Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 vs MediaTek Dimensity 7400: 2021 flagship vs new mid-ranger

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was released more than three years earlier than the Dimensity 7400, but it still wins in CPU tests and is significantly faster in graphics. The Dimensity 7400 is slower, but it is used in newer smartphones and loses less GPU performance under sustained load.

Key differences

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 uses Cortex-X2 and Cortex-A710 cores from the ARMv9 generation. The Dimensity 7400 has four Cortex-A78 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores. Its performance cores run at up to 2.6 GHz, but the MediaTek chip still trails the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in tests.

CPU performance

In Geekbench 6, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 scores around 1,660 points in Single-Core and more than 4,000 in Multi-Core. The Dimensity 7400 scores approximately 1,060 and 3,200 points, respectively.

Results vary between specific smartphones because of cooling, memory, and firmware settings.

The difference is more pronounced in demanding applications. Both chips are powerful enough for browsers, messaging apps, and social networks.

GPU and gaming

The gap is even wider in graphics performance. The Adreno 730 is significantly more powerful than the Mali-G615 MP2 and allows for higher settings in demanding games.

3DMark Steel Nomad Light results:

In Steel Nomad Light, smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 are noticeably faster. At the same time, the Poco F4 GT retains only 72% of its initial performance in the stress test, while Dimensity 7400 models retain 93-98%.

The Dimensity 7400’s advantage here is not speed, but a smaller performance drop under sustained load.

Power consumption and heat

Both processors are manufactured on a 4 nm process node: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is produced by Samsung, while the Dimensity 7400 is produced by TSMC.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 places greater demands on cooling, so results depend more noticeably on the design and heat dissipation system of each individual smartphone.

In 2026, battery health is becoming one of the main risks when buying a smartphone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1: most such models are already around four years old.

Which one to choose in 2026

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 still clearly outpaces the Dimensity 7400, especially in games. It is preferable for gaming and emulation thanks to its more powerful CPU and GPU.

The Dimensity 7400 is the more logical choice in a new smartphone if battery health and a longer update period are more important than maximum performance.