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This brand-new Googlebook chip is basically an old flagship smartphone processor

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Why This Matters

MediaTek's first Googlebook chip, the Dimensity CX C10 Max, turns out to be a near-identical rebrand of its earlier Kompanio Ultra Chromebook processor, itself derived from the Dimensity 9400 smartphone chip. This matters because it shows chipmakers are recycling silicon across device categories rather than engineering bespoke hardware for the new Googlebook platform, raising questions about how differentiated and future-proof these first-generation devices really are.

Key Takeaways

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TL;DR MediaTek has announced the Dimensity CX C10 Max, which is its first processor for Googlebooks.

The chipset appears to be nearly identical to its previously released Kompanio Ultra chip for Chromebooks.

The company says that this chipset will power an upcoming “premium” Googlebook.

Googlebooks are finally here, and we’ve got devices powered by both Intel and Qualcomm processors. There’s no MediaTek-powered laptop at launch, though, but the company has now revealed its first chipset for Googlebooks.

MediaTek announced the Dimensity CX C10 Max yesterday (September 21), and the company promises that this chipset will deliver “all-day” battery life and support Gemini Intelligence. However, a cursory glance at the spec sheet suggests we’re looking at a variant of the previously released Kompanio Ultra chipset for Chromebooks. The Kompanio Ultra was, in turn, based on the Dimensity 9400 smartphone processor.

Would you buy a MediaTek-powered Googlebook? 25 votes Yes, without question 8 % Maybe, it depends on pricing/features 52 % No, but I'd buy a Googlebook with another brand's chip 16 % No, I wouldn't buy a Googlebook in the first place 24 %

For starters, both chips have the same TSMC 3nm design. These processors also share the same powerful octa-core CPU layout, consisting of one Cortex-X925 core, three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A720 cores. The only difference is that the new chip has a 3.73GHz clock speed versus the old chip’s 3.62GHz frequency. We’ve even got the same 10MB system-level cache and 12MB L3 cache.

The Dimensity CX C10 Max also has the same GPU as the older Chromebook processor, namely an Arm Immortalis-G925 MC11. The two chips even share the same NPU 890 AI silicon. Finally, both chipsets support Bluetooth 6.0 and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.

Aside from the CPU clock speed, the Dimensity CX C10 Max also differs from the Kompanio Ultra by offering slightly faster RAM speeds. Nevertheless, it’s clear that MediaTek’s first Googlebook chipset is effectively a rebranded Chromebook chip with minor changes.

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