- In the Geekbench CPU test, the Oryon-powered Snapdragon 8 Elite beats the Dimensity 9400 in both single-core and multi-core performance.
- However, in graphics tests, Dimensity 9400’s GPU delivers impressive performance, narrowly beating Snapdragon 8 Elite’s Adreno 830 GPU.
- Both Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 score along the same lines on the AnTuTu benchmark.
Qualcomm and MediaTek have both launched their flagship chipsets for Android phones this year. With the launch of Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 , both companies are pushing the boundaries to offer the best performance on Android phones. So to compare these chipsets, we have benchmarked Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 on Geekbench, AnTuTu, 3DMark, and more. Now without any delay, let’s go through the comparison.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Specs Comparison
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Geekbench 6 CPU
Starting with the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the Oryon-powered Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 3,033 in single-core and 9,271 in multi-core. On the other hand, the Dimensity 9400 with Arm’s Cortex CPU cores achieved 2,618 in single-core and 8,291 in multi-core. Here, the Snapdragon 8 Elite leads by 15% in single-core performance and around 11% in multi-threaded tasks.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: AnTuTu Benchmark
In the AnTuTu benchmark, both Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 performed along the same lines. Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 2,759,190 points and the Dimensity 9400 got 2,701,004 points. Surprisingly, the Dimensity 9400 performed better on the CPU benchmark and outranked Snapdragon 8 Elite in GPU performance too by a slight margin.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: CPU Throttling Test
Next, in the CPU Throttling test, it becomes clear that while Dimensity 9400’s CPU is powerful, it can’t sustain peak performance for an extended period. It may have to do with vivo X200 Pro mini’s small form factor, but in our 60-minute stress test, the Dimensity 9400 throttled to 62% of its max performance. In contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Elite throttled to 77%, sustaining peak performance for much longer.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Geekbench 6 GPU
As we noticed in the AnTuTu benchmark, the Arm Immortalis-G925 MP12 GPU on Dimensity 9400 is really powerful. It not only rivals the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s Adreno 830 GPU but also narrowly beats it on both OpenCL and Vulkan graphics APIs on the Geekbench 6 GPU test.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: 3DMark Tests
Now, coming to the demanding 3DMark GPU test. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test, the Snapdragon 8 Elite got the best loop score of 6,311 points and the lowest loop score of 5,258 points. It also maintained an excellent stability of 83.3%.
Dimensity 9400’s GPU also got the best loop score of 5,839 points, but it quickly throttled the GPU, bringing the lowest loop score to 2,306 points. The stability stood at a dismal 39.5%. In my opinion, the GPU is being highly throttled to reduce the temperature on a small device like the vivo X200 Pro mini . We need to test the Dimensity 9400 on a larger Android phone to ascertain the GPU stability.
Next, in the 3DMark Solar Bay test, Dimensity 9400 again delivered slightly better ray-tracing performance. It averaged 41.62 FPS and maintained a lower temperature as well. In the intensive Steel Nomad Light test, Dimensity 9400 scored 2,405 points whereas the Snapdragon 8 Elite got 2,201 points.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Geekbench AI
Now, coming to the Geekbench AI test that evaluates the NPU. Unfortunately, Snapdragon 8 Elite’s NPU driver stack is not ready, resulting in much lower scores. Hence, we have not included them in this comparison. That said, we ran the test on the CPU, and it seems Dimensity 9400 did better on AI workloads. Overall, we need to wait for Qualcomm to add support for its Hexagon AI engine so we can comprehensively compare both NPUs.
The Verdict
As far as the CPU performance is concerned, the custom Oryon core on the Snapdragon 8 Elite is better than Arm’s Cortex cores on the Dimensity 9400. The Oryon cores can scale to higher frequencies while keeping the temperature in check. It also consumes lower power compared to Dimensity 9400’s CPU.
On the GPU front, Dimensity 9400’s Immortalis-G925 GPU has impressed us with its remarkable graphics performance. In multiple tests, it beats the Adreno 830 GPU by a slight margin. That said, sustained graphics performance remains a concern, but to ascertain that, we need to check the stability on a larger device with better cooling system.
Overall, MediaTek has indeed developed a flagship chipset. I think premium Android phones will have unmatched CPU and GPU performance this year, which is excellent news for consumers.
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- Google is reportedly moving to TSMC’s foundry (N3E process node) to manufacture the Tensor G5 for the Pixel 10 series.
- However, it’s still stuck with the older Cortex-X4 core. But thankfully, it brings Arm’s latest 5x Cortex-A725 cores.
- Surprisingly, Google has opted for Imagination Technologies’ 2-core GPU for the Tensor G5.
Google’s custom Tensor chipsets have not been received well over the years, delivering poor efficiency and decent performance compared to the competition. Google primarily designs the Tensor in-house with some Samsung IP. Notably, Tensor is manufactured by Samsung foundry which results in lower yield and poor performance/efficiency. In our Tensor G4 benchmark testing, the chipset didn’t perform well.
Finally, that is going to change with the Tensor G5 (codename “laguna”) next year. Android Authority has revealed the complete specs of the Tensor G5 that will power the upcoming Pixel 10 series. Tensor G5 will reportedly be manufactured on TSMC’s 3nm (N3E) process node, the same as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and Apple’s A18 Pro processors.
Simply moving to TSMC’s foundry will likely boost the performance and efficiency of Tensor G5. Apart from that, the report says that the Tensor G5 die size is 121 mm^2, a bit smaller than the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s 124.1 mm^2. It’s not clear if Tensor G5 includes an integrated modem.
Coming to the CPU configuration, the Tensor G5 features eight cores. However, Google is still stuck with the older Cortex-X4 core instead of going with the latest Arm Cortex-X925 core that brings a big performance jump, as we have seen in our comparison between Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Elite . There is no information on the CPU frequency.
That said, for mid-cores, Google thankfully picked Arm’s latest 5x Cortex-A725 cores. And for efficiency cores, there are 2x Cortex-A520 cores. Looking at the on-paper spec sheet, it won’t beat the flagship chipsets in the market, but it will likely bring a significant performance uplift over the previous Tensor G4.
PowerVR Makes a Comeback With Tensor G5
As for the GPU, Google has curiously picked Imagination Technologies’ 2-core DXT-48-1536 GPU which runs at 1.1GHz and brings Ray Tracing and GPU Virtualization support. In case you are not aware, Imagination Technologies was behind the PowerVR GPU that was used in iPhones from 2007 to 2017, till Apple A10 Fusion SoC. With the A11 Bionic, Apple moved to its in-house GPU.
And for the TPU aka NPU, the Tensor G5 packs a new-gen AI accelerator that offers 14% faster performance on AI workloads. The report says it can perform 18 TOPS on the INT8 data type and 9 TOPS on the FP16 data type.
Overall, the Tensor G5 looks exciting to me because it’s finally built on TSMC’s node. That said, there is no information on the 5G modem Google will be using for Tensor G5. Will Google pick Samsung again or tap Qualcomm’s shoulder to integrate a discrete 5G modem, like Apple? Well, stay tuned with us as we dig in and find more information.
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