NVIDIA Officially Unveils New Tegra X1 Mobile CPU With 256-Core Maxwell Architecture GPU

[dgstorm]

NVIDIA is taking mobile tech to a whole other level with their latest creation. The Tegra K1 was already famous for its breathtaking performance, but the brand new Tegra X1 is set to blow it out of the skies. According to NVIDIA's announcement, the new Tegra X1 mobile is based upon their desktop "Maxwell architecture deployed in the world’s top gaming graphics cards."

NVIDIA also claims the Tegra X1 “packs a full teraflop of computing power into a slice of silicon no bigger than a thumbnail.” The chip, which is packed with 8 cores on the CPU and 256 cores for the GPU, is supposedly twice as fast as the K1. Here's a quick breakdown of architectural specs for the Tegra X1:

• 256-core Maxwell GPU
• 8 64-bit CPU cores (4x ARM Cortex A57 + 4x ARM Cortex A53)
• 60 fps 4K video (H.265, H.264, VP9)
• 1.3 gigapixel of camera throughput
• 20nm process

NVIDIA plans to use this mobile super-chip in more than just tablets. It looks like it was designed to handle a number of different applications including NVIDIA DRIVE CX which is meant for high-powered in-car infotainment systems, and NVIDIA DRIVE PX, which is meant to power up self-driving cars.

The most surprising thing about this monster processor is that it is supposedly just as power efficient as the previous generation! Incredible! We have the full official press release in the thread below.

 

[dgstorm]

Here's that full NVIDIA Tegra X1 Mobile Chip press release:

"Tegra X1 is built on the same NVIDIA Maxwell(TM) GPU architecture rolled out only months ago for the world’s top-performing gaming graphics card, the GeForce(R) GTX 980. The 256-core Tegra X1 provides twice the performance of its predecessor, the Tegra K1, which is based on the previous-generation Kepler(TM) architecture and debuted at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

Tegra processors are built for embedded products, mobile devices, autonomous machines and automotive applications. Tegra X1 will begin appearing in the first half of the year.

It will be featured in the newly announced NVIDIA DRIVE(TM) car computers. DRIVE PX is an auto-pilot computing platform that can process video from up to 12 onboard cameras to run capabilities providing Surround-Vision, for a seamless 360-degree view around the car, and Auto-Valet, for true self-parking. DRIVE CX is a complete cockpit platform designed to power the advanced graphics required across the increasing number of screens used for digital clusters, infotainment, head-up displays, virtual mirrors and rear-seat entertainment.

“We see a future of autonomous cars, robots and drones that see and learn, with seeming intelligence that is hard to imagine,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO and co-founder, NVIDIA. “They will make possible safer driving, more secure cities and great conveniences for all of us.

“To achieve this dream, enormous advances in visual and parallel computing are required. The Tegra X1 mobile super chip, with its one teraflops of processing power, is a giant step into this revolution.”

Driven by the exceptional graphics compute horsepower from Maxwell, NVIDIA’s 10th-generation GPU architecture, Tegra X1 is the first mobile processor with capabilities that rival supercomputers and game consoles.

Faster Than Previous Top Supercomputer Indeed, Tegra X1 has more horsepower than the fastest supercomputer of 15 years ago, ASCI Red, which was the world’s first teraflops system. Operated for a decade by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratory, ASCI Red occupied 1,600 square feet and consumed 500,000 watts of power — with another 500,000 watts needed to cool the room it occupied. By comparison, Tegra X1 is the size of a thumbnail and draws under 10 watts of power.

As serious gamers know from using the NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 980 GPU, the Maxwell architecture solves some of the most complex lighting and graphics challenges in visual computing. Its innovations include Voxel Global Illumination, or VXGI, for real-time dynamic global illumination and Multi-Frame Anti-Aliasing, or MFAA, for incredibly lifelike graphics in the most demanding games and apps.

“Tegra K1 set a new bar for GPU compute performance, and now just a year later Tegra X1 delivers twice that,” said Linley Gwennap, founder and principal analyst of the Linley Group. “This impressive technical achievement benefits both 3D graphics, particularly on devices with high-resolution screens, as well as GPGPU software that is becoming more prevalent, particularly in automotive applications.”

Technical Specifications Tegra X1 supports all major graphics standards, including Unreal Engine 4, DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDA(R), OpenGL ES 3.1 and the Android Extension Pack, making it easier for developers to bring PC games to mobile.

