MediaTek Unveils Kompanio Ultra Processor for Future Chromebooks with AI — It’s Very Similar to Dimensity 9400

MediaTek has introduced the Kompanio Ultra processor for Chromebooks. In fact, this is the flagship Dimensity 9400 mobile platform, adapted for work in a laptop. Perhaps the most noticeable common feature of both processors is the NPU 890 neural engine for AI tasks. According to MediaTek, it provides 50 TOPS (trillion operations per second) performance and is five times better than the NPU built into the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (Meteor Lake) processor.

Image source: MediaTek

As part of the announcement, MediaTek confirmed that Kompanio Ultra for Chromebook Plus systems supports Google’s Gemini AI assistant, but added that details on Gemini support on Chromebooks will be revealed at a separate Google event next month. It’s worth noting that regular Chromebooks already support Gemini chat, and Chromebook Plus models include Live Translate, a recorder app with automatic transcriptions and speaker tags, and Help Me Write. However, it appears Google is preparing even more Gemini-related AI features for Chromebooks.

The Kompanio Ultra processor has one Cortex-X925 core running at 3.62 GHz, three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A720 cores. The chip has 12 MB of L3 cache and 10 MB of system-level cache. The key difference between the Kompanio Ultra and the Dimensity 9400 is the graphics accelerator. Although both processors use the same Immortalis-G925 GPU, the Kompanio Ultra has 11 graphics cores, compared to the 12 found in the Dimensity 9400.

To compare the computing and graphics performance of the Kompanio Ultra, MediaTek used an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor, also equipped with integrated graphics. According to MediaTek, their chip is up to 18% more productive in single-threaded workload in GeekBench 6.2 at half the power of its competitor (7 W vs. 15 W) and up to 40% faster in multi-threaded workload at the same power. It is also 30% more energy efficient at the same level of performance.

As for the integrated GPU performance, it is up to 40% faster in the GFXBench Manhattan 3.0 test. The processor supports ray tracing, but MediaTek clarifies that ChromeOS does not yet support this technology. The company also promises up to 20 hours of battery life for Kompanio Ultra-based Chromebooks. According to MediaTek, its chip provides up to 29% more battery life on a 60 Wh battery than the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U.

Kompanio Ultra is manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process technology. The chip supports connecting two external 4K displays (as well as one built-in screen). It also supports Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 7 (up to 7.3 Gbps), 4K@60FPS video encoding and decoding, and low-power keyword detection in standby mode. This feature allows you to remotely wake up sleeping devices while minimizing power consumption during sleep.