The Taiwanese company MediaTek (MTK) has gained a reputation as a manufacturer of good processors for inexpensive smartphones. Most Chinese in budget price category equip it with chipsets. However, the company’s model range is much wider: it includes low-cost, mid-range and top-end solutions. The latter may not be a match for Apple chipsets, but they are also inexpensive. About what processors are available in model range MediaTek, as of the beginning of 2017, more details below.

The same SoC model can be produced in several versions. As a rule, modifications with reduced frequencies (for better energy saving) receive the prefix M or P, and overclocked ones - T (Turbo).

Inexpensive MediaTek chipsets are represented by two lines, descending from different microarchitectures.

MT6580

MT6580 is MediaTek's cheapest processor, designed for smartphones under $100. It is produced using the 28 nm process technology. It consists of four 32-bit Cortex A7 cores at 1 or 1.3 GHz. The Mali 400 MP accelerator is responsible for graphics processing, with a frequency of 400 or 500 MHz and a theoretical performance of 7.2 or 9 GFLOPS (billions of computational operations per second).

Memory controller – LPDDR2/LPDDR3, up to 2 GB (a 32-bit system will no longer allow addressing). The chipset supports a camera up to 8 MP, a 1280x720 pixel screen, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and cellular GSM networks and HSPA.

MT6735(M/P)

MT6735 is a representative of the 64-bit MediaTek line. It is also produced according to 28 nm standards, but on a newer architecture. The chip contains 4 ARM Cortex A53 cores with a frequency of 1 (MT6735P/M) or 1.3 GHz. Graphics accelerator – Mali T720 MP2, frequency 400 (MT6735P), 500 (MT6735M) or 600 (MT6735) MHz, performance 13.6, 17 or 20.4 GFLOPS, respectively.

The chip supports LPDDR3 memory, frequency up to 640 MHz, capacity up to 3 GB. The ISP supports cameras up to 13 MP, screens 1280x720 pixels, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and current networks (except CDMA) up to LTE Cat 4.

MT6737(M/T)

MT6737 is an evolution of the previous chip, which MediaTek “demoted” and made it a rival to its own 6580. It was released in mid-2016. The chip is manufactured according to the same 28 nm standards and has the same 4 Cortex A53 cores. Clock frequency – 1.1 (MT6737M) or 1.3 GHz. GPU – Mali T720 MP2, overclocked to 550 or 600 (MT6737T) MHz. Its theoretical operating speed is up to 18.7 or 20.4 GFLOPS.

The memory controller can operate with one LPDDR2/LPDDR3 channel, frequency up to 640 or 733 MHz. The maximum resolution of the camera is 8 MP, video is 1080p, display is 1280x720 pixels. For communications, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and GSM/3g/LTE Cat 4 networks are supported.

MT6738(T)

MT6738 is a new budget processor from MediaTek, which should be a replacement for the 6735 model (6737 is more likely a replacement for the MT6580). Although it was announced in the fall of 2016, it is still produced using the 28 nm process technology. The chip contains 4 Cortex A53 cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. Handles 3D processing GPU Mali T860 MP2, with a frequency of 350 or 520 (6738T) MHz. Its performance is up to 23.8 or 35 GFLOPS, respectively.

MediaTek MT6738 supports up to 4 GB of LPDDR3 667 RAM. Cameras up to 13 MP, FullHD video recording and 1280x720 pixel screens are supported. Networks include Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, GSM, 3G and LTE Cat 6.

MediaTek mid-range processors

Among the mid-level chipsets, there are no seriously obsolete models. Only 64-bit MediaTek processors with 8 cores remain relevant (that is, supplied to partners for installation in smartphones).

MT6753(T)

Despite the larger model number, the MT6753 was released almost a year before the MT6750. It is created using a 28 nm process technology and is equipped with 8 Cortex A53 cores. In the 6753T model they accelerate to 1.5, in regular version– up to 1.3 GHz. Graphics accelerator – Mali T720 MP3, 700 MHz, 35.7 GFLOPS.

