Apple M1 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M1 or Apple M1 – 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 M1 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2020 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2022 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Qualcomm Snapdragon series.
Apple M1 Group Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
1 Generation 2
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Apple M series Family Qualcomm Snapdragon
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 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.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
None None 3x Cortex-A510
8 Threads 8
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.8 GHz
8 CPU Cores 8
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)
4x Firestorm Cores A 1x Cortex-X3
No Hyperthreading No
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
No Overclocking No
4x Icestorm Cores B 4x Cortex-A715/A710
None None 2.0 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M1 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 uses the Apple M1 (8 Core), which has 1024 texture shaders
and 128 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
1024 Shaders --
Q4/2020 Release date Q4/2022
5 nm Technology 4 nm
-- Direct X 12.1
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 12.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
128 Execution units --
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.68 GHz
1 Generation 8
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Qualcomm Adreno 740
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS AI specifications --
Apple Neural Engine 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 / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode AVC Decode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 68.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type LPDDR5X-4200
No ECC No
16.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 4
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth --
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 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.
10 W TDP down None
20 W TDP up None
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) None
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M1 is manufactured using a 5 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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is manufactured using a 4 nm process.
Q4/2020 Release date Q4/2022
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization None
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions
5 nm Technology 4 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
M1 Architecture Cortex-X3 / -A715 / -A510
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes
macOS Operating systems Android, Windows 10/11 (ARM)
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv9-A64 (64 bit)
APL 1102 Part Number SM8550-AB
Socket
16.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Apple M1 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in leaderboards