Imagination Technologies announced the PowerVR Series8XE Plus GPU IP family on January 17, 2017. It expanded—not replaced—the existing Series8XE range with the four-pixels-per-clock GE8320, GE8325 and GE8340, aimed at affordable phones and tablets, premium set-top boxes, digital television and automotive infotainment.
What PowerVR Series8XE Plus is
Series8XE Plus is licensable graphics-processing-unit intellectual property for system-on-chip (SoC) manufacturers. It is not a retail graphics card or a standalone chip that consumers can buy and install.
Imagination described the family as an expansion of Series8XE choices for cost-sensitive, mid-range products. The baseline GE8300 remained in the lineup. The company’s technical overview said the new family “does not replace the Series 8XE lineup but expands the choices for SoC manufacturers.”
Which GPUs were announced?
| GPU | Pixels per clock | Imagination’s stated throughput positioning | Highlighted fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE8300 | Baseline Series8XE configuration; the announcement did not state a comparable PPC figure | Baseline Series8XE reference | Entry-level Series8XE products |
| GE8320 | 4 PPC | Two-times higher FLOPS than the baseline Series8XE positioning, according to Imagination | Affordable smartphones, tablets and other 1080p-focused devices |
| GE8325 | 4 PPC | Two-times higher FLOPS than the baseline Series8XE positioning, according to Imagination | Mobile, digital TV and set-top-box workloads requiring additional display and compression features |
| GE8340 | 4 PPC | Four-times higher FLOPS than the baseline Series8XE positioning, according to Imagination | Higher-end products within the cost-sensitive Series8XE Plus range |
FLOPS and performance multipliers in this table are vendor positioning claims, not independent benchmark results. Actual SoC performance depends on clock speed, memory bandwidth, drivers, thermal limits and the rest of the chip design.
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How much faster was 8XE Plus?
Imagination positioned GE8320 and GE8325 at twice the FLOPS of the baseline Series8XE positioning and GE8340 at four times that positioning. A contemporaneous 4Gamer report also attributed an “up to four-times” previous-generation performance claim to Imagination.
Those figures describe the GPU IP’s stated capability under the company’s comparison method. They should not be read as a guaranteed two- or four-times frame-rate increase in every phone, television or vehicle. Memory configuration, software optimization, resolution and workload can change the result substantially.
Why four pixels per clock matters
Pixel-per-clock (PPC) is a measure of theoretical pixel fill capacity. All three Plus models were specified at 4 PPC, supporting the launch goal of better 1080p frame rates and richer effects in affordable devices. PPC alone does not determine game performance: shader throughput, bandwidth, compression, clocks and driver quality matter as well.
Rank #2
- GPU: 128-core Maxwell
- CPU: Quad-core ARM A57 @ 1.43 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4 25.6 GB / s
- Storage: microSD (not included)
- Video Encoder: 4K @ 30 | 4x 1080p @ 30 | 9x 720p @ 30 (H.264 / H.265)
Graphics APIs and features
The Khronos Group reported support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 1.2, Vulkan 1.0 and OpenVX 1.1 for the announced GPUs. Vulkan support therefore was part of the Series8XE Plus announcement, although the practical feature set and driver quality still depended on the licensee’s SoC implementation and software stack.
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GE8325 display and video-oriented capabilities
Imagination specifically described GE8325 as supporting ASTC texture compression, PVRIC3 framebuffer compression and full 10-bit YUV support. Those capabilities target digital-TV and set-top-box designs where image quality, bandwidth and display output are important.
Where Imagination expected it to be used
Phones and tablets
The family targeted mid-range mobile devices seeking smoother 1080p interfaces, casual-to-mainstream gaming and improved visual effects without the area and power cost of a larger GPU.