The memory controller works with LPDDR3 chips up to 800 MHz, the RAM capacity can reach 3 GB. ISP supports cameras up to 16 MP with FullHD video recording, the screen can have a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The network module works with Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, supports GSM, HSPA and CDMA 3G, LTE Cat 4.

MT6750(T)

MT6750 is a mid-level processor introduced in the spring of 2016. It is produced using a 28 nm process technology and consists of 8 Cortex A53 cores. They are grouped into 2 blocks of 4 cores, the clock frequency of the first reaches 1.5, the second - 1 GHz. Graphics processing is handled by the Mali T860 MP2 GPU, 520 or 560 MHz. Its performance is 35.3 or 44.2 GFLOPS.

The memory controller in the processor supports up to 4 GB LPDDR3, frequency up to 833 or 933 MHz. MediaTek MT6750 is designed to install cameras up to 16 MP, supports video recording up to 1080p and works with HD and FullHD screens (model with T). A modem supporting Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, GSM, 3G (including CDMA) and LTE Cat 6 is responsible for communication.

MT6755(M) or Helio P10

MT6755 is a MediaTek processor that bears its own name. It was introduced at the end of 2015 and is produced using the 28 nm process technology. The processor contains 8 Cortex A53 cores with frequencies up to 1.2 GHz (economical cluster) and 2 GHz (productive cluster). Graphics chip – Mali T860 MP2 operating at 550 or 700 MHz with a performance of 37.4 or 47.6 GFLOPS.

The chip is equipped with a single-channel LPDDR3 933 memory controller (up to 4 GB capacity). It supports a camera up to 21 MP, FullHD video recording and a screen of the same resolution. Network capabilities include Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 5 GHz (AC standard is not supported), GSM, 3G CDMA and HSPA, LTE Cat 6.

MT6755 Pro or Helio P15

MT6755 Pro is an overclocked modification of the MediaTek Helio P10. It differs from it in the frequency of the processor (up to 2.2 GHz) and graphics (800 MHz, 54 GFLOPS). Otherwise the processor is completely identical.

MT6757/Pro or Helio P20/P25

MT6755 Helio P20/25 is a mid-range processor from MediaTek, belonging to a more modern generation. It is produced according to the 16 nm process technology and has 8 Cortex A53 cores. Half of them operate at a frequency of 2.3 or 2.5 GHz (P20 and P25, respectively), the second half - 1.6 GHz. Graphics processing is handled by the Mali T880 MP2 accelerator, with a frequency of 900 or 1000 MHz and a performance of 61 or 68 GFLOPS, respectively.

The memory controller is dual-channel, supporting up to 6 GB LPDDR4 at 1600 MHz, plus there is one LPDDR3 933 MHz channel up to 3 GB. Cameras up to 24 MP, with 4K video recording, and FullHD screens are supported. Wi-Fi supports 2.4 and 5 GHz networks, also supported mobile operators GSM, HSPA, CDMA, LTE Cat 6.

MediaTek flagship processors

In the flagship class, MediaTek has one actively produced processor, the MT6797, revisions of which have received different names, but in essence they are the same chipset. The predecessor, Helio X10, was created using technologies patented by Ericsson, so to avoid legal disputes, its production was quickly discontinued.

All MT6797 are manufactured according to 20 nm process standards, have 10 cores, of which 2 high-performance ones are built on the Cortex A72 architecture, and another 8 are based on Cortex A53. They also have a separate Cortex M4 processor with separate power and low frequency, which is responsible for listening to MP3. Graphics processing is handled by the Mali T880 M4 GPU. Memory controller – dual-channel, LPDDR3 933, up to 4 GB. Network – Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE Cat 6. Innovation – PumpExpress 3.0 fast charging technology.

Detailed characteristics of each chipset version are below.

