Google’s upcoming Tensor G5 chipset looks set to bring some of the biggest changes to the company’s in-house silicon yet.
Previous reports have suggested that the processor will move away from Samsung’s foundries and opt for TSMC’s advanced 3nm manufacturing process. But fabrication is not the only area seeing a shake-up. Google might also be switching GPU providers entirely.
A now-deleted document from a RISC-V Day Tokyo conference last month briefly listed Tensor G5 among chips set to use Imagination Technologies’ GPUs. A postgraduate researcher shared the document, which was later amplified by Imagination on WeChat, adding weight to the claim.
If accurate, it would mark a shift away from the Arm Mali GPUs Google has used in previous Tensor chips.
Tensor G5 with Imagination GPU
The specific GPU in question is said to be the DXT-48-1536, a modern graphics processor that supports features like ray tracing—something the Mali-G715 in the Tensor G3 and G4 lacks.
This could bring improvements in rendering performance, making Tensor-powered Pixel devices more competitive in gaming and graphics-heavy applications.
Beyond the GPU, the Tensor G5 is expected to incorporate several fully custom components, including a new image signal processor (ISP). Google’s past Tensor chips have relied on modified Samsung ISPs with custom tweaks, but the G5 could introduce a more independent solution.
Additionally, the chipset is rumored to feature a custom memory controller, system-level cache, and power management modules. For connectivity and storage, Google will still rely on third-party solutions for USB, PCIe, display interfaces, and LPDDR5x memory.
Interestingly, the same document that mentioned the Tensor G5 also referenced a custom Xiaomi chipset called “XuanJie,” which is said to feature an Imagination GPU.
Xiaomi has reportedly been developing its own chips as well, and this one is believed to be based on a 3nm process. Details are still scarce, though, so we’ll have to wait and see what Xiaomi has in store.
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