Alleged iPad Air 2 benchmark shows A8X CPU has three cores, 2GB of RAM
Though Apple hasn't revealed the exact specifications of the beefed-up A8X processor that powers the iPad Air 2, a new benchmark purports to show the horsepower of the CPU, revealing a triple-core processor with 2 gigabytes of RAM.
The purported details on the A8X chip were published to iphonebenchmark.net, claiming to show a new "iPad5,4" model. Based on Apple's IPSW files available to developers, that model would be a LTE-capable iPad Air 2.
A separate test published to the same site focused on RAM speed also appears to show that the iPad Air 2 has a full 2 gigabytes of RAM. In contrast, the A8 CPU found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is a dual-core processor with 1 gigabyte of RAM.
Update: Benchmarks of another "iPad5,4" also showed up via GeekBench with similar information, but also revealed a 1.5-gigahertz clock speed.
The benchmarks published represent an out-of-date testing tool not optimized for assessing the performance of Apple's latest hardware, which may explain why the iPad Air 2 performs poorly in some of the tests. The benchmarks were first spotted by Gizmobic.
If true, the details would be in line with a purported iPad Air 2 logic board that leaked earlier this month, just days before Apple took the wraps off its latest flagship tablet. That picture showed an A8X chip with 2 gigabytes of memory from an Elpida RAM module.
Apple opts not to reveal the specific technical specifications of its hardware, instead focusing on performance improvements that are of more value to prospective buyers. Regarding the A8X chip, Apple has simply said that it's 40 percent faster than the A7 processor found in the first iPad Air.
The integrated graphics processing of the A8X is also said to be 2.5 times faster than the A7. And even with those power increases, Apple says the iPad Air 2 still boasts up to 10 hours of battery life.
And while the iPad Air 2 receives a significant processor upgrade, the new iPad mini 3 still runs the same A7 chip as last year.
AppleInsider readers began to receive word from Apple on Tuesday that their iPad Air 2 purchases have shipped. The tablets are advertised to deliver this Thursday.
The purported details on the A8X chip were published to iphonebenchmark.net, claiming to show a new "iPad5,4" model. Based on Apple's IPSW files available to developers, that model would be a LTE-capable iPad Air 2.
A separate test published to the same site focused on RAM speed also appears to show that the iPad Air 2 has a full 2 gigabytes of RAM. In contrast, the A8 CPU found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is a dual-core processor with 1 gigabyte of RAM.
Update: Benchmarks of another "iPad5,4" also showed up via GeekBench with similar information, but also revealed a 1.5-gigahertz clock speed.
The benchmarks published represent an out-of-date testing tool not optimized for assessing the performance of Apple's latest hardware, which may explain why the iPad Air 2 performs poorly in some of the tests. The benchmarks were first spotted by Gizmobic.
If true, the details would be in line with a purported iPad Air 2 logic board that leaked earlier this month, just days before Apple took the wraps off its latest flagship tablet. That picture showed an A8X chip with 2 gigabytes of memory from an Elpida RAM module.
Apple opts not to reveal the specific technical specifications of its hardware, instead focusing on performance improvements that are of more value to prospective buyers. Regarding the A8X chip, Apple has simply said that it's 40 percent faster than the A7 processor found in the first iPad Air.
The integrated graphics processing of the A8X is also said to be 2.5 times faster than the A7. And even with those power increases, Apple says the iPad Air 2 still boasts up to 10 hours of battery life.
And while the iPad Air 2 receives a significant processor upgrade, the new iPad mini 3 still runs the same A7 chip as last year.
AppleInsider readers began to receive word from Apple on Tuesday that their iPad Air 2 purchases have shipped. The tablets are advertised to deliver this Thursday.
Comments
I heard about this last night.
The iPad Air 2 is going to be a beast!
I'm also damn glad that they didn't increase the screen res. Now all of that extra horse power is definitely going to be felt in a big way!
Can't wait for my new iPad! It should be here anytime from Wed-Friday! Bring it on!
It would be interesting to see the single threaded and multithreaded performance here, to see how Apple assessed it as 40% faster. It could be they run the cores at the same speed as the iPhone 6, and gain performance with little power consumption increase by using the extra core.
I look forward to seeing the die photos in due course.
Why not? People have been wanting 2gb.
Why not? People have been wanting 2gb.
Heh, some people have been wanting 4GB!
IIRC iOS has memory compression, so 2GB should suffice for at least three tabs in Safari before tab reloading occurs
OS X didn't titillate?
I heard about this last night.
The iPad Air 2 is going to be a beast!
I'm also damn glad that they didn't increase the screen res. Now all of that extra horse power is definitely going to be felt in a big way!
Can't wait for my new iPad! It should be here anytime from Wed-Friday! Bring it on!
I can't wait to load up some Auria projects and pile on the effects to see how it keeps up.
I can't wait to load up some Auria projects and pile on the effects to see how it keeps up.
I bought some convolution verbs for Auria a while back, but I haven't been able to use many of the presets on my iPad 3!
I have a feeling that it wont be a problem anymore on the new iPad!
Also, I bought a synth Z3TA3+, which is a direct port of the desktop version, and some of the heavy presets dont work on my iPad 3! I finally look forward to hearing them!
And lastly, I use Korg Gadget, which is great, and I look forward to seeing how many synths and modules I will be able to use at once! I have a feeling that it's going to be quite a few!
THE IPAD'S RAM ISN'T UPGRADABLE THIS IS A TRAVESTY APPLE IS EVIL
And to those silly and clueless people who were saying that this is only a mediocre update!
Put down the crack pipe! Step back into reality.
This is a huge update! I said it when the iPad Air 2 was first revealed and I'm saying it now again, because as more evidence is emerging, this fact is only becoming more apparent.
I only keep two or three tabs open at once so that would be great. So long as I can have two tabs open with absolutely no reloading under any circumstances, I don't see how you could ask for more than that in such a device.
"under any circumstances?" Well it depends on if you leave the app or not
That would be unacceptable. When I come back to Safari those two tabs better still be there ready for me or I'll be forced to complain on an internet forum.
This is just my opinion of course, but people who use too many tabs, and constantly have a gazillion tabs open are just lazy.
I know somebody like that, and I told them last time to just make some damn bookmarks, which they were apparently too lazy to do.
By the way, my iPad Air 2 now says Shipped!
When I checked this morning, it was still preparing for shipment!