Apple unveiled the next-generation Apple TV 4K in October alongside the iPad Pro with M2 chip, redesigned iPad 10, and more. Among other features like HDR10+ support, the device comes equipped with the same A15 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 13 lineup and base iPhone 14 models. According to a new report, the A15 Bionic chip in the new Apple TV 4K comes with one CPU core disabled.
Tidbit reveals the core count of the latest Apple TV 4K
The information comes from a review published on FlatpanelsHD. The article claims that the A15 Bionic chip in the latest Apple TV has a five-core CPU. On the other hand, the same chip in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models has a six-core CPU.
There are two versions of the A15 Bionic, one with four GPU cores and one with five GPU cores. Apple TV appears to be using the former and the lack of active cooling implies that Apple is not pushing clock speeds. As for the CPU, A15 in Apple TV is actually a binned version with only five CPU cores as opposed to six in other A15-based products, as confirmed by the TV Info app.
However, the chip in the new Apple TV 4K is still roughly 40% faster than the A12 Bionic chip in the previous Apple TV, tests conducted by the publication reveal. The review notes that this number is “short of Apple’s claimed 50% improvement that may use different testing methodology.” In addition, it was revealed that the new Apple TV throttles less than the previous generation.
On the other hand we were surprised to see A15 throttle less than A12 considering that it does not have active cooling. A 20-minute CPU stresstest throttled A12 to 65% while A15 throttled to just 84%, meaning that the new Apple TV 4K can sustain most of its CPU performance during prolonged heavy loads in games.
The review also says that the CPU in the A15 Bionic chip is much faster than gaming consoles such as Xbox One and PlayStation 5. However, the PlayStation 5 wins over the Apple TV in multi-core performance.
The A15’s CPU performance core is also significantly faster than PS5’s CPU core (single-core performance) but PS5 pulls ahead in multi-core performance because it has 8 cores as opposed to 5 cores in the Apple TV version of A15.
In conclusion, the review highlights the fact that this device cannot be compared to a gaming console as it is meant for “casual couch gaming alone or with the family,” but it is clear that the Cupertino tech giant intends to take it in that direction with new gaming features.
Read more:
