I have been expecting something like that for ages... it should have happened a lot sooner. It just makes sense to open up when you are competing with a company like ARM.
Intel ULP SoCs
- Thread starter Ailuros
- Start date
I have been expecting something like that for ages... it should have happened a lot sooner. It just makes sense to open up when you are competing with a company like ARM.
I'm really struggling to think of any technical merit Rockchip brings to the table here. How much useful in-house IP do they have in their SoCs? And what does this even have that the current 28nm TSMC SoFIA doesn't? That's supposed to hit the market first so it's not like they're using Rockchip's SoC experience to accelerate it. Will this be on GF 28nm?
I guess what they get more out of this is Rockchip's branding and the support they can provide to Chinese OEMs, and maybe connections with distributors. But I don't see why they need a Rockchip-made SoC incorporating Intel IP to accomplish that, it'd be easier for them to just sell a rebranded SoFIA.
I guess what they get more out of this is Rockchip's branding and the support they can provide to Chinese OEMs, and maybe connections with distributors. But I don't see why they need a Rockchip-made SoC incorporating Intel IP to accomplish that, it'd be easier for them to just sell a rebranded SoFIA.
Merrifield and Moorefield are both solid efforts in GPU and CPU for their target market, but that mainstream market relies upon integrated modem solutions. Intel's TMSC fabbed modems are competitive for their markets, but they're not helping to drive Intel's IA ambition in the mobile space since they're still discrete from the application processor.
While they are moving in the right direction, they need to hurry up with a product that's everything the market demands before it simply shuts them out completely of any attractive future opportunity.
While they are moving in the right direction, they need to hurry up with a product that's everything the market demands before it simply shuts them out completely of any attractive future opportunity.
Wild guess: quicker time to market?
But in the press release announcing this they're saying Intel's SoFIA in Q4 2014 and the Rockchip SoC in H1 2015.
Granted, the Rockchip part is quad core instead of dual core, but I don't really see how Rockchip would help make that more quickly..
I'm only surprised the whole deal seems to be about tablets and to a smaller degree smartphones (that's where Rockchip seems to be more successful anyway); I would had expected a deal that's more smartphone centric since that's where Intel is mostly in need right now.
Other than that does anyone know what GPU SoFia (or whatever its called) contains? A GenX GPU?
Dunno, the last I'd heard, it was thought it might be IMG. Given that it is aimed at the bottom/value market, one assumes die size is all important. So does that bring Rockchip's relationship with ARM's Mali into play ? Unless Rockchip has an unannounced Rogue licence (6xe), then mali400/450 might be in line, size wise. No great graphics performance, but then this is supposed to be an value chip.
Also, I see semiaccurate saying that Rockchip is supplying the graphics.
eetimes take on the article is that the Intel/Rockchip thing is just one variant of Sofia
"Like the other Sofia SoCs, the chip will be made at TSMC and transitioned to Intel's fabs, probably in 2016."
Last edited by a moderator:
You're not alone; I'm constantly confused with their codenames/roadmaps.
No, SoFIA was always the name for Intel's first SoC with integrated baseband, and was always slated for manufacturing on TSMC 28nm,
Another (probably very surrealist) option to make this announcement even more incredible, would be the chip having Kepler based GPU
D
Deleted member 13524
Guest
Another (probably very surrealist) option to make this announcement even more incredible, would be the chip having Kepler based GPU
That would be terrific.
And disastrous for AMD's Mullins line, since they've been very conservative in the iGPU front.
eetimes thrash out some more details of the deal, stating the following as "known"
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1322528&
1) Rockchip will get an X86 architecture license from Intel and will develop X86-based SoC for midmarket and low-end tablets. According to the announcement, the first quad-core SoC (in the Intel Sofia family) will be launched in the first half of 2015.
2) Rockchip will license from Intel its 3G modem technology -- a rare commodity among China's application processor vendors.
3) Rockchip will get 14-nm capacity support from Intel in the near future.
I don't know whether it'll work or not, but it's a pretty decisive and important move (if as described).
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1322528&
1) Rockchip will get an X86 architecture license from Intel and will develop X86-based SoC for midmarket and low-end tablets. According to the announcement, the first quad-core SoC (in the Intel Sofia family) will be launched in the first half of 2015.
2) Rockchip will license from Intel its 3G modem technology -- a rare commodity among China's application processor vendors.
3) Rockchip will get 14-nm capacity support from Intel in the near future.
I don't know whether it'll work or not, but it's a pretty decisive and important move (if as described).
I am rather curious about what "x86 architecture license" actually stands for... I would bet that eetimes is using the word "architecture" freely, since I do not believe Intel would let Rockchip develop their own x86 cores just yet.
Samsungs first tizen phone will run a quad-core Intel Soc.
This has to be moorefield, doesn't it ?
Nice design win, if true.
http://www.dailytech.com/Samsungs+F...+by+Quadcore+Intel+Processor/article34995.htm
I note however that the official samsung PR doesn't mention Intel.
http://www.samsungmobilepress.com/2...trys-First-Tizen-Smartphone---the-Samsung-Z-1
This has to be moorefield, doesn't it ?
Nice design win, if true.
http://www.dailytech.com/Samsungs+F...+by+Quadcore+Intel+Processor/article34995.htm
I note however that the official samsung PR doesn't mention Intel.
http://www.samsungmobilepress.com/2...trys-First-Tizen-Smartphone---the-Samsung-Z-1
Last edited by a moderator:
Why would it have to be Moorefield? It could be some ARM chip, after all Samsung Tizen dev phone was using an ARM SoC and it would be safer for Samsung to use a proven SoC rather than an Intel SoC when releasing a brand new OS.
The first sentence of my post is:-
Samsungs first tizen phone will run a quad-core Intel Soc.
Which was because the headline of the article I linked to is:-
"Samsung's First Tizen-based Smartphone is Powered by Quad-core Intel Processor"
I did include "if true" in my posting, implying it has to be Moorefield, assuming the article is correct in calling out Intel as the SOC.