Apple A6 vs Apple A16 Bionic

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A6 or Apple A6 – 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 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.
The Apple A16 Bionic features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 6 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2022 and belongs to the 16 generation of the Apple A series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A6 Name Apple A16 Bionic
Apple A series Family Apple A series
6 Generation 16
Apple A6/A6X Group Apple A16
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

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
The Apple A16 Bionic has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 6 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.46 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.
2 Threads 6
No Hyperthreading No
2x Swift Cores None
None None 2.02 GHz
None None 3.46 GHz
None None 4x Sawtooth
None None 2x Everest
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
1.3 GHz Frequency None
2 CPU Cores 6
 
 

Internal Graphics

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.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple A16 Bionic has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A16 Bionic uses the Apple A16 (5 GPU Cores), which has 1280 texture shaders
and 160 execution units.
0.27 GHz GPU frequency 0.7 GHz
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2022
10 Direct X --
PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3 Cores) GPU name Apple A16 (5 GPU Cores)
32 nm Technology 4 nm
-- Max. displays --
48 Shaders 1280
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
6 Execution units 160
-- Generation 13
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 17 TOPS
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

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 AVC Decode
No VC-1 Decode
No VP9 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
No h264 Decode / Encode
No VP8 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No JPEG Decode / Encode
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 8.5 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 6.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 1
1.0 GB Max. Memory 6.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
8.5 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
LPDDR2-1066 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
 
 

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 8.5 W watts.
-- Tjunction max --
None TDP (PL1 / PBP) 8.5 W
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A6 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 A16 Bionic is manufactured using a 4 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 24.0 MB cache.
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2022
APL 0598 Part Number --
1.0 MB L2-Cache 20.0 MB
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
A6 Architecture A16
32 nm Technology 4 nm
Socket
iOS Operating systems iOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv7-A32 (32 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 24.0 MB
 
 

Apple A6 and Apple A16 Bionic in leaderboards