Following the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in 2023, Qualcomm changed the naming convention and released its successor in 2024, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Notably, the chipmaker introduced its custom Oryon CPU along with an upgraded GPU in the 8 Elite. Now, to find out how much of a performance uplift the 8 Elite brings over the 8 Gen 3, we benchmarked both chipsets on AnTuTu, Geekbench, 3DMark and more, and here are our results.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: AnTuTu Score
AnTuTu Benchmark | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
AnTuTu Score | 2,759,190 | 2,087,159 |
CPU | 583,775 | 440,975 |
GPU | 1,132,574 | 860,385 |
Memory | 643,562 | 427,798 |
UX | 399,279 | 358,001 |
In our first AnTuTu benchmark, the Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 2,759,190 while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 got 2,087,159. Here, the 8 Elite leads by over 32% in overall performance. If we compare the CPU and GPU scores separately, the Oryon-featured 8 Elite CPU delivers 32% faster performance and the Adreno 830 GPU outperforms the 8 Gen 3 by over 31%. All in all, the Snapdragon 8 Elite brings over 30% performance gain, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: Geekbench Score
Geekbench 6 CPU | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Single-core | 3,033 | 2,183 |
Multi-core | 9,271 | 6,434 |
Next, in the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite achieved 3,033 and 9,271 in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. Whereas, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scored 2,183 and 6,434 in the same test. In terms of single-core CPU performance, the 8-core Oryon CPU in Snapdragon 8 Elite is about 39% faster than the Kryo CPU in 8 Gen 3. And in multi-core performance, the performance difference is even larger, leading with a substantial margin of 44%.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: CPU Throttling Test
CPU Throttling Test | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Maximum Score | 239,185 GIPS | 397,971 GIPS |
Average Score | 202,350 GIPS | 290,518 GIPS |
Minimum Score | 168,864 GIPS | 249,129 GIPS |
Throttling Percentage (Higher is better) | 73% | 64% |
Despite the Snapdragon 8 Elite operating at a much higher frequency, in the 15-minute CPU Throttling test, the 8 Elite sustained its peak performance for much longer than the 8 Gen 3. The Snapdragon 8 Elite throttled to 73% of its maximum performance, while the 8 Gen 3 could only muster 64%. It means that for heavy and sustained CPU-bound workloads, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is a better performer than the 8 Gen 3.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: 3DMark Score
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Best Loop Score | 6,052 | 5,060 |
Lowest Loop Score | 2,835 | 2,742 |
Stability | 46.8% | 54.2% |
Now, let's talk about the graphics performance of both chipsets. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test, the Adreno 830 GPU in Snapdragon 8 Elite delivered 20% faster performance than the 8 Gen 3's Adreno 750 GPU. While 8 Elite's stability was lower, it somehow managed to score better than the 8 Gen 3 after multiple runs. Overall, you are going to get better and faster graphics performance on the 8 Elite, even during longer gaming sessions.
3DMark Solar Bay | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Overall Score | 11,397 | 8,686 |
Average FPS | 43.34 FPS | 22.02 FPS |
Now, we did the 3DMark Solar Bay test to evaluate the ray tracing performance, and the 8 Elite outperformed the 8 Gen 3 by a wide margin of 31%, with almost double the FPS.
3DMark Steel Nomad Light | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Overall Score | 2,467 | 1,702 |
Average FPS | 18.28 FPS | 12.61 FPS |
Similarly, in the challenging 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test, the 8 Elite GPU delivered a whopping 45% performance gain, compared to the 8 Gen 3 GPU.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: Speedometer 3.0 Score
In the Speedometer 3.0 benchmark, which is designed to measure the CPU performance in web browsing, the Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 21.4 points while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 lagged behind with just 8.22 points. It goes on to show that 8 Elite's Oryon CPU is impressively powerful at rendering web pages quickly and offering a smooth web browsing experience.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: Benchmark Gallery
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Snapdragon 8 Elite vs 8 Gen 3: Specs Comparison
Specs | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Process Node | TSMC’s 3nm (N3E) | TSMC’s 4nm |
CPU | 8-core 2nd-gen Oryon CPU | 8-core Kryo CPU |
CPU Cores | 2x 2nd-gen Oryon (4.32GHz), 6x 2nd-gen Oryon (3.53GHz) | 1x Cortex-X4 (3.3GHz), 3x Cortex-A720 (3.2GHz), 2x Cortex-A720 (3.0GHz), 2x Cortex-A520 (2.3GHz) |
GPU | Adreno 830 GPU | Adreno 750 GPU |
Storage and Memory | UFS 4.0, LPDDR5X memory, up to 5.3GHz, Up to 10.7 Gbps | UFS 4.0, LPDDR5X memory, up to 4800MHz |
NPU | New Hexagon AI Engine, On-device multimodal AI support | Hexagon NPU, Run AI models up to 10B parameters |
ISP | AI Spectra ISP, Up to 320MP photo capture, 8K HDR video at 60 FPS | Cognitive ISP, Triple 18-bit ISPs, Up to 200MP photo capture |
Modem | Snapdragon X80 5G modem, Up to 10 Gbps Peak Download, Up to 3.5 Gbps Peak Upload | Snapdragon X75 5G modem, Peak Download Speed 10Gbps, Peak Upload Speed 3.5 Gbps |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 and UWB | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, LE |
Verdict
To sum up, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 retained its flagship status in 2023, that is no longer the case in 2025. Qualcomm, along with Nuvia, designed the powerful custom Oryon CPU for its mobile platform, which debuted with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The introduction of Oryon has resulted in a monumental upgrade over previous flagships.
The Oryon CPU is 30-40% more powerful than the Kryo CPU in the 8 Gen 3. Similarly, the 8-series Adreno 830 GPU delivers impressive graphics performance, with over 30% lead. Put simply, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is in a league of its own, and no past flagships can come close to it.
