Which is better snapdragon or mtk. MediaTek vs Snapdragon: everything you need to know

When comparing central processors for smartphones from MediaTek and Qualcomm, we will consider the main parameters by which the buyer can make a choice in favor of one of the CPUs. Which one is better and why? In many forums, users prefer Qualcomm products. Is this really the case on the market?

We can say that the two companies Qualcomm and MediaTek are today the main suppliers of CPUs for smartphones. When choosing a phone based on its characteristics, each buyer will encounter the products of these companies in the form central processor. So which processor should you buy? From which company? Consider the main differences point by point.

Graphics

Qualcomm has better graphics. MTK has the best processor for games today - Helio X10, it has a PowerVR G6200 video core. This is an average video processor today (if not worse). But best solution from the video today, Helio X20 and X25 have a Mali T-880 core.

Yes, the Mali T-880 is a good video processor, even Samsung uses it in its flagship models. But each video processor differs in the number of cores, which is not surprising for today's chips. And in the Mali-T880, Samsung uses 12 cores (MP12) in its top-end processor, while MediaTek uses only 4 (MP4) in its Helio X25 and X20. The T880 can use a maximum of 16 cores.

What does more cores give? And it gives a larger number of GFlops (FLoating-point Operations Per Second). Gigaflops is a non-system unit used to measure computer performance, indicating how many floating point operations per second a given computer can perform. computing system. It is important for us that this value measures the performance of a video card and can be used to some extent to compare video processors. There is also optimization, structure, executable instructions, etc. But for now let’s take GFLOPS into account.

• Mali-T880 MP12 – 265 GFLOPS,
• Mali-T880 MP4 – 115 GFLOPS.

But we compared different versions of the Mali-T880 from ARM Limited. As of December 2016, the newest video processor from Mali is the G71.

But the video processor in the flagship Snapdragon 821 chips from Qualcomm is called Adreno 530, and it produces 519 GFLOPS. For comparison:

• Snapdragon 650 with Adreno 510 – 180 GFLOPS,
• Snapdragon 430, 435 with Adreno 505 – 48.6 GFLOPS.

Conclusion: if we compare top processor models further in pairs from the same price category, then Qualcomm has better graphics.

Graphics are not important for everyone in everyday work; the advantage in graphics performance will be noticeable in heavy games, in other cases you will have no complaints about MediaTek chips.

Communication modules (modems)

3G, 4G communication is carried out through modems in the phone, each modem operates at a certain frequency (transmission speed). Also, only certain categories of communications can work in different countries. That is, the supported communication standards (simultaneously for different countries), the maximum frequency of reception and transmission determines the best modem. And for today for now best modems from Qualcomm. But over the past couple of years, MediaTek has created modems that can cover the needs of most consumers.

But Snapdragon has the best modems among all manufacturers. There is even a modem that supports all communication standards for any country, but its price is still very high. And already in December 2016, the Snapdragon X50 5G modem was introduced for 5G networks, which are still being planned.

If you do not travel or visit exotic countries, then you will not have problems with modems from any company.

Program optimization

MTK has less optimization for programs. But these are more likely software problems than hardware problems. But Qualcomm is more popular, so developers optimize programs more specifically for these processors.

Third party firmware

There are fewer custom firmwares for MediaTek. Custom firmware- These are peculiarly changed or modified firmware. In general, all firmware that is not made by the manufacturer is custom. These firmwares have more improved functionality and can significantly improve performance.

Is this really such a minus? For some, for many consumers, this is probably not a problem at all. But who needs different firmware, then it’s better to pay attention to Qualcomm products.

Power consumption, operating frequencies

Two characteristics: power consumption and maximum operating frequency are tied to such a parameter as the technical process. For us, ordinary consumers, this characteristic is not important. But there is still a difference in processor heating (energy efficiency) with different technological processes. The technological process is measured in nanometers (nm) and today the newest technological process is 10 nm, and the already outdated one is 28 nm. The smaller the technical process, the lower the operating currents, respectively, the lower the power in watts and the lower the heat dissipation. If the currents and operating voltage are lower, the operating frequencies can be increased.

In reality, it is impossible to notice the difference between the 14 nm and 20 nm process technology. Experts, of course, will notice and measure everything, but for ordinary users it doesn't play a big role. But you need to remember that if the processor operates at maximum load, for example, games, then the heat dissipation will be maximum. This is where the smaller process technology comes into play. With a smaller technological process, the chip will heat up less.

Today, flagship processors from Qualcomm have a 14 nm process technology, and top-end chips from MediaTek are developed at 20 nm. And it is only planned to make Helio X30 on a 10 nm process technology.

But if you take the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, 652, 430 processors, they are made at 28 nm. Today, these are considered one of the best processors for the mid-price category and they perform excellently, do not overheat, and have normal frequencies. So this once again confirms that ordinary buyers do not need to pay special attention to the technological process parameter.

And power consumption also depends on the optimization of software to hardware, screen characteristics, etc. So you can find examples severe overheating in the operation of smartphones on processors from both companies. You can argue here for a long time which of them is more energy efficient.

