| Feature | Mali-450 MP4 | Mali-G31 MP2 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Architecture | Utgard (Legacy) | Bifrost (Modern) | | API Support | OpenGL ES 2.0 / 1.1 | OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 2.0 | | Texture Compression | Limited (Trivial) | ASTC (Adaptive Scalable) | | Shader Core | Fixed function pipeline | 2-wide Warp execution | | Process Node | 65nm – 28nm | 28nm – 12nm |
The Killer Feature: Vulkan. The Mali-450 cannot run Vulkan. The Mali-G31 MP2 can. Vulkan drastically reduces CPU overhead, leading to smoother frame rates in modern games like Fortnite and CoD: Mobile.
Texture Compression (ASTC): The G31 supports ASTC texture compression. This means game textures take up less memory and require less bandwidth. The Mali-450 lacks this, so it struggles with high-res textures, stuttering even when the GPU isn't technically "full." Mali-g31 Mp2 Vs Mali-450
The Mali-450 is a classic muscle car: loud, hot, and surprisingly fast in a straight line (pixel pushing) but unable to navigate modern roads (APIs).
The Mali-G31 is a modern compact car: less raw horsepower on paper, but it has power steering, airbags (security updates), and a GPS (modern APIs). For any practical use case in the current decade, the Mali-G31 MP2 is the objectively superior GPU despite having half the core count of its competitor. | Feature | Mali-450 MP4 | Mali-G31 MP2
The ARM Mali GPU family is broadly categorized into three architectures: Utgard (Mali-400/450/470), Midgard (Mali-T6xx/T7xx/T8xx), and Bifrost (Mali-G31/G51/G52), followed by Valhall (Mali-G57/G310/G510). The Mali-450, introduced in 2012, was the first Utgard GPU to support up to 8 cores (MP8). The Mali-G31, launched in 2018, is ARM’s most compact Bifrost/Valhall-class GPU (actually Bifrost-based, but often grouped with Valhall for feature support).
Despite the age gap, both GPUs are still actively deployed: The Mali-450 is a classic muscle car: loud,
This paper answers: Is the Mali-G31 MP2 a meaningful upgrade, and for which applications does the Mali-450 remain viable?