Apple A8X vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A8X or Apple A8X – 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 A8X features 3 processor cores and has the capability to manage 3 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Apple A series series.
Apple A8/A8X Group
8 Generation --
Mobile Segment --
Apple A8X Name Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Apple A series Family
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A8X has 3 CPU cores and can calculate 3 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A8X is 1.5 GHz
No Hyperthreading No
3x Typhoon Cores None
No Overclocking No
3 Threads --
3 CPU Cores --
normal Core architecture --
1.5 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A8X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A8X uses the Apple A8X, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 does not have integrated graphics.
256 Shaders --
Q3/2014 Release date --
20 nm Technology --
-- Direct X --
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
32 Execution units --
0.45 GHz GPU frequency --
5 Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple A8X GPU name
 
 

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 VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode AVC --
Decode h264 --
No VP9 --
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 2.0 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.
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
LPDDR3-1600 Memory type
No ECC No
2.0 GB Max. Memory 0 bytes
1 Memory channels --
12.8 GB/s Bandwidth --
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 8 W watts.
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.
8 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) None
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A8X is manufactured using a 20 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.
Q3/2014 Release date --
None Virtualization
ISA extensions
20 nm Technology --
Chiplet Chip design --
-- Release price --
A8 Architecture --
4.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
iOS Operating systems
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA)
-- Part Number --
Socket
2.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
2356
2356
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
1362
1362

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
1075
1075
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
903
903

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
959
959
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
746
746

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
427
427
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
367
367

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
386
386
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
344
344