Glossary comparison
ASIC vs SoC: what is the difference?
The difference
An SoC integrates a whole system on one die. Many ASICs are SoCs, but an ASIC need not contain processors.
An ASIC is any chip designed for a particular application. Many SoCs are ASICs, but an ASIC need not contain a processor, and SoCs sold to many customers are not application-specific in the business sense.
The two terms
ASIC
A chip designed and fabricated for one application or customer rather than sold as a general-purpose part. In AI it usually means a custom accelerator built by a hyperscaler or start-up instead of buying merchant GPUs.
SoC
A single integrated circuit that combines one or more processors with memory, interconnect, peripherals and often analogue or RF blocks, forming a complete electronic system rather than a single function device.
Side by side
| Field | ASIC | SoC |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Application-Specific Integrated Circuit | System on Chip |
| Type | Acronym | Acronym |
| Domain | Compute & AI Hardware | Design & Architecture |
| Group | Processor classes | SoC architecture |