STM32V8 Bridges the MPU Gap With 18nm FD-SOI, PCM

The STM32V8 ushers STMicroelectronics into application‑processor‑level performance with an 800 MHz Arm Cortex‑M85, 18nm FD‑SOI process, and Armv8.1-M core.

The STM32V8 marks a transition for STMicroelectronics as it pushes its popular STM32 general-purpose 32-bit MCU family further into the performance territory of application processors. The device utilizes an advanced 18nm FD‑SOI process, integrates a superscalar Armv8.1-M core, and breaks the flash memory barrier by using embedded phase change memory. ST is betting that the next era of high-performance embedded design lies not in adding more specialized co-processor islands, but in making the primary CPU core more capable and resilient. At its heart is an 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M85 core that achieves over 5,000 CoreMark points—a 56% improvement in processing efficiency compared to its predecessor. The integration of Arm Helium technology provides a 6× uplift in machine-learning inference and a 4× boost in DSP performance, enabling complex computer vision via CPU vector extensions rather than a dedicated NPU.