NVIDIA Kai, the cheap 3 Tegra Tablet under $ 199

The California skier NVIDIA wants to propose, with Kai, Tegra 3 quad-core cheap to offer tablets Android 4.0 ICS to $ 199.

Jen-Hsun Huang, President and CEO of NVIDIA, had declared the beginning of the year 2012 to propose its architecture Tegra 3 quad-core with touch tablets Android for less than $ 200 from the summer.

And it would seem that this is indeed the case, the California skier who recently unveiled the Kai, a Tablet 7 "under android 4.0 ICS project powered by its processor House Tegra 3 displaying a rate of only $ 199. To do this, NVIDIA has somewhat revised its Tegra 3 architecture by focusing on reducing the energy consumption of the SoC and by using low-cost components but all this without to review performance down. Kai is also more powerful, according to the manufacturer, that the Tablet competing directly under the Fire of Amazon Kindle it also available for $ 199.

We should have more information on the subject at the Computex 2012 to be held in Taipei from 5 to June 9.

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The boost of Tegra 3 seems to be confirmed, pending Tegra 4

Frequencies of functioning identified and GPU accelerated, these are the elements of the SoC Tegra 3 AP37 that Nvidia is going out...

A few interesting details about the new versions of the 3 Nvidia Tegra SoC make their appearance on the canvas and tend to confirm that this all-in-one processor will be entitled to a kick boost at the level of performance in the meantime Tegra 4, code name Wayne, which is now known as the AP40 reference.

Currently, the tablets and smartphones that are equipped with a chip Tegra 3 are of a SoC which reference is AP33. As explained in this article, it is suspected that an AP37 (engraved in 28 nm) quickly make its appearance. And as shown in the table below (borrowed from VR-Zone), this new variation will be more efficient with an operating frequency reviewed higher (between 1.5 and 1.7 GHz), a faster GPU by 25% and the management of screen up to 1920 x 1200 pixels.

It is in any year end, at best, that could be a priori subsequently. Wayne so the Tegra 4 (AP40) which will be based on ARM Cortex A15 hearts. Nvidia partners who will design a Tegra 4 processor equipped products expect to receive the first samples about a month after the Computex, or this summer. Computex that Nvidia could decide in good and due form to its Tegra 4, even if it is a little early.

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Tegra 2: targets not achieved for the dual-core SoC?

Small update on the situation of the Tegra chips. Tegra 2 is imposed on the Android tablets but these sales are not sufficient to allow Nvidia to achieve its objectives.

While the Asus Transformer differential, first tablet integrating a chip Tegra 3, SoC Nvidia quad-core (but not Optimus... haha), prepares to leave, it is time for the firm to the Chameleon to make a first review on Tegra 2. ARM chip which was the first to integrate two hearts of execution, which allowed him to quickly imposed himself as unmistakable Android tablets processor. Whether the Galaxy Tab, the Tab A500 Iconia or even the first Asus transforming, all embark this SoC. Logical when you know that this chip has been selected by Google as a focal point for the Android Honeycomb shelves platform.

A success which was less to the appointment on the market of smartphones, where manufacturers prefer the Qualcomm chips or their own ARM home, such as the Exynos Samsung or the A5 at Apple. Outcome of the races, the curves of sales would not allow Nvidia to achieve its objectives with Tegra 2, which had been fixed at 25 million copies shipped.

However, Nvidia continues to believe in its Tegra line, having set the same ambitious Tegra 3, and this targets despite the resurgence of competition on the market of the ARM SoC. Indeed, chip quad-core Nvidia (not to mention his companion heart) will be strong to knowing that she not was chosen as a reference platform by Google for Android 4.0, and that Qualcomm as Texas Instruments come with a new generation of chips ahead superstar on paper. The part is not lost or poorly engaged for the moment, but Nvidia will have to get up the sleeves to impose its Tegra.

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The differential Transformer under Tegra 3 shows... a little

After a furtive appearance in a teaser video yesterday, Asus took the AsiaD Conference to unveil its new touchscreen tablet.

It is the CEO of Asus in person, Jonney Shih, who presented the new Eee Pad Transformer differential and not "transform 2". According the photos of our colleagues to Engadget, the Tablet resumes look brushed aluminium Ultrabooks "Zenbook" range and only 8.3 mm thick which makes it one of the finest bars of the time.

It is the first to integrate the new SoC quad-core Tegra Nvidia 3 (Kal - El), it will be completed by 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of memory storage, a screen of 10 inches, a mini-HDMI output and SD card reader. It will always be or even add a keyboard dock (that hopefully retro-compatible) adding a USB host port and a battery for autonomy combined from 14: 30. Running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) to its output, slate will be quickly updated to Android 4.0 alias Ice Cream Sandwich.

This Transformer differential, which will be presented a complete a conference press on November 9, met us already the water to the mouth.

 

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NVIDIA Tegra Kal - El: a 5th heart surprise!

NVIDIA released the architecture of its future chip Tegra Kal - El. This SoC that will very likely be the first ARM Xeon market includes an original technology to control consumption: Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). It is neither more nor less than to add a 5th heart very low frequency.

Kal - El is therefore not a Xeon but a pentacoeur. The fifth, called heart companion, is functionally identical to the other Nvidia (ARM Cortex A9). But it is engraved following a different process, a variant of the 40 nm TSMC optimized for low consumption. In other words, it cannot operate at frequencies levelled as high as these brothers (it off at 500 MHz), but in Exchange, it requires a lower voltage and therefore consumes much less power.

This fifth wheel of the bus takes over from the other four hearts for tasks very few gourmandes in CPU power: relieved of emails in background, synchronizations, audio listening, video playback, etc. When CPU load is more important, Kal - El switches on his hearts high frequency, the heart being disabled Companion. Their activation is also progressive also (see opposite picture).

In the end, while Kal - El offers raw power twice Tegra 2, it can consume up to 60% less video and even read 34% less in a game.

This toggle management complex between 5 fact hearts appeal both to dedicated circuits and a software component of low level. However, NVIDIA ensures that no changes should be made to the OS (Android Honeycomb) or applications. All hearts are identical, the presence of the companion is transparent to the OS. In addition, the five Cortex A9 use a level 2 common cache. According Nvidia measures, time the rocking of the heart companion to major hearts is less than 2 ms and does not result in noticeable latency.

The only point that Nvidia keeps well to talk about is the size of Kal - El: with 2.5 times more than hearts Tegra 2, the same fineness of engraving, hearts larger given the addition of a SIMD unit a GPU with more units and circuits dedicated to management of the vSMP, Kal - El will necessarily be a big chip. It will be expensive to produce and difficult to integrate into smartphones that the public wants always fine and light.

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