ARM today announced two dual core chips based on Cortex-A9 architecture. The first chip delivers more than 2GHz clock speed while drawing less than 0.25W of power per CPU. The second chip is slower at 800MHz, but consumes half the power at 0.12W for each CPU. These are the first multicore ARM chips coming to the market based on Cortex-A9 architecture, which ARM launched last year.

ARM says the Cortex-A9 power-optimized hard macro implementation delivers its peak performance of 4000 DMIPS while consuming less than 0.25W. When compared to Cortex-A8 processors, the new dual core Cortex-A9 processor offers double the performance. The dual core ARM processors are made using 40nm process technology and hence their power requirement are almost on par with previous generation Cortex-A8 processors. 

Both the dual core ARM Cortex-A9 processors will have common seven-power domain and dual-NEON technology configuration supporting SMP (symmetrical multiprocessing) operating systems with up to 8MB of Level 2 cache memory.

“This is a huge departure from what we’ve done in the past”, Eric Schorn, vice president, marketing for ARM’s processor division, told ZDNet UK. “ We really wanted to take off the handcuffs and see what could be done with performance, performance, performance. We’re headed in the direction of Intel’s mainstream processors. We have other plans that surpass the current performance, and we’ll intercept Intel in a high-margin area, not just with Atom.”

The newly announced Cortex-A9 processors can’t be compared to mobile Core 2 Duo processors from Intel, because even lower end Intel Core 2 Duo processors offer four to five times more performance while consuming 100 times more power. However, when compared to Atom processors, the new dual core Cortex-A9 processors are just slightly behind in performance, but they also consume 10 times less power. This makes them ideal for use in ultra thin and light portable devices like MIDs (mobile internet devices).

ARM will target the high-margin consumer and enterprise devices with the new chip. The Cortex-A9 hard macros and the corresponding optimized physical IP used to develop the speed-optimized and power-optimized implementations are available for license today with delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009. Devices based on the new processors should start appearing by first quarter of 2010.

It is believed that Apple will use ARM Cortex-A9 processor developed by P.A. Semi in its upcoming tablet device. But will it be dual core or single core processor is not known.