Samsung unveils its own 1.2GHz ARM processor

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=5853">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=5853</a><br /><br />Very interesting - Samsung has their own ARM processor, presumably ARM5 (although it doesn't state as much). I know many of you are extremely touchy about this, but as we see more vendors releasing ARM CPUs, I hope Microsoft's decision to not optimize strictly for Xscale starts to make some sense to you. What I'm most curious about is whether or not Samsung's Pocket PC Phone edition will use this CPU at some point, and how efficient their ARM4 execution it - because that's really the crux of the problem with the Xscale CPUs: poor ARM4 instruction execution.<br /><br />"Samsung Electronics Corp revealed details of what the company claims is the first 1.2 GHz implementation of an ARM processor core at the Microprocessor Forum last week. The ARM architecture is one of the most widely licensed and implemented embedded processor solutions in the world, and is the industry's leading provider of 32-bit embedded RISC microprocessors with almost 75% of the market, according to analyst Andrew Allison . ARM offers a wide range of processor cores based on a common architecture to deliver high performance with low power consumption and system cost.<br /><br />The core is code named Halla, after the highest mountain in South Korea. According to Jin Cheon Kim, the director of the processor architecture lab at Samsung, the core is pin compatible with the ARM1020E, which is built on a 130 nanometer process and operates at 325MHz. He also said it provides significant performance advancement beyond that core or the ARM-based XScale from Intel Corp. Samsung, which has design experience from making Alpha processors, "is applying our expertise in high speed processors to the ARM design."

[Ed Hansberry]

I know many of you are extremely touchy about this, but as we see more vendors releasing ARM CPUs, I hope Microsoft's decision to not optimize strictly for Xscale starts to make some sense to you.

I think those asking for X-Scale optimization either don't understand what they are asking or are generically using the X-Scale name when what they mean is ARMv5 optimization, which I really want!

[Sslixtis]

Ed HansberryI think those asking for X-Scale optimization either don't understand what they are asking or are generically using the X-Scale name when what they mean is ARMv5 optimization, which I really want!


Exactly!! However, some people tend to get touchy about proper nomeclature, so I've learned to be specific. When Xscale's the only ARMv5 being used for PDAs it tends to be easy to slip into the Xscale mode vs. ARMv5, everyone then has some idea of which CPU you mean. Heck, people are still asking "does Xscale run ARM software", much less trying to get into the whole ARMv4/ARMv5 discussion.

That being said, all I want is the fastest CPU and and Software I can get :wink: I don't care what you call it or who makes it.

[vincentsiaw]

1.2 ghz is sure very fast for a hanheld pc, but is the speed had severe effect on battery life?

[Ed Hansberry]

When Xscale's the only ARMv5 being used for PDAs it tends to be easy to slip into the Xscale mode vs. ARMv5, everyone then has some idea of which CPU you mean.
The HP 928 WDA uses a TI OMAP ARMv5 processor. :)

[Sslixtis]

Ed HansberryThe HP 928 WDA uses a TI OMAP ARMv5 processor.

True, but the 928 was kinda DOA. Not expecting to see anything else based on the Jornada and it has the "Well we've already got em might as well try and save some of our investment on em" feel to it. :wink:

But, like I said I have since corrected my language! :werenotworthy: I'll call em whatever they want as long as they are FAST!!!!

[JMountford]

Hey I have known for over a year now that Samsung was working on an Arm Processor I was led to beleive it was around 800 but who's going to gripe? :wink:

Remeber Motorola is working on such a Processor as well. HOpefully competition will drive prices down, that and the price war anyway. :way to go:

[Ed Hansberry]

Remeber Motorola is working on such a Processor as well. HOpefully competition will drive prices down, that and the price war anyway. :way to go:

Motorola already has an ARM processor, the Dragonball X1 or something like that. Don't know who is using it yet though. Palm went with the TI ARM for the Tungsten T.

[TomB]

I think the most interesting question we could ask is what kinds of actual performance boosts are we going to see with this processor? I think we all learned the hard way that faster processors do not necessarily mean faster performance.