It is believed that Qualcomm processors are more efficient, run cooler and have better performance. But you need to take into account that other hardware and software modules also contribute to all this. If you remember the Snapdragon 810, then everyone will immediately think of a very hot processor; it overheated the most. But Sony released its smartphone on this processor, and it did not heat up. Sony just made a normal heat sink. MTK did not have such problems. But you need to understand that the bulk of MediaTek processors are for mid-budget and small budget smartphones. And manufacturers in this segment do not always optimize software or improve hardware of the device. Therefore, device problems are not always related to the CPU. This applies to both heating and lags in operation.

As for the overheating of the central processor, it is noticeable when performing heavy tasks such as games and complex programs. But if the smartphone performs its standard tasks, then you will not notice any serious overheating of the device if it has any processor.

Price

This is where MediaTek gets its advantage, which allows it to remain in the market and successfully compete with other companies. Phones based on Qualcomm processors no longer stand out for their price as before, for example, a mid-range device can be bought for $150. But smartphones priced lower are usually built on a processor from MediaTek.

Conclusions

Other processor manufacturers such as Samsung, Apple, Huawei make them only for their devices. Therefore, in the mobile chip market there is competition between Qualcomm and MediaTek. Yes, processors from Qualcomm outperform MediaTek and their processors are used in flagship and mid-budget smartphone models. And MediaTek, over the years of development and competition, has made its chips worthy of attention and corresponding to their price; their products have completely closed the budget segment and are used in some models of top smartphones. One can even assume that without MediaTek products there would be no smartphones priced below $100, but with acceptable characteristics.

Gone are the days when the name MediaTek meant nothing to the vast majority of users. But even for those who heard about it, it was associated with continuous glitches of Chinese phones.

However, over time, this company from Taiwan became stronger and began to produce processors for smartphones that were able to compete with other market participants. This naturally aroused interest among serious companies involved in the production of smartphones.

But Qualcomm from America did not sit still and managed to somewhat push such a monster as Texas Instruments out of the market. As a result of this, they carved out a significant piece of the market for themselves. So, for smartphones, which processors should you give preference to? Let's try to find the answer to this question.

The specialization of both companies is the development of processors. At the same time, none of them is engaged in the production of these products independently. For this purpose, they attract, for example, silicon giants such as TSMC. This company owns simply gigantic factories specializing in the production of semiconductor crystals.

Processors by these companies are developed for gadgets of different price categories. They took as a basis such a processor architecture as ARM, which has fundamental differences from the computer x86. That's probably all the similarities between these developers. These direct competitors have a single field of activity. But they approach issues related to the development of their own products and their promotion in different ways.

Positive and negative sides of Qualcomm processors

The chips that are being developed for smartphones by the American company have many positive qualities:

• Fine technological process. The American manufacturer has a constant desire to transfer the existing architecture to an updated technical process. And they do this at the slightest opportunity. To begin with, processors manufactured using the best technological standards are used on flagship smartphone models. And gradually more affordable products are being transferred to them.
• Using self-developed kernels. When creating the best SoCs for flagship models, Qualcomm developers don't limit themselves to using stock ARM microarchitecture. They refine them in order to increase the performance of hardware resources and improve their optimization.
• Its own graphics subsystem. In chipsets from Qualcomm, graphics processing is handled GPUs from the Adreno series, developed by the company. She develops engineering ideas, and the finished product is launched into series. This is what helps increase the performance of leading GPUs. And this happens faster than competitors.
• Application of high power cellular modules. Snapdragon chips have better communication modem parameters because their development takes into account all new technological trends. For example, the introduction of support for LTE Cat. 12 started before she was provided mobile operators. In addition, Qualcomm modems support a larger number of network standards compared to MTK.
• Energy optimization. The company's specialists not only work on solving productivity issues, but also pay a lot of attention to energy efficiency. Even in cases where it is associated with one technological process. For example, the transition from Snapdragon 820 to 821 allowed not only to speed up the chips by several percent, but also helped reduce energy consumption by the same few percent. And this is with minimal differences in the architecture of the models.

Now about the disadvantages of Qualcomm products:

High price threshold. An inevitable consequence of the constant use of advanced technologies is the expenditure of funds for implementation, as well as testing. This is what explains the high cost of the best Qualcomm solutions. So, when put into operation, the cost of the best Snapdragon processor 821 for 2016 smartphones was $70.

The complexity of the bootloader structure. The bootloader is usually called the mechanism with which the hardware starts, as well as the OS of smartphones. Its structure for Snapdragon chips is somewhat complex. The same can be said about the operating algorithm. This does not affect daily work, but if there is a need to restore the “brick”, the procedure becomes more complicated.

Small quantity budget solutions. The company's focus is on chips for flagship smartphones, which are constantly being improved, made more powerful and more economical. But there is no longer enough time left for budget decisions. More recently, affordable Qualcomm smartphones used three processor models: Snapdragon 410, 400 and 200.

