MediaTek MT6595: impressions of ... chipset
Some time ago, I managed to get to know closely two flagship smartphones, namely the Lenovo Vibe X2 and Meizu MX4 . They themselves are very different, but they have one thing in common - the MediaTek MT6595 chipset. This is the first platform in the world with an 8-core processor and an integrated LTE modem. Due to its low price, it allows you to create smartphones that are not only inferior to Samsung models on Exynos and HTC chipsets on Qualcomm, but also in some ways significantly surpass them. There is every reason to believe that at the beginning of 2015 the market will be swept by a wave of flagship models on MT6595 from manufacturers of the "second tier", and they will cost less than 15 thousand rubles (for comparison: flagships from A-brands with other chipsets cost 25-30 thousand )
Below I will tell about my impressions of these two devices on MediaTek MT6595. And before that, I note that the potential of MediaTek's solution is obvious not only to me: the same Meizu in its previous devices used Samsung Exynos chipsets, which it was constantly proud of. In the new flagship model, the Chinese company switched to MediaTek.
Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy S5
Lenovo Vibe X2
So, MT6595 is a 2014 chipset with eight processing cores. Let me remind you that at one time MediaTek released MT6592 - the world's first chipset in which all cores (Cortex-A7 architecture) can work simultaneously.
Comparison of the “real 8-core” MT6592 operation scheme (bottom) with “fake” (top)
Meanwhile, in MT6595, MediaTek developers went further and implemented the big.LITTLE concept in its most progressive version, that is, according to the principle of heterogeneous processor operation ( HMP ) . This means that, despite the differences in architecture, 8 cores from two clusters of 4 each can work simultaneously. Moreover, thanks to CorePilot technologyfrom MediaTek, also in any configuration: for example, 2 cores from one cluster and 1 from another can work simultaneously. Or all at once. Or only 1. This approach allows you to increase the performance of the solution by about 20% and reduce power consumption in some modes by 20%. In addition, CorePilot provides control over the temperature of the processor and, as a result, the device itself. In other words, it is better protected from overheating.
Goals and objectives of CorePilot
As an example, let's take this situation: the smartphone was in standby mode, and only 1 core worked at the minimum frequency. Then the user launched a 3D game in which all 8 cores were turned on. However, the chipset analyzed the situation and realized that it is not necessary to launch all the cores at the maximum frequency - say, 1.5 GHz, instead of the maximum 2.2, is enough. As a result, less energy is spent, the device practically does not heat up, and the game runs smoothly and does not slow down.
A few words about architecture. MT6595 includes 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores, as well as 4 ARM Cortex-A17 cores. Moreover, this chipset is the first in the world with the architecture of the latter type. ARM says it is "about 60% faster than the Cortex-A9." It is also worth noting that the MT6595 is presented in three versions - the MT6595 itself, as well as the MT6595M and MT6595T. In the first case, the peak frequencies of the A7 and A17 cores reach 2.2 and 1.7 GHz, respectively, in the second - 2.0 and 1.5 GHz, and in the third - 2.5 and 1.7 GHz. The Meizu MX4 is built on the top-end MT6595, while the Lenovo Vibe X2 is built on the slightly simpler MT6595M.
All three versions of the chipset use PowerVR G6200 graphics with different frequencies - one of the top solutions in the Imagination Technologies line. The maximum supported camera resolution is 20 megapixels, screens - 2560x1600 pixels.
There were some pleasant things that were not previously seen in MediaTek chipsets: for example, built-in codecs for video processing in H.265 and support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Here is a miracle happened at MediaTek.
On paper, all this is certainly impressive. But the practice will be discussed below - I was able to "drive" Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2 for about a week.
There may be a different attitude towards benchmarks, but still I will give the following screenshots. Meizu MX4 is gaining in AnTuTumore than 50 thousand points, Lenovo Vibe X2 - more than 47 thousand. For comparison: the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the version on the Exynos chipset with 8 cores has about 38 thousand, and the devices on the MT6592 have 28-30 thousand. In my opinion, the difference in the so-called "abstract parrots" is quite noticeable, and for someone even important. Because not everyone buys a new smartphone every six months or a year. Many go with one device and for two years, and some - even in the "until it breaks" mode. So, high results guarantee that the device will remain relevant for games for just a couple of years. You never know what kind of graphics will be made in some Asphalt 12 sample of 2016 ... But I'm almost sure that the devices with MT6595 will pull it.
