Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 4 Pro CPU, Pumps Up Onboard GPU

From DailyTech: At the start of the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Qualcomm, Inc. (QCOM) has kicked things off with a bang, unveiling the MSM8960 "Pro" processor, an upgraded Snapdragon 4 dual-core processor which packs an improved graphics processing unit.

The new chip will launch in 2012, and will be targetted at tablets and laptops running Windows 8. Windows 8 is the latest operating system from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) set to launch sometime in October or November 2012. Windows 8 will be the first version of the mainstream consumer Windows to support ARM architecture chips like Qualcomm's and the first to be designed specifically with tablet applications in mind.

The new Microsoft OS is a valuable opportunity for Qualcomm to compete in the Windows world, for the first time, against veteran players like Intel Corp. (INTC). Luis Pineda, senior vice president of computing and consumer products at Qualcomm, states, "Snapdragon S4 and S4 Pro are designed to enable tablets and notebook devices to deliver the high performance, flexibility, global 3G/4G connectivity and energy efficiency consumers are increasingly demanding. We are excited about the Snapdragon S4 Pro processors’ potential for consumers, and about the upcoming Windows 8 platform."

Recent benchmarks of the base edition MSM8960 MDP (dual-core) CPU by AnandTech showed a chip with "insane" CPU performance, but which only earned a draw in GPU performance, versus current generation competitors' offerings. The new MSM8960 Pro should rectify this by bumping the on-die GPU from an Adreno 225 to an Adreno 320, creating a true industry-leading design.

One oft forgotten fact is that the Adreno GPUs in Qualcomm's chips were originally produced by the defunct graphics maker ATI Technologies Inc. After ATI's acquisition by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), it divested its mobile graphics offerings, allowing Qualcomm to scoop of the mature division.

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