Apple A6X vs Apple A12 Bionic

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A6X or Apple A6X – 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 A6X 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 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.
Apple A6/A6X Group Apple A12/A12X/A12Z
6 Generation 12
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A6X Name Apple A12 Bionic
Apple A series Family Apple A series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A6X has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A6X is 1.4 GHz
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.
2 Threads 6
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
None None 2.49 GHz
No Overclocking No
2x Swift Cores None
None None 1.59 GHz
2 CPU Cores 6
None None 2x Vortex
None None 4x Tempest
1.4 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A6X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A6X uses the PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores), which has 128 texture shaders
and 16 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
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.
128 Shaders 256
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2018
32 nm Technology 7 nm
10 Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 4.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
16 Execution units 32
0.3 GHz GPU frequency 1.13 GHz
-- Generation 9
-- GPU (Turbo) --
PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores) GPU name Apple A12
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 8 Neural cores @ 5 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 VP8 Decode / Encode
No VC-1 Decode
No JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No AVC Decode
No h264 Decode / Encode
No VP9 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 1.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 17.1 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 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.
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
LPDDR2-1066 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266
No ECC No
1.0 GB Max. Memory 4.0 GB
4 Memory channels 1
17.1 GB/s Bandwidth 34.1 GB/s
 
 

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 6 W watts.
None TDP (PL1 / PBP) 6 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A6X 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 A12 Bionic is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2018
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
32 nm Technology 7 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
A6 Architecture A12
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes
iOS Operating systems iOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv7-A32 (32 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
APL 0598 Part Number --
Socket
1.0 MB L2-Cache 8.0 MB