referring to some form of gadget or computer part. Hey, that’s what makes us tick, right? So here it is: You’ve got a Nokia N900 but the stock 700MHz ARM Cortex A8′s stock speed just isn’t doin’ it for ya. Perfect. Overclock it!
Much like devs have already managed to overclock the Palm Pre and Motorola DROID to name a couple, the uber communty supported dream device (N900 if you didn’t follow) finally can boast that it too has some CPU headroom thanks to the efforts of Maemo forum member “Lehto”.
Trying this little trickery by yourself is only recommended if you really know what you’re doing as such, nearly double the normal speed limit probably won’t net a positive return on battery life. Also, the jury is still out on how much (if any) overclocking will hurt overall component life within the device. If you decide to risk your own N900′s life by stopping by TalkMaemo.org and reading up on the OC process, consider yourself a test dummy for the greater good…
Geeky-Gadgets > IntoMobile > Slashgear
Is the special A4 chip in the iPad so special after all? That’s what a few investigative folks at ArsTechnica are finding out after digging deeper in the matter. Apparently, the “special” for iPad A4 chip made by Apple is no more than an ARM Cortex A8 sans on chip camera modules. Mind you, this is the same chip that’s in the iPhone 3GS with the only difference being that it’s clocked higher at 1GHz as opposed to the iPhone 3GS’s 600MHz.
On one hand, removing functionality from the hardware seems like a step backward. But in reality, a chip with less fluff on board, acting solely as a CPU and GPU could be just the ticket with performance in mind. Then again, is the performance/battery increase without said modules really that great? The iPad seems like a device that would be a joy to use with video calling. Without the hardware support however, it’ll never be more than a dream.
What’s your take: Is Apple’s hack job on this “custom” chip a pro or a con?
MacLife
- February 8, 2010 11:50 pm
The Motorola DROID may be stealing a majority of the rooted Android articles with things such as 2.1 goodies ported over or 1GHz overclocking, but it’s hardly the only kid at the playground. The G1 and MyTouch 3G may be older, slower, and generally less desirable when compared to the likes of the DROID and Nexus One, but those aging devices still have some kick left in them.
Thanks to Eugene373 over at xda-forums, the MT3G (read: MyTouch 3G/HTC Magic) and G1 have been overclocked just like their bigger, hairier chested brother, to the tune of 780MHz. When pushed further, those old bucket of bolts even managed pinging the 1GHz bell.
The DROID at 1GHz is ominous enough, running at almost 2x the rated clock speed. But that ARM A8 in the DROID is a newer, more power efficient chip. The processor in both the MyTouch 3G and G1 is an older, less power efficient ARM A11. Pushing that to 1GHz is just begging for trouble, and at the very least, melted skin.
Still, the geek in me yearns to try it out. If only I had some older Android hardware to try it on… Thats where you come in. If you don’t mind voiding your warranty and risking the life of your precious Android beauty, overclock that thing and report back to us with the results.
AndroidCommunity
