Apple A5X SoC floorplan gets pictured

Posted on Monday, March 19 2012 @ 12:41 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck

AnandTech reports Apple's A5X SoC is still made on Samsung's 45nm LP process, and came across a floorplan of the chip.

You can see the two CPU cores (ARM Cortex A9s) as well as the additional two GPU cores (PowerVR SGX543MP4) compared to the A5 (pictured below). Note the increase in DDR interfaces, although it's unclear whether we're looking at 4x16 or 4x32-bit interfaces. It's quite possible that it's the former. Also note that Apple has moved the DDR interfaces next to the GPU cores, compared to the CPU-adjacent design in the A5. It's clear who is the biggest bandwidth consumer in this chip.

Apple A5X:

Apple A5:

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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