Revolutionizing Thin and Light Laptops with MediaTek Dimensity CX C10 Max: Big Core CPU and 55 TOPS NPU

MediaTek recently unveiled the Dimensity CX C10 Max, a cutting-edge flagship system on chip designed for laptops, detachables, and tablets. This new processor is the first of its kind in the Dimensity CX family, the computing division of the Dimensity brand. It boasts an eight-core CPU without any efficiency cores, a 55 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU), an AI image signal processor (ISP), and is manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3nm N3 process.

The Dimensity CX C10 Max is categorized into four main areas by MediaTek: performance, on-device agentic AI, the AI ISP camera, and power efficiency. MediaTek claims that this flagship processor offers up to 15% higher multi-threaded CPU performance compared to its closest competitor at the same power level, up to 50% lower power consumption for the same single-threaded performance, and up to an impressive 19 hours of battery life. These claims are based on MediaTek’s internal testing conducted prior to the release of any retail devices.

The Dimensity CX lineup was first introduced by MediaTek during their analyst day in April, with Dimensity now consisting of three distinct lines: Dimensity for mobile, Dimensity CX for computing, and Dimensity Auto for automotive applications. The C10 Max marks the inaugural flagship release in the CX series, with MediaTek touting it as a high-performance processor offering on-device agentic AI capabilities for its partners in the device and operating system space.

Replacing the Kompanio Ultra, MediaTek’s previous flagship processor for Chromebook Plus devices, the C10 Max is tailored for a new generation of operating systems and will not be featured in Chromebooks from previous iterations. While MediaTek has not disclosed which operating systems will run on devices powered by the C10 Max, they have confirmed that OS and device partners will make these announcements in the coming weeks and months. Notably, benchmark and battery life metrics provided by MediaTek were recorded on a reference board running ChromeOS R133.

Distinguishing itself from the RTX Spark platform developed in collaboration with Nvidia for Windows laptops, the C10 Max is engineered for thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient devices. MediaTek emphasizes that certain aspects of the design, such as platforms, board support packages, and OEM relationships, are shared between both the C10 Max and RTX Spark programs.

The CPU of the Dimensity CX C10 Max adopts an all big core design, featuring a total of eight cores organized into three tiers: one Arm Cortex-X925 core for heavy single-threaded tasks, three Arm Cortex-X4 cores, and four Arm Cortex-A720 cores. Unlike traditional chip layouts, there are no small efficiency cores in this architecture. The Cortex-A720 cores handle less demanding background tasks typically managed by low-power cores on other chips, while the X925 and X4 cores tackle more intensive workloads. This design relies on the manufacturing process and scheduler to optimize power consumption, instead of utilizing dedicated efficiency cores.

Paired with the CPU is 12MB of L3 cache and 10MB of system level cache (SLC). The larger cache size enables the processor to store frequently accessed data closer to the cores, reducing the need for slower trips to main memory. MediaTek emphasizes that despite the AI-centric focus of the platform, they have not compromised on the CPU’s performance.

In terms of memory and storage, the chip supports LPDDR5X memory running at 9600Mbps, alongside UFS 4.0 and PCIe Gen 4 storage. The significance of memory speed on laptop chips has increased, especially for running large language models locally, as faster memory facilitates quicker data transfer between memory and the processor, resulting in improved application performance and faster token generation for on-device AI models.

MediaTek claims two CPU performance figures for the C10 Max: up to 15% faster multi-threaded performance compared to competing platforms at the same 12W power level, and up to 50% lower power consumption at equivalent single-threaded performance. The comparison was made against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite X1E, rather than the newer X2 series. Test conditions specified by MediaTek include Geekbench 6.5 benchmarks conducted on a MediaTek reference board running ChromeOS R133 with 16GB of RAM and a 60Wh battery, and on a Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge running Windows 11 with the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 chip.

It is important to note some limitations in this comparison, such as testing on different operating systems and hardware configurations. Additionally, the comparison was made against an earlier generation of Qualcomm’s laptop chip, rather than the current range. Independent testing on retail hardware will be required to provide a more comprehensive comparison with a wider range of alternatives.

