Google has launched the Pixel 11 series and it's powered by the new Tensor G6 processor. For the first time, Google's Tensor G6 has gone with Arm's latest C1 CPU cores and MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 also uses it. Now, can Google close the wide gap against flagship Android chips? We have benchmarked both the chipsets to understand the difference between Tensor G6 and Dimensity 9500.
Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: AnTuTu Score
| AnTuTu V11 Benchmark | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu Score | 1,687,489 | 3,331,723 |
| CPU | 739,209 | 964,510 |
| GPU | 251,126 | 1,330,281 |
| Memory | 340,262 | 395,484 |
| UX | 356,892 | 641,448 |
First off, we ran AnTuTu V11 and the Dimensity 9500 scored 3,331,723 points on the Vivo X300 Pro. On the same test, the Tensor G6 managed 1,687,489 points, which gives MediaTek a lead of 97% (almost 2x).
Since the two chips share the same Arm C1-series cores, the CPU score is somewhat close. Even then, the Dimensity 9500 posted an AnTuTu CPU score of 964,510 points, which is about 30% more than the Tensor G6's 739,209 points. It's likely because the Dimensity 9500 packs eight cores compared to Google's 7-core CPU.
In the graphics department, things change dramatically. The Dimensity 9500's Mali G1-Ultra MC12 GPU scored an incredible 1,330,281 points, which is about 5.3 times higher than the Tensor G6's 251,126 points. We saw a similar story last year in our Dimensity 9500 vs Tensor G5 benchmark comparison and this year too, the PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU is not performant.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: Geekbench Score
| Geekbench 6 CPU | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-core | 2,691 | 3,315 |
| Multi-core | 7,203 | 9,914 |
We ran Geekbench 6 to measure the CPU performance and MediaTek leads by 23% in single-core and 38% across all cores. The Dimensity 9500 gets 3,315 in Geekbench 6 single-core and 9,914 points in the multi-core test, compared to 7,203 and 2,691 for the Tensor G6, running on the Pixel 11 Pro XL.
Both chips use a C1-Ultra as the prime core, but MediaTek clocks it slightly higher at 4.21GHz, compared to Google's 4.11GHz. That small gap in frequency leads to a 23% single-core lead, which means power limit is likely playing a part. That said, Google did improve from last year as it received 18% single-core uplift in our Tensor G6 vs Tensor G5 benchmark.
Now, the multi-core gap comes down to the middle cluster of the CPU. MediaTek includes a prime core with 3x C1-Premium cores at 3.50GHz and 4x C1-Pro cores at 2.70GHz. On the other hand, Google uses only C1-Pro cores below its prime core. There are no C1-Premium cores.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: CPU Throttling Test
| CPU Throttling Test | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Score | 343,713 GIPS | 489,327 GIPS |
| Average Score | 248,160 GIPS | 323,934 GIPS |
| Minimum Score | 133,360 GIPS | 264,236 GIPS |
| Throttling Percentage (Higher is better) | 47% | 59% |
In our 15-minute CPU throttling test, the Dimensity 9500 achieved a peak of 489,327 GIPS. It's around 42% higher than the Tensor G6. By the end, MediaTek's chip still retained 59% of the peak performance while the Tensor G6 had dropped to 47%.
To be fair, the Dimensity 9500 is not a great sustained performer either. In our Dimensity 9500 benchmark, it started throttling within the first two minutes on the Vivo X300 Pro. Google's phone, however, barely warmed up during the test, which means it's a deliberate power limit on the Tensor G6.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: 3DMark Score
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Best Loop Score | 3,338 | 7,184 |
| Lowest Loop Score | 2,236 | 3,286 |
| Stability | 67% | 45.7% |
We ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test to understand the gap in graphics performance. The Dimensity 9500 scored 7,184 points in its best 3DMark loop, which is 2.2x higher than the Tensor G6's peak performance (3,338). The PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU inside the Tensor G6 is decidedly weak.
That said, the Tensor G6 has better GPU stability, standing at 67%, compared to 45.7% for the Dimensity 9500. But in terms of raw GPU horsepower, the Dimensity 9500 is incredibly powerful. The Dimensity 9500's lowest score is almost the same as the Tensor G6's best score.
By the way, MediaTek's 2026 flagship chip goes even further with the next-gen Arm Mali G2-Ultra GPU. Our Dimensity 9600 Pro vs Dimensity 9500 benchmark comparison covers the GPU upgrade in detail.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: Benchmark Gallery
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: Specs Comparison
| Specs | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 3nm (N3P) | TSMC 3nm (N3P) |
| CPU | 7-core Arm C1-series CPU | 8-core Arm C1-series CPU |
| CPU Cores | 1x Arm C1-Ultra at 4.11GHz, 4x Arm C1-Pro at 3.38GHz, 2x Arm C1-Pro at 2.65GHz | 1x Arm C1-Ultra at 4.21GHz, 3x Arm C1-Premium at 3.50GHz, 4x Arm C1-Pro at 2.70GHz |
| GPU | Imagination PowerVR CXTP-48-1536, 1.29GHz | Arm Mali-G1 Ultra MC12 |
| NPU | 5th-gen Google TPU | MediaTek NPU 990 with Generative AI Engine 2.0 |
| ISP | Upgraded ISP with a dedicated video portrait accelerator, 4K Portrait Video, Instant Night Sight (Pro models) | MediaTek Imagiq 1190, up to 200MP capture, 4K120 Dolby Vision video with EIS |
| Storage and Memory | LPDDR5X, UFS 4.0 (Zoned UFS 4.0 on 512GB and above) | LPDDR5X up to 10,667Mbps, four-lane UFS 4.1 |
| Modem | MediaTek M90 5G modem, up to 12Gbps peak download | Integrated MediaTek Release 17 5G modem (Sub-6GHz only), up to 7.4Gbps peak download |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 |
Verdict
In conclusion, the Dimensity 9500 is the stronger chip by a wide margin, even though it shares the same CPU family and process node with the Tensor G6. MediaTek extracts far more from the same C1-series cores and its Mali-G1 Ultra GPU is simply in a different league. Google's only silver lining is that it stays cool and smooth under load but that is all.
If you want the best gaming and raw performance, a Dimensity 9500 phone with good cooling is absolutely the better pick. But if you want a phone that stays cool and runs Google's AI features well, the Pixel 11 series makes sense. MediaTek's next flagship is already here too, as covered in our Dimensity 9600 Pro benchmark, so the wide gap will grow even more.
