Apple A7 vs Apple A9

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A7 or Apple A7 – 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 A7 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2013 and belongs to the 7 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Apple A9 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Apple A series series.
Apple A7 Group Apple A9/A9X
7 Generation 9
Apple A7 Name Apple A9
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A series Family Apple A series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A7 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A7 is 1.4 GHz
The Apple A9 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9 is 1.85 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
1.4 GHz Frequency 1.85 GHz
2 CPU Cores 2
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading No
2x Cyclone Cores 2x Twister
2 Threads 2
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A7 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A7 uses the PowerVR G6430, 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 A9 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9 uses the Apple A9, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
-- GPU (Turbo) --
28 nm Technology 16 nm
10 Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 4.0 GB
16 Execution units 24
Q3/2013 Release date Q3/2015
PowerVR G6430 GPU name Apple A9
128 Shaders 192
0.45 GHz GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
-- Generation 6
-- 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 Decode
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 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.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 2.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
LPDDR3-1333 Memory type LPDDR4-3200
12.8 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
1.0 GB Max. Memory 2.0 GB
1 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 A7 is manufactured using a 28 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple A9 is manufactured using a 16 nm process.
None Virtualization None
28 nm Technology 16 nm
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
ISA extensions
APL 5698 Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Q3/2013 Release date Q3/2015
-- Release price --
1.0 MB L2-Cache 3.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
4.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
Socket
iOS Operating systems iOS
A7 Architecture A9
 
 

Benchmarks

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
172160
172160

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
1024
1024
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
528
528

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
558
558
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
278
278

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
250
250
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
115
115