This is a bit silly. A9X and other mobile SoC are in absolutely no way comparable in performance, on any metric, with desktop CPUs. You do not get 150W performance from a 10W chip, particularly not when you are lagging in process node.
How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
11–20 of 52 posts
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#12"Apple A9X SoC offers 64 bit desktop-class computing enabling a handheld tablet to go toe-to-toe with a state-of-the-art laptop CPU from Intel" Yes and no. Most of the innovation in top-end x86 CPUs goes towards multicore and multi-socket scalability. My desktop is almost 10x faster than an A9X -- and nobody manufactures an ARM SoC that has 100 W thermal envelope but delivers the same speed as a Xeon v3. Intel manufa…
nobody manufactures an ARM SoC that has 100 W thermal envelope but delivers the same speed as a Xeon v3
Look at Cavium ThunderX: 48 ARMv8 cores, very high performance, 95W.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#13One should also note that the x86 platform has taken on some SoC like structures over the years, with AMD as a driving force. For example they lumped the memory controller onto the CPU die with the Athlon 64, and then a GPU on their A series.
Also, as the author missed, Haswell now integrates power regulation on the CPU.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#14This seems like a silly title. I interpret it as 'How the CPU, when packaged with a bunch of other stuff, is displacing the CPU.' Or am I missing something?
You're not missing anything -- the article is dumb. Of course we're eventually going to integrate everything, for the same reason that no one uses separate interrupt controllers or separate Northbridges. We have too many transistors we don't know what to do with.
Edit: I think the interesting question is what won't be integrated? RAM and Flash because they use different processes. GPU? Intel and ARM integrate it, but there is a large company selling GPUs.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#15"Apple A9X SoC offers 64 bit desktop-class computing enabling a handheld tablet to go toe-to-toe with a state-of-the-art laptop CPU from Intel" Yes and no. Most of the innovation in top-end x86 CPUs goes towards multicore and multi-socket scalability. My desktop is almost 10x faster than an A9X -- and nobody manufactures an ARM SoC that has 100 W thermal envelope but delivers the same speed as a Xeon v3. Intel manufa…
> Intel manufactures different state-of-the-art laptop CPUs. Apple SoCs can compete with the ultra-low voltage Intels, but not with high-end i7 HQ/MQ series.
I think his point was that a $15 Apple chip crushes a $150 Intel Core M. Core M chips have extremely little bang/buck value, as do the new "Celerons" and "Pentiums" that are dressed up $110+ Atom chips.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#16Intel biggest inroads in SoC market happened when it was giving away Atoms below cost ($5, Mediatek/Rockchip price point) while losing $3-4 Billion. Year after year since 2013.
Their plan for 2016 is selling LTE modems below cost to Apple.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#17This seems like a silly title. I interpret it as 'How the CPU, when packaged with a bunch of other stuff, is displacing the CPU.' Or am I missing something?
You're not missing anything -- the article is dumb. Of course we're eventually going to integrate everything, for the same reason that no one uses separate interrupt controllers or separate Northbridges. We have too many transistors we don't know what to do with. Edit: I think the interesting question is what won't be integrated? RAM and Flash because they use different processes. GPU? Intel and ARM integrate it, but…
Makes me wonder if we will see a return of backplanes.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#18I'm really, really longing for one of these "modular" phones where I can exchange and upgrade components at will...
Fairphone 2 is shipping now, iirc.
The site says "Designed for use and service in Europe only.", but regardless of what it was designed for does it work with any North American carriers?
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#19Intel biggest inroads in SoC market happened when it was giving away Atoms below cost ($5, Mediatek/Rockchip price point) while losing $3-4 Billion. Year after year since 2013. Their plan for 2016 is selling LTE modems below cost to Apple.
I was wondering why every darn Android tablet seemed to be using Atom, if they didn't use their own SoC or one of the big names.
Re: How the SoC Is Displacing the CPU
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fairphone 2 is shipping now, iirc.
The site says "Designed for use and service in Europe only.", but regardless of what it was designed for does it work with any North American carriers?
http://shop.fairphone.com/fairphone2.html#technical-specific...
That lists the various bands for the mobile radios.