The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset came out with an unusual CPU configuration – 1 main core, 2+2 performance cores and 3 efficiency cores. A new Geekbench 6.1.0 test has surfaced today showing a slightly different setup for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 successor in the Samsung Galaxy S24+. According to the test, Qualcomm removes one of the efficiency cores and installs another performance core instead. Also, the performance cores ran at different speeds.
In the Geekbench test, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ had a main core with 3.30 GHz, three performance cores with 3.15 GHz, two additional performance cores with 2.96 GHz and finally two efficiency cores with 2.27 GHz on board. While the performance cores of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 were different (A715 and A710), they ran at the same frequency. The 8 Gen 3, on the other hand, operates the two clusters at different frequencies. It is not yet known whether different cores will also be used. ARM has already introduced the Cortex-X4, the A720 and the A520. Therefore, they are the most likely candidates for the Gen 3 chip. Unless ARM releases new designs till October 24th.
The 1+5+2 or 1+(3+2)+2 configuration in the tested Samsung Galaxy S24+ follows the structure that ARM had in mind when developing these cores. The X4 promises 15% more performance with the same power consumption or 25% less power consumption with the same performance. Actually, the expectations for the X4 Prime core were more in the direction of 3.4 GHz – just above the 3.36GHz of the 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor. However, there is also a rumor that the 8 Gen 3 will run on a 3.7GHz prime core. For a passively cooled device with a battery, these were impressive values. But even the new N4P node from chipmaker TSMC may not be enough.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 3.7GHz prime core?
Today’s benchmark test also suggests that Qualcomm and TSMC are a long way from 3.7GHz. However, there is always the possibility that a performance mode has limited the maximum clock speed. It’s also not clear if it’s a “for Galaxy” chipset – Samsung has reportedly extended the Qualcomm deal until next year.
Even if not, the boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is pretty impressive for a generation. 12% more single-core and 26% more multi-core performance brings Samsung cell phones even closer to the bionic chips in Apples iPhones. The single-core performance still lags behind the Apple A16 Bionic. However, the SD 8 Gen 3 is already ahead in the multi-core department.
Of course, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has to compete for the top spot in the performance ranking with the A17 in the iPhone 15 and not the A16 in the iPhone 14. And Apple reserved almost all of TSMC’s 3Nm capacity, giving it a significant competitive advantage. Qualcomm is expected to launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in late October, while the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is likely to launch in February 2024 with the rest of the series.
