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ARM planning to release Deimos and Hercules laptop ULV CPUs in 2019-2020

First step is to rival AMD's and Intel's ULV CPUs, then ARM may very well try its hand at desktop processors. (Source: ARM)
First step is to rival AMD's and Intel's ULV CPUs, then ARM may very well try its hand at desktop processors. (Source: ARM)
Since the Windows on ARM initiative did not impress too much with this year's Snapdragon-powered laptops, ARM is willing to take matters into its own hands and release CPUs specifically designed for ultrabooks and compact laptops. Based on the Deimos 7 nm architecture an Hercules 7-5 nm architecture, ARM's upcoming laptop chips are set to rival Intel's and AMD's ULV offers.

ARM is prominently known for its mobile CPU cores that are integrated in many mainstream SoCs like the Qualcomm Snapdragon, Huawei Kirin, Samsung Exynos, and Apple A(xx). More recently, the ARM CPU cores were introduced to mobile PCs running Windows, but the initial performance assessment was not flattering at all. This determined ARM to concentrate more on the mobile PC side of things, as the company now intends to release PC-specific CPUs to rival AMD and Intel in the next few years.

The current ARM Cortex-A76 core clocked at 3 GHz is said to be comparable to Intel’s Core i5-7300U clocked at 2.6 GHz; however, the ARM chip consumes only 5 W, while Intel’s processor has a max TDP of 15 W. These processors are mostly dedicated to low power ultrabooks for now, but ARM plans to launch improved versions with the Deimos 7 nm architecture in 2019, and, later on, in 2020, the Hercules 7-5 nm architecture.

ARM did not reveal any specific specs for the Deimos and Hercules chips for the time being. Still, judging by the manufacturing process stepping used for each architecture, it is safe to assume that the Deimos chip should get a 15% performance boost and the Hercules one may get an additional 10% boost, both having TDPs of around 5 W.

With Intel and AMD fighting over the desktop, HEDT and server sectors, ARM may very well pose a threat on the mobility side, provided the company manages to keep low TDPs and offer better performance than Intel’s ULV chips.

ARM's roadmap for the Deimos and Hercules CPUs (Source: ARM)
ARM's roadmap for the Deimos and Hercules CPUs (Source: ARM)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 08 > ARM planning to release Deimos and Hercules laptop ULV CPUs in 2019-2020
Bogdan Solca, 2018-08-17 (Update: 2018-08-17)