Intel Atom x5-Z8500

The Intel Atom x5-Z8500 is a power efficient quad-core SoC for Windows and Android devices (tablets and convertibles), which has been presented in March 2015. It is clocked at 1.44 - 2.24 GHz and part of the Cherry Trail platform. Thanks to its new 14 nanometer low-power process (P1273) with tri-gate transistors, energy efficiency has been significantly improved over its predecessor Bay Trail-T (e.g. Atom Z3795). In addition to the CPU cores, the SoC offers a DirectX 11.2-capable GPU as well as a LPDDR3 Memory Controller (2x 64 bit, 25.6 GB/s).

Architecture

The processor cores are based on the Airmont architecture, which is basically a slightly modified shrink of the previous Silvermont core. While performance per clock has not been improved, the more efficient 14 nm process may lead to a better utilization of the CPU Burst (alias Turbo Boost) and therefore a somewhat higher performance in certain situations.

Performance

Compared to the Atom x7-Z8700, the Atom x5-Z8500 is clocked slightly lower and therefore 5 - 10 percent slower. However, the x5 still beats most ARM-based SoCs and offers a performance similar to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. 

Using Windows, the chip is adequate for everyday tasks such as Internet or Office, but not for very complex software or modern games.

Graphics

The HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) is based on the Intel Gen8 architecture, which supports DirectX 11.2 and is also found in the Broadwell series (e.g. HD Graphics 5300). With 12 EUs (Execution Units) and a clock speed of up to 600 MHz, the GPU is about twice as fast as the HD Graphics (Bay Trail) and will handle older and less demandig Windows games (e.g. Counter-Strike: GO) in very low settings at decent frame rates. The GPU also supports 4K/H.265 video acceleration.

Compared to ARM SoCs, the HD Graphics offers a performance similar to the Qualcomm Adreno 330 or PowerVR G6430.

Power Consumption

The entire SoC is rated at an SDP of 2 watts, which indicates a TDP of less than 4 watts. Thus, the chip can be used in passively cooled tablets.

Codename	Cherry Trail
Series	Intel Atom x5
Series: Atom x5 Cherry Trail Intel Atom x5-Z8550 1.44 - 2.4 GHz 4 / 4  Intel Atom x5-Z8500 « 1.44 - 2.24 GHz 4 / 4  Intel Atom x5-E8000 1.04 - 2 GHz 4 / 4  Intel Atom x5-Z8350 1.44 - 1.92 GHz 4 / 4  Intel Atom x5-Z8300 1.44 - 1.84 GHz 4 / 4
Clock Rate	1440 - 2240 MHz
Level 2 Cache	2 MB
Number of Cores / Threads	4 / 4
Manufacturing Technology	14 nm
Max. Temperature	90 °C
Features	Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail, 200 - 600 MHz), Wireless Display, AES-NI, max. 8 GB Dual-Channel LPDDR3-1600 (25,6 GB/s), 3x USB 3.0, 2x PCIe 2.0
GPU	Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) (200 - 600 MHz)
64 Bit	64 Bit support
Architecture	x86
Announcement Date	03/02/2015
Product Link (external)	ark.intel.com

Benchmarks