MediaTek Helio X20 - 10 freaking cores in a smartphone

[Aniallation]

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/12/mediatek-helio-x20-deca-core-mobile-chip/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi&a_dgi=aolshare_reddit

 

Two Cortex-A72, four 2GHz Cortex-A53, and four 1.4GHz Cortex-A53. This actually sounds like a great combination. Two strong cores for great performance in highly single-threaded workloads, four slightly weaker cores for great performance in highly multi-threaded workloads, and four low-power cores for good efficiency in everything else.

 

Basically three different CPUs, each best for a certain scenario, combined into a single chip for best of all 3 worlds. Dual-core isn't a slouch either if it's an architecture with powerful IPC, which is why dual-core devices like the iPhone 6 and Nexus 9 still haul ass.

 

Interested in seeing how this plays out, and how well the Cortex-A72 architecture performs. It'd be awesome if there was a way to manually switch between which cores to use.

 

 

 

MediaTek is now prepping the launch of a deca-core aka 10-core chip dubbed the Helio X20, which will succeed the octa-core Helio X10 (MT6795) that's already powering HTC's Asia-only One M9+ plus several upcoming Chinese flagship phones. MediaTek is sampling its new chip in Q3, and the first commercial devices to use it will arrive as early as end of this year.

 

While ten cores may seem an overkill, the 20nm Helio X20 is actually more about its "Tri-Cluster" architecture that consists of two 2.5GHz Cortex-A72 cores, four 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores and four 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 cores. So basically, on the CPU side the Helio X20 is very much a Helio X10 with two more Cortex-A72 cores, but with the original eight Cortex-A53 cores running on slightly lower speeds.

 

So here comes the classic question: Can all ten cores run simultaneously? Moynihan says while that's allowed, the chip's software will always pick the ideal clusters to handle different threads. For instance, mail apps and simple messaging apps can run on the low-power cluster, whereas casual games and multimedia apps can make do with the middle cluster, thus leaving the high-power cluster to resource-intensive games and other heavy duty apps. Statistically speaking, you won't often see all ten cores operating at the same time.

 

"I think it's much more likely that it will be a subset of the ten cores but in different configurations, depending on the load that might be on at the same time," the exec added. "In theory, the scheduler can turn on all ten [cores] if necessary; of course, subject to any thermal constraints that the device may have."

 

[Aytex]

pc master race phone?

[Victorious Secret]

Still a cooler chip than the 810

[Opcode]

MediaTek has been supposedly working on HSA support I wonder if that will come next year or what. A real game changer in the mobile industry with applications that consume fractions of the power with better response and faster performance.

[Deli]

Try to run AutoCAD and Adobe Premiere Pro on your phone?

[JAKEBAB]

Still a cooler chip than the 810

But is it anywhere near as good?

[Trik'Stari]

'

 

Seriously....IT'S A PHONE.

[GoldSrc]

'

 

Seriously....IT'S A PHONE.

Why not?, yeah it's a phone, but is not like they shouldn't do it.

For most people this may sound dumb, but who knows.

[Syntaxvgm]

Why not?, yeah it's a phone, but is not like they shouldn't do it.

For most people this may sound dumb, but who knows.

great. qhd and 4k screens on A FUCKING PHONE BUT NOT FOR 17 INCH FUCKING LAPTOPS ! GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Guest Kloaked]

'

Seriously....IT'S A PHONE.

I never understood it either until my phone starts chugging on certain loads.

It's probably because of how shitty android is on performance.

[WereCat]

'

 

Seriously....IT'S A PHONE.

Well... assuming you will get a lot of applications that can take advantage of more cores then you can have a lot more cores that can be clocked a lot lower resulting in more power savings.

[Bouzoo]

great. qhd and 4k screens on A FUCKING PHONE BUT NOT FOR 17 INCH FUCKING LAPTOPS ! GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I agree on QHD but god please, no 4k on 17 inch. At least not yet

[LukaP]

Well... assuming you will get a lot of applications that can take advantage of more cores then you can have a lot more cores that can be clocked a lot lower resulting in more power savings.

