The GPU is the driving force behind the games and video that people enjoy on tablets. Unfortunately, a good GPU can drive the price up of a tablet to unforeseen levels. While getting a cheaper tablet ensures that you’re going to have a bad time. ARM hopes to remedy both problems by offering performance at a good price.

ARM announced today the immediate availability of the successor to the Mali-400 MP GPU. The newest GPU is called the Mali-450 MP and it’s built on the architecture of the previous GPU so that it can seamlessly integrate with established software. The GPU will be powering everything from Android device to smart-TVs.

The Mali-450 is a pretty beefy upgrade from the Mali-400 by increasing performance up to 8 cores, while also doubling the vertex processing. The new GPU has also been redesigned to provide more performance while consuming far less power than its predecessors.

All of this leads to the Mali-450 being the power behind the next wave of inexpensive tablets. Its ability to work with existing Mali-400 drivers makes it easy to implement into tablets. The reduced power consumption will also increase battery performance in lower end tablets.

Speaking to Techworld, ARM’s Ian Smythe said that we can expect the Mali-450 to start showing in tablets starting next year. It will be capable of performing the basic tasks that every tablet owner demands – gaming and video. It’s important to note that the 450, while more powerful than 400, still won’t hold a candle to the far more powerful ARM Mali-T600 series that powers the more graphically intensive games on the Android platform.

To get an idea of what the Mali-450 is capable of, look no further than Samsung’s Galaxy S II. It uses the Mali-400 so just image the Galaxy S II’s capabilities being doubled. The chipset should be perfect for anybody looking for an inexpensive yet robust experience on a handset or tablet. Too bad we have to wait until next year to see what it’s really capable of.