Apple A12 Bionic vs Apple A6

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A12 Bionic or Apple A12 Bionic – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple A12 Bionic features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 6 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2018 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Apple A6 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2012 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Apple A series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A12 Bionic Name Apple A6
Apple A series Family Apple A series
12 Generation 6
Apple A12/A12X/A12Z Group Apple A6/A6X
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A12 Bionic has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 6 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.49 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The Apple A6 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A6 is 1.3 GHz
1.59 GHz B-Core Frequency None
2.49 GHz A-Core Frequency None
4x Tempest Cores B None
2x Vortex Cores A None
No Overclocking No
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
None None 1.3 GHz
6 Threads 2
No Hyperthreading No
6 CPU Cores 2
None None 2x Swift
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A12 Bionic has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A12 Bionic uses the Apple A12, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple A6 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A6 uses the PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3 Cores), which has 48 texture shaders
and 6 execution units.
1.13 GHz GPU frequency 0.27 GHz
Q3/2018 Release date Q3/2012
-- Direct X 10
Apple A12 GPU name PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3 Cores)
7 nm Technology 32 nm
-- Max. displays --
256 Shaders 48
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
32 Execution units 6
9 Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

8 Neural cores @ 5 TOPS AI specifications --
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode AVC No
Decode VC-1 No
Decode / Encode VP9 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode h264 No
Decode / Encode VP8 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode JPEG No
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 4.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 1.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 8.5 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
1 Memory channels 2
4.0 GB Max. Memory 1.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
34.1 GB/s Bandwidth 8.5 GB/s
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type LPDDR2-1066
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 6 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
-- Tjunction max --
6 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) None
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A12 Bionic is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple A6 is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
Q3/2018 Release date Q3/2012
-- Part Number APL 0598
8.0 MB L2-Cache 1.0 MB
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
A12 Architecture A6
7 nm Technology 32 nm
Socket
iOS Operating systems iOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv7-A32 (32 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes