The PowerVR Series8XE Plus GPUs add three IP cores to Imagination’s entry-level and mid-range portfolio, with target applications including set-top boxes, mid-range smartphones and automotive infotainment systems.
Chris Longstaff, senior director of product and technical marketing for Imagination’s PowerVR group, said: “The three new cores are focused on 1080p applications, although the family can scale to 4K and beyond. We believe 1080p will be the ‘sweet spot’ for these applications for the next couple of years.”
Series8XE Plus cores, as well as the existing Series8XE cores, are focused on providing the best performance in constrained areas. “However, while area is important,” said Longstaff, “it’s not the only driver.”
Graham Deacon, VP of business operations for PowerVR, noted: “With 8XE, we are seeing customers move to PowerVR from competitor GPUs. We expect this to continue with the introduction of the 8XE and 8XE Plus cores. Series8XE Plus GPUs represent the industry’s best graphics cores for gaming and compute on 1080p displays in cost sensitive devices and demonstrate Imagination’s continuing technology leadership.”
The new GPUs, which support four pixel/clock, are said to build on the Series8XE GE8300 GPU. The GE8320 has double the FLOPS for use in low to mid range mobile devices; the GE8325 has double the FLOPS, plus features suited to set-top boxes and HDTV gaming applications; while the GE8340 has four times the processing power of the GE8300 for gaming applications on mid to high end mobile devices.
According to Longstaff, Series 8XE GPUs are beginning to see automotive applications. “8XEPlus will enable more exciting dashboards,” he claimed, “and we are starting to see GPUs being used for such features as pedestrian recognition and lane departure, while running the dash and infotainment.”
Series8XE and Series8XE Plus GPUs have been licensed by multiple customers and Imagination expects products featuring the new cores to be in the market in 2018.