Rank #3
- GPU: 128-core Maxwell
- CPU: Quad-core ARM A57 @ 1.43 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4 25.6 GB / s
- Storage: microSD (not included)
- Video Encoder: 4K @ 30 | 4x 1080p @ 30 | 9x 720p @ 30 (H.264 / H.265)
Set-top boxes and digital television
Imagination presented Series8XE Plus as capable of smooth user interfaces at resolutions up to 4K. GE8325’s ASTC, PVRIC3 and 10-bit YUV features were particularly relevant to digital-TV pipelines.
Automotive infotainment
Potential automotive uses included dashboard graphics, infotainment interfaces and reverse-camera video. Imagination also discussed the possibility of handling some advanced-driver-assistance workloads from a single GPU core, alongside security and virtualization capabilities. Whether a production system could meet a vehicle maker’s safety requirements would depend on the complete platform, certification and software—not the GPU IP name alone.
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The company linked higher frame rates and lower motion-to-photon latency with more usable entry-level immersive experiences. The announcement did not establish a universal headset performance level; device optics, display resolution, tracking and application workload remain decisive.
Rank #4
- GPU: 128-core Maxwell
- CPU: Quad-core ARM A57 @ 1.43 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4 25.6 GB / s
- Storage: microSD (not included)
- Video Encoder: 4K @ 30 | 4x 1080p @ 30 | 9x 720p @ 30 (H.264 / H.265)
Power, area and design support
Imagination claimed that Series8XE Plus could use 30% less area than competing solutions. That is a 2017 vendor claim, not an independently verified die-area comparison, and the result would vary with process node, configuration and the competing design.
The launch release said Physical Design Optimization Kits (DOKs) would be available to help licensees optimize power, performance and area (PPA). These kits are engineering support for chip designers, not a consumer software download or an upgrade package for existing devices.
How to compare Series8XE Plus with another GPU IP design
- Check pixel capacity: compare PPC together with the intended resolution and refresh rate.
- Check compute throughput: treat FLOPS figures as comparable only when clock, precision and measurement conditions match.
- Check memory and compression: ASTC, framebuffer compression and video-format support can affect bandwidth and display workloads.
- Check APIs and drivers: verify the exact OpenGL ES, OpenCL, Vulkan or OpenVX versions delivered in the target SoC.
- Check area and power: compare implementation data on the same process and configuration; do not treat a vendor area percentage as a benchmark.
- Match the workload: a mobile game, 4K television interface, reverse camera and AR application stress different parts of the design.
Is it a graphics card you can buy?
No. PowerVR Series8XE Plus is GPU IP licensed to semiconductor companies. A phone, television box, automotive computer or other SoC may contain a licensed GE8320, GE8325 or GE8340 implementation, but consumers cannot purchase a standalone “PowerVR 8XE Plus” card.
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- GPU: 128-core Maxwell
- CPU: Quad-core ARM A57 @ 1.43 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4 25.6 GB / s
- Storage: microSD (not included)
- Video Encoder: 4K @ 30 | 4x 1080p @ 30 | 9x 720p @ 30 (H.264 / H.265)
The relevant commercial relationship is between Imagination and chip manufacturers, including licensing and design-support services. The January 2017 announcement does not establish current licensing availability, active partners or present-day product status; those points require direct confirmation from Imagination or a specific SoC vendor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2017 announcement means today
Series8XE Plus marked a mid-range expansion of Imagination’s cost-conscious GPU IP strategy: more pixel throughput than the baseline Series8XE, Vulkan and other modern API support, and feature options aimed at mobile, television and automotive designs. Its headline multipliers and area savings remain historical Imagination claims tied to the launch, not guarantees for every product that may have used the architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was PowerVR Series8XE Plus announced?
Imagination Technologies announced the family on January 17, 2017; its technical overview was published January 27, 2017.
What are GE8320, GE8325 and GE8340?
They are the three GPUs introduced in the Series8XE Plus family. Each was specified at 4 pixels per clock, with Imagination positioning GE8320 and GE8325 at twice the baseline Series8XE FLOPS and GE8340 at four times.
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Yes. The Khronos Group listed Vulkan 1.0 support for the announced GPUs, alongside OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 1.2 and OpenVX 1.1.
Quick Recap
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