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iPad Air 2 Benchmark Points to A8X Chip With Triple-Core 1.5 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM

papashango9 said:
Fandroids crying in a corner somewhere
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Oh stop. First of all, join date? Second of all, the lot of us Apple geeks downplay specs all day when faced with Android specs, until Apple comes out with something with beefy numbers, then we gloat.

It's no wonder people hate us.
 
milo said:
That's an easy claim to make. If it ever comes to pass we'll hear the real situation from developers.
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Well, I am a developer. I also have a long and extensive history with developing cross-platform (including cross-cpu-architecture), and cpu architecture transitions.

I've been though this from the 16-bit to 32-bit Windows transition, doing cross-platform native apps between Mac and Windows (in the old days and the new days), old Mobile (Palm) with its hardware transitions, Windows 32-bit to 64-bit (just about the worst, thanks to MS's abysmal OS design choices) on up through iOS development.

All I can say is, Apple has this nailed. I suppose by long in-grained habit I never write CPU-architecute-specific code I don't have to write (which is to say, not in a long time). So it might be easier for me than for some others. But Apple has done a good job with their APIs, documentation, languages, and development tools to discourage architecture-specific code. It's going to get even harder to screw up as Swift is adopted.

E.g., you probably hadn't noticed, but there are three CPU-architectures in use in iOS devices. Those weren't exactly rocky transitions, were they? Now, that's not completely comparable to an ARM-based device running full OS X because the CPUs in iOS devices were backward compatible with existing binaries giving developers time to transition. But not that much time. Just today (maybe yesterday) Apple announced that 64-bit binaries were required for new iOS submissions starting early next year.

What might kill such a device from a developer perspective is if Apple requires that software for it be distributed only through the Mac App Store. That's the kind of extra baggage that would prevent a lot of developers from supporting an ARM-based Mac.
 
ParanoidDroid said:
Hello! Have you ever heard of Windows RT? But other than that, are you seriously assuming that most Mac customers are buying Macs in order to run Windows on them??? :eek:

If Adobe CC and other creative software ran on ARM architecture, nothing would hold me back to get an ARM based Mac. And I believe this is the sinister plan, that Apple is pursuing in the near future...
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A) Yes, I've heard of WindowsRT. That's still not a version you can buy separately. You can only buy WindowsRT tablets to run WindowsRT and Microsoft appears to be scrapping RT lineup anyway to go full scale on Windows 10 as a single OS with Surface Pro being the single Surface lineup. That could change any time.
B) WindowsRT does not let you run Windows Desktops, only Metro apps. So, it's a no-go for most customers who run Windows on Macs for a reason, the desktop apps.
C) Most consumers, probably not but a large share to make a dent in the educational, enterprise, and so on who do need Windows support.

If Apple can figure out or help the virtuo companies run Windows fast enough via emulation with fast dedicated ARM chips, they probably can afford to go full scale with ARM. That won't be fast enough for gaming tho. Windows remain the best way to game on PCs.
 
Sorry guys, this chip is nowhere intel i5 chips, geekbench scores are great for comparing similar architectures, but SUCKS for comparing mobile vs desktop.


Case in point: Broadwell M (4.5w TDP, fanless)
67604.png

67603.png
 
firewood said:
It crushes your 2010 MacBook Pro without a fan, and using a chip likely fabricated in a low-power semiconductor process.

Imagine what Apple R&D could do if they tweaked the A8X circuit design and layout for a performance-oriented fab process, wider memory bus, bigger heat sink, and thus greater power envelope. They seem to be hiring enough engineers to do just that if Intel can't ship the processors that Apple wants on a timely basis.
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Exactly!!!
 
Benchmarks are a Joke

Has any of the other iPads ever been particularly "slow?" Every new iPad gets "benchmarks" that are always so much "faster" than the previous version then I see it and compare it side by side and for most normal people there's usually no real difference.
 
PunjabiSoorma24 said:
Nice! Love how 46% (900+mb is free and chilling)

I've been interested in getting my first iPad since the third gen, but I was then waiting for a HD front FaceTime Camera. After that came in the 4th gen, I had a "feeling" the full size was going to go through a redesign to look like a bigger mini, which happened. Then when the Air 1 came out I was waiting for Touch ID and 2gigs of RAM. The new anti-reflective screen is icing on the cake. Def. going to purchase this iPad in 64 gigs.

Planning on holding off until Black Friday 2014 to get a major deal on this- last year I think Apple included a $75 Apple Store gift card with the iPad Air 1 for BlackFriday 2013.

Anyone know if last year for BlackFriday they allow a Education Student discount with the Black Friday promotion? I don't think they offered a Education Student store discount on iPads last year, but if anyone knows if they did this on the Mac I'd appreciate knowing.
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I was researching last years Black Friday today and ran across an article that said the gift card promotion couldn't be stacked with an employer or student discount. :(
 
rhaezorblue said:
I was researching last years Black Friday today and ran across an article that said the gift card promotion couldn't be stacked with an employer or student discount. :(
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Oh **** I see. The student discount is only $20 off anyways. I think if it comes down to $20 off or pay full retail and get a $75 Apple Store gift card because of Black Friday the BF deal is a better one for me.
 
