facebook rss twitter

MediaTek launches "world’s first true octa-core" mobile processor

by Mark Tyson on 20 November 2013, 13:15

Tags: ARM, MediaTek

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab5hb

Add to My Vault: x

MediaTek Incorporated of Taiwan today announced the launch of the MT6592 System on a Chip (SoC). The firm claims this processor is the “world’s first heterogeneous computing SOC with scalable eight-core processing”. The chip is built at 28nm and each core is capable of running each at up to 2GHz. The SoC also includes a quad-core graphics engine which supports Ultra-HD 4Kx2K H.264 video playback.

MediaTek claims to be a price-performance leader and the MT6592 will be used to build on the success of existing MediaTek quad-core mobile platforms. The new SoC utilises MediaTek’s Heterogeneous Computing (HC) architecture, distributing the workload to different kinds of processors and other specialized computing engines to optimize performance. The 28nm chip’s ARM Cortex A7 cores can be used “in any combination” while temperature and power consumption are monitored to keep the processor ticking away without incident. MediaTek compares its true octa core processor with competitor examples in the chart below.

“We are thrilled to offer the new MT6592 to our customers as part of our ongoing commitment to providing inclusive mobile technology,” said Jeffrey Ju, MediaTek General Manager, Smartphone Business Unit. “The MT6592 delivers longer battery life, low-latency response times and the best possible mobile multimedia experience. Being the first to market with this advanced eight-core SOC is testament to the industry-leading position of MediaTek.”

Of course an SoC is more than a collection of CPU cores and the MT6592 also boasts a quad-core ARM Mali graphics engine which can support Ultra-HD 4Kx2K H.264 video playback and video frame rate smoothing to 60fps. Looking at communications capabilities, the SoC’s advanced multi-mode cellular modem enables dual-band 801.11n Wi-Fi, Miracast screen-sharing, Bluetooth, GPS and an FM tuner.

The new octa-core MT6592 processor is expected to be available in Android devices before the end of 2013. Also it will be powering Android KitKat devices on the market early in 2014.



HEXUS Forums :: 15 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
8 cores good, in theory… but it's marketing BS - the ARM A7 (not the confusingly named Apple A7) is slow per core compared to the best A9 or better cores.

Far better to have a quad core of something faster per core, actually load those single thread apps at better than snail pace. Hell even the dual core SoCs based on Apple A7, Atom or high clocked Krait would be a better user experience than this.
Hmm. 8 cores @2Ghz. Would be pretty quick IF IPC is good. Otherwise a waste, still waiting on software to catch up to hardware.
The only problem with MediaTek chips is that MediaTek refuse to release their frameworks, leading anyone who wishes to create custom ROMs completely in the dark and unable to do anything.
wyte_w0lf
Hmm. 8 cores @2Ghz. Would be pretty quick IF IPC is good. Otherwise a waste, still waiting on software to catch up to hardware.

It's 8 slow A7 cores, running a software catalogue that is optimised for 1 or 2 cores mostly. 8 snails do not make a cheetah… it'll be pants for phones.
kingpotnoodle
It's 8 slow A7 cores ….

Slow compared to what though? My stepson has a phone with a dual A5 core @ 1GHz and it's plenty fast enough for all the tasks he does including mobile gaming. A7 cores are faster than A5 cores, and in this SoC they're clocked at up to twice the clock speed. So the processor isn't slow by any reasonable real-world definition. Now, whether the software makes good use of it or introduces lag is another matter - my LG O2X is fairly laggy sometimes, but that's not the Tegra 2 SoC's fault…