Snapdragon 870 vs Dimensity 8500: What's Left of the 2021 Flagship?

The Snapdragon 870 is still found in affordable smartphones and tablets, which often leads to comparisons with modern mid-range models. However, the Dimensity 8500 is separated from it by five years of mobile processor development. The main question is simple: how cheap must a device with the old Qualcomm chip be for its purchase to still make sense?

The Snapdragon 870 was introduced in January 2021 as an enhanced version of the Snapdragon 865 Plus. The Dimensity 8500 debuted five years later and is designed for powerful upper mid-range smartphones.

An equal number of cores here means little, as the processor architectures belong to different generations.

3.2 vs 3.4 GHz Doesn’t Say Much

The Snapdragon 870 uses Kryo 585 cores with a maximum frequency of 3.2 GHz. This configuration is based on the architecture of the flagship chip generation from 2020.

The Dimensity 8500 features eight Cortex-A725 cores: one core operates at a frequency of up to 3.4 GHz, three at up to 3.2 GHz, and another four at up to 2.2 GHz. It also has 6 MB of L3 cache and 5 MB of system cache.

The additional 200 MHz here is secondary. The main advantage of MediaTek comes from the more modern CPU architecture.

All eight cores of the Dimensity 8500 are based on Cortex-A725 and differ only in frequencies. The Snapdragon 870 combines high-performance cores with a simpler energy-efficient cluster.

Without direct tests, it is impossible to assess the exact gap, but specifications indicate a clear advantage for the Dimensity 8500 in multi-threaded tasks, photo processing, and simultaneous operation of multiple resource-heavy applications.

The Main Gap Between Chips Is Graphics

In 2020-2021, the Adreno 650 was among the fastest mobile GPUs. Therefore, smartphones with the Snapdragon 870 remained in demand for a long time as relatively affordable gaming devices.

The Mali-G720 MC8 is noticeably more modern in architecture and is designed for higher graphical loads. The Dimensity 8500 also supports ray tracing and gaming modes with up to 120 frames per second.

MediaTek claims that compared to the previous generation, peak GPU performance has increased by 25%, while power consumption has decreased by 20%. These figures cannot be directly applied to a comparison with the Snapdragon 870, as the company is comparing the chip to its previous solution.

Much depends on the specific smartphone model. A device with the Dimensity 8500 and mediocre cooling might be less stable than a large gaming device with the Snapdragon 870. However, with comparable cooling, the advantage of the new MediaTek chip will stem from faster CPU and GPU, lower energy consumption, and higher memory bandwidth.

The Snapdragon 870 still handles many modern games, but its main selling point becomes the price of the device.

Dimensity 8500 Is Faster and More Efficient

The Dimensity 8500 is manufactured using a 4-nm process technology, while the Snapdragon 870 uses a 7-nm process. The process technology alone does not determine heat generation and power consumption, but in this case, it complements the more modern core architecture.

Under prolonged load, the Dimensity 8500 can maintain higher frequencies longer at lower power consumption. This is especially important in thin smartphones where cooling capabilities are limited.

The Snapdragon 870 can also operate stably under load but at a notably lower performance level.

In normal Android navigation, the gap may be almost unnoticeable. Both processors are fast enough for the interface, web browsing, and messaging apps. The difference becomes more apparent when running multiple applications simultaneously, in heavy gaming, photo processing, and prolonged battery usage.

Fast Memory Enhances Dimensity 8500's Advantage

The Snapdragon 870 supports LPDDR5 with speeds of up to 2750 MHz. The Dimensity 8500 works with LPDDR5X-9600 and UFS 4 storage with MCQ technology.

Faster memory benefits the GPU, accelerates photo processing, and reduces latency when switching between resource-intensive applications. A modern storage solution shortens game installation times, level loading, and large file copying.

Actual speeds depend on the components chosen by the smartphone manufacturer. However, the Dimensity 8500 supports significantly faster memory and storage compared to the Snapdragon 870.

Snapdragon 870 Supports Higher Video Recording Modes

Despite its age, the Snapdragon 870 supports recording up to 8K at 30 frames per second and 4K at 120 frames per second.

The Dimensity 8500 is limited to 4K at 60 frames per second but works with cameras of up to 320 MP, compared to 200 MP for the Snapdragon 870. It also supports simultaneous operation with three 32 MP cameras and QPD sensor support.

The maximum sensor resolution and recording modes do not necessarily indicate the quality of the shot. Quality depends on optics, sensors, stabilization, and algorithms specific to each smartphone. An older flagship with the Snapdragon 870, featuring a good camera module, may take better photos than an affordable model with the Dimensity 8500.

At the same time, the Dimensity 8500 has a more advanced ISP and neural accelerator for HDR, noise reduction, and image processing.

AI: Generational Differences Matter More Than TOPS Numbers

Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 870 has an AI Engine performance of up to 15 TOPS. For 2021, this was a high figure, but it cannot be directly compared to modern neural accelerators.

The Dimensity 8500 has an NPU 880 supporting generative models, Diffusion Transformers, mixed INT4 quantization, and accelerated launch of language models.

This allows for local text processing, image generation, and new photo editing functions. The Snapdragon 870 is primarily designed for scene recognition, voice processing, noise cancellation, and traditional computer vision algorithms.

It was not built for the local launch of generative models of the class supported by the Dimensity 8500 NPU.

Qualcomm Is Faster on Paper, MediaTek Is More Modern

The Snapdragon X55 modem supports download speeds of up to 7.5 Gbps, Sub-6 GHz, and mmWave networks. The Dimensity 8500 claims speeds of up to 5.17 Gbps and only Sub-6 GHz.

However, MediaTek supports 5G-Advanced, three-carrier aggregation, and simultaneous connections of two SIM cards to both 5G and 4G networks.

Peak values say little about real connection speeds: they depend on the operator, frequency bands, and smartphone antenna design. In practice, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 on the Dimensity 8500 may prove more useful than Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 on the Snapdragon 870.

The Snapdragon 870 also supports mmWave, but this feature is only relevant in countries where such networks are actually deployed.

When Snapdragon 870 Still Makes Sense

The Dimensity 8500 wins in performance, energy efficiency, and a set of modern features. The Snapdragon 870 offers higher maximum video recording modes, mmWave support, and lower prices for finished devices.

Its power is still sufficient for everyday tasks and many games, but it no longer competes with modern upper mid-range chips.

The Snapdragon 870 should only be chosen for the significantly lower price of a specific smartphone or tablet. For similar pricing, a model with the Dimensity 8500 will be faster, more efficient, and will remain relevant longer.