Key Takeaways
1. Google launched the Pixel 10 series on August 20, featuring the new Tensor G5 chip, which is built on a 3 nm process for improved performance.
2. The Tensor G5’s GPU, PowerVR DXT-48-1536, shows disappointing real-world performance, particularly under load, despite strong theoretical specifications.
3. The Pixel 10 phones are currently using an outdated GPU driver (version 24.3), which is likely limiting their performance.
4. A new driver (version 25.1) from Imagination Technologies is available, which supports Vulkan 1.4 and could significantly improve performance.
5. Google needs to prioritize releasing the updated driver to unlock the full potential of the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 devices.
Google revealed its Pixel 10 series on August 20, and while the design changes were minor, there were notable enhancements inside the device. The new SoC, Tensor G5, is Google’s first chip built on a 3 nm process, which theoretically should lead to a significant boost in performance. Despite this, real-world performance has been less impressive, especially regarding the GPU. Thankfully, there may be an easy solution, provided Google takes action.
GPU Specifications and Performance
The Tensor G5 is equipped with a PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU made by Imagination Technologies. On paper, this GPU appears to be robust, supporting Vulkan 1.3 with a theoretical performance of 1.5 TFLOPS FP32 and a maximum clock speed of 1,100 MHz. However, tests in the real world and synthetic benchmarks reveal performance levels that do not align with the SoC’s potential. Users have also observed that the GPU remains at a low idle frequency of 396 MHz, even when under significant load (source: Android Police).
Driver Issues Affecting Performance
It has come to light that the Pixel 10 phones are using an outdated driver, version 24.3, which likely contributes to the disappointing GPU performance. Fortunately, Imagination Technologies has rolled out a new driver, version 25.1, which adds support for Vulkan 1.4, enhances OpenCL features, and ensures compatibility with Android 16. This update is expected to enhance real-world performance and enable the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 devices to reach its full potential.
What’s Next for Google?
The next step is for Google to push out a driver update. Although the latest GPU driver was made available before the Pixel 10 series was introduced, the phones have continued to run an earlier version. It remains uncertain how high a priority driver updates are for Google. Nonetheless, the company has already addressed issues with red, green, and white lines appearing on some Pixel 10 units, making it possible that the GPU performance fix could be the next item on their agenda.
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