Positive and negative indicators of MediaTek processors

And Taiwanese chipsets have their advantages:

• Low cost. The initial focus of the company was precisely on cheap solutions, and in this niche she managed to gain a strong foothold. But even the top models of MTK processors are not very expensive. Thus, the flagship Helio X20 can be purchased at the price of mid-class models from competitors.
• Great variety. MediaTek specialists are constantly concerned about improving the company's products. For this reason, updates occur frequently model range. It contains a small number of chipsets for flagship products. But in the middle category the abundance cannot but please. The same can be said about the budget category. The company has a large number of SoC models.
• Stock graphics. The majority of MediaTek chips use basic options graphics cores Mali from ARM Corporation. Thanks to the presence of a reference version of the microarchitecture, it is easier for developers to optimize games for it. The same cannot be said about Adreno. In addition, it is Mali graphics that Samsung uses for its chips, which makes it a priority for developers in the adaptation process.

To be fair, it must be said that MediaTek processors have many disadvantages:

• Using Basic Cortex Cores. The company does not have the resources to improve the microarchitecture of processors. This forces developers to use standard kernels for chips. Having the same frequency, they are inferior to custom microarchitectures from Apple, Samsung and Qualcomm.
• Presence of configuration imbalance. Confused about improving autonomy without compromising the commercial appeal of the product, MediaTek did not choose the best development path. At the development stage, their processors are impressive, but when it comes to practice, not everything turns out as intended. Let's give an example. To optimize charge consumption in Helio X20 series processors, engineers implemented three clusters of cores with different architectures, frequencies and TDPs. This was done instead of developing a more elegant power supply mechanism. At the same time, the nuance was not taken into account that advertising 10 cores is more effective than four, even if they are highly effective. Another disadvantage that affects the hardware balance is the not-so-optimal selection of the graphics subsystem configuration. And although MediaTek uses the latest Mali GPU models, the selected options cannot be called the best. To make this clearer, let's take specific models. So, for the top-end Helio X25, as for the Exynos 8890, the Samsung S7 uses the Mali T880. But the Korean model uses the T880 MP12 configuration, and the MTK uses the T880 MP4. This means that the number of active blocks in the latter is three times less. This, naturally, entails a 3-fold reduction in productivity.
• Lag in terms of technological processes. Saving is a common way of doing business for MediaTek. That is why they are in no hurry to make investments to develop production at partner factories. Moreover, they do not have the resources for this. The consequence of this is that they are not given priority access to the best assembly lines. This means that the production of MTK chipsets is carried out using more crude and outdated technological processes. This especially applies to processors for flagship series models.
• Low level of developer support. Over the past few years, there has been an improvement in the situation, but the problems associated with MediaTek developer support are not over yet. The consequence of this is that smartphone manufacturers sometimes fail to receive updated drivers along with developer libraries in a timely manner. And this does not allow us to produce smartphones that have new version OS. In addition, OS updates for previous models are delayed. And if for the budget MT6580 there is Android kernel 6, then it is missing for the flagship MT6795.

Conclusion

It’s impossible to say unequivocally what to choose, no matter how hard you want. Both MediaTek and Qualcomm have pros and cons. You can try to understand something by breaking it down by groups of processors. And then the following will happen:

1. Budget price category. There are no special differences between the products from these manufacturers. Both developers create solutions that are sufficient to solve basic problems. That is, we can talk about parity here. The cost of MTK models is often lower, but this is most often explained by the fact that there are simply a lot of them. We can say that the priority in this price niche still belongs to MediaTek.
2. Consideration of the average price box allows us to talk about leveling the advantage of the Taiwanese company. Models from Qualcomm located closer to the upper limit of this price segment are distinguished by a more powerful level of graphics and a better solution to the issue of optimizing energy consumption. However, the performance indicator for both is the same. And we can say that at this point the companies have a draw.
3. The processors used in flagship models are the prerogative of Qualcomm. According to this indicator, the company is a leader among Android smartphones. And today's reality is such that MediaTek cannot offer anything worthy in this segment.

And it turns out that the consumer must make his own choice in accordance with his preferences and needs.

Snapdragon processors: advantages and disadvantages of chipsets from S430 to S821. Comparison of the performance of smartphones on Snapdragon processors in benchmarks.

Which Snapdragon processor is better? To answer the question, we will compare current models of Qualcomm chipsets, which can be found not only in old smartphones, but also in phones produced in 2017. First, we will compare the characteristics of Snapdragon processors and talk about the key features of each model, after which we will confirm our predictions regarding operating speed with the results of testing smartphones in popular benchmarks.

Characteristics of Snapdragon processors

The key characteristics of any processor are the manufacturing process, the architecture of the central processor cores, the number of cores and their clock frequency, as well as a graphics accelerator chipset. These specifications should be given the closest attention.

The heating of the smartphone, the degree of its susceptibility to throttling (a drop in clock frequency under load) and the operating time of the smartphone on a single charge depend on the technical process. The “smaller” the technological process, the more economically the chipset uses the battery.

The architecture of the cores, their number and clock frequency affect the speed of operation. Powerful cores, particularly Cortex A72 or Kryo, consume more power but perform many more operations per clock. Simply put, they are faster. Economical cores, which include cores based on the Cortex A53 architecture, are designed to solve simple tasks. They do not consume the battery as aggressively, but they also work slower with processes.

The number of processor cores affects the speed of the phone in multitasking mode. If the cores are built on the same architecture, then the more there are, the better. But when switching to new architecture the rule no longer works.