Results in AnTuTu. From left to right: Samsung Galaxy S5, Lenovo Vibe X2 and Meizu MX4
Moreover - on the Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2, the game Dark Meadow: The Pact was launched . It is not very fresh, but very serious in terms of graphics and still relevant. It was originally developed for devices on nVidia Tegra 3, and no matter how I tried to run it on models with other hardware platforms - LG Nexus 5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800), Samsung Galaxy S5 (Exynos 5422) and so on - it did not work. But on devices with MT6595 it suddenly started. Nicely.
Dark Meadow launched on Meizu MX4
Support for LTE is also an absolute plus. Yes, the newfangled Cat. 6 is not supported, however, under the conditions of Russian reality, Cat is quite enough. 4 (up to 150 Mbps). And this means that downloading movies and other heavy files for a smartphone turns from an impossible task into a matter of several minutes.
It is impossible not to mention GLONASS support added to GPS. Yes, there is probably not much use for it, as predicted at the dawn of the appearance of GLONASS / GPS receivers in mobile devices, but let it be better.
The issue of energy consumption stands apart. MediaTek generally always especially emphasized that it was fighting to save battery power “with the gun at the ready”, and the more interesting it was to evaluate how many devices with such a powerful chipset work inside. Meizu MX4 (3100 mAh battery) runs quietly for a day and a half, while Lenovo Vibe X2 (2300 mAh) - for a day. Video in FullHD 1080p, the first smartphone can play about 6 and a half hours, the second - about 4 and a half. Blame for this result is exclusively Lenovo: 2300 mAh - not enough for a device with a 5-inch FullHD-screen.
This article would be incomplete without a comparison of these chipsets. I recall that MT6592 was announced in October 2013, the first devices based on it appeared in March 2014. MT6595 was introduced in February 2014, we only waited for smartphones based on it only in the fall of 2014. That is, the interval between releases of these platforms is six months, and here is the progress, I’m not afraid of the word, gigantic.
You can’t get off with bare figures in this comparison. There are a number of proprietary technologies that were not in the MT6592 and which appeared in the MT6595. A couple of words are below.
MT6592 implemented ClearMotion technology to increase the frame rate of video from 24-30 per second to 60 in real time, which led to an increase in image clarity. I emphasize: she worked only in the video. But in MT6595, another, much more advanced development was used: Response Time Enhancement. It reduces the reaction time of the display and by 50% reduces the blurriness of the image of a moving object, typical for displays with a scan frequency of 60 Hz, “animating” everything that happens on the screen: video, photos, games, sites and so on - any content. Based on this development, together with Japan Display, MediaTek MT6595 implements support for displays with a scanning frequency of 120 Hz. Due to this, a higher smoothness is achieved in all situations - when scrolling, during transitions between elements of the Android interface, when playing video, when launching toys, and so on. Honestly, this technology is one of those whose work is very difficult to evaluate in practice. This would be possible if, say, they gave me an instance of Meizu MX4 with Response Time Enhancement turned on and an instance turned off. But ... In any case, this chip warms the soul.
MiraVision technology increases image clarity when displaying various multimedia content on the screen. This is achieved by adjusting the intensity of the display backlight depending on the brightness of the surrounding space and the color gamut of the content displayed on the screen. MiraVision technology also saves battery power.
Well, another feature - Super-Slow Motion - shooting video at a frequency of 480 (!) Frames per second and the possibility of subsequent playback at a speed of 1/16 of the nominal. Curious, probably, but in Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2 it is not implemented. And this is normal: the developers themselves choose which chipmaker's best practices to use in their products, and MediaTek is not a decree for them.
In my opinion, the chipset turned out to be more than successful. And, importantly, modern: devices for 15 thousand (Lenovo Vibe X2 costs about that much, for example, and Meizu MX4 is 2-3 thousand more expensive) will now be able to work with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, receive LTE, and will also be compatible with almost any games for at least a couple of years. Moreover, the game will probably be even more pleasant than on the current flagships with price tags in the range of 25-30 thousand. That's how technology becomes available to the people, and personally it makes me very happy. It remains to wait until other vendors roll out their devices on MT6595. Most likely, their first “wave” will take place at the beginning of January in Las Vegas at CES 2015, the second - in February in Barcelona at MWC 2015. And there, it’s not far to Computex 2015. Although ... There is an opinion that at this June exhibition we will already be shown the first models onMT6795 - a chipset with 8 64-bit cores and LTE. But this chipset and the story about it is a matter of the future. Stay in touch.
Thanks to Meizu and Lenovo for the smartphones provided for testing.
