Samsung Exynos 1680 brings 33% AI performance boost and enhanced GPU to mid-range phones

Samsung's new Exynos 1680 promises better AI and graphics performance for mid-range phones

The new chip brings modest CPU changes but focuses on improved GPU performance and faster on-device AI. Samsung has officially taken the wraps off its new mid-range Exynos 1680 chipset, and it paints a promising picture for the company's upcoming non-flagship phones. The chip brings meaningful upgrades, especially in the AI and graphics departments, and will hit the market with the recently announced Galaxy A57 early next month. What's new with the Exynos 1680? The Exynos 1680 packs an upgraded Samsung Xclipse 550 GPU, which should deliver noticeably better graphics performance than the Xclipse 540 GPU found in the Exynos 1580. Samsung says the new GPU adds two additional Render Blocks alongside two Work Group Processors, resulting in a claimed 16% performance boost over last year's model. To improve AI performance, Samsung has equipped the Exynos 1680 with a new 8K MAC NPU that reportedly delivers up to 19.6 TOPS of performance, a 33% improvement over its predecessor. This should translate to faster on-device AI features. Recommended Videos Other notable upgrades include support for LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, along with Bluetooth 6.1 for improved connectivity. What hasn't changed much? Like last year's Exynos 1580, the new chip is built on Samsung's 4nm process and features the same octa-core CPU. It includes one high-performance Cortex A-720 core clocked at 2.9GHz, three Cortex-A720 cores running at 2.6GHz, and three Cortex-A520 efficiency cores clocked at 1.95GHz. While the architecture remains unchanged, Samsung notes that one of the efficiency cores has been upgraded to a "mid-core" to better balance performance and efficiency. This could lead to slightly better battery life in day-to-day use. Display support is still capped at FHD+ with a 144Hz refresh rate, and camera capabilities are also the same, with the Exynos 1680 supporting up to 200MP sensors and 4K video recording at 60fps. Connectivity features like Wi-Fi 6E, GNSS, and 5G NR are also carried over. How these upgrades hold up in real-world use remains to be seen as the Galaxy A57 is put to the test.

Samsung Unveils Exynos 1680 SoC With 200-Megapixel Camera, 144Hz Display Supported

* Exynos 1680 boosts GPU performance by up to 16 percent * New chipset supports LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 onboard storage * Exynos 1680 also comes with support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6.1 Samsung has unveiled the Exynos 1680 chipset, which is expected to power the upcoming Galaxy A57 5G smartphone. The new processor brings upgrades across CPU, GPU, and AI performance, and is built on a 4nm process. It features a tri-cluster octa-core CPU, Xclipse 550 GPU based on AMD RDNA 3, and an NPU capable of up to 19.6 TOPS for on-device AI tasks. The chipset also supports up to a 200-megapixel camera and high refresh rate displays, and is currently in mass production. Exynos 1680 Announced With Tri-Cluster CPU and AI Upgrades The Exynos 1680 features an octa-core CPU with a tri-cluster design, including one Cortex-A720 core at 2.9GHz, four Cortex-A720 cores at 2.6GHz, and three Cortex-A520 cores at 1.95GHz. Samsung has replaced one efficiency core with a mid-core compared to the previous generation, which should improve performance while keeping power usage in check. For graphics, the Exynos 1680 chipset uses the Xclipse 550 GPU based on AMD RDNA 3 architecture, with a 2WGP and 2RB configuration. Samsung says this brings up to a 16 percent boost in GPU performance, which should result in smoother visuals and better gaming. The chipset supports LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 onboard storage, and can drive full-HD+ displays at up to 144Hz for smoother visuals. The Exynos 1680 chipset also includes an upgraded NPU capable of up to 19.6 trillion operations per second, along with an AI engine that supports 8K MAC. This allows the processor to handle tasks like image processing, live translation, and other AI features directly on the device. On the camera side, the Exynos 1680 supports up to a 200-megapixel single sensor, a 64-megapixel sensor at 30fps, and dual 32-megapixel setups. It supports 4K video recording and playback at 60fps, along with HEVC, H.264, VP9, and VP8 codecs. It also includes AI-based image processing and improved noise reduction for better low-light results. For connectivity, Exynos 1680 supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6.1, and GNSS. It also includes 5G NR FR1 and FR2 support, with peak download speeds of up to 5.1Gbps on sub-6GHz and 4.84Gbps on mmWave. LTE Cat.18 support is also included, with download speeds up to 1.2Gbps and upload speeds up to 211Mbps.

Samsung Exynos 1680 4nm SoC with Xclipse 550 GPU, 8K MAC NPU announced

Samsung has introduced its latest mobile platform, the Exynos 1680, as the successor to last year's Exynos 1580. Designed primarily to facilitate a more fluid on-device artificial intelligence (AI) experience, the new chipset introduces structural upgrades across its Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to balance computational speed with overall power efficiency. The Exynos 1680 utilizes a revised tri-cluster CPU configuration designed to handle demanding workloads and multitasking. For visual processing and mobile gaming, the chipset relies on hardware developed in collaboration with AMD. To support complex, localized AI functions without relying heavily on cloud processing, the chipset features dedicated hardware for machine learning tasks. The Image Signal Processor (ISP) on the Exynos 1680 is equipped to handle advanced mobile photography and videography. The Samsung Exynos 1680 chip is expected to power the upcoming Galaxy A57 5G smartphone. We can expect more Samsung phones and possibly some tablets with the chip.