Smartphones with a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor are faster than 8-core phones built on previous generations of chipsets. The difference in speed is explained by the fact that the improved cores perform more operations per unit of time, due to which they confidently outperform their “slow” predecessors.

The graphics adapter determines the speed of the smartphone in games and when working with 3D graphics. Qualcomm Snapdragon processors use different generations Adreno graphics, which are a priori characterized by high performance. Updated versions of the adapter with a larger index are faster than their predecessors, which affects the framerate. This will be clearly visible from the benchmark results.

Key features of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors

In this part of the article we talk about the key features of various models of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in terms of efficiency, operating speed and degree of heating when solving complex (and not so complex) problems.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 is the weakest chipset on our list. Its only advantage is its low cost. Manufacturers who want to offer the buyer an inexpensive smartphone choose this chipset as a compromise solution.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor is built on 8 reference Cortex A53 cores, which operate at a very low frequency by modern standards 1.4 GHz. Accordingly, you can forget about the high speed of the smartphone even before purchasing it. Graphics accelerator Adreno 505 also grazes the rear ones. It will still allow you to play at minimum settings, but the framerate will be low.

Since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 is manufactured using a 28 nm process, it drains the battery relatively quickly for such a slow processor. Compare battery life ratings and . Due to the same technical process, heating in games and when working with heavy applications will be noticeable.

Snapdragon 625 processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is a very interesting chipset, in a sense, even cool. Of course, we are not talking about cosmic speeds here; the main advantage of the model is extremely low energy consumption with an almost complete absence of heating and throttling.

Excellent energy efficiency is explained by the fact that the Snapdragon 625 processor is manufactured using a modern 14 nm process technology. For the same reason, he always remains cold, even in games. Graphics accelerator power Adreno 506 Enough for playing at minimum and medium settings.

The speed of the central processor is not prohibitive, but higher than that of the S430. The performance of the smartphone is also higher - Android will work smoothly, there should be no problems with applications either, at least if at least 3 GB is paired with the Snapdragon 625 RAM. ( .)

Snapdragon 650 processor

Compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors that we reviewed earlier, the 650 Dragon is almost a champion in terms of speed. This is explained by the fact that the processor architecture uses improved Cortex A72 cores. Yes, the total number of cores is less, but at the expense of execution more operation per clock cycle, the processor runs much faster, as do the phones built on it.

A graphics accelerator gives a performance boost in games Adreno 510. When compared to the Snapdragon 625 and 430 processors, the difference is obvious. You will find the comparison results at the end of the publication in GFX benchmarks. The frame rate in games will be higher, and you can play not only at medium, but also at maximum settings.

The disadvantage of the Snapdragon 650 processor is that it is produced according to the 28 nm process technology. Because of this, the chipset gets very hot and drops frequencies under heavy load, including in 3D toys. This feature should be taken into account by those who like to play for a long time and do not want to experience a drop in fps. Battery consumption is also higher, and time battery life smartphone - less.

A few words about Snapdragon 652. It differs from the 650 model in the increased number of cores to eight, with additional cores built on the Cortex A72 architecture (powerful). Thanks to this, it is even faster, although it does not reach the S820. The disadvantages due to the 28 nm process technology are the same - throttling and high battery consumption.

Snapdragon 820/821 processors

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821 - top chipsets of 2016. Their strengths are high speed work and relatively low, both for fast processors, battery consumption. The chipsets are equipped with the Adreno 530 graphics accelerator, which last year broke records and outperformed almost all competitors.

If you need a very fast smartphone, or if you want to play heavy games at maximum framerates, smartphones with a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor are an excellent choice. Excellent, but not without its shortcomings. The problem is that smartphones based on the Snapdragon 820, despite the 14 nm manufacturing process, are susceptible to overheating, and they sometimes heat up to uncomfortable temperatures.

Qualcomm engineers tried to solve the problem in one of the versions of the Snapdragon 821. The “cold” version of the S821 received the AB index, and it operates at the same reference frequencies as the S820. Smartphones with a quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor are not always faster than 820 Dragon phones, but they can be cooler. In a sense, this is even better, because the 820 is already fast enough.

The Snapdragon 821 version with the non-AB index is a processor overclocked to 2.3 GHz on the same architecture and with the same number of cores (4 Kryo CPU cores). An example of a smartphone with a 4-core Snapdragon 821 non-AB processor. For comparison, or are built on the Snapdragon 821, which operates at reference frequencies without increasing computing power.

Snapdragon 835 processors

The latest Snapdragon 835 chipset is a blast in terms of performance. In this publication we will not talk about it in detail, because a special material is devoted to comparing the S835 and S821 processors.

Snapdragon processors: comparison in benchmarks

Let's move on to comparing Snapdragon processors in popular benchmarks. There will be a lot of charts below that may not display correctly in older browsers and some built-in browsers mobile platforms. If you encounter this problem, open the publication in the current build of Mozilla, Opera or Chrome.

A few explanations about the benchmarks. GeekBench evaluates the power of the central processor, which affects the smooth operation of the operating system.

