COMPARATIVE: NVIDIA TEGRA X1+ Vs all current SoC

Today we present our comparative for the new NVIDIA Tegra X1+ SoC against the rest of the SoC in the current scene used in TV-Boxes. This is an update of the previous Tegra X1 SoC, an Octa Core with 4x Cortex-A57 + 4x Cortex-A53 configuration that integrates an NVIDIA Maxwell 256 Cores GPU and allows native H.265 and VP9 video decoding up to 4K@60fps with support for Advanced HDR. A chip that only uses NVIDIA in its own products NVIDIA Shield TV, these devices located in the highest tier fights with other options such as Amlogic, Allwinner, Rockchip, Hisilicon or Realtek.

SPECIFICATIONS NVIDIA TEGRA X1+

Test hardware

This year we have two different models of this device on the one hand the compact NVIDIA Shield TV with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage and on the other the same design as the previous 2017 model in the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro that integrates 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage memory and multiple connection ports. The two models mount the same updated Tegra X1+ SoC, new Wifi chip with Bluetooth 5.0 support , new support for AI 4K upscale and Dolby Vision HDR / Dolby Atmos support. Read our full REVIEW to see more details.

• NVIDIA Shield TV 2019 can be purchased for $149.99 in: Amazon, Newegg.com, BestBuy.com
• NVIDIA Shield TV Pro 2019 can be purchased for $219 in: Amazon, Newegg.com, BestBuy.com

General specifications

As we say the new NVIDIA Tegra X1+ Octa core SoC has Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 cores that have already been surpassed by several generations of ARM cores, the change to 16nm process have no impact at the level of performance and the results are similar with the precious 20nm. It has native connections for HDMI 2.0b that reaches up to 4K@60fps compatible with multiple DRM security systems, support LPDDR4X as a novelty, USB 3.0 ports, internal storage up to eMMC 5.1, Gigabit Ethernet and audio capacity up to 8 channels of audio input and output . In the GPU section we have the same Maxwell GPU with 256 CUDA Cores that far exceeds all its rivals yet.

CPU

The new NVIDIA Tegra X1+ Quad Core SoC has 4x Cortex-A57 + 4x Cortex-A53 cores, it is capable of reaching 2 GHz and the manufacturing process is only 16nm which maintains a good level in terms of consumption/thermal.

• The system on NVIDIA Shield TV only supports ABI armeabi-v7a which limits us to install applications in 32bit.
• The system in NVIDIA Shield TV Pro supports ABI armeabi-v8a allowing us to install applications in 64bit.

GPU

For the GPU section there is a Maxwell GPU with 256 CUDA Cores with a maximum speed of 1.2Mhz, has support for OpenGL ES 4.5, Directx 12 and Vulkan. With this GPU we can play powerful titles like PUBG in high settings and any other Android games at the highest level.

VPU

In this SoC we find the Advanced Video Engine Gen10 for decoding that supports h.265 and VP9 codecs, compatible with HDR Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG formats and support for REC709 / BT2020 profiles. This system allows us to playback video up to UHD 4K@60fps resolutions without problems thanks to its HDMI 2.0b video output.

Android system

The OS found installed in the NVIDIA Shield TV 2019 is based on Android TV 9 Pie (API 28), the kernel that controls the system is the release 4.9.140, a fairly modern version and as always a system updated to the latest security patches by NVIDIA. As we have said before due to API limitations, we can only install 32bit Android apps on the NVIDIA Shield TV model in the PRO model we can install 64bit apps.

PERFORMANCE TEST

We perform several benchmark tests in the NVIDIA Tegra X1+ SoC’s, you can see a VS against SoC’s like Rockchip RK3328, Mediatek MT8695, Realtek RTD1296, Amlogic S922X, S912, S905X2, S905X3 and the Allwinner H6.

Antutu

Possibly the best known test (we use version 6 for compatibility), with this test we get an idea of the overall performance of the device and can buy it with others. This test is greatly influenced by internal storage and other general performance values, as we can see in the results are somewhat better than the 2017 model.

Geekbench

A test that gives us some very interesting values of the raw power testing of the CPU in mono core and multi core in addition to GPU computing. As we see in the results in general they are somewhat inferior to the previous model.

3DMark

The GPU performance test par excellence with a fairly solid continuity in terms of results which helps us when comparing GPU performance historically. As we see the Maxwell GPU with 256 CUDA Cores maintains the same level as in the previous model with improvement in the most demanding test.

PCMark

This test gives us an idea of the performance level for desktop applications of this hardware performing tasks such as video editing, managing text or audio files, something that is increasingly used in Android. The results are quite good, it is above the 2017 model possibly because of its improvement in the LPDDR4X RAM.

VPU and Sound

We do a series of performance tests at playback video level on the NVIDIA Tegra X1+ to check the formats supported by the integrated Advanced Video Engine Gen10 VPU. As we can see the results are very good both in h.265 and in VP9 P2 in 10bit color formats and with HDR. We are surprised that if in KODI the VP9 P2 files are not playback correctly but are ok in the YouTube app.

• Image quality: Good colors and processing.
• HDR compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and support for REC709 / BT2020 profiles.
• HDMI-CEC: OK
• Auto framerate: OK.
• Sound: In this firmware we have supports up to DD TRUE-HD y DTS ATMOS 7.1.

• SW = does not have hardware acceleration and may have have some frameskip in very heavy files.

CONCLUSIONS

As we can see in our comparative the new NVIDIA Tegra X1+ SoC is only a minimal improvement over the previous Tegra X1, all the tests reflect only a small increase in the CPU performance, the transition to 16nm is totally imperceptible seems that we have the same performance that with previous 20nm. At GPU performance level this model is still in the top tier and allows us to play in maximum detail to any title, in this aspect NVIDIA remains without rival.

The new NVIDIA Tegra X1+ SoC gives us new support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, AI scaling has also been integrated to playback lower resolution than 4K with upscaling. In the new compact NVIDIA Shield TV model that you can see in detail in one of our reviews we have the surprise that only support 32bit apps, quite disappointing. This new Tegra X1+ SoC is a minor change compared to its previous versions although there is an improvement in certain scenarios. This SOC is little by little losing margin with respect to its rivals and soon its 16nm Cortex-A5x cores will be widely exceeded, at the GPU performance aspect it still has no rival.

• NVIDIA Shield TV 2019 can be purchased for $149.99 in: Amazon, Newegg.com, BestBuy.com
• NVIDIA Shield TV Pro 2019 can be purchased for $219 in: Amazon, Newegg.com, BestBuy.com

OTHER COMPARATIVES

• Amlogic S905X4 Quad Core
• Amlogic S922X Hexa core
• Amlogic S905X3 Quad Core
• Amlogic S905X2 Quad Core
• Mediatek Helio X20/23/27 Deca core
• Mediatek MT8695 Quad Core
• All Reviews with more information of latest models