Apple A9X vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A9X or Apple A9X – 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 A9X 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 A9/A9X Group
9 Generation --
Mobile Segment --
Apple A9X Name Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Apple A series Family
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A9X has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9X is 2.26 GHz
No Hyperthreading No
2x Twister Cores None
No Overclocking No
2 Threads --
2 CPU Cores --
normal Core architecture --
2.26 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A9X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9X uses the Apple A9X, which has 384 texture shaders
and 48 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.
384 Shaders --
Q3/2015 Release date --
16 nm Technology --
-- Direct X --
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
48 Execution units --
0.65 GHz GPU frequency --
6 Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple A9X 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.
Decode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
No VP9 --
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 4.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 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
LPDDR4-3200 Memory type
No ECC No
4.0 GB Max. Memory 0 bytes
2 Memory channels --
51.2 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 A9X is manufactured using a 16 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.
Q3/2015 Release date --
None Virtualization
ISA extensions
16 nm Technology --
Chiplet Chip design --
-- Release price --
A9 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
3.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
272103
272103

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
2501
2501
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
1362
1362

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
1251
1251
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
746
746

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
1198
1198
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
903
903

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
763
763
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
367
367

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
652
652
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
344
344