Key Takeaways
1. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 SoC features an all-P-core structure and an upgraded Mali C1 Ultra GPU with more cores than the Adreno 840.
2. The Dimensity 9500 has increased its L2 cache to 16 MiB, up from 12 MB in the Dimensity 9400, while maintaining the same CPU layout.
3. The size of the 5G modem has been reduced in the Dimensity 9500 to make room for its ISP and video processing engine.
4. The NPU in the Dimensity 9500 has significantly increased in size, reflecting a growing emphasis on AI capabilities.
5. The Dimensity 9500 is larger at approximately 140.79 mm², compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (126 mm²) and Dimensity 9400 (126 mm²), to achieve higher performance.
Semiconductor teardown expert Kurnalsalts has shared a die image of MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9500 SoC, just a few days after the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was revealed. The Dimensity 9500 continues with MediaTek’s all-P-core structure. Furthermore, its Mali C1 Ultra GPU features significantly more cores and compute units compared to the Adreno 840.
Comparison with Dimensity 9400
Kurnalsalts also released a die shot of the Dimensity 9400 next to the Dimensity 9500, making it easier to identify the enhancements. For one, the CPU now has 16 MiB of L2 cache, which is an increase from the 12 MB found in the 9400. The CPU layout remains unchanged, with the fastest P-core located at the bottom right of the cluster. The Dimensity 9500 also reduces the size of its 5G modem to accommodate its ISP and video processing engine.
NPU Enhancements
On the flip side, the NPU has seen a considerable increase in size, which is not surprising given the growing focus on AI capabilities on devices. Overall, the Dimensity 9500 maintains a reliable and familiar design, likely sticking to this format until the Dimensity 9600, which is already in development on TSMC’s 2 nm N2 process.
In terms of size, the Dimensity 9500 is larger at approximately 140.79 mm² compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which is around 126 mm², and the Dimensity 9400, also at roughly 126 mm². This increase in die area may have been necessary to meet the higher performance requirements that wouldn’t have been achievable by merely shifting from the N3E to the N3P node.
Kurnalsalts on X.
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