2GB of RAM ... OMG, OMG!
Yes, yes, yes!

Definitely upgrading now! From iPad 2 to iPad Air 2. :D :cool:

Why didn't Apple announce that at the iPad event? It would have at least created some buzz where there was none. Do they not realise that people are more interested in the technology not the size?
MacRumors does a better job of bringing us the buzz and excitement! :D
Big thanks to the MacRumors team! :D ;) :cool:
 
Brian Buttplug said:
2 GB RAM was all I needed to know, thanks.

Will order one first thing tomorrow.

-Brian
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I hope your issue is not about the tabs reloading? Because if it is and the new iPad Air 2 still reloads tabs with 2 GB of RAM please do us all a favor and not come here and complain about it. It has not been confirmed that the reason for the tabs reloading is due to a lack of RAM.
 
007p said:
I'm wondering, why the sudden need for 2gb of RAM?

The air, aside from safari, is fine with 1gb. I've even multi-tasked on it using os experience and didn't notice any issues running multiple apps at once - sure it's not a reliable thing to go off but still.

My point is - is there something good coming for them to add 2gb? The screen wasn't updated and the iPhones didn't get - I would have thought the plus would have at least.

Then safari - I still don't believe 2gb is going to fix it, especially if it isn't a problem with other browsers and it's happening on other devices. I guess time will tell for this.


Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, and it was time to finally update - though with the iPad mini and ipad 2 still in the playing field (and mini probably isn't going anywhere next update either) - it's going to be quite a big difference between the two now. Hopefully there is a reason for the 2gb that's going to be exclusive to the air 2 and ipad pro cough split screen cough.
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It's been 2 years over due. Hardly sudden.
 
KeepCalmPeople said:
I'm just hoping that the 2GB of RAM means that the Air 2 will get split screen multitasking in an iOS8.x update within the next 3 or 4 months, possibly when the iPad 'Pro' is launched.
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I doubt we'll see that before IOS 9. That's too big of a change for a .x update IMO
 
xmichaelp said:
Maybe... But in real world uses it just won't stack up to your machine as a "computer". Macs are just way more productive.
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That is only a software limitation. Put that chip in a Macbook, increase the clock and enable the fourth core and you've got a nice computer.

Alternatively, what if they equip the iPad pro with a finder and some pro apps? With GB scores like these anything can happen now...
 
spajdr said:
Now ... where are the GPU tests?
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the gpu test has been tested on 3dmark on laptopmag
The gpu + cpu total score in 3dmark unlimited is 21660.
the keppler k1 is 29938.
sony Z2 is 18935
and the own exynos samsung in S tablet 13481.

higher than older ipad air but very high.

source: http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/tablets/apple-ipad-air-2
see graphics performance.

So the 3 core CPU is the star. beating k1 cpu

B0fsdoACcAAGhrb.png

10856-3294-PadAir2vsNexus9-l.png


source: http://appleinsider.com/articles/14...ew-android-tablets-including-nvidias-tegra-k1
 
MikhailT said:
Umm, you're not helping yourself and you did not dispute his point. You basically confirmed it is all about software that determines the difference between ARM and Intel x86 CPUs, not the hardware.

I can assure you without a doubt that Apple can build ARM CPUs to go into their Macs. OS X can be recompiled and the core of OS X has already been recompiled for ARM, alas iOS. Apple can recompile the rest of the stack to run on ARM.

The only problem with using ARM chips in Macs is that it prevents users from being able to use Windows since there is no consumer ARM version of Windows you can buy as far as I can tell.

Keep in mind that the A* series of CPU is designed to be as efficent as possible and in a power-constraint design. The Macs does not require this, give Apple 10 more watt, and that CPU can explode in performance.
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Keep in mind that Windows can run in a virtual machine. Apple could even, if they wanted to, create their own "BootCamp" branded VM that the Mac could boot into directly for Windows - at that low level, it would probably run Windows without a lot of the virtualisation overhead penalties normally associated with it, and it would work exactly as BootCamp does today...they'd probably show that feature off at the Keynote to quash that fear before it even started. Products like Parallels and Fusion would still work just as they do today once the developers modify for ARM-based virtualisation of x86 (And they definitely would too, it is their life-blood).

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fedxing said:
http://www.wired.co.uk/reviews/tablets/2014-10/ipad-air-2-review

naaajsboy from the early geekbench result might be NATE LANXON the reviewer in this article
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Yup, that user has tons of random devices under that account. Could easily be him, or some other reviewer.

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ap4lifetn said:
Sorry guys, this chip is nowhere intel i5 chips, geekbench scores are great for comparing similar architectures, but SUCKS for comparing mobile vs desktop.


Case in point: Broadwell M (4.5w TDP, fanless)
Image
Image
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Hmmm....don't see the iPad Air 2 there....

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Piggie said:
I believe the Nexus 9 has higher scores on various benchmarks against this new Apple/Arm chip.

Single and Multi core.
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Nope:

10856-3294-PadAir2vsNexus9-l.png
 
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