NVIDIA's Tegra 2 Take Two: More Architectural Details and Design Wins
by Anand Lal Shimpi on January 5, 2011 2:51 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Motorola Droid
- Tegra 2
- LG
- Optimus 2X
- ATRIX 4G
- Mobile
- NVIDIA
Memory Controller
NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 only has a single 32-bit LPDDR2 memory controller, but supports running it at up to 600MHz (667MHz with standard DDR2). By comparison, TI is using two 32-bit LPDDR2 memory channels on its OMAP 4. NVIDIA claims that its expertise in designing GPU memory controllers allowed it to get by with only a single 32-bit LPDDR2 memory controller. NVIDIA stayed away from going with a dual-channel interface in order to keep power consumption down.
Video Decode Engine
NVIDIA claims the Tegra 2’s video decoder can decode 1080p H.264 baseline profile (no CABAC) at 20Mbps while only drawing 400mW. The power draw numbers seem suspiciously low but we’ll have to test that for ourselves once we can get our hands on Tegra 2 smartphones in the coming months.
Full Flash GPU Acceleration
Borrowing another aspect from the desktop GPU segment, Tegra 2 can fully accelerate flash video and flash content in hardware.
Integrated Image Signal Processor
NVIDIA is also releasing a little more information about its custom ISP (Image Signal Processor) inside Tegra 2.
While it’s too early to tell anything about the quality of Tegra 2 smartphone cameras, NVIDIA’s ISP is extremely high performance. The ISP can burst through 12MP images at 11 frames per second.
LG’s Optimus 2X uses the Tegra 2’s fast ISP to be able to shoot in a burst mode that fires off 6 shots in sequence without interruption.
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tumbleweed - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
Any OMAP 4 phone design wins announced yet? I really want to see how that battle plays out.bplewis24 - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
When will you guys be able to post the benchmarking numbers?Also, if the 2X is running a beta build of 2.2 Froyo, why is the status bar black? Are those stock/borrowed photos?
Brandon
strikeback03 - Thursday, January 6, 2011 - link
Manufacturers could skin the status bar if they wanted, the Galaxy S phones with 2.1 have a black status barsnoozemode - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
Man, why did they have to do that.. After a few months the images get so bad when the plastic is all messy.strikeback03 - Thursday, January 6, 2011 - link
Because otherwise it is the front lens of the camera getting nasty?TareX - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
Why did you describe the Optimus 2X as "one of the fastest smartphones we’ve encountered"??That's very disappointing. What phone can be faster?
KidneyBean - Thursday, January 6, 2011 - link
The iPhone? Seriously, it does seem to be fast for what it can do. I'm an Android type of guy myself.TareX - Thursday, January 6, 2011 - link
I understand the iPhone 4 "appearing" to be the fastest. But they said the aforementioned phrase right after mentioning that they can't reveal benchmarking scores. So it sounds like another phone beat it in benchmarks.Aloonatic - Friday, January 7, 2011 - link
Well, even if it was/is the fastest phone that they have tested/benchmarked, they couldn't say it here as that would probably be revealing a little too much. As such they probably have to be as vague as they are, so that we are left guessing.Cali3350 - Thursday, January 6, 2011 - link
Probably the iPhone 4. When it comes to being smooth iOS is untouched at this point in time (probably because everything is GPU accelerated).