Apple A6X vs Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU)

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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 A15 Bionic (4-GPU) features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 6 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2021 and belongs to the 15 generation of the Apple A series series.
Apple A6/A6X Group Apple A15
6 Generation 15
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A6X Name Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU)
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 A15 Bionic (4-GPU) has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 6 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.23 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 3.23 GHz
No Overclocking No
2x Swift Cores None
None None 2.02 GHz
2 CPU Cores 6
None None 2x Avalanche
None None 4x Blizzard
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 A15 Bionic (4-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU) uses the Apple A15 (4 GPU Cores), which has 1024 texture shaders
and 128 execution units.
128 Shaders 1024
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2021
32 nm Technology 5 nm
10 Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
16 Execution units 128
0.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.6 GHz
-- Generation 12
-- GPU (Turbo) --
PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores) GPU name Apple A15 (4 GPU Cores)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 15.8 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 6.0 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 6.0 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 8.5 W watts.
None TDP (PL1 / PBP) 8.5 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 A15 Bionic (4-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 32.0 MB cache.
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2021
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
32 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
A6 Architecture A15
0 bytes L3-Cache 32.0 MB
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 16.0 MB
 
 

Apple A6X and Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU) in leaderboards