Snapdragon processors in GeekBench 4 (multi-core)

Snapdragon processors in GeekBench 4 (single-core)

In Antutu and BaseMark OS 2.0 we compare the overall speed of the smartphone.

Snapdragon processors in AnTuTu 6

Snapdragon processors in BaseMark OS 2.0

GFX tests evaluate the power of the graphics accelerator, which correlates with the speed of working with 3D graphics and frame rates in games.

GFX 3.1 Manhattan

GFX 3.1 Car Scene

Snapdragon processor comparison: summary

Any conclusions or comments on the test results are unnecessary; all that remains is to summarize what was said above and highlight key features Snapdragon processors:

1. Snapdragon 430: a budget option, a compromise between the comfort of using the phone and its cost.
2. S625: the best choice for those who need a cool smartphone with high battery life.
3. S650/652: good option for gamers and those looking for a fast and inexpensive smartphone.
4. S820: a very fast chipset that will last for a couple of years. Smartphones with a quad-core S820/S821 processor are not cheap, although there are affordable options.
5. S835: the best processor at the time of publication.

New publications

Now smartphones can process a mountain of information if desired. Their processor power is enough to solve absolutely any problem. At the same time, modern chipsets consume a minimal amount of electricity, for which we should thank the improved technical process. Our rating of smartphone processors will tell you about the most powerful models. Devices based on them can be blamed for anything, but certainly not for lack of power!

Good to know!

Now the most famous companies in the mobile processor market are the following:

• Qualcomm- produces chipsets from the Snapdragon series;
• Samsung- creates Exynos chips;
• MediaTek- flagship processors are distributed under the Helio brand;
• Huawei- chipsets under the HiSilicon sub-brand are mainly built into their own smartphones.

At the same time, it is impossible to say exactly which chips are more powerful and which are weaker. Of course, there are all kinds of tests and benchmarks. But their result can be called conditional, hypothetical. In practice, each processor operates in its own mode, rarely raising clock speeds to maximum. And yet, our rating can be considered correct - the mobile processors left out of it suffer from certain shortcomings, and devices based on them cannot be called ideal.

Our top may not include recently announced models. We decided to talk only about those products whose smartphones are already on store shelves.

Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 14 nm
• Architecture: Samsung Exynos M1 + ARM Cortex-A53 (ARMv8-A)
• Video accelerator: Mali-T880, 12 cores, 650 MHz

Geekbench result: 5940 points

If not the best processor for a smartphone, then at least one of those worthy of this title. It’s not for nothing that all variations of the South Korean Galaxy S7 are equipped with it. Is it possible to blame this flagship for lack of power? The chipset can easily handle 4K video at 60 fps. It consists of eight cores. Maximum frequency is 2290 MHz. But it rarely comes to raising it to such a level, since lower frequencies are quite enough to solve most problems.

Unfortunately, the processor also has certain problems. It just so happens that South Korean chipsets are not equipped with the best video accelerator (GPU). Here too, the Mali-T880, despite its 12 cores, performs strictly to the “good” rating, but nothing more. This is proven by tests in GFXBench, where in terms of graphics, the Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 is ahead of some other chipsets reviewed today.

Advantages

• Supports video in 2160p resolution at 60 frames/s;
• Not very hot;
• Low energy consumption;
• High scores in benchmarks.

Flaws

• The memory test does not show the best results;
• The graphics accelerator could perform better.

Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy Golden 4

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996

• Year of manufacture: 2015
• Technical process: 14 nm FinFET
• Architecture: Qualcomm Kryo
• Video accelerator: Adreno 530, 624 MHz

Geekbench result: 4890 points

Qualcomm does not have its own production facilities. However, it has many patents at its disposal. And with them, developing a processor close to ideal is not difficult, after which all that remains is to place an order for production from other companies. Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 pleases with both computing power and graphics processing capabilities. Many flagships released in 2016 were equipped with this chipset. And none of their customers complained about the graphics in mobile games!

The chip consists of only four cores. However, this did not stop it from scoring record scores in benchmarks - not least thanks to the graphics accelerator. The maximum frequency of this processor is 2150 MHz. At the hardware level, the chipset supports HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, and Bluetooth 4.1. In short, the processor could easily cope even with the tasks assigned to a laptop! It also features camera support with a resolution of up to 28 megapixels - which is why Sony chose this processor, in flagship smartphones which contains just such a sensor.

Advantages

• Very high resolution camera support;
• Capable of processing Full HD video at up to 240 frames/s;
• Supports 10-bit 4K video;
• Windows devices use DirectX 11.2;
• Very high clock speed;
• Not very high energy consumption;
• High scores in benchmarks;
• The memory test leads to high results;
• Excellent performance in games.

Flaws

• Sometimes it gets quite hot.

The most popular smartphones: Motorola Moto Z Force, Elite X3, ASUS ZenFone 3, HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia XR, Xiaomi Mi5 Pro, ZTE Nubia Z11

HiSilicon Kirin 95

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 16 nm
• Architecture:
• Video accelerator: Mali-T880, 4 cores

Geekbench result: 6000 points

This chipset is manufactured using a 16-nanometer process technology, which indicates its decent energy efficiency. The maximum frequency here is increased to 2.5 GHz. The creators had to take this step because of the Mali-T880 graphics accelerator, which does not cope with its task in the best way.

