Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Benchmarks and Specs

On the Android side of things, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite and MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 are flagship processors that claim to offer unmatched performance. We put these claims to the test benchmarking the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 across a variety of tests including AnTuTu, Geekbench, 3DMark, and more. In this Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400 comparison, we'll find out which chipset offers the best performance and efficiency.

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: AnTuTu Score

We ran the AnTuTu benchmark on the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 to see which chipset delivers the overall best performance. Well, the Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 2,759,190 and the Dimensity 9400 achieved 2,394,594 points in the AnTuTu benchmark. While the overall difference comes down to 15%, but that's largely due to the lower score obtained by the Vivo X200 in the memory department.

If you look closely, the Dimensity 9400 has performed really well in the CPU and GPU departments. Snapdragon 8 Elite's CPU and GPU are only leading by a marginal difference of 3.8% and 1.6%, respectively. It goes on to show that Dimensity 9400's Arm Cortex CPU and Immortalis GPU are pretty competitive and match the Snapdragon 8 Elite's Oryon CPU and Adreno GPU.

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Geekbench Score

Now, coming to the Geekbench CPU test, the Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 3,033 and 9,271 in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. Whereas, the Dimensity 9400 could only manage 2,195 and 6,979. In this benchmark, Snapdragon 8 Elite's Oryon CPU leads by 38% in single-core performance and 32% in multi-threaded tasks.

It seems the Dimensity 9400's 8-core Arm CPU is unable to sustain its performance for a longer period. While it may offer a short burst of quick performance, it loses steam pretty fast. In that sense, Snapdragon 8 Elite's Oryon CPU can maintain its peak performance over an extended period. 

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: CPU Throttling Test

In the CPU Throttling Test, the mystery around CPU performance becomes much clearer. Under sustained workload, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Oryon CPU performs much better than the Dimensity 9400. Qualcomm's processor dropped its performance after the initial three minutes while the Dimensity 9400 starts to throttle its performance the moment you start the test.

It means that while the CPU on Dimensity 9400 is powerful, due to poor thermal management of the phone, it can't maintain its peak performance. What is particularly remarkable is that two of the Oryon cores can reach up to a mighty 4.32GHz, and yet, it maintains its performance over a longer period.

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: 3DMark Score

Now, to evaluate the GPU performance, we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test on the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400. Quite interestingly, the Arm Mali-G925 Immortalis MP12 GPU, available in Dimensity 9400, outperforms the Adreno 830 GPU in the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Immortalis GPU has improved stability, and even after multiple loops, it scores better than the Adreno GPU.

In the 3DMark Solar Bay test, which evaluates the ray-tracing performance, both GPUs are evenly matched. And in the highly intensive 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test, Snapdragon 8 Elite edges out by a slight margin. Overall, I would say both GPUs are quite powerful and deliver flagship-level graphics performance for the best gaming experience.

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Speedometer 3.0 Score

Now, let's talk about the web browsing performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite scored 21.4 in the Speedometer 3.0 test, while the Dimensity 9400 achieved 20.2 points. Both processors deliver nearly the same level of web performance. So, when it comes to responsiveness and fluidity in web browsers, you can expect both chipsets to offer a smooth experience.

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Benchmark Gallery

Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400: Specs Comparison

The Verdict

To conclude, there is no doubt that the Snapdragon 8 Elite's custom Oryon CPU is more powerful and efficient than the Dimensity 9400's Arm Cortex CPU. Oryon can scale to a much higher frequency and sustain its peak performance even under heavy load. While the Dimensity 9400 features a capable CPU, it's marred by poor thermal management.

That said, Dimensity 9400's Immortalis GPU really surprised me with its impressive performance. It stands neck and neck with the Adreno GPU across various tests. I would say that both are flagship processors, but if you care about sustained performance, battery life, and better thermals, you should pick the Snapdragon 8 Elite over the Dimensity 9400.