Pixel 2 is hiding a custom Google SoC for image processing

Can somebody explain to me why they wouldn't just do this on the GPU? Isn't the GPU already designed to perform "hardware-accelerated image processing"?

I was kinda feeling dumb reading this... SoC is "System On A Chip"... "A system on a chip or system on chip (SoC or SOC) is an integrated circuit (also known as an "IC" or "chip") that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic systems. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—all on a single substrate."

Its own CPU, and a PCIe endpoint? Sounds like a good persistent exploit vector. I wonder what tasks it will be used to accelerate.

When people started talking about Dark Silicon they didn&#x27;t mean silicon that was never turned on.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Dark_silicon" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Dark_silicon</a>

So maybe Google wants to build a device that needs image processing, but the (initial) volume can&#x27;t justify a full-on custom ASIC. (And for some other reason -- power, space, ... -- this hypothetical device can&#x27;t use an FPGA.)<p>Maybe find a device that does have a custom ASIC (e.g. Pixel 2) and add the image processing functionality to that ASIC. Then perhaps use same custom ASIC for both devices. As long as the extra functionality doesn&#x27;t increase the cost of the original ASIC, problem solved.

Its own DDR4 RAM? Anyone know the bandwidth or capacity?

The submission URL should be changed to: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;blog.google&#x2F;products&#x2F;pixel&#x2F;pixel-visual-core-image-processing-and-machine-learning-pixel-2" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;blog.google&#x2F;products&#x2F;pixel&#x2F;pixel-visual-core-image-p...</a>

&gt;If Google ever set out to compete with Qualcomm&#x27;s Snapdragon line, an IPU is something it could build directly into its own designs. For now, though, it has this self-contained solution.<p>If Google wanted to do this they would probably have to buy out QCOM and their patents.