Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Dimensity 9500s: Performance Gap Reaches Twice as Much

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still fast enough for an Android smartphone today, but the Dimensity 9500s is significantly more powerful in both processor and graphics tests. The largest difference is seen in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core and 3DMark: in Steel Nomad Light, the new MediaTek chip outpaces the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by more than two times.

Difference in Architecture

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 uses Cortex-X3 along with four performance and three energy-efficient cores. The Dimensity 9500s does without little cores, with Cortex-X925 complemented by three Cortex-X4 and four Cortex-A720.

The advantage of this configuration is particularly noticeable in multi-threaded tests. The Dimensity 9500s is also built on a 3nm process and features the Immortalis-G925 GPU, which significantly outperforms the Adreno 740 in 3DMark.

Switching to a 3nm process does not guarantee lower heating by itself. Temperature and frequency stability depend not only on the SoC but also on the cooling system of the specific smartphone.

Benchmarks in Real Smartphones

The same SoC shows different results in smartphones with different cooling systems and power limits. Therefore, the table presents results from specific devices.

• For Redmi Turbo 5 Max, the starting price of the Chinese version is converted into dollars. Prices refer to different launch markets and reflect the device's price class rather than its cost in one country.

On average, two smartphones with the Dimensity 9500s achieve 2801 points in Geekbench 6 Single-Core compared to 1819 for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-an advantage of about 54%. In Multi-Core, the gap widens to 70%: 9084 versus 5340 points.

In AnTuTu 11, the difference reaches 67%-approximately 3.07 million versus 1.84 million points. The GPU difference is even more pronounced: the average score in Steel Nomad Light is 2305 compared to 1099 points, meaning the Dimensity 9500s is about 2.1 times faster.

CPU: Up to 70% Faster in Multi-Core

For the interface, browser, and most applications, the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still sufficient.

The POCO X8 Pro Max scores 2725 points in Geekbench 6 Single-Core compared to 2013 for the OnePlus 11, and the Redmi Turbo 5 Max scores 2877.

In Multi-Core, the advantage reaches about 70%. Smartphones with the Dimensity 9500s score around 9,000 points, whereas devices on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 stay in the range of 5-5.6 thousand.

For tasks that can fully load all CPU cores simultaneously, this gap is already significant.

GPU: The Difference is Even More Unpleasant for Snapdragon

The Adreno 740 is still enough for most Android games. However, the Immortalis-G925 is much faster in 3DMark.

In Steel Nomad Light, the Redmi Turbo 5 Max scores 2345 points, while the POCO X8 Pro Max scores 2264. The OnePlus 11 and RedMagic 8 Pro remain around 1100 points, giving devices using the Dimensity 9500s an advantage exceeding 100%.

In Wild Life Extreme, the gap is smaller: around 5800 vs 3700 points.

In demanding games, the faster GPU allows for higher graphics settings and FPS.

What Happens Under Sustained Load

The peak 3DMark score does not indicate how much performance a smartphone will maintain after 20-30 minutes of gaming.

In the RedMagic 8 Pro, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 significantly lags in peak performance, but active cooling allows it to almost completely maintain performance during stress tests.

The Redmi Turbo 5 Max shows lower stability. Thus, the twofold gap in the regular run of Steel Nomad Light does not imply double the FPS after half an hour of gameplay.

In games, the result depends not only on the SoC but also on the cooling system, power limits, and device temperature.

Device Prices

Smartphones with the Dimensity 9500s have come out in more budget-friendly price segments than many models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 at their debut.

The OnePlus 11 started at $699, and the RedMagic 8 Pro at $649. The global version of the POCO X8 Pro Max started at $469.

The Redmi Turbo 5 Max launched in China for approximately $315 in yuan translation. Directly comparing this amount to American and global MSRPs is not possible; the prices pertain to different markets.

Meanwhile, the Dimensity 9500s has already appeared in models under $500.

Smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are now primarily attractive after significant price drops.

What to Choose

In Geekbench 6, the Dimensity 9500s outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by around 54% in Single-Core and 70% in Multi-Core. In AnTuTu 11, the difference is about 67%, and in Steel Nomad Light, the new MediaTek chip is more than twice as fast.

The old flagship with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is worth considering if it is sold significantly cheaper than modern models or if it excels in cameras, display, build quality, and software support.

If gaming and performance are the priorities, the Dimensity 9500s is significantly faster. The largest gap lies in the GPU: in Steel Nomad Light, the advantage exceeds 100%.