MT6797 Helio X20

Helio X20 is basic version, presented at the end of 2015. Frequencies – 2.1 GHz for 2 powerful Cortex A72 cores, 1.85 GHz – for 4 universal Cortex A53 cores, 1.4 GHz – 4 more economical Cortex A53. Graphics frequency – 780 MHz, performance – 106 GFLOPS. Supports cameras up to 25 MP (dual ISP, support for 2 cameras), with 4K recording, and screens up to 2560x1600 pixels.

MT6797D Helio X23

The chip is being prepared for early 2017, and is a slight modification of the X20 model. Its Cortex A72 cores are overclocked to 2.3 GHz, the rest of the frequencies are the same as the X20. Added support for cameras up to 32 MP (or 2 x 13 MP).

MT6797T Helio X25

The chipset was released in the spring of 2016, its cores were overclocked to 2.5/2/1.55 ​​GHz, graphics – 850 MHz or 115.6 GFLOPS.

MT6797X Helio X27

The processor is being prepared for the 1st quarter of 2017, and is also a slightly overclocked and optimized version of its predecessor. Core frequencies – 2.6/2/1.6 GHz, graphics – 875 MHz or 120 GFLOPS. Added support for cameras up to 32 MP or 2 x 13 MP.

MT6799(T) Helio X30 (X35)

An evolutionary step of MediaTek processors towards the transition to the 10 nm process technology. Prepared for the 1st quarter of 2017, mass sales of smartphones on it should not be expected before spring. It has 10 cores, of which 2 are the fastest - Cortex A73, 4 more universal - Cortex A53, and 4 energy efficient - Cortex A35. Clock frequencies MediaTek Helio X30 – 2.8/2.2/2 GHz, Helio X35 – 3/2.22 GHz. GPU – PowerVR 7400 XT, 820 MHz, 210 GFLOPS.

The MediaTek Helio X30/35 memory controller supports up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 1866 MHz memory in dual-channel mode. There is also support for universal solid-state (flash) memory UFS 2.1. Camera resolution is up to 28 MP, uses dual ISP Imagiq, supports 4K recording. The maximum display resolution is 2560x1600 pixels. Built-in support Wi-Fi networks 2.5 GHz, as well as all current cellular networks up to LTE Cat 10.

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What is a processor?

Without going into details, this is the central element of the system, which is responsible for all information transformations and controls the computing process.

The mobile version of the chip (ARM) is not much different from its stationary counterpart. The only differences are in size, power and clock speed.

The latter have lower figures.

All of them have achieved success in this industry, but the main struggle is between the Chinese company MediaTek and the American Qualcomm.

Qualcomm

The silicon giant was founded back in 1985. The company produced phones, GPS modules and wireless devices.

We will consider it as the largest manufacturer of mobile chips.

In 2005, they licensed ARM technologies, purchasing the rights to create the Cortex A8 core. Based on it, our own chip was developed.

The top line of chips is called Snapdragon.

These processors are installed in such flagship devices as Sony Xperia Z line, HTC One, LG G2 and G3 and some models Samsung.

But the latest top-end chip Snapdragon 810 has caused a lot of discussion. Some said that it overheats a lot, causing performance to suffer.

But this fact remained undocumented.

8 cores, Cat 6 LTE chip, giving speeds up to 300 Mbps, support for 4K video, as well as sensors up to 55 MP. The figures are impressive.

MediaTek

They take advantage not only of quality, but also of mass production, supplying products to all smartphones costing up to $200.

The most famous “stone”, namely MT6592, installed on budget phones like Lenovo, in particular the S860 and more.

They were the first to develop a 10-core processor called Xelio X20. On this moment is the most powerful single-chip system in the world.

Recruits more than 70,000 “parrots” in AnTuTu. Not yet serially produced.