Handling graphics is the Arm Immortalis-G925 GPU with 11 cores, supporting hardware ray tracing. MediaTek did not disclose specific graphics performance metrics during the briefing, leaving the performance comparison with integrated graphics on competing laptop chips unclear.

The display processor, MiraVision 1090, supports eDP 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.4 with multi-stream transport, and MIPI DSI. The chip can drive up to three 4K displays simultaneously, catering to productivity-focused multi-tasking setups. On the media front, the C10 Max offers 4K 10-bit hardware decoding and encoding, with support for AV1, HEVC, AVC, and VP9 codecs. Hardware AV1 support is particularly beneficial for streaming services and video calls using the codec, avoiding the need for software decoding on the CPU.

The NPU featured in the C10 Max is the MediaTek NPU 890, delivering 55 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) at INT8 precision. The NPU incorporates two types of cores, a performance core, and a flexible core. MediaTek claims that this NPU is the fastest in its category. However, it is essential to approach TOPS figures with caution, as they represent raw throughput under specific numerical precision and may vary in measurement methodologies among vendors. The software and model optimization are equally crucial as the raw TOPS number in determining real-world AI performance.

Mediatek has optimized various open large language model families for the NPU, including DeepSeek, Qwen, Llama, and Gemma, enabling support for multi-modal models. The platform is designed to enable AI applications and agents utilizing these models to run inference locally on the NPU, rather than relying on cloud services for processing. Additionally, MediaTek highlighted other NPU-enhanced features such as faster file search, image generation, and smart grouping, emphasizing the benefits of on-device processing in enabling AI features to function offline.

A standout feature of the C10 Max is the dedicated AI ISP camera pillar. Equipped with the Imagiq 1090 ISP, the chip supports camera sensors up to 32MP, offering features such as full range HDR zoom, cinematic video recording, and electronic image stabilization (EIS). The ISP facilitates dual camera setups in detachable designs, with EIS specifically tailored for handheld or moving recording scenarios. While the ISP sets the processing limits, the actual image quality is influenced by the sensor and lens choices made by manufacturers, considering the constrained space in laptop lids for camera modules.

Built on TSMC’s N3 process, a 3nm class node, the C10 Max boasts up to 19 hours of battery life, as per Google’s Power Load Test (PLT) conducted on a MediaTek reference board running ChromeOS R133 with 16GB of RAM and a 60Wh battery. MediaTek advises that battery life can vary significantly based on settings, usage patterns, and other factors. Battery performance on a reference board does not encompass factors like display type, battery capacity, and other components that manufacturers will incorporate, indicating that actual battery life may vary across different models.

The power efficiency of the C10 Max enables OEMs to develop fanless designs without compromising performance, resulting in quiet, cool, and ultra-portable devices. However, the presence of a fan in individual laptops will depend on the thermal design choices made by each manufacturer.

Connectivity and security features of the platform include support for Wi-Fi 7 at speeds up to 7.3Gbps and Bluetooth 6.0 through MediaTek’s connectivity solutions. On the security front, the chip integrates HDCP 2.3 for secure video playback, Widevine L1 for protected streaming content, and Arm TrustZone with secure boot capabilities.

Key specifications of the Dimensity CX C10 Max are summarized in a table format, detailing the processor’s process node, CPU configuration, cache size, GPU details, NPU capabilities, camera ISP features, memory and storage support, display capabilities, video encoding/decoding support, connectivity options, security features, and the claimed battery life of up to 19 hours.

Devices powered by the Dimensity CX C10 Max are expected to be released by leading OEMs running popular operating systems in the near future, with launch announcements anticipated in the coming months. As with similar processors, the C10 Max will be sold to device manufacturers rather than directly to consumers. Pricing details have not been disclosed by MediaTek, and the cost of C10 Max devices in the UK will be contingent on the specifications and pricing set by manufacturers upon product release.

In conclusion, the Dimensity CX C10 Max represents MediaTek’s foray into the high-performance computing space, offering a blend of cutting-edge CPU, GPU, NPU, and ISP technologies tailored for laptops, detachables, and tablets. With a focus on performance, on-device AI capabilities, power efficiency, and advanced connectivity and security features, the C10 Max is poised to deliver a compelling user experience in next-generation devices.