Needs moar graphics —

The fourth-generation iPad’s new GPU is a quad-core monster

The PowerVR SGX554MP4 offers twice the processing power, twice the performance.





Like the A5X before it, the A6X has a much higher GPU-to-CPU ration than the A6.

Each of the four SGX554 cores features double the arithmetic logic units (ALUs) as the SGX543MP4's cores, meaning that each individual graphics core should be about twice as fast as an individual graphics core in the previous iPad. Hence, the claims of "up to" double the graphics performance. The rest of the A6X's extra size is taken up mostly by a larger 128-bit memory controller (compared to the 64-bit controller in the A6), which should keep those graphics cores fed with information and improve on the A6's already-impressive memory bandwidth scores in our benchmark suite.

This beefier GPU should allow more game developers to run their titles at the iPad's native 2048x1536 screen resolution, rather than running at a lower resolution and applying anti-aliasing as they sometimes would before—the end result should be subtly crisper and, of course, more detailed graphics. Look for a full performance analysis of the newest iPad in the coming days.

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Channel Ars Technica