At Snapdragon Summit 2026, Qualcomm announced two flagship chipsets this year. A standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and a more powerful extreme version. However, since the standard model will power most upcoming flagship phones, we wanted to learn how much of a performance gap it has over last year's processor. So, we are comparing the benchmarks and specifications of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the OnePlus 15.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Geekbench Scores
Before diving into the comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 scores are based on an early leaked Geekbench 7 listing for the Xiaomi 18 Pro, since the device has yet to launch. Meanwhile, the Geekbench scores of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 come from the OnePlus 15, tested in-house by us. We will update with matched results once the Gen 6 is in real devices and we have run our own tests.
| Geekbench 7 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (leaked on Xiaomi 18 Pro) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (tested on OnePlus 15) |
|---|---|---|
| Single-core | 3,220 | 1,751 |
| Multi-core | 9,646 | 7,778 |
In the Geekbench 7 comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 takes a massive leap in the single-core scores. The difference is almost 50%, as the Gen 6 reaches 3,220, while the Gen 5 gets around 1,751. But since these are pre-launch benchmarks, take them with a grain of salt.
Even in multi-core performance, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 maintains a lead with roughly 24% better numbers. This could be due to the node jump from 3nm to 2nm and the new 5.01 GHz prime cores.
For reference, Apple's new A20 Pro processor, seen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, scores 4.025 in Geekbench 7 single-core and 11,599 in multi-core performance. So it is only a step behind Apple's flagship chipset.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: CPU
To get these huge leaps in performance, Qualcomm has made some significant changes in the 8 Elite Gen 6 over their last year's flagship chipset.
The biggest difference is the new 2 nm process, compared to the 3 nm node used in the 8 Elite Gen 5. It replaces FinFET transistors with gate-all-around nanosheets, packing more transistors into the same space and leaking less power.
The CPU architecture has also changed. The Gen 6 moves to a 2+(3+3) setup with the Oryon v4, splitting those six cores up to 4 GHz, and the 2 prime cores clocking up to 5 GHz. Meanwhile, the Gen 5 uses an 8-core Oryon CPU in a 2+6 cluster, with 2 prime cores at 4.61 GHz and 6 performance cores at 3.63 GHz. Both chips share 16 MB of L2 cache.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: GPU
While the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is a clear upgrade over the Gen 5 in CPU, the GPU isn't quite a major leap forward. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 uses an Adreno 840 GPU with 18 MB cache. In comparison, the Gen 6 steps up to an Adreno 845, which uses a six-slice design with only 12 MB of graphics memory.
The 6MB difference in graphics memory generally translates to better frame rates and lower power draw in demanding games because the GPU can keep more data in cache.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Gen 5: NPU and AI
This is the area Qualcomm's CEO spent the most time talking about at the Snapdragon Summit 2026, and there is a reason for that. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 gets a Hexagon NPU with a new Hexagon Element Accelerator.
The new NPU enables the chip to run local models with over 30 billion parameters using a Mixture-of-Experts architecture and to handle personalised on-device AI agents that learn from usage over time. The Gen 5 Hexagon NPU could already handle most on-device AI tasks, but Gen 6 easily outpaces it with its new capabilities.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: ISP
Qualcomm has also upgraded the camera processing on the 8 Elite Gen 6 with a new Spectra ISP. It adds Intelligent Pixel Control for better detail processing and an Elite Colour Engine with 3D LUT support, providing phone makers with more tools for accurate and cinematic colour grading.
There is also a first-generation VVC (Versatile Video Coding) codec, which makes streaming and recording high-quality video more power-efficient. The Gen 5 was no slouch in the camera department, but the Gen 6's ISP additions and video features do give it an edge.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Memory Support
Both chips support LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, so the memory tier is the same between the two generations for standard flagship phones. The one change is in the system cache, which has been trimmed to 6MB on the Gen 6 from 8MB on the Gen 5.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Spec Comparison
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 2nm (N2P) | TSMC 3nm (N3P) |
| CPU | Oryon v4, 8-core (2+6) | Oryon v3, 8-core (2+6) |
| Prime cores | 2 x 5.01 GHz | 2 x 4.61 GHz |
| Other cores | 6x, up to 4.0GHz | 6 x 3.63 GHz |
| L2 Cache | 16MB | 16MB |
| GPU | Adreno 845, 12 MB Adreno High Performance Memory | Adreno 840, 18 MB Adreno High Performance Memory |
| NPU | Hexagon NPU | Hexagon NPU |
| RAM | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| Storage | UFS 4.1 | UFS 4.1 |
| System Cache | 6MB | 8MB |
| Modem | Snapdragon X105 5G modem, up to 14.8 Gbps download and 4.2 Gbps peak upload | Snapdragon X85 5G modem, up to 12.5 Gbps peak download, up to 3.7 Gbps peak upload |
Verdict
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is a meaningful generational step on the CPU side. The move from 3nm to 2nm should improve efficiency and should have a positive effect on battery life.
The prime core clock speed going from 4.61 GHz to 5.01 GHz is also a big improvement, and the new efficiency cluster should deliver better performance in less intensive tasks, saving battery life.
The GPU does not seem to be a major step up from the previous generation, especially due to the lower cache size on the 8 Elite Gen 6. But we will update this comparison with a more detailed breakdown once we get our hands on devices running the new flagship chipset.