Tegra X1’s technical specifications include:

-- 256-core Maxwell GPU
-- 8 CPU cores (4x ARM Cortex A57 + 4x ARM Cortex A53)
-- 60 fps 4K video (H.265, H.264, VP9)
-- 1.3 gigapixel of camera throughput
-- 20nm process

More details are available on the Tegra X1 website."

 

[johnomaz]

That is quite drool worthy. I sure hope to see more OEMs using the NVidia chip instead of sticking with the same chips they've been using for ages. Give the market some competition.

 

[dgstorm]

Agreed johnomaz! It looks like NVIDIA is on the right track to finally give Qualcomm some serious competition, at least if the future of mobile moves toward more high performance processes.

 

[cybertec69]

These chips will most likely be heat missiles, before these chips are ready for mobile phones, they need to pass tests on many fronts.

 

[FoxKat]

These chips will most likely be heat missiles, before these chips are ready for mobile phones, they need to pass tests on many fronts.

I tend to agree. All you have to do is look at the massive heatsink arrangements on their video cards to see that they appear to run hot, although I don't know if they run hotter than other CPU/GPI combinations.

Still, it's a beast, blowing away the Core i7. A Teraflops processor in your phone...wow. The days of desktops is almost completely dead. With this processing power, it could potentially be your ONLY computer. With docking station (*or wireless), and a keyboard, mouse and monitor, and perhaps a wireless NAS, this could be your home PC, your office desktop PC, your phone, your PDA, even the hub for other appliances, such as the car, the home alarm system, home entertainment system, etc. The possibilities become endless.

 

[akhenax]

Samsung Smart Dock turns your smartphone into a desktop Android and Me

These "smartdocks" were making waves 3 years ago. The future is now.

 

[FoxKat]

...Faster Than Previous Top Supercomputer Indeed, Tegra X1 has more horsepower than the fastest supercomputer of 15 years ago, ASCI Red, which was the world’s first teraflops system. Operated for a decade by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratory, ASCI Red occupied 1,600 square feet and consumed 500,000 watts of power — with another 500,000 watts needed to cool the room it occupied. By comparison, Tegra X1 is the size of a thumbnail and draws under 10 watts of power.
"

More amazing information. 15 years, and we've gone from 1,600 square feet and 1 million watts of power consumption to less than a square centimeter (48,768 times more compact) in just the footprint, not to mention the actual cubic feet of volume - a 51.31% reduction in just the physical footprint each year (or more than half again smaller each year for 15 years), and 10 watts (100,000 times more power efficient), a 53.58% reduction in power consumption per year (again half again less in power consumption each year for 15 years). That's in itself mind-boggling.

It appears Moore's law is still alive and well..

 

[FoxKat]

Samsung Smart Dock turns your smartphone into a desktop Android and Me

These "smartdocks" were making waves 3 years ago. The future is now.

Yeah, Motorola did it with the LapDock as well... There were several versions that worked with several model phones. Some are still out there and with minor modifications can be made to work with even present day phones. Motorola Lapdock Verizon Wireless

 

[kodiak799]

Hmmm....maybe I will hold off on buying a tablet a little while longer.

 

[liftedplane]

so.. a processor like this would potentially allow you to run full windows on your phone.

you could then game on your phone/tablet... this allows for extremely powerful tablets... amazing, I absolutely love what Nvidia is doing, even though they messed up when they took Voodoo over they are more than making up for it.

 

[Ollie]

A phone's battery would never support this SoC. I would imagine that is why the K1 was only featured in one phone.

 

[xeene]

Saying that they are as power efficient as previous models doesn't say much at all. In fact it translates that it will drain your 10k battery from full to null in couple hours, better have a socket nearby!

WE WANT POWER EFFICIENCY, NOT POWER OVER 9000!

 

[liftedplane]

Saying that they are as power efficient as previous models doesn't say much at all. In fact it translates that it will drain your 10k battery from full to null in couple hours, better have a socket nearby!

WE WANT POWER EFFICIENCY, NOT POWER OVER 9000!

Actually it says a ton. the fact that it far exceeds the ability of the last gen while drawing the same amount of power shows that they have indeed created a far more efficient model, now even though it won't work in a phone doesn't mean that it's not a step in the right direction.

also imagine the thin laptops and tablets that are on par with desktop replacement laptops this could create.

hopefully they find a way to decrease power consumption even further.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[SquireSCA]

I don't need this kind of power to make phone calls, browse Facebook or play Words with Friends...

On a tablet however, this is what I would love to see. I will always have a desktop, but being able to use a tablet AS a desktop if need be, is awesome.