quad-core

Intel's next-gen quad-core processors tested

In what has become an annual ritual, the higher-end segment of Intel's new generation of processors has been launched at the Computex trade show in Taipei. This includes the quad-core versions of what Intel calls the fourth-generation Core i-series, which was until recently known by the code name Haswell, and was extensively previewed at CES 2013.

Quad-core CPUs are generally found in higher-end desktops and laptops, and are part of Intel's i7 CPU line. Most mainstream PCs use Core i3 and i5 dual-core CPUs -- the Haswell versions of those are coming later.

For laptop and desktop shoppers, … Read more

HTC could release 5.9-inch 'phablet' later this year

HTC is expected to release a huge 5.9-inch smartphone in the second half of the year, a number of sources report.

This fall should see the arrival of a larger, more powerful take on the HTC One experience, according to Taiwanese analyst Laura Chen.

Aside from the ultralarge screen size, the only other detail tipped for the device is an "upgraded" processor, though even that specific is unclear.

Considering HTC's history of working with Qualcomm, I'd infer that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chipset could power the phablet.

Prolific handset tipster @evleaks has also apparently gathered … Read more

Windows 8 tablets to go quad-core? Intel talks next chip

Intel discussed the next-generation "Bay Trail" tablet processor today at its annual conference in Beijing. Expect to see a new crop of faster yet still power-efficient Windows 8 -- and likely Windows 8.1 -- tablets later this year.

An "entirely new Atom microarchitecture...will [enable] the most powerful Atom processor to-date, doubling the computing performance of Intel's current-generation tablet offering," Tan Weng Kuan, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Communications Group, Intel China, said today at IDF Beijing.

Bay Trail will allow designs "as thin as 8mm (0.3 inches) that … Read more

ZTE, Nvidia team up to launch Tegra 4 handsets in China

The Chinese phone manufacturer, ZTE, has teamed up with Nvidia to launch a line of quad-core smartphones slated for midyear or earlier. These handsets will feature the Tegra 4 chipset, which was unveiled last month during CES 2013.

Based on ARM Cortex-A15 architecture, Tegra 4 is expected to be much faster and more powerful than its predecessor, which was based on ARM Cortex-A9.

Tegra 4 also features six times as many graphics cores (bringing the total to 72) than its predecessor.

Along with building these quad-core devices, ZTE announced that it plans on making one phone that will also feature … Read more

Intel CES preview: Quad-core 'Bay Trail' coming

LAS VEGAS--Intel plans to emphasize power efficiency and better performance in small devices, among other new tech at its Consumer Electronics Show event in Las Vegas this afternoon.

Here are some key technologies that Intel expects to talk about:

Bay Trail: a 22-nanometer system-on-a-chip processor sporting a quad-core design. In short, it's a redesign of the Atom processor boasting better performance. Power-frugal Ivy Bridge: The Ivy Bridge chip in virtually all new PC models today is being tweaked so it can be slipped into high-end tablets and skinnier ultrabooks and convertibles. Intel calls it "sub 10-watt." Haswell: … Read more

Quad-core smartphone shootout

Until now, smartphones with quad-core processors used to be just a twinkle in the eye of wistful Android addicts and gadget gurus. Either that or they remained exotic pieces of futuristic hardware reserved for foreigners. Quad-core handsets are now starting to arrive in force. The question is: which device packs the biggest CPU wallop? This chart lays it all out with deeper analysis below.

Phone HTC One X+ LG Nexus 4 LG Optimus G HTC Droid DNA Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Processor 1.7GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon … Read more

Analysts: iPad 4's graphics upgrade packs a punch

At its silicon core, the fourth-generation iPad is hardly an incremental upgrade, according to chip analysts.

The new iPad's A6X chip packs a brand-new graphics engine that boasts a serious step up in horsepower from the third-generation iPad's A5X.

"Nothing's incremental about this. The A6X is one massive processing machine," Jim Morrison, a product manager at Chipworks, which does reverse engineering and patent-infringement analysis of semiconductors and electronic systems, told CNET.

Chipworks posted an analysis of the A6X's circuit layout today.

Apple's newest chip is a full 30 percent larger than the A6 … Read more

Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro to power LG quad-core device

Qualcomm announced today that a yet-to-be-unveiled LG quad-core phone will be powered by its own Snapdragon S4 Pro.

Though the company told CNET that it can't comment on the device until LG makes its an official announcement, it did say that the handset is "currently in production" and will be sold in Korea in September. It will launch globally sometime afterward.

Despite how little there is to know about the handset, we're excited nonetheless. And if it's going to be anything like LG's first quad-core phone, the LG 4X HD, it'll be sure … Read more

Quad-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet costs $500, $550

On the heels of last week's global launch, Samsung has officially announced U.S. pricing for its 10-inch Galaxy Note tablet.

The tablet, whose standout feature is its pressure-sensitive S Pen stylus and compatible apps, comes in two colors, deep gray and white. It also comes in two storage capacities. A 16GB model costs $499, but $549 gets you 32GB for your movies, music, photos, and apps. An additional $50 for double the internal memory is a nice, juicy carrot to upsell customers to the pricier model. (The Apple's iPad pricing runs along similar lines: the $499 entry-level … Read more

Qualcomm quad-core tablet arrives -- for deep pockets

Qualcomm's first quad-core Snapdragon chip has arrived in a tablet -- but only for those with $1,300 burning a hole in their pockets and developers.

The tablet packs an APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 quad-core chip -- one of the most highly-anticipated quad-core ARM processors. Why? Because Qualcomm S4 silicon -- currently dual-core -- can be found in popular mobile devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One S.

The S4 is also slated to appear in the 4G version of the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity tablet.

And that means, of course, we can expect the quad-core … Read more