iPad Apple A4 CPU Dissection: iPad is Just a Big iTouch

Kris777 · 04-06-2010, 11:01 PM

apple a4 ipad cpu:

· There's not much revolutionary here. In fact, the A4 is quite similar to the Samsung processor Apple uses in the iPhone [3GS].

· It's clear from both hardware and software that this is a single core processor, so it must be the ARM Cortex A8, and NOT the rumored multicore
A9.

· It's quite challenging to identify block-level logic inside a processor, so to identify the GPU we're falling back to software: early benchmarks are showing similar 3D performance to the iPhone [3GS], so we're guessing that the iPad uses the same PowerVR SGX 535 GPU.

· The iPad has 256 MB RAM, same as the iPhone [3GS].

· The A4 sips power. In fact, power consumption is probably the reason Apple hasn't stepped up performance much from the iPhone [3GS]. In order to get 10 hours of battery life, the entire iPad (including display) has to pull less than 2.5 Watts on average.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ipa...tex,10089.html

ankit · 04-07-2010, 12:18 AM

So, what is wrong with that? The ipad is much faster than the ipod touch or the iphone, and has plenty of processing power/RAM for most apps (certainly for reading PDFs or ebooks). I don't understand the FUD surrounding "ipad is just a giant ipod touch" :/

dmaul1114 · 04-07-2010, 01:28 AM

Yep, it's super fast, handles streaming video with no problems etc. and that's all that matters to me.

I couldn't care less what the processor is, if it's just a "giant iPod touch" etc. It's slick and very fast and I've been very impressed from playing around with my girlfriend's iPad.

wallcraft · 04-07-2010, 04:59 AM

AnandTech tested performance, see Apple's iPad A4 SoC: Faster than the Nexus One's Snapdragon?

I would not describe these tests as comprehensive, but the iPad seems to be getting at least the 10:6 speedup over the iPhone 3GS you might except just from the clock speed bump. I think this means that there are other tweaks in the A4, or in Apple's software, that give a little extra performance boost but that is all.

I agree that this is perfectly ok performance wise, but it does mean that Android tablets using other ARM chips could be significantly faster. At least if the manufacturers of said chips are to be believed. The AnandTech results indicate that Android on a 1 GHz SnapDragon is slower than the iPad, but a tablet can potentially use higher clock speeds than a phone and can probably benefit from dual cpus.

AnandTech also has an interesting discussion of ARM processors in its (very comprehensive) Nexus One Review, see Enter the Snapdragon.

Bremen Cole · 04-07-2010, 07:21 AM

Excelent low power consumption. Very green and Eco-friendly. Yet quick and responsive..... Sounds great.

leebase · 04-07-2010, 09:26 AM

All I know is that my ipad is very fast and responsive....and it doesn't get hot like my laptop. I hope the forthcoming android slates are "all that and a bag of chips". It won't impact my enjoyment of the ipad.

Lee

Yoshi 1080 · 04-07-2010, 03:14 PM

The nerd in me is a little bit disappointed about the single-core CPU and 256MB of RAM (although the latter isn't surprising since it's Apple we're talking about). But the nerd in me is also very excited that the iPad still manages to be so fast and responsive. It seems to be an extremely well optimized system.

Now, why does my 2Ghz MacBook feel so slow, Steve? Anything to say?

Harmon · 04-07-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankit

So, what is wrong with that? The ipad is much faster than the ipod touch or the iphone, and has plenty of processing power/RAM for most apps (certainly for reading PDFs or ebooks). I don't understand the FUD surrounding "ipad is just a giant ipod touch" :/

Per Ars Technica:

"The iPad isn't a big iPod touch—an iPod touch is a miniature iPad that restricts the full multitouch experience in exchange for offering greater portability. With the iPad, in contrast, you get multitouch the way it was meant to be done."

http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews...pad-review.ars

So...

iPhone/Touch = miniPad
iPad = maxiPad

dmaul1114 · 04-07-2010, 05:29 PM

Yeah, that's the way I've looked at it. I've never had an interest in the iPhone or iTouch as the screen is just too small for me to really do much of anything with.

So I've been dying for something with a bigger screen that could really be used as reader, web surfer, video watcher etc.

04-06-2010, 11:01 PM	#1
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	Apple A4 CPU Dissection: iPad is Just a Big iTouch apple a4 ipad cpu: · There's not much revolutionary here. In fact, the A4 is quite similar to the Samsung processor Apple uses in the iPhone [3GS]. · It's clear from both hardware and software that this is a single core processor, so it must be the ARM Cortex A8, and NOT the rumored multicore A9. · It's quite challenging to identify block-level logic inside a processor, so to identify the GPU we're falling back to software: early benchmarks are showing similar 3D performance to the iPhone [3GS], so we're guessing that the iPad uses the same PowerVR SGX 535 GPU. · The iPad has 256 MB RAM, same as the iPhone [3GS]. · The A4 sips power. In fact, power consumption is probably the reason Apple hasn't stepped up performance much from the iPhone [3GS]. In order to get 10 hours of battery life, the entire iPad (including display) has to pull less than 2.5 Watts on average. http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ipa...tex,10089.html

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04-07-2010, 12:18 AM	#2
ankit Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cambridge, MA Device: Sony PRS-300	So, what is wrong with that? The ipad is much faster than the ipod touch or the iphone, and has plenty of processing power/RAM for most apps (certainly for reading PDFs or ebooks). I don't understand the FUD surrounding "ipad is just a giant ipod touch" :/

04-07-2010, 01:28 AM	#3
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Yep, it's super fast, handles streaming video with no problems etc. and that's all that matters to me. I couldn't care less what the processor is, if it's just a "giant iPod touch" etc. It's slick and very fast and I've been very impressed from playing around with my girlfriend's iPad.

04-07-2010, 04:59 AM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	AnandTech tested performance, see Apple's iPad A4 SoC: Faster than the Nexus One's Snapdragon? I would not describe these tests as comprehensive, but the iPad seems to be getting at least the 10:6 speedup over the iPhone 3GS you might except just from the clock speed bump. I think this means that there are other tweaks in the A4, or in Apple's software, that give a little extra performance boost but that is all. I agree that this is perfectly ok performance wise, but it does mean that Android tablets using other ARM chips could be significantly faster. At least if the manufacturers of said chips are to be believed. The AnandTech results indicate that Android on a 1 GHz SnapDragon is slower than the iPad, but a tablet can potentially use higher clock speeds than a phone and can probably benefit from dual cpus. AnandTech also has an interesting discussion of ARM processors in its (very comprehensive) Nexus One Review, see Enter the Snapdragon.

04-07-2010, 07:21 AM	#5
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	Excelent low power consumption. Very green and Eco-friendly. Yet quick and responsive..... Sounds great.

04-07-2010, 09:26 AM	#6
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,938 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	All I know is that my ipad is very fast and responsive....and it doesn't get hot like my laptop. I hope the forthcoming android slates are "all that and a bag of chips". It won't impact my enjoyment of the ipad. Lee

04-07-2010, 03:14 PM	#7
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	The nerd in me is a little bit disappointed about the single-core CPU and 256MB of RAM (although the latter isn't surprising since it's Apple we're talking about). But the nerd in me is also very excited that the iPad still manages to be so fast and responsive. It seems to be an extremely well optimized system. Now, why does my 2Ghz MacBook feel so slow, Steve? Anything to say?

04-07-2010, 05:29 PM	#9
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Yeah, that's the way I've looked at it. I've never had an interest in the iPhone or iTouch as the screen is just too small for me to really do much of anything with. So I've been dying for something with a bigger screen that could really be used as reader, web surfer, video watcher etc.

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