Nvidia has unveiled the Tegra K1, a 192-core processor that it claims will bring supercomputing to mobile devices.
The next-generation chip is the latest in Nvidia’s Tegra range, but marks a considerable step up from the 72-core Tegra 4 processor released last year.
Showing the chip off at CES in Las Vegas, CEO Jen-Hsun Huang claimed the Tegra K1 would herald a new era for mobile computing and gaming. “We’ve brought mobile computing to the same level as desktop computing… the same level as supercomputing,” he claimed.
He added that the Tegra K1 outstrips consoles such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in terms of graphics, but uses a fraction of the power.
64-bit chip
The 192-CUDA core Tegra K1 is based on the same Kepler architecture that powers Nvidia’s PC graphics hardware.
Some variants will also ship with Nvidia’s custom, dual-core “Denver” CPU, the company’s first 64-bit chip based on ARM architecture. Apple already uses a 64-bit ARM processor in its latest iPad and iPhone models, while Qualcomm plans to market its own implementation of the 64-bit ARM Cortex A53 in the shape of the Snapdragon 410 chipset.
Huang also claimed the Tegra K1 would bring supercomputing to the car, with the ability to handle and process large volumes of data from vehicle sensors and cameras.
The 32-bit version of the chip will arrive in the first half of this year, while the version with Denver should arrive in the second half.
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