Not really. Phone workloads (apart from gaming) are mostly all of a race to sleep scenario. And id rather have 2 A72 doing most the work but sleeping 90% of the time due to their strenght then needing to wait for the small A53s to do their job, and consume more power doing it (usually)

 

A perfect config for me would be 2x A72 @2.5GHz or more (used for most workloads, like opening a webpage, sending a text,...) and 2x A53 @1.5GHz used for any kind of sustained workload like playing music/films, general OS stuff and so on. 

This would perform within margin of error with the chips of today, and use alot less power doing it.

[cesrai]

I never understood it either until my phone starts chugging on certain loads.

It's probably because of how shitty android is on performance.

That's a bold statement got evidence supporting you ?

[Guest Kloaked]

That's a bold statement got evidence supporting you ?

Anyone with an android knows the solution is to throw more power at the app/phone.

Look at how efficient iOS is.

[Victorious Secret]

Anyone with an android knows the solution is to throw more power at the app/phone.

Look at how efficient iOS is.

iOS still kicking ass with a dual core.

Checkmate, spec whores.

[cesrai]

Anyone with an android knows the solution is to throw more power at the app/phone.

Look at how efficient iOS is.

By iOS efficient you mean when it's in standby ??? cause all the iPhones I've used and my friends have run of out battery ( don't ever turn on 4G if you want some more battery life )the same way other phones do at least as far as I can see.

[cesrai]

iOS still kicking ass with a dual core.

Checkmate, spec whores.

You know I never got that, freaking Apple mobile CPUs are amazing and I think the A8X had like the highest IPC for ARM.

[Guest Kloaked]

By iOS efficient you mean when it's in standby ??? cause all the iPhones I've used and my friends have run of out battery ( don't ever turn on 4G if you want some more battery life )the same way other phones do at least as far as I can see.

I don't know what the battery has to do with the processing efficiency of iOS but okay.

[cesrai]

I don't know what the battery has to do with the processing efficiency of iOS but okay.

That's why I asked you what you meant with efficiency.

[Guest Kloaked]

That's why I asked you what you meant with efficiency.

To be fair, I had no idea what your point was in that post due to how you worded it.

[cesrai]

To be fair, I had no idea what your point was in that post due to how you worded it.

Will with the battery one yes but with the question it was correctly worded as far as I can see.

[Guest Kloaked]

Will with the battery one yes but with the question it was correctly worded as far as I can see.

I'm responding to a thread about a mobile processor. I made a comment about android not being efficient and another in comparison to iOS. You should be able to put two and two together mate.

[cesrai]

I'm responding to a thread about a mobile processor. I made a comment about android not being efficient and another in comparison to iOS. You should be able to put two and two together mate.

Sadly I can't.

Will do in next time.

[TwistedDictator]

The comments on here lol Its like they only read the title.I'll make it short, the rest you can do a bit of reseearch...

 

Firstly why have 10 cores? Here is a quote I grabbed

 

 

"I think it's much more likely that it will be a subset of the ten cores but in different configurations, depending on the load that might be on at the same time," the exec added. "In theory, the scheduler can turn on all ten [cores] if necessary; of course, subject to any thermal constraints that the device may have."

 

So the 10 cores can be activated at the same but there are many things that come to play. The 10 cores will deactivate when its not being used... well ok, but what the point?

 

Here are a few things how cores can simply improve the system :

• When pushing for a higher resolution as it requires more power
• 2 cores is just crap. The question is when I have a app running both cores im limited and increases thermal (just making it simple) BUT it all depends on how the much the app is optimized with the hardware.
• 10 cores can last you a long time for the tech guys. Look at the samsung Galaxy S2, at that time apple fan boys were like "the screen is too big" "I dont care about hardware" and that then they had their crappy iphone 3GS or 4 (i love the 4) but anyway the S2 has good specs, just root the phone and get the latest rom (lollipop) and you phone is now awesome, no need to buy a new phone.

This is just some simple stuff. You may aruge with me if you like lol