Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 was anticipated to be Qualcomm's upcoming flagship smartphone processor. However, it seems that the company might have rebranded it as the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This new chip is expected to succeed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is rumored to offer significant enhancements.
Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Xiaomi 15 Series
Leaked promotional materials for the Xiaomi 15 series suggest that this device will utilize the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Various reports indicate that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 has indeed been renamed to Snapdragon 8 Elite. The release of the new Qualcomm chip is expected in October, so we're just a few weeks away from the official announcement. Thanks to previous leaks, we already have a wealth of information regarding this new chip.
In this article, we will compare the Snapdragon 8 Elite with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to assess the extent of the upgrades.
Specifications Comparison
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Elite (leaked) | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | October 2024 (expected) | October 2023 |
| Process node | 3nm | 4nm |
| Manufacturer | TSMC | TSMC |
| Cores | 8 | 8 |
| CPU architecture | 2 x 4.09 GHz – Oryon | 1 x Cortex-X4 @ 3.3 GHz, 3 x Cortex-A720 @ 3.15 GHz, 2 x Cortex-A720 @ 2.96 GHz, 2 x Cortex-A520 @ 2.27 GHz |
| CPU max frequency | 4,090 MHz | 3,300 MHz |
| CPU bit | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 750 |
| GPU frequency | 1150 MHz | 770 MHz |
| Snapdragon Elite Gaming | Yes | No |
| Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing | Yes | No |
| NPU | Hexagon | Hexagon |
Performance Benchmarks
AnTuTu Scores
The performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the AnTuTu 10 benchmark is as follows:
| AnTuTu 10 | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu score | 31,33,570 | 21,28,819 |
| CPU | 702,689 | 475,525 |
| GPU | 13,30,057 | 896,088 |
| Memory | 616,268 | 416,633 |
| UX | 484,556 | 340,573 |
The leaked AnTuTu score for the Snapdragon 8 Elite breaks all previous records for smartphone processors. It far surpasses the scores of the Dimensity 9300+ and Apple A18 Pro. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, tested on the Red Magic 9 Pro, achieved an impressive AnTuTu score of 2,128,819, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite has significantly outperformed that with a score of 3,133,570. The difference in performance is approximately 50%, marking a considerable leap forward.
Geekbench Scores
The leaked Geekbench V6 scores for both chips show the following results:
| Geekbench V6 | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Single core | 2,845 | 2,376 |
| Multi core | 10,628 | 7,058 |
The Snapdragon 8 Elite exhibits notable enhancements, particularly in the multi-core tests, compared to last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Key Differences and Expectations
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is expected to be built on a 3nm process node, in contrast to the 4nm used for the 8 Gen 3, again utilizing TSMC's advanced manufacturing technologies. This suggests that the new chip will be more efficient than its predecessor.
While the Snapdragon 8 Elite is also said to have 8 cores, it will not use the same (1+3+4) core layout as the previous generation. Instead, it is likely to adopt a (2+6) configuration. Furthermore, the new chip may be Qualcomm's first mobile processor that incorporates its Oryon CPU technology, which is already used in the Snapdragon X Elite for PCs.
The Snapdragon X Elite has demonstrated outstanding performance and efficiency, which has been a long-standing issue for Windows computers. Since the Snapdragon 8 Elite is rumored to feature Oryon CPUs, expectations are high for substantial performance and energy efficiency gains compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Recent leaks suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Elite will include two high-performance cores running at 4.09 GHz, while the other six mid-cores will operate at 2.78 GHz, giving it a peak CPU frequency of 4.09 GHz, up from 3.3 GHz in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Additionally, the Snapdragon 8 Elite might come with the Adreno 830 GPU, which is expected to deliver a 43% to 56% improvement over its predecessor. The new GPU is likely to run at 1150 MHz, compared to the 750 MHz of the Adreno 750 in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
In summary, the Snapdragon 8 Elite could introduce significant CPU and GPU enhancements, with the Oryon cores potentially providing excellent battery efficiency for Android smartphones. While the anticipation surrounding the Snapdragon 8 Elite is high, all information is based on leaks, so it’s wise to approach it with some caution.
