Tweaked Apple TV Contains Die-Shrunk A5 Chip, Not A5X

[deconstruct60]

2011 iPad2 45nm 10.09 x 12.15 mm (122.50 mm^2)
2012 iPad2 32nm 8.19 x 8.68 mm (71.09 mm^2) delta 51.41 or 42.0% less
2013 AppleTV3 28nm 6.0 x 6.0 mm (36.0 mm^2) delta 35.09 or 49.4% less
122.5, 36.0 delta 86.5 or 70.6% less
36/122.5mm=29.4% of the original area. Between a quarter and a third the area.

These are the outsides of the packages or the actual dies ?

If it is the packages that doesn't necessarily directly correlate one-to-one to the die. If there is more heat to dissipate, differing pin out numbers , and/or the other elements inside the package are larger, then it isn't just necessarily the ARM core that is driving these sizes. I think folks are making pretty broad assumptions if these are package measurements.

 

[repoman27]

These are the outsides of the packages or the actual dies ?

If it is the packages that doesn't necessarily directly correlate one-to-one to the die. If there is more heat to dissipate, differing pin out numbers , and/or the other elements inside the package are larger, then it isn't just necessarily the ARM core that is driving these sizes. I think folks are making pretty broad assumptions if these are package measurements.

MacRumors measured the package at 6x6 mm, whereas the other sizes quoted were the actual die sizes as measured by Chipworks.

Here are the die shots of the first two generations, and while the ARM cores are very similar looking, several blocks look like they got shuffled around a bit with the die shrink. Of course not all components on a die shrink proportionally, especially the interfaces at the edges.

A5:

A5 Gen 2:

Unless this is a straight up single core 28 nm design, which I find hard to believe, then I really think we're looking at 20-22 nm here.

 

[Mike MA]

I don't see why it would have contained an A5X chip. The A5X was the same chip as the A5, just with more GPU cores. The AppleTV does not need them.

Well, not at the moment, but...

 

[APlotdevice]

Well, not at the moment, but...

The purpose of the extra GPU in the A5X was to drive the iPad 3rd gen's retina display. The average TV resolution is not going up again for at least a few more years.

 

[DaveN]

The app is available for the iPad and iPhone, so this doesn't make logical sense.

I did not know that. Can the Amazon Prime app stream to Apple TV?

 

[Orlandoech]

I did not know that. Can the Amazon Prime app stream to Apple TV?

Yes via Airplay but with no audio.