Interesting article was published on MobiGyaan about mobile graphics capabilities from Qualcomm.
One of our readers requested to write about Adreno GPU, so here is an post about what the Adreno GPU by Qualcomm is all about. A GPU allows developers to bring console and PC quality 3D games to mobile devices. So what Qualcomm does is that they manufacture all of their Snapdragon processors integrated with the custom-built Adreno Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Qualcomm’s Adreno graphics solution helps you to make the most of your 2D and 3D games across wide range of devices from high-end smartphones and tablets to feature phones.
The various GPUs manufactured by Qualcomm include:
Adreno 130 GPU
This GPU is available in certain Snapdragon S1 chipsets and it features complete hardware support for 3D graphics and the APIs you need to deliver industry leading games and engaging UIs on feature phones.
- Fixed function graphics pipeline
- Enables concurrent CPU, DSP, graphics, and MDP
Supported APIs:
- OpenGL ES 1.1
- OpenVG 1.1
- EGL 1.3
- Direct3D Mobile
- SVGT 1.2
- Direct Draw
- GDI
Available on Snapdragon S1 chipsets, including:
- MSM7x01
Adreno 200 GPU
This GPU is also integrated with certain Snapdragon S1 chipsets and it features a flexible, unified shader architecture that allocates only the units necessary for enhanced processing.
- First OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics processing unit with programmable Function Pipeline
- Concurrent CPU, DSP, graphics, and MDP
- Streaming textures that can combine video, camera, SVG and other image surfaces with 3D graphics
Supported APIs:
- OpenGL ES 2.0
- OpenGL ES 1.1
- OpenVG 1.1
- EGL 1.3
- Direct3D Mobile
- SVGT 1.2
- DirectDraw
Available on Snapdragon S1 chipsets, including:
- QSD8x50 with 1GHz CPU
- MSM7x27 with 600MHz A11 + L2 cache
Adreno 205 GPU
This GPU is available with the Snapdragon S2 chipset and features a dedicated 2D OpenVG graphics hardware, 3D hardware for faster, smoother and more efficient 2D rendering, greatly enhanced 2D plus 3D concurrency all with low power consumption.
- Hardware-accelerated SVG and Adobe Flash
- More than twice the graphics performance of the Adreno 200 GPU
- Streaming textures that can combine video, camera, SVG and other image surfaces with 3D graphics
Supported APIs:
- OpenGL ES 2.0
- OpenGL ES 1.1
- OpenVG 1.1
- EGL 1.3
- Direct3D Mobile
- SVGT 1.2
- Direct Draw
- GDI
- Concurrent CPU, DSP, graphics and MDP
Available in the Snapdragon S2 chipset, including:
- MSM7x30 with 800MHz CPU+ L2 cache
- MSM8x55 with up to 1.4GHz CPU + L2 cache
Adreno 220 GPU
Available in the Snapdragon S3 chipset, the Adreno 220 GPU features an enhanced level of 3D graphics performance, allowing for high-end, immersive gaming experiences previously limited to PCs and game consoles.
- More than five times the graphics performance of the Adreno 200 GPU
- Concurrent CPU, DSP, graphics, and MDP
- Streaming textures that can combine video, camera, SVG and other image surfaces with 3D graphics
Supported APIs:
- OpenGL ES 2.0
- OpenGL ES 1.1
- OpenVG 1.1
- EGL 1.3
- Direct3D Mobile
- SVGT 1.2
- Direct Draw
- GDI
- Concurrent CPU, DSP, graphics and MDP
Available on the Snapdragon S3 chipset, including:
- MSM8060 with dual CPU up to 1.5 GHz
- MSM8660 with dual CPU up to 1.5 GHz
- READ MORE (Source): What is Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU technology?