The Chinese chipset consists of eight cores, four of which can be called auxiliary. Paired with a GPU, it is capable of playing 4K video at 60 fps. But the processor can only playback - independently create video recordings - in 1080p resolution. And this despite the fact that the chip even supports dual cameras, the total resolution of which is 42 megapixels. He is also able to recognize Bluetooth modules 4.2 and USB 3.0.

Advantages

• Support for many modern wireless technologies;
• Almost record clock speed;
• No big problems with overheating;
• Can decode 4K video at 60fps;
• Supports dual high definition cameras.

Flaws

• The graphics accelerator shows poor results.

The most popular smartphones: Huawei P9, Huawei P9 Plus, Huawei Honor V8, Huawei Honor Note 8.

HiSilicon Kirin 950

• Year of manufacture: 2015
• Technical process: 16 nm
• Architecture: 4x ARM Cortex-A72 + 4x ARM Cortex-A53
• Video accelerator: Mali-T880, 4 cores, 900 MHz

Geekbench result: 5950 points

In 2015-2016, this processor was used by many Huawei smartphones. The chipset consists of eight cores, the power of four of them can reach 2300 MHz. It would seem that the result is quite good. But not everything is so simple. The weak point of the chip is the graphics accelerator. The first version of Mali-T880 is used here. It copes well with video decoding - in theory, you can even run 4K video at 60 frames/s. But in games this GPU performs disgustingly, especially by flagship standards.

However, you can’t find fault with the computing power of this chipset, which is why it made it into our top processors. The product supports Bluetooth 4.2 and USB 3.0 standards, although the Chinese giant has not really produced smartphones with such high-speed interfaces, preferring to save money. Also, in theory, the processor copes with the data stream from a dual camera with a total resolution of 42 megapixels.

Advantages

• Supports USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.2;
• High computing power;
• Support for modern memory formats;
• Not very expensive to produce;
• Decodes video into high resolution;
• Capable of handling a dual 42-megapixel camera.

Flaws

• The graphics accelerator could be much better;
• Cannot provide the camera with 4K video recording.

The most popular smartphones: Huawei Honor 8, Huawei Honor Note 8, Huawei Mate 8, Huawei Honor V8.

Apple A9X APL1021

• Year of manufacture: 2015
• Technical process: 16 nm
• Architecture: Apple Twister 64-bit ARMv8-compatible
• Video accelerator: PowerVR Series 7X, 12 cores

Geekbench result : 5400 points

Why are game developers primarily targeting smartphones and Apple tablets? Is it really only their owners who can afford to buy a toy? No, everything is much simpler. This is the technique that games work best on. The Apple A9X APL1021 processor is equipped with an almost ideal graphics accelerator, which can solve absolutely any problem! If Apple wanted, it could even implement a 4K video recording feature at 60 frames per second!

As for computing power, everything is fine here, although the processor still does not score record scores in benchmarks. It would seem that only two cores are used here. But for solving everyday problems this is quite enough. Not least because of the better optimized operating system.

Advantages

• High power two cores;
• Excellent 12-core graphics accelerator;
• Full support for 4K video at 60 fps;
• Support from many modern technologies;
• Recognizes modern memory formats.

Flaws

Apple iPad Pro

MediaTek MT6797 Helio X25

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 20 nm
• Architecture: 2x ARM Cortex-A72 + 4x ARM Coptex-A53 + 4x ARM Coptex-A53
• Video accelerator: Mali-T880MP4, 4 cores, 850 MHz

Geekbench result: 4920 points

A processor with a fairly complex structure. It consists of ten nuclei belonging to two varieties. The two cores are the most powerful - they belong to the Cortex-A72 type, and their clock speed can reach 2500 MHz. The remaining computing cores belong to the Cortex-A53 type. Moreover, half of them are overclocked to a frequency of 2000 MHz, while the rest are limited to 1550 MHz.

All this allows the processor to score a lot of points in benchmarks. And the result would have been even higher if not for the graphics accelerator. This element here is seriously limited in its capabilities. Yes it supports full-time job with 4K video, including its creation, but only at 30 fps. And in games the GPU copes with its task even worse. As for other characteristics, we should highlight support for 32-megapixel cameras and Bluetooth standard 4.1. The maximum display resolution of a smartphone with such a chipset can reach 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Advantages

• Support for 32 MP camera;
• Very high computing power;
• Relatively low energy consumption;
• Although limited, there is support for 4K video;
• Low cost chipset.

Flaws

• The GPU performs poorly in games;
• No Bluetooth support 4.2.

The most popular smartphones: Meizu Pro 6, Oukitel K6000 Premium, Xiaomi Redmi Pro, Zopo Speed ​​8, Vernee Apollo.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 14 nm
• Architecture: ARM Cortex-A53 (ARMv8)
• Video accelerator: Adreno 506

Geekbench result: 4900 points

One of Qualcomm's most popular creations. It is endowed with a huge number of smartphones from the mid-budget and even top segments. The manufacturer did not bother with the architecture, giving the chipset eight identical cores. The maximum clock frequency is 2000 MHz, which ordinary user quite enough.

