Processor

A mobile processor like the Snapdragon 845 offers a lot of great features, but that top-of-the-line nature tends to limit manufacturers to using it only in their flagship phones. For more mid-range devices, we have the processors in the Snapdragon 600-series, and while those are decent processors, they can't quite do all that the 800-series can. Qualcomm is looking to give those mid-range phones a boost in capability today by launching the new Snapdragon 700-series.

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Intel has finally added an entry-level 8th Generation processor to its line-up, opening the door to more affordable new laptops and 2-in-1s with the latest silicon. The chip-maker's 8th Gen Core i5 and Core i7 processors have been spreading through notebooks and desktops since all the way back in August 2017, but Intel's staggered launch has left some odd gaps in the line-up.

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For a long while, Intel has remained practically unchallenged on desktops and especially on laptops and tablets for a couple of reasons. One of those was because Intel’s processors came with integrated GPUs that deliver graphics functionality right out of the box, without having to invest in a discrete card unless absolutely necessary. Now, however, it has gotten some real competition. AMD has been trying to gnaw at Intel’s share of the market on servers and desktops and now it completes the picture with its first Ryzen processors that include their very own integrated Vega GPU in a single chip.

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In just a few weeks, we’ll be getting a glimpse of the next generation of Android smartphones slated for this year. Arriving with them is Qualcomm’s next-generation mobile platform, the Snapdragon 845. But before that chip goes out to market, Tom’s Guide was able to put this year’s top mobile processor through a few stress tests. And while the numbers do look impressive on their own and compared to last year’s flagships, the Snapdragon 845 might still have a tough time standing head to head with Apple’s A11 Bionic.

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Amazon plans to join the custom chip club, with future Alexa devices like the Echo smart speaker reportedly set to be powered by a homegrown AI processor. Efforts to design a special chipset that would give Alexa offline talents, among other improvements, are said to have been underway for the past few years. As well as further differentiating its assistant technology, it could also open Amazon up to a potentially lucrative new market.

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Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 may only be reaching new smartphones this quarter, but the chip-maker is already working on a Snapdragon 850 sources claim. The Snapdragon 845 is expected to make its sales debut at the heart of the Samsung Galaxy S9, or at least certain versions of the handset, which is due to break cover at Mobile World Congress 2018 later this month. Given Qualcomm's track record, however, it won't be long before its in a wide range of devices.

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Intel plans to have versions of its processors directly addressing the Spectre and Meltdown security flaws on the market later this year, the chip-maker has confirmed today. News on the processor update came during the earnings call with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, after the company announced better-than-expected results for Q4 2017.

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If you were about to install Intel's fix for Spectre and Meltdown, don't be so fast: the chip company is advising those with certain processors to avoid the security patches currently available. Intel began pushing out fixes along with the help of its system partners earlier this month, as it tried to deal with the twin security issues identified by Google Project Zero and others. However, that process hasn't been entirely smooth-running.

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Last year’s premium specs often become this year’s mid-tier features. That does seem to be the pattern proven by Samsung’s newest Exynos system-on-chip, not for the high-end phones but for those in the middle. The Exynos 5 series 7872 processor is designed to do more for less. That is, less cores and less capabilities. That said, there are some serious limitations to the chip that could hinder its use.

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If there were any still any lingering doubt that Samsung would be going the Face ID route sooner rather than later, its newest product announcement should clear all those away. No, it hasn’t yet revealed the Galaxy S9 but, instead, has announced the brains behind it. The Exynos 9810, its first in the Exynos 9 series, boasts of more than just improved performance and power efficiency. It will be talking a lot about its AI and machine learning capabilities that will be put in the service of image processing and face detection.

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This week Intel found themselves on the wrong end of the controversy stick as a bug, flaw, or whatever you'd like to call it, appeared on Intel computers. What they suggest is that they are not the only company whose products are "susceptible to these exploits." Intel made clear several times in a comment to the press that they were not the only hardware manufacturers that are part of this mess.

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An Intel bug was just announced which could have negative effects on the performance capabilities of computers all over the world. Before we go any further, I need to be clear in saying this will not have a significant effect on most users, or so we're lead to believe thus far. Intel has not released all the details on the issue, but we do have a general idea of what's happening and what to expect.

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