Nvidia has announced it latest chipset for smartphones and tablets, it will be the first by the company to feature an integrated 4G LTE chip. The new chipset is called Tegra 4i, and that LTE integration is important for the company to move on and be viable alongside the likes of Qualcomm and MediaTek, two companies that already offer 4G LTE integrated chipsets.
Many will probably see similarities between the Tegra 4i and the Tegra 4 that was released in January, and although they are different beast’s comparisons can be made. In fact Nvidia has been pushing side by side comparisons between the 4i and the 4, to show just what the newer chipset has to offer.
We can quickly see that while the Tegra 4i is in the same family as the Tegra 4, there are plenty of advancements on the chipset. Nvidia has boosted ARM Cortex cores on the Tegra 4i, using the R4 core as opposed to the A15 cores found on the standard Tegra 4. The ARM Cortex R4 works efficiently in real time and includes larger cache memory and smoother hardware processing. The cores are still running off the 4-PLUS-1 architecture found in the Tegra 4, this allows the chipset to reduce battery consumption.
As you would expect with a better processor, the clock speed has gone up. While the Tegra 4 clocks at 1.9GHz, the Tegra 4i will have a clock speed of 2.3GHz. Tegra built the new processor with its partner ARM, and the two companies released a statement announcing the Tegra 4i:
“ARM and NVIDIA worked closely to further optimize the Cortex-A9 processor to drive performance and efficiency in areas such as streaming and responsiveness. This is an example of the collaboration and innovation that enables ARM technology-based solutions to be market drivers through multiple generations of SoC solutions.”