Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has better energy efficiency than A17 Pro
Qualcomm will soon unveil its new flagship SoC, the highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform. Based on recent benchmark results leaked, this SoC performs remarkably well. However, in contrast to Apple’s latest A17 Pro, Qualcomm opted not for TSMC’s latest 3nm process node, but for the more established N4P process.
Despite Qualcomm not utilizing the most advanced chip manufacturing technique, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform seems largely unaffected. Recent revelations suggest that compared to the A17 Pro, the energy efficiency of the third-generation Snapdragon 8 is superior by 30%. While in the AnTuTu benchmark, the third-generation Snapdragon 8’s CPU performance is only 15% faster than its predecessor, its GPU performance has surged by 40%, showing a clear advantage over the A17 Pro in graphics prowess.
Rumors indicate that the CPU of the third-generation Snapdragon 8 will adopt a tri-cluster design of 1+5+2, consisting of a singular Cortex-X4 super core, five Cortex-A720 large cores, and two Cortex-A520 smaller cores. The GPU component is expected to be the Adreno 750. Understandably, Qualcomm is still fine-tuning the third-generation Snapdragon 8 to achieve optimal power efficiency.
To ensure devices have extended battery longevity, Qualcomm might slightly diminish the CPU performance of the third-generation Snapdragon 8 to enhance its power efficiency. Previous tests have shown that the TSMC 3nm-manufactured A17 Pro offers limited performance enhancement, with virtually unchanged battery duration. The advanced manufacturing process seems to offer no discernible advantage. If the overall performance of the third-generation Snapdragon 8 rivals that of the A17 Pro, it would bolster the competitiveness of Android flagship models.
