Arm Unveils 5th Gen GPU and CPU Architecture

During Computex 2023, Arm unveiled its TCS (Total Compute Solution) 2023 solutions, a comprehensive array of IP solutions that encompass everything from the CPU to the GPU and all other IP blocks in between. This provides Arm's customers the ability to handle all their chip's IP needs entirely in-house.

Arm's newest 5th generation GPU architecture comes with an added Deferred Vertex Shading (DVS) feature. The flagship Immortalis G720 GPU boosts performance by 15% and reduces memory bandwidth usage by 40%. Alongside this, Arm introduced the more cost-effective Mali-G620 GPU. These new Mali GPUs enhance Arm's high-end graphics capabilities and extend their reach to a broader range of consumer devices. MediaTek showcased their new SoC at the launch, which is built on the Cortex X4 and Immortalis G720 and incorporates hardware-based raytracing.

Arm's Cortex X4, having its first tape-out using TSMC's N3E process, is the fastest cluster from Arm so far, offering a 15% performance increase and 40% power efficiency improvement. The industry-leading Cortex-A720 boosts the cluster's consistent performance, while the Cortex-A520 stands as Arm's highest-performing and most energy-efficient CPU core to date. These latest CPU designs, providing a 20% improvement in power efficiency over previous models, are ideal for various applications like AAA gaming, all-day productivity, and background tasks.

Interestingly, Intel also anticipates that the Cortex X4 will be built on their 18A process. This suggests that the tape-out could either be a test, or Arm might transition from Intel's 18A process to TSMC's N3E process, or perhaps develop versions built on both processes.

Finally, Arm introduced the new DynamIQ Shared Unit (DSU-120) which supports up to 14 CPU cores within the same cluster. This unit is designed for multi-threaded applications and can be used in a variety of devices, from wearables and smartphones to laptops.