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 analysed the architecture and looked at past performance to understand the difference between Tensor G6 and Dimensity 9500.
Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: CPU
Let us start with the most important change. The Google Tensor G6 is adopting Arm's new C1-series cores. It matters because Google has been using older CPU cores for the past Tensor chips. The Tensor G5 shipped with a Cortex-X4 prime core, skipping Cortex-X925, which is why its single-core score in our Tensor G5 benchmark run was trailing behind flagship chips.
The Tensor G6 fixes exactly that. It comes with an unusual 7-core layout but with the latest Arm cores: 1x Arm C1-Ultra core clocked at 4.11 GHz, 4x C1-Pro cores at 3.38 GHz and 2x C1-Pro cores at 2.65 GHz.
It's a departure from the 8-core (1+5+2) setup on the Tensor G5, dropping to seven cores while moving the whole cluster to the newer generation.
The Dimensity 9500 chipset also uses the same Arm C1-series CPU cores. MediaTek's flagship chip packs an octa-core setup: 1x C1-Ultra core at 4.21 GHz, 3x C1-Premium cores at 3.5 GHz and 4x C1-Pro cores at 2.7 GHz.
Here, MediaTek clocks its cores roughly 100 MHz higher than the Tensor G6. More importantly, the Dimensity 9500 features 3x C1-Premium cores that the Tensor G6 lacks and relies on C1-Pro cores for its middle cluster. MediaTek's powerful middle cluster should give it the edge in sustained multi-core workload.
The main takeaway is that the Google Tensor G6 is likely to reduce the generational gap in terms of CPU performance, compared against Dimensity 9500 and other flagship chips. That said, Google is still playing safe with lower clocks, fewer high-performance cores and a smaller core count.
So, I would not expect the Tensor G6 to overtake the Dimensity 9500 on raw CPU throughput. However, it would not be widely behind the Dimensity 9500.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: GPU
If the CPU looks interesting, the GPU story is the opposite. The Google Tensor G6 uses an Imagination PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU. Last year's Tensor G5 already uses a PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU and the D-Series is a newer and faster GPU than the C-Series that the CXTP is derived from.
Basically, the D series is more performant than the older C-Series. In other words, the Pixel 11 could actually take a step backwards from the Pixel 10 in terms of GPU performance. That said, the new GPU may bring Ray Tracing support to the Pixel 11 series.
That is not the direction most people hoped for, especially since the Pixel 10 was already much behind on the graphics front to begin with. Our Tensor G5 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 comparison showed a wide gap in GPU performance and that was simply too big to ignore.
The Dimensity 9500 is in a completely different league here. It runs the flagship 12-core Arm Mali-G1 Ultra GPU and in our own AnTuTu testing, the GPU alone scored an astonishing 1,330,281 points.
On the feature side, there is Vulkan ray tracing support, gameplay support up to 120 FPS and compatibility with Unreal Engine 5.5, MegaLights and Nanite included. To put it simply, this is a one-sided contest between the Tensor G6 and Dimensity 9500.
If you want a chip for gaming, the Dimensity 9500 is comfortably the stronger chip and I don't see the Tensor G6 changing that.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: AI and the Tensor Advantage
This is the one area where Google has an advantage. Tensor chips exist primarily to run Google's on-device AI and the Tensor G6 brings a new in-house TPU, which is 50% more powerful and has 2x more memory bandwidth. There is also a new Google-made custom image signal processor (ISP).
Google does not chase benchmark charts and it builds the TPU to power features like Gemini Intelligence, on-device Gemini Nano, live translation, call assistance and computational photography. That is why Pixels offer better experience than other phones in real-world AI tasks.
The Dimensity 9500 does come with MediaTek's 9th-gen NPU 990 and a second-gen Generative AI Engine. MediaTek claims 2x token generation speed, on-device 4K image generation from a text prompt and up to 56% lower power consumption. On paper, the NPU hardware is powerful.
That said, MediaTek's NPU is hardly used by phone makers while Google tunes its TPU tightly around its own software stack, as we found this while testing on-device AI performance on Android phones. In effect, the Tensor G6 may lose the benchmark fight but still deliver the more polished AI experience on a Pixel.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: Modem and Connectivity
Connectivity has been a pain point for Pixels and the Tensor G6 is fixing that. For years, Tensor chips came with Samsung's Exynos modems, which many users blamed for weak reception, heating and battery drain on 5G.
The Tensor G6 is switching to a MediaTek modem, specifically the M90, and that could be one of the most important changes in the new chip. The M90 is a 5G-Advanced modem, and its peak download can go up to 12 Gbps. It also brings dual 5G SIM support and satellite connectivity, and it's said to reduce average power use by 18%.
The Dimensity 9500 keeps things in-house with MediaTek's own integrated 5G modem along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 support. Since MediaTek designs the whole platform together, its connectivity has generally been reliable.
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Tensor G6 vs Dimensity 9500: Specs Comparison
| Specification | Tensor G6 | Dimensity 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC 2nm (N2) | TSMC 3nm (N3P) |
| CPU | 7-core, Arm C1-series | 8-core, Arm C1-series |
| CPU Cores | 1x C1-Ultra at 4.11GHz, 4x C1-Pro at 3.38GHz, 2x C1-Pro at 2.65GHz | 1x C1-Ultra at 4.21GHz, 3x C1-Premium at 3.5GHz, 4x C1-Pro at 2.7GHz |
| GPU | Imagination PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 | Arm Mali-G1 Ultra (MC12), 12-core |
| NPU | New in-house TPU | MediaTek NPU 990 |
| ISP | New custom ISP | Imagiq 1190 |
| Security | Titan M3 security chip | MediaTek in-built security |
| Memory and Storage | LPDDR5X, UFS 4.0 | LPDDR5X up to 10,667 MT/s, UFS 4.1 |
| Modem | MediaTek M90 (5G-Advanced, up to 12Gbps peak download) | MediaTek Release 17 5G modem (Sub-6GHz only), Up to 7.4Gbps peak download speed |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 |
The Dimensity 9500 is a complete flagship chip, and I expect it to hold that lead once we benchmark the Tensor G6. MediaTek clocks the same C1 cores higher and features the powerful Mali-G1 Ultra GPU that the Tensor G6's older PowerVR GPU simply can't match. If you are buying purely on performance and gaming, MediaTek's flagship is the best option.
That said, Google is finally adopting Arm's new C1 cores and ditching the Exynos modem for MediaTek's M90 modem while bringing improved TPU performance. Google has indeed narrowed a CPU gap that used to be embarrassing and fixed its biggest connectivity weakness. The only con is its poor GPU performance.
The Tensor G6 will definitely fail the benchmark wars, but if it closes the CPU gap, fixes the modem and delivers Google's best AI experience, the Pixel 11 becomes a much easier phone to recommend. We will have the full benchmark pretty soon, so stay tuned for more in-depth comparison between Tensor G6 and Dimensity 9500.
