The new MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chip powers artificial intelligence in Chromebooks.
The MediaTek Kompanio Ultra, designed for Chromebooks, offers superior artificial intelligence capabilities compared to PCs using Windows Copilot, alongside a range of high-end features.
MediaTek has unveiled its new processor specifically designed for devices running Chrome OS: the Kompanio Ultra. This high-performance chip aims to compete with the Copilot+ systems launched by the Windows ecosystem. The Kompanio Ultra adopts a "big cores only" approach to deliver high-end performance, highlighting its artificial intelligence (AI) processing capability, which reaches up to 50 TOPS. To put this in context, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite, its closest competitor, offers up to 45 TOPS and is similar to the standards set by Microsoft for AMD and Intel processors in their Copilot+ machines.
This new processor is based on the Armv9 CPU architecture and features a tri-cluster format. At the top of its design is a Cortex-X925 core with a maximum frequency of 3.62GHz, accompanied by three Cortex-X4 cores and four Arm Cortex-A720 cores. One of the standout features of the Kompanio Ultra, compared to previous models in the 8xx and 5xx series, is its ability to perform AI processing directly on the device. This resembles the approach Google uses with its Gemini Nano technology to run locally on Pixel smartphones, resulting in faster image generation, lower latency, and enhanced data security.
Among the capabilities announced by MediaTek is on-device image and video generation, as well as support for both small and large language models (SLMs and LLMs), thanks to an enhanced AI accelerator chip. Additionally, it is the first processor in the Kompanio series that can support two external 4K monitors and is compatible with fast LPDDR5 memory, which has a maximum bandwidth of 8,533 Mbps, alongside the UFS 4.1 storage standard.
In terms of graphics, the processor includes an Immortalis-G925 MC11 GPU, enabling 10-bit video decoding and encoding at 4K and 60fps, and supports ray-traced visuals, which is appealing for gaming. It also features a high-fidelity audio DSP to ensure high-resolution audio output and supports a low-power sleep mode that allows voice assistants to be activated without fully turning on the device.
In terms of connectivity, the Kompanio Ultra incorporates WiFi-7 technology, enabling speeds of up to 7.3Gbps, and the Bluetooth 6.0 standard. MediaTek has indicated that the first devices based on the Kompanio Ultra processor will be available in the coming months, generating expectations about its potential to offer a competitive alternative against Copilot+ PCs in the low-end segment and popularize Gemini-powered Chromebooks in the realm of AI-based computing.