The graphics accelerator here is optimized for processing video content. Theoretically, a smartphone built on the basis of this processor is capable of playing and recording 4K video at 60 frames per second. But in games some problems begin. Although their presence is surprising, because the GPU even has support for DirectX 12, which is activated on devices with Windows on board. The chipset also supports a dual camera, the total resolution of which does not exceed 24 megapixels. The only thing missing here is USB support 3.0. However, smartphone creators do not like to integrate such high-speed connectors into their creations.

Advantages

• Dual camera supported;
• Fast charging technology is well implemented;
• High power of all eight cores;
• Full support for 4K video content at 60 fps;
• Relatively low cost.

Flaws

• Camera resolution cannot exceed 24 megapixels;
• No Bluetooth 4.2 support;
• Display resolution cannot exceed 1920 x 1200 pixels;
• In games, the chipset does not perform well.

The most popular smartphones: Huawei G9 Plus, ASUS ZenFone 3, Fujitsu Easy, Huawei Maimang 5, Lenovo Vibe P2, Motorola Moto Z Play, Samsung Galaxy C7.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 APQ8076

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 28 nm
• Architecture: 4x ARM Cortex-A72 + 4x ARM Cortex-A53
• Video accelerator: Adreno 510

Geekbench result: 4886 points

This chipset is also known as the Snapdragon 652. It is one of the last processors that is still produced on the 28nm process. The creators are not at all embarrassed by the relatively large size of the chip, since it is built mainly into tablets.

The processor consists of eight computing cores. The clock frequency of four of them can reach 1800 MHz. This is quite enough for the tablet to solve basic tasks without any hesitation. The chipset also includes the Adreno 510 graphics accelerator. There are no special complaints about it, because no one will expect excellent graphics performance from the tablet. It should be noted that theoretically the chip supports video processing in 2160p resolution at 30 frames/s. It also boasts support for Bluetooth 4.1 and proprietary fast charging Quick Charge 3.0.

Advantages

• Supports devices with high screen resolutions;
• Great computing power;
• Albeit limited, but still support for 4K video;
• Built-in fast charging technology.

Flaws

• No Bluetooth 4.2 support;
• Still not the best graphics accelerator.

Most popular devices: Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Plus 8.0, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Plus 9.7.

MediaTek MT6797M Helio X20

• Year of manufacture: 2016
• Technical process: 20 nm
• Architecture: 2x ARM Cortex-A72 + 4x ARM Cortex-A53 + 4x ARM Cortex-A53
• Video accelerator: Mali-T880MP4, 4 cores, 780 MHz

Geekbench result: 5130 points

Many mobile processors have four or even eight cores. In the case of the MediaTek MT6797M Helio X20, their number has been increased to ten. As a result, the performance of the chipset is very high. Especially in applications that do not require serious graphics processing. It should be noted that only two computing cores are particularly powerful here - their clock frequency reaches 2300 MHz. The remaining nuclei are divided into two groups. One can please you with a frequency of 1850 MHz, while the other has this parameter fixed at 1400 MHz. But the result in any case is very good, which is confirmed by synthetic tests, and by the smartphones themselves - the interface on them does not slow down at all thanks to the chipset.

As for the graphics accelerator, everything is much worse here. Theoretically, it copes with viewing and recording 4K video at 30 frames per second. But in games you immediately feel a lack of power. Modern games They will work on a smartphone with such a processor, but with simplified graphics. Especially if the device has a screen with Full HD resolution or higher. It should also be noted that the processor supports almost any mobile cameras- as long as the module resolution does not exceed 32 megapixels.

Geekbench result: 4610 points

There are two versions Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 620, also known as Snapdragon 652. The first is MSM8976, this chipset was released in 2015. A year later, a slightly more improved version was released - APQ8076, which some samsung tablets. The products are practically no different from each other. They have eight cores, half of which are capable of increasing the frequency to 1800 MHz. Both processors are equipped with a far from ideal Adreno 510 graphics accelerator.

Qualcomm's creation is capable of supporting smartphones whose display has a resolution of no higher than 2560 x 1600 pixels. As for the camera, it is possible to process data coming from a dual module, the total resolution of which does not exceed 21 megapixels. Everything is fine with the module and its capabilities for processing data coming from dual-channel LPDDR3 memory.

Advantages

• High performance;
• View 4K video at 30 fps;
• Theoretical possibility of recording video in 1080p and 120 frames/s;
• Not very high cost;
• Dual camera support;
• Screen resolution can reach 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Flaws

• Bluetooth 4.2 is not supported;
• The maximum camera resolution cannot be very high.

The most popular smartphones: Vivo X6S A, Vivo X7, Vivo X7 Plus, LeEco Le2, G5 SE, Oppo R9 Plus, Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2016), ZTE Nubia Z11 Max, Xiaomi Mi Max

The entire hardware operation of a smartphone depends on the processor. Every year, the question of choosing between two technologies, Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek, becomes more pressing, just like in the computer field between Intel and AMD. Has there been a definitive opinion on this matter?

In Android phones, the chipset (system-on-chip, SoC) is loaded with games, browsing the Internet, and even making mobile calls. This is the “brain” that is responsible for speed, efficiency and reliability.