Specifications include 3 blocks of cores: 2x2.5 GHz, 4x2 GHz and 4x1.4 GHz. Mali 800 graphics and support for 2 13 MP sensors. Supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac and LTE Cat 6.

Apple

Cupertino residents have always been famous for their closeness. Their unofficial motto can be interpreted as follows: “You don’t need to know what’s inside. Just take it and use it."

And this applies to all the company’s products.

As for the mobile division, the situation here is no less confusing.

It is only known that the company itself develops processors for smartphones and tablets, assigning them an A index and a serial number.

In particular, A8 and A8X are considered the most powerful mobile stones. They are equipped with iPhone 6/6 Plus And iPad Air respectively.

Despite 2 cores of 1.4 GHz and an M8 coprocessor, the performance is impressive.

Intel

Despite the fact that this giant tops the rating mobile processors for laptops, in the field mobile development he's actually sitting on the bench.

Although the fact that smartphones equipped with Intel Atom chips are in high demand, we can say that the company is making progress.

Now the strongest chip that is used in series is Z3580. 4 cores at a frequency of 2.33 will give a head start even to such “players” as Snapdragon 801 and Apple A7.

Specifications: 4x2.33 GHz, DDR-1600 support and proprietary graphics from Intel.

Nvidia

The situation with a company that is famous for gaming and overclocker video cards similar to Nvidia.

In their main field, they achieved outstanding results, but things didn’t work out with the mobile segment.

In particular, Tegra chips have good potential, but leading manufacturers are in no hurry to purchase processors in batches.

Yes, Nvidia hardware will be appreciated by gamers.

But the majority of smartphone users are businessmen, young people over the age of 20, and girls who are unlikely to want to “play Doom on ultra.”

The flagship SoC is named Tegra X1. At the moment she is the most advanced among her classmates. But it is prohibitively expensive.

It is worth saying that the X1 has 8 cores (4 Cortex A57 and 4 Cortex A53). Supports 4K/60Hz and 2K/120Hz.

In particular, Nvidia X1 was created for games, and here it has no equal. The Snapdragon 810 will be in demand by everyone who wants to take great pictures on their device.

Well, the Atom Z3580 boasts record-breaking efficiency.

The solution from MediaTek has not yet entered production, so it is difficult to outline all its advantages.

But Apple chips, despite their architecture and apparent slowness, cope with their tasks perfectly thanks to OS optimization.

Important! Such solutions are supplied only with flagship devices and it will take 3-4 years for them to appear in the budget segment.

Performance cannot be judged based on different platforms the same Android. Versions 4.4 and 5.0, with the same hardware, produce completely opposite results in synthetic tests.

On the other hand, the user is unlikely to notice any difference, but you can't argue with the numbers.

The chips are not exported, so it makes no sense to judge their characteristics.

The situation here is the same as with Apple.

Even though they are not inferior in parameters, when choosing a chip, you immediately limit yourself in choosing a smartphone carrier, reducing the choice to 1 company.

Such a little-known manufacturer as Allwinner produces exclusively budget products.

Even its most powerful product is not able to compete with the low-power products of the five described above.

Top 10 Rating of mobile processors

Detailed analysis

In this review, we talk about the pros and cons of different mobile processors. In fact, here is the answer to the question of which processor is better, and why you should choose a mobile device based on it. Analysis of the characteristics showed that it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer and different models suit different users differently.

Price

Durability

Difficulty of operation

ARM processor is a mobile processor for smartphones and tablets.

This table shows all currently known ARM processors. The table of ARM processors will be supplemented and upgraded as new models appear. This table uses a conditional system for evaluating CPU and GPU performance. ARM processor performance data was taken from a variety of sources, mainly based on the results of tests such as: PassMark, Antutu, GFXBench.

We do not claim absolute accuracy. Absolutely accurately rank and evaluate the performance of ARM processors impossible, for the simple reason that each of them has advantages in some ways, but in some ways lags behind other ARM processors. The table