Chromebooks have always been perceived as an affordable option to get into portable computing. However, the thought that accompanies this cost-accessibility is the lack of power on the hardware side of things. MediaTek aims to change that perception with these latest Kompanio 520 and 528 chipsets. What do these provide to help them elevate the game within this space?
The answer to that is simple.
“Enhanced power efficiency, speedy performance and reliable connectivity are at the core of a great user experience, and that’s exactly what MediaTek’s new Kompanio chipsets deliver,” said PC Tseng, general manager of Intelligent Multimedia Business Unit at MediaTek. “As the No. 1 provider of Arm- based Chromebooks, MediaTek makes the latest AI, connectivity, display and imaging features accessible at every price point.”
Essentially, both these MediaTek Kompanio promise strengthened performance when browsing, surfing, gaming, streaming, and using all the apps one would require in everyday life. Not only that, but battery efficiency has also been prioritized more than ever before; minimizing the need to plug in before the day ends.
For those who like looking into the technical details, both the MediaTek Kompanio 520 and 528 chipsets combine two ARM Cortex A76 cores to complete an octa-core setup alongside a dual-core GPU engine. The main difference is the clock speed: we’re seeing 2GHz in the 520 and 2.2GHz in the 528. According to the company, this computing power paired with quick memory solutions “provide improved data throughput performance so multitasking is a breeze and users can boot up in seconds.”
Each chipset also integrates a dual-core AI processing unit (APU) to deliver accelerated AI enhancements to applications, along with AI camera features. Additionally, brands can utilize MediaTek’s Filogic Wi-Fi 6 solutions with the Kompanio chipsets for fast and reliable connectivity when users are streaming and cloud gaming. No more lags and stutters!
The imaging processors on these MediaTek Kompanio chips get a boost as well. Device manufacturers can now equip Chromebooks with up to 32-megapixel cameras for more detailed photos. Not only the resolution gets better; hardware imaging wizardry also provides improvements to low-light shots to minimize grain and noise. An enhanced multimedia engine also includes VP9 decoding and H.265 encoding for two times faster performance and a dedicated HiFi 5 DSP for lower-energy microphone processing.
Supported display resolution reaches up to Full HD+ for crystal clear images on the panel. This is twice the resolution of the previous-generation chipsets, meaning that Chromebook users will no longer have to settle for less. It also carries support for dual monitors and connecting to external displays such as Smart TVs and projectors.
That may all seem complicated, but the gist of it is the Chromebook has become more of a multimedia hub than ever before.
