Why? The 450 uses an older, wider, less power-gated design. Its four cores (in MP4 config) are not "shader cores" as we think today — they are simpler, but they leak more current. In a typical 28nm TV box (e.g., Rockchip RK3229 with Mali-450), the GPU can hit under load without active cooling.
These features make the Mali-G31 MP2 ideal for like NAS or media server setups where thermal headroom is limited. malig31 mp2 vs mali450 hot
provides approximately compared to previous low-end generations, leading to snappier navigation in Android TV interfaces. Hardware Comparison Table Mali-450 (Utgard) Mali-G31 MP2 (Bifrost) Max OpenGL ES Support Max OpenGL ES Support Vulkan Support Vulkan Support Yes (1.0+) Core Scalability Up to 8 cores Core Scalability Typically 2 cores (MP2) Common Use Case Legacy TV boxes (S905W/S905X) Common Use Case Modern budget boxes (S905X3/X4) Primary Advantage Mature, low-cost design Primary Advantage Modern API support & efficiency Real-World Usage Impact In practical testing, devices with the In a typical 28nm TV box (e
While both are aimed at the budget segment, they represent completely different generations of technology. The Mali-G31 is a modern, efficient Bifrost-based GPU, while the Mali-450 is a legacy Utgard-series GPU that has been around for over a decade. efficient Bifrost-based GPU