Below I will tell about my impressions of these two devices on MediaTek MT6595. And before that, I note that the potential of MediaTek's solution is obvious not only to me: the same Meizu in its previous devices used Samsung Exynos chipsets, which it was constantly proud of. In the new flagship model, the Chinese company switched to MediaTek.
Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy S5
Lenovo Vibe X2
A lot of theory
So, MT6595 is a 2014 chipset with eight processing cores. Let me remind you that at one time MediaTek released MT6592 - the world's first chipset in which all cores (Cortex-A7 architecture) can work simultaneously.
Comparison of the “real 8-core” MT6592 operation scheme (bottom) with “fake” (top)
Meanwhile, in MT6595, MediaTek developers went further and implemented the big.LITTLE concept in its most progressive version, that is, according to the principle of heterogeneous processor operation ( HMP ) . This means that, despite the differences in architecture, 8 cores from two clusters of 4 each can work simultaneously. Moreover, thanks to CorePilot technologyfrom MediaTek, also in any configuration: for example, 2 cores from one cluster and 1 from another can work simultaneously. Or all at once. Or only 1. This approach allows you to increase the performance of the solution by about 20% and reduce power consumption in some modes by 20%. In addition, CorePilot provides control over the temperature of the processor and, as a result, the device itself. In other words, it is better protected from overheating.
Goals and objectives of CorePilot
As an example, let's take this situation: the smartphone was in standby mode, and only 1 core worked at the minimum frequency. Then the user launched a 3D game in which all 8 cores were turned on. However, the chipset analyzed the situation and realized that it is not necessary to launch all the cores at the maximum frequency - say, 1.5 GHz, instead of the maximum 2.2, is enough. As a result, less energy is spent, the device practically does not heat up, and the game runs smoothly and does not slow down.
A few words about architecture. MT6595 includes 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores, as well as 4 ARM Cortex-A17 cores. Moreover, this chipset is the first in the world with the architecture of the latter type. ARM says it is "about 60% faster than the Cortex-A9." It is also worth noting that the MT6595 is presented in three versions - the MT6595 itself, as well as the MT6595M and MT6595T. In the first case, the peak frequencies of the A7 and A17 cores reach 2.2 and 1.7 GHz, respectively, in the second - 2.0 and 1.5 GHz, and in the third - 2.5 and 1.7 GHz. The Meizu MX4 is built on the top-end MT6595, while the Lenovo Vibe X2 is built on the slightly simpler MT6595M.
All three versions of the chipset use PowerVR G6200 graphics with different frequencies - one of the top solutions in the Imagination Technologies line. The maximum supported camera resolution is 20 megapixels, screens - 2560x1600 pixels.
There were some pleasant things that were not previously seen in MediaTek chipsets: for example, built-in codecs for video processing in H.265 and support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Here is a miracle happened at MediaTek.
A bit of practice
On paper, all this is certainly impressive. But the practice will be discussed below - I was able to "drive" Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2 for about a week.
There may be a different attitude towards benchmarks, but still I will give the following screenshots. Meizu MX4 is gaining in AnTuTumore than 50 thousand points, Lenovo Vibe X2 - more than 47 thousand. For comparison: the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the version on the Exynos chipset with 8 cores has about 38 thousand, and the devices on the MT6592 have 28-30 thousand. In my opinion, the difference in the so-called "abstract parrots" is quite noticeable, and for someone even important. Because not everyone buys a new smartphone every six months or a year. Many go with one device and for two years, and some - even in the "until it breaks" mode. So, high results guarantee that the device will remain relevant for games for just a couple of years. You never know what kind of graphics will be made in some Asphalt 12 sample of 2016 ... But I'm almost sure that the devices with MT6595 will pull it.
Results in AnTuTu. From left to right: Samsung Galaxy S5, Lenovo Vibe X2 and Meizu MX4
Moreover - on the Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2, the game Dark Meadow: The Pact was launched . It is not very fresh, but very serious in terms of graphics and still relevant. It was originally developed for devices on nVidia Tegra 3, and no matter how I tried to run it on models with other hardware platforms - LG Nexus 5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800), Samsung Galaxy S5 (Exynos 5422) and so on - it did not work. But on devices with MT6595 it suddenly started. Nicely.
Dark Meadow launched on Meizu MX4
Support for LTE is also an absolute plus. Yes, the newfangled Cat. 6 is not supported, however, under the conditions of Russian reality, Cat is quite enough. 4 (up to 150 Mbps). And this means that downloading movies and other heavy files for a smartphone turns from an impossible task into a matter of several minutes.
It is impossible not to mention GLONASS support added to GPS. Yes, there is probably not much use for it, as predicted at the dawn of the appearance of GLONASS / GPS receivers in mobile devices, but let it be better.
