NVIDIA Corporation ) introduced the Tegra family
of processors, the world’s first single-chip computer capable of the
rich high definition and internet experiences we’ve come to expect from
our PCs, but on small pocket type devices. NVIDIA Tegra is a tiny
computer-on-a-chip, smaller than a US dime (10-cent piece), designed
from the ground up to enable the “visual PC experience” on a new
generation of mobile computing devices while consuming the smallest
amount of power. These chips will compete with the Intel’s Atom.
NVIDIA Tegra 650 also features:
- All-day media processing, for 130 hours audio, 30 hours HD video playback
- HD image processing for advanced digital still camera and HD camcorder functions
- Optimized hardware support for Web 2.0 applications for a true desktop-class internet experience
- Display support for 1080p HDMI, WSXGA+ LCD and CRT, and NTSC/PAL TV-Out
- Direct support for WiFi, disk drives, keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals
- A complete Board Support Package (BSP) to enable fast times to market for Windows Mobile-based designs
“Creating Tegra was a massive challenge. Our vision was to create a platform that will enable the 2nd
personal computer revolution - which will be mobile centric, with
devices that last days on a single charge, and yet has the web, high
definition media, and computing experiences we’ve come to expect from
our PC,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA. “Shrinking
down a 50 watt PC architecture will not create the discontinuity this
industry needs. The culmination of nearly 1,000 man years of
engineering, Tegra is a completely ground-up computer-on-a-chip
architecture that consumes 100 times less power. Mobile internet and
computing devices built with Tegra are going to be magical.”
The NVIDIA Tegra 650 processor is the second product in the Tegra line,
the first being the NVIDIA Tegra APX 2500 processor, which is enabling
the next generation of Windows Mobile smartphones. With the launch of
this new processor, the NVIDIA Tegra products will reach consumers
towards the end of the year.
“With the growing market demand for mobile Internet access, NVIDIA
launched the APX 2500 computer-on-a-chip targeted at smartphones and
handsets earlier this year. Recognizing that mobile Internet access
usages will occur not just on smartphones and handsets but on compute
devices as well, NVIDIA announced today the Tegra architecture.
Representing the first products to be targeted at the MID and portable
device space, it is anticipated to bring integrated capabilities
similar to the APX 2500 with NVIDIA’s graphics expertise, an ARM core,
HD video, and advanced power management,” said Ian Lao, senior analyst
at In-Stat.
NVIDIA Tegra is a heterogeneous processor architecture with multiple
processors, each architected for a specific class of tasks - an 800 MHz
ARM CPU, a HD video processor, an imaging processor, an audio
processor, and an ultra-low power GeForce® GPU These processors are
used together or independently to deliver a wonderful experience while
utilizing a minute amount of power. With this heterogeneous
ultra-low-power processor architecture, NVIDIA Tegra processors achieve
up to 10 times the power efficiency of existing products in
battery-operated computer systems running compelling visual computing
applications.
“As more consumers begin to access the mobile Internet with devices
like smartphones and MIDs, device manufacturers will be challenged to
create the same high-quality user experience on mobile devices that
consumers currently enjoy on their desktop PCs,” said Warren East, CEO,
ARM. “Using advanced ARM technology and providing a ground-breaking mix
of performance, power consumption and form factor, the NVIDIA Tegra
mobile computer-on-a-chip addresses this challenge more effectively
than any other solution yet on the market, thereby taking a major step
toward the oncoming mobile Internet revolution.”