Three images show the alleged mainboard of the upcoming Nintendo console Switch 2 and its components. Appearing for the first time: the so-called processor, also called system-on-chip (SoC). This was shared on Reddit account – Due to the high level of detail and consistency with other rumors, we are confident in its authenticity.
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The first rumors about the SoC surfaced as early as 2023. The Switch 2 processor presumably comes from Nvidia again. The label supports the notion that chip contract manufacturer Samsung Foundry produces processors: all known Nvidia chips that start with “SN” in the code come from there.
On the other hand, the first line makes no sense. “TW” means that the silicon chip was placed on a carrier in Taiwan – the so-called packaging. The “S” is also worn by chips that chip contract manufacturer TSMC produces, such as Nvidia’s graphics chips from the GeForce RTX 4000 series.
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Performance boost despite older chip technology
The Switch 2 processor is believed to be its younger brother nvidia jetson orin agx For cars and robots. Since the latter at 455 mm² would be too large for a handheld console, Nvidia and Nintendo are said to have reduced the computing units: eight ARM CPU cores of the Cortex-A78c type and 12 GPU clusters with Ampere architecture (1536 shader core). ,
Both the CPU and GPU may already be outdated. Nvidia used Ampere technology for the GeForce RTX 3000 graphics card. In the case of the Switch 2, the graphics unit should only receive new AI functions and an updated video unit for modern codecs.
However, the six-fold increase in shader cores compared to the Switch alone (1) promises a leap in performance. However, the clock frequency and thermal budget are still unknown.
Obviously storage is also increasing. While the previous Switch had to make do with 4GB of slower LPDDR4, everything on the Switch 2 points to 12GB of faster LPDDR5(X). In case of leakage, two SK-Hynix components marked H58GE6AK8BX107 are soldered. The manufacturer itself does not list such modules on its website; However, Chinese distributors specify them as 48 Gbit modules. Such “skewed” memory chips enable up to 12 GB of RAM on a 128-bit interface.
Which Samsung process?
The manufacturing process also has a significant impact on performance. Samsung’s technology is considered inferior to TSMC, especially in terms of efficiency. The RTX 3000 graphics chips and Jetson Orin AGX use 8-nanometer structures. This would also be obvious for the Switch 2, to keep design costs down.
On the other hand, the processor appears to be smaller than the trimmed Jetson Orin AGX with the same manufacturing technology. For example, changes up to 5 nm cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, the slot for the microSD memory card is not visible. There is one novelty in the Joycons: the chip labeled “GL852G KLA0160 4227800” is a USB 2.0 controller that the Joycons can connect to in the future. With USB, third-party manufacturers can more easily create their own peripherals.
(mma)
