What is the Difference Between Apple A5 and NVIDIA Tegra 3?

The Apple A5 and NVIDIA Tegra 3 are both Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) designs that use multiprocessor architecture to exploit the computing power available. However, there are several differences between the two:

1. CPU Speed: The NVIDIA Tegra 3 has a faster CPU speed, with 4 cores running at 1.4GHz, compared to the Apple A5's 2 cores running at 1GHz.
2. RAM Speed: The Tegra 3 has a higher RAM speed of 750MHz, while the A5's RAM speed is 400MHz.
3. GPU Performance: The Apple A5X, a variant of the A5, offers better 3D graphics performance, rendering roughly twice as many frames per second and more than four times as many texels (texture elements) in some benchmarks. However, the NVIDIA Tegra 3 has a faster GPU clock speed of 120MHz compared to the A5's 40MHz.
4. Number-crunching Performance: The Tegra 3 outperforms the A5 in integer and floating-point performance, as well as memory performance.
5. Graphics API Support: The A5X supports OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenCL 1.1, while the Tegra 3 supports a wider range of graphics APIs, including OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL 1.1, and Direct3D.

In summary, the NVIDIA Tegra 3 has a faster CPU and better number-crunching performance, while the Apple A5 and A5X offer better 3D graphics performance. Both chips are used in popular tablet devices, with the Tegra 3 being used in the ASUS Transformer Prime, for example.

Comparative Table: Apple A5 vs NVIDIA Tegra 3

Here is a table comparing the differences between the Apple A5 and NVIDIA Tegra 3:

Both the Apple A5 and NVIDIA Tegra 3 are Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) designs that use multiprocessor architecture to exploit available computing power. The Apple A5 was released in March 2011 with the iPad 2, while the NVIDIA Tegra 3 was released in November 2011. The A5 features a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, while the Tegra 3 has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU. The A5 comes with a 512MB DDR2 memory package clocked at 533MHz. The Tegra 3 is known for its NVIDIA GeForce (12 cores) GPU, which is expected to provide better gaming performance compared to the Apple A5's PowerVR SGX543MP4 (quad-core) GPU.