MediaTek unveils AI processor for Chromebook Plus

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) MediaTek Inc., the largest IC designer in Taiwan, on Monday introduced a new processor -- Kompanio Ultra -- the company described as the latest milestone in artificial intelligence-powered, high-performance Chromebooks.

In a statement, MediaTek said the new platform leverages the company's proven expertise in cutting-edge innovations to bring on-device AI capabilities, superior computing performance, and industry-leading power efficiency to the newest Chromebook Plus devices.

According to MediaTek, Chromebooks powered by the Kompanio Ultra processor will hit the market shelves in the coming months.

The Kompanio Ultra platform is MediaTek's most powerful Chromebook processor to date, and integrates 50 trillion operations per second (50 TOPS) of AI processing power to enable on-device generative AI experiences, the IC designer said.

On the back of MediaTek's eigth-generation network processing unit (NPU), Chromebook users can expect real-time task automation, personalized computing, and seamless AI-enhanced workflows with local processing for enhanced speed, security, efficiency, and support for AI workloads without an internet connection, the IC designer added.

MediaTek said the new platform is built on the sophisticated 3 nanometer process and adopts all-big-core CPU architecture with an Arm Cortex-X925 processor clocked at up to 3.62GHz, which enables the platform to deliver industry-leading single and multithreaded performance in handling intensive applications like video editing, content creation, or high-resolution gaming.

MediaTek added that the Kompanio Ultra powers seamless multitasking and entertainment to provide multi-display support for up to two external high-definition 4K screens, while advanced Hi-Fi audio processing ensures crystal-clear calls and immersive sound.

"We worked closely with Google to ensure the newest Chromebook Plus devices enjoy next-generation on-device AI capabilities, superior performance per watt, and immersive multimedia." Adam King, MediaTek vice president and general manager of computing and multimedia business, said in the statement.