Apple A6 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

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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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2019 and belongs to the 7 generation of the Qualcomm Snapdragon series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A6 Name Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Apple A series Family Qualcomm Snapdragon
6 Generation 7
Apple A6/A6X Group Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/870
 
 

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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.84 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
None None 4x Kryo 585 Silver
2 Threads 8
No Hyperthreading No
2x Swift Cores None
None None 1.8 GHz
None None 2.42 GHz
None None 2.84 GHz
None None 3x Kryo 585 Gold
None None 1x Kryo 585 Prime
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)
1.3 GHz Frequency None
2 CPU Cores 8
 
 

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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 uses the Qualcomm Adreno 650, which has 512 texture shaders
and 2 execution units.
0.27 GHz GPU frequency 0.25 GHz
Q3/2012 Release date Q4/2019
10 Direct X 12.0
PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3 Cores) GPU name Qualcomm Adreno 650
32 nm Technology 7 nm
-- Max. displays --
48 Shaders 512
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
6 Execution units 2
-- Generation 6
-- GPU (Turbo) 0.59 GHz
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware Qualcomm AI 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 16.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 71.3 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 4
1.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
8.5 GB/s Bandwidth 71.3 GB/s
LPDDR2-1066 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266, LPDDR5-5500
 
 

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 10 W watts.
-- Tjunction max --
None TDP (PL1 / PBP) 10 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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
Q3/2012 Release date Q4/2019
APL 0598 Part Number SM8250
1.0 MB L2-Cache 1.8 MB
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
A6 Architecture Kryo 585
32 nm Technology 7 nm
Socket
iOS Operating systems Android
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv7-A32 (32 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 4.0 MB
 
 

Apple A6 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in leaderboards