New MediaTek SoC Speeds Up Generative AI Processing at the Edge

MediaTek has announced its Dimenstiy 9300+ SoC, the company’s latest processor for high-end mobile applications. With today’s consumer appetite for on-phone gaming, streaming, and AI features like facial recognition and edge processing, processors must meet heightened computing demands. 

 

The MediaTek Dimensity 9300+. Image used courtesy of MediaTek

 

MediaTek released its Dimensity 9300 SoC with its underlying All-Big-Core CPU architecture in November 2023 to meet these unique challenges. Built on TSMC's third-generation, 4-nm process technology, the upgraded Dimenstiy 9300+ likewise leverages the All-Big-Core architecture while reaching new performance feats. 

 

The Dimensity 9300+ at a Glance

The new flagship SoC includes some of Arm's latest processors to support on-device generative AI. These include:  

• One Arm Cortex-X4 core running at 3.4 GHz
• Three Arm Cortex-X4 cores running at 2.85 GHz
• Four Cortex-A720 cores running at 2.0 GHz

The chipset also offers 18 MB of L3 cache and system-level cache (SLC) and supports the latest LPDDR5T memory up to 9,600 Mbps and UFS 4.0 storage. These features allow the device to perform high-speed tasks and multitasking without compromising performance. The SoC integrates a 5G R16 modem that provides up to 7 Gbps downlink and robust dual SIM capabilities.

 

The SoC Ramps Up AI Processing Features

One of the Dimensity 9300+'s most notable features is its advanced AI processing unit (APU 790), which significantly boosts the SoC's ability to perform edge AI computing. This APU helps execute large language models (LLMs) with up to 33 billion parameters efficiently, suitable for real-time AI applications such as text, image, and music generation. The APU's NeuroPilot Speculative Decode Acceleration boosts AI performance by up to 10%, according to MediaTek.

For gamers, the Dimensity 9300+ integrates a second-generation hardware raytracing engine with an Arm Immortalis-G720 GPU, which can offer a smooth gaming experience at 60 FPS with raytracing enabled. MediaTek's HyperEngine technologies further optimize gaming performance by enhancing power efficiency and maintaining device cooling, thereby extending play sessions without thermal throttling.

 

The SoC also features MediaTek's Imagiq 990 ISP, which supports advanced AI videography with 18-bit RAW processing. This enables high-quality photo and video capture, even in challenging lighting conditions. The MiraVision 990 display technology enhances viewing experiences with support for up to 4K resolution at 120 Hz.

 

The Heart of the SoC: MediaTek's All-Big-Core Architecture

MediaTek's All-Big-Core architecture in both the Dimensity 9300 and Dimensity 9300+ diverges from traditional approaches that use different CPU cores depending on size (big, medium, and little) or performance vs. efficiency. Instead, it uses a homogeneous setup where all CPU cores are "big" cores, specifically designed for high performance and equipped with out-of-order execution pipelines.

The primary advantage of the All-Big-Core architecture is its ability to deliver consistently high performance across various demanding applications, particularly those requiring high thread-level parallelism (TLP). This makes it especially beneficial for modern mobile gaming and multitasking scenarios, such as running graphics-intensive games alongside high-resolution video calls. The tradeoff is that such an architecture consumes more power, requires thermal management, and decreases device battery life.

The All-Big-Core principle harmonizes high performance with energy efficiency by optimizing the power efficiency across the performance spectrum, from low to peak performance. The consolidation of core types simplifies the chip’s cluster design and energy-aware scheduling, enabling smoother and more effective performance scaling based on application demands.

At the core of the Dimensity 9300+, this architecture also enhances gaming experiences with better frame rates, supports advanced multitasking in new foldable phone formats, and generally speeds up processing across all applications.