Today, smartphone manufacturers choose Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek solutions (with the exception of isolated proprietary developments from Samsung, Huawei, LG and Xiaomi experiments). The fundamental difference between them is that one is already at the top of its segment, and the second, step by step, is just climbing the ladder of success.

Difference between Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek

Qualcomm is better known in the US and Europe. Its processors power flagship models, run expensive advertising campaigns, and provide widespread support from software developers. MediaTek is playing catch-up - it is slowly, although surely, capturing significant market share in South Asia.

What factors make the processors from these two manufacturers different and unique?

Qualcomm positions Snapdragon not as a processor, but as a platform - a turnkey solution with a set of system semiconductor products on a chip (SoC), designed and sold exclusively for mobile devices. Its compute unit uses the ARM RISC instruction set.

Such a system-on-chip may include several processor cores (CPU), a graphics accelerator (GPU), wireless modem, software (part of the firmware) and hardware. The latter is necessary to support various smart functions from global system smartphone positioning (GPS) to gesture recognition, machine learning ( artificial intelligence) and manipulations with cameras.

Snapdragon chipset is built into the devices various systems, including Android, Windows Phone, more recently Windows 10, as well as in netbooks, cars, wearable gadgets and so on.

Qualcomm is a US company with headquarters in San Diego, California. It has earned the Snapdragon brand the title of high-quality, high-performance SoCs that you will find in mid-budget and flagship smartphones from well-known manufacturers. Snapdragon processors can be single-core, dual-core, quad-core, six-core, or eight-core.

It has been creating processors for smartphones and tablets relatively recently. But in a short time they gained wide popularity and even mass participation in the reorganization of the mobile industry. Thanks to the cost-effective cost of finished products, the company has achieved popularity and recognition, since its chipsets have made it possible to obtain flagship functions in the budget and mid-budget segments.

The company has earned a name as an impeccable supplier of reliable semiconductor products. Its headquarters is located in Taiwan, where strategic decisions are made to capture the Asian market. MediaTek processors include single-core, dual-core, quad-core, six-core, eight-core and deca-core configurations.

Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek - which is better and why?

Most MediaTek chipsets focus on power. Qualcomm tries to maintain a balance between various tasks. They strive to be as efficient as possible, not just fast. This is why smartphones, and especially budget ones, working with MediaTek processors sometimes outperform those using an equivalent Snapdragon.

However, MediaTek's greater power often came with a lack of compromise between battery life and clock skipping (slowdown due to overheating), low price, and building a brand name in benchmarks.

Battery life:

MediaTek chipsets are believed to consume more power and result in shorter battery life. In recent generations, they have optimized their processors so that they are virtually on par with their competitors in terms of battery life.

Here is the situation regarding energy efficiency. The main reason for this is continuous testing. Qualcomm is constantly looking for ways to reduce battery load while maintaining real-time performance.

Winner

In 2018, both processors keep pace with progress and significantly extend the life of a smartphone on a single charge. But Qualcomm has achieved greater success with its top-end Snapdragon processors.

Performance

He copes well with intense and difficult tasks, showing his best side in multitasking. This is thanks to the additional computing cores. But the architecture of new generations of chipsets has increased requirements for RAM.

• Qualcomm

In the middle class, competitive advantages may lie in special technologies ( fast charging, machine learning or gesture recognition), but this results in a higher cost. But in the flagship lines there are no equals to Snapdragon.

Winner

In a general budget comparison, MediaTek is an extremely attractive choice with excellent performance. But in the higher class, Qualcomm has the upper hand.

GPU

Chipsets use third-party Mali graphics, which differ from the processor architecture and may not match its potential. It's important to choose platforms where the graphics accelerator matches the efficiency of the computing unit (CPU) to get a decent gaming experience.

• Qualcomm

The proprietary Adreno Graphics technology is developed by the chipmaker himself and represents always consistent performance with the main block of the Snapdragon processor. This approach does not lead to desynchronization of graphics and computing power.

Winner

Mali graphics are not inferior to Adreno, but if MediaTek has a configuration with a performance discrepancy, then you should forget about demanding 3D games. Qualcomm is aggressively pushing for clearer positioning of its processors. Whether they are ready for games or not is already clear from the name of the chipset. Moreover, many application developers are seeking better optimization specifically for the API for Snapdragon, as a more popular and convenient hardware platform for research.

BOTTOM LINE: is it worth buying MediaTek, or is Qualcomm Snapdragon the best?

To answer this question you need to understand your preferences. It depends on the price.

Qualcomm Snapdragon currently has the leading role, but MediaTek is superior to its rival in the segment available devices offering better performance, identical power consumption, but at a much lower cost. If you want a device budget segment and are not ready to put up with power losses, then MediaTek chipsets certainly win. On the other hand, if you are someone who needs overall efficiency and optimization from developers, look no further than Snapdragon.

In other words, when you need a smartphone in the price category up to $250, then MediaTek processors will often offer more than Snapdragon. Recently, competition has intensified as such powerful chipsets as MediaTek MT6752 and MT6595 appeared with close and sometimes better performance than their Qualcomm counterparts.