MediaTek has unveiled its latest processor for Chrome OS devices, the Kompanio Ultra, designed to compete with Windows-based Copilot+ PCs. This new chip offers high-end performance and is built with AI in mind, boasting impressive speed and power.
A powerful chip built for AI
The Kompanio Ultra is MediaTek’s top-tier processor, featuring a high-performance architecture focused on AI-driven tasks. It delivers an impressive 50 trillion AI processing power operations per second (TOPS). For comparison, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite reaches a maximum of 45 TOPS, aligning with Microsoft’s baseline for Copilot+ processors from AMD and Intel.
This new chip is based on Arm’s latest v9 CPU architecture and is arranged in a tri-cluster format. It includes a powerful Cortex-X925 core with a peak frequency of 3.62GHz, three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A720 cores. This combination ensures high efficiency and performance, making it ideal for handling AI-driven tasks quickly and smoothly.
Advanced features and improved performance
The Kompanio Ultra belongs to the 9xx series, standing out from MediaTek’s previous Kompanio 8xx and 5xx processors by offering advanced on-device AI processing. This approach allows Chrome OS devices to execute AI tasks like image generation directly on the device, improving speed, reducing latency, and enhancing data security.
MediaTek highlights the chip’s ability to support small and large language models (SLM and LLMs) and optimise AI workloads with an improved AI accelerator chip. Additionally, it is the first Kompanio processor capable of supporting dual 4K external monitors. It also features fast LPDDR5 memory, up to 8,533 Mbps, and supports the latest UFS 4.1 storage standard for improved data transfer speeds.
Pushing the limits of Chrome OS
Regarding graphics, the Kompanio Ultra features Arm’s Immortalis-G925 MC11 GPU. This enables 10-bit 4K video encoding and decoding at 60 frames per second. Built using TSMC’s second-generation 3-nanometre process, the GPU also supports ray tracing, enhancing visuals for gaming and multimedia experiences.
The processor also includes a dedicated Hi-Fi Audio DSP, offering high-resolution audio output and supporting low-power, always-on standby mode for voice assistant activation. On the connectivity front, the Kompanio Ultra embraces the latest standards, supporting WiFi-7 with speeds up to 7.3Gbps and Bluetooth 6.0.
MediaTek has confirmed that the first Chrome OS devices powered by the Kompanio Ultra chip will be released in the coming months. It remains to be seen whether these devices will provide a more affordable alternative to Copilot+ PCs and help Chrome OS gain a stronger foothold in the AI computing space.
