Apple A5 vs Apple A8

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A5 or Apple A5 – 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 A5 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2011 and belongs to the 5 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Apple A8 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Apple A series series.
Apple A5/A5X Group Apple A8/A8X
5 Generation 8
Apple A5 Name Apple A8
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A series Family Apple A series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A5 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A5 is 1.0 GHz
The Apple A8 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A8 is 1.5 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
1.0 GHz Frequency 1.5 GHz
2 CPU Cores 2
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading No
2x Cortex-A9 Cores 2x Typhoon
2 Threads 2
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A5 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A5 uses the PowerVR SGX543MP2 (2 Cores), which has 32 texture shaders
and 4 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple A8 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A8 uses the Apple A8, which has 128 texture shaders
and 16 execution units.
-- GPU (Turbo) --
32 nm Technology 20 nm
10 Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 4.0 GB
4 Execution units 16
Q1/2012 Release date Q3/2014
PowerVR SGX543MP2 (2 Cores) GPU name Apple A8
32 Shaders 128
0.2 GHz GPU frequency 0.53 GHz
-- Generation 5
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- 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.
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
No VP9 No
No VP8 No
No VC-1 Decode
No JPEG Decode / Encode
No h264 Decode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
No AVC Decode
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 1.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 6.4 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 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
LPDDR2-800 Memory type LPDDR3-1600
6.4 GB/s Bandwidth 12.8 GB/s
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
1.0 GB Max. Memory 1.0 GB
2 Memory channels 1
 
 

Thermal Management

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.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 5 W watts.
None TDP (PL1 / PBP) 5 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A5 is manufactured using a 32 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 A8 is manufactured using a 20 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
None Virtualization None
32 nm Technology 20 nm
ARMv7-A32 (32 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
ISA extensions
APL 0498 Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Q1/2011 Release date Q3/2014
-- Release price --
1.0 MB L2-Cache 1.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
0 bytes L3-Cache 4.0 MB
Socket
iOS Operating systems iOS
A5 Architecture A8