MediaTek Kompanio 520 (MT8186)
Benchmarks & Specs

The MediaTek Kompanio 520 is a cheap ARM processor that has 8 CPU cores. These are divided into two large P-cores (Cortex-A76) and six smaller E-cores (Cortex-A55). The clock frequency is a low 2.0 GHz. The CPU performance achieved by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 is not very high, but it is sufficient for simple office tasks, browsing and video playback.

The hybrid processor design is quite common in ARM processors. Two to three CPU cores of different sizes are combined and share the tasks involved. Parts of the processor that are not required are deactivated during this time to save energy. This principle is also known from smartphones, where it has been used for a long time.

By using six small E-cores, the MediaTek Kompanio 520 is very efficient. It is often used in Chromebooks such as the Lenovo Chromebook IdeaPad Slim 3. The battery life is usually good due to the high efficiency of the processor, even if the notebooks battery is not very large.

The ARM Mali-G52 MP2 is used as the integrated graphics, which is still based on the older "Bifrost 2" architecture from ARM. However, the iGPU is definitely sufficient for image output and light video playback. Most browser games also run relatively well on the MediaTek Kompanio 520s internal graphics.

Theoretically, the MediaTek Kompanio 520 can connect up to 8 GB of LPDDR4X-3733 memory, but Chromebooks are often only equipped with 4 GB of memory. This amount of memory should be sufficient for most applications in this segment.

The MediaTek Kompanio 520 is manufactured in 7 nm, although some parts of the SoC are still manufactured in larger production steps. The processor is in the entry-level segment and was introduced in the 4th quarter of 2022.

• 7 nm manufacturing
• Balanced performance through Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 cores
• Good energy efficiency
• Integrated ARM Mali-G52 MP2 graphics unit