Tegra 3, CPU-style graphics in your pocket

NVIDA, creator of leading-class graphic cards and GPUs has released further details on the Tegra 3, a “PC-Class CPU” for mobile devices.

Already, tablet owners have been privy to exceptional gaming experiences, fuelled mostly by the Unreal engine. NVIDA though, is taking graphical prowess to a new, meatier level. While Tegra 3 (or Kal-El as it was previously called) has been known about for months, very little in the way of images or videos demonstrating the new CPU has been released, until now.

Screenshots from yet-to-be-released Android games have been flying in thick and fast. NVIDA has also included slides which benchmark the new chip.

Claims from the NVIDA camp say that the Tegra 3 chip is five times faster than Tegra 2. Up to four times faster web browsing is promised and three times the graphical prowess will be delivered by the Tegra 3. The GPU is said to handle 3D exceptionally well and on the demo hardware, a Transformer Prime (the world’s first Tegra 3 device), the display was astounding.

The display is designed for high-definition gaming and supports output to HDMI. When compared to various other CPUs, such as the Apple A5 (the chip which powers the iPad), the Tegra 3 is almost three times faster.

At the same time, Tegra 3 draws very little power from the devices it is embedded into. NVIDA puts this down to the “companion core” which activates during various system tasks. The Tegra 3 is a four-core CPU, with the fifth core acting strictly as a backup.

As for real-world applications, Tegra 3 gives app developers the power to create stunning games with effects previously seen on high-end computers. Realistic water, damage effects, motion blur, light bloom, all these graphical flairs and more now come standard. Tegra 3 is an Android specific CPU, so owners who pickup new phones will soon experience its magic.