The issue of energy consumption stands apart. MediaTek generally always especially emphasized that it was fighting to save battery power “with the gun at the ready”, and the more interesting it was to evaluate how many devices with such a powerful chipset work inside. Meizu MX4 (3100 mAh battery) runs quietly for a day and a half, while Lenovo Vibe X2 (2300 mAh) - for a day. Video in FullHD 1080p, the first smartphone can play about 6 and a half hours, the second - about 4 and a half. Blame for this result is exclusively Lenovo: 2300 mAh - not enough for a device with a 5-inch FullHD-screen.
Comparison of MT6595 and MT6592
This article would be incomplete without a comparison of these chipsets. I recall that MT6592 was announced in October 2013, the first devices based on it appeared in March 2014. MT6595 was introduced in February 2014, we only waited for smartphones based on it only in the fall of 2014. That is, the interval between releases of these platforms is six months, and here is the progress, I’m not afraid of the word, gigantic.
| MediaTek MT6592 | MediaTek MT6595 | |
| Configuration | 8 cores (28 nm): - ARM Cortex-A7 up to 1.7 GHz, can work simultaneously | 8 cores (28 nm): - 4 ARM Cortex-A17 cores up to 2.2 GHz - 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores up to 1.7 GHz ARM big.LITTLE, can work simultaneously |
| Graphics Accelerator | Mali-450 | PowerVR G6200 |
| Results in AnTuTu | From 27 thousand points | From 45 thousand points |
| RAM memory | Single-channel mode: - 32 bits LPDDR2 533 MHz; - 32 bits LPDDR3 666 MHz; Bandwidth up to 5.3 Gb / s | Dual channel mode - 32 bits LPDDR3 933 MHz; Throughput - up to 14.9 Gb / s |
| Wifi | 802.11n | Wi-Fi 802.11ac |
| Navigation | GPS | GLONASS / GPS |
| LTE | No (added using M6290) | Yes (Cat.4) |
Signature Chips MT6595
MT6592 implemented ClearMotion technology to increase the frame rate of video from 24-30 per second to 60 in real time, which led to an increase in image clarity. I emphasize: she worked only in the video. But in MT6595, another, much more advanced development was used: Response Time Enhancement. It reduces the reaction time of the display and by 50% reduces the blurriness of the image of a moving object, typical for displays with a scan frequency of 60 Hz, “animating” everything that happens on the screen: video, photos, games, sites and so on - any content. Based on this development, together with Japan Display, MediaTek MT6595 implements support for displays with a scanning frequency of 120 Hz. Due to this, a higher smoothness is achieved in all situations - when scrolling, during transitions between elements of the Android interface, when playing video, when launching toys, and so on. Honestly, this technology is one of those whose work is very difficult to evaluate in practice. This would be possible if, say, they gave me an instance of Meizu MX4 with Response Time Enhancement turned on and an instance turned off. But ... In any case, this chip warms the soul.
MiraVision technology increases image clarity when displaying various multimedia content on the screen. This is achieved by adjusting the intensity of the display backlight depending on the brightness of the surrounding space and the color gamut of the content displayed on the screen. MiraVision technology also saves battery power.
Well, another feature - Super-Slow Motion - shooting video at a frequency of 480 (!) Frames per second and the possibility of subsequent playback at a speed of 1/16 of the nominal. Curious, probably, but in Meizu MX4 and Lenovo Vibe X2 it is not implemented. And this is normal: the developers themselves choose which chipmaker's best practices to use in their products, and MediaTek is not a decree for them.
Total
In my opinion, the chipset turned out to be more than successful. And, importantly, modern: devices for 15 thousand (Lenovo Vibe X2 costs about that much, for example, and Meizu MX4 is 2-3 thousand more expensive) will now be able to work with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, receive LTE, and will also be compatible with almost any games for at least a couple of years. Moreover, the game will probably be even more pleasant than on the current flagships with price tags in the range of 25-30 thousand. That's how technology becomes available to the people, and personally it makes me very happy. It remains to wait until other vendors roll out their devices on MT6595. Most likely, their first “wave” will take place at the beginning of January in Las Vegas at CES 2015, the second - in February in Barcelona at MWC 2015. And there, it’s not far to Computex 2015. Although ... There is an opinion that at this June exhibition we will already be shown the first models onMT6795 - a chipset with 8 64-bit cores and LTE. But this chipset and the story about it is a matter of the future. Stay in touch.
Thanks to Meizu and Lenovo for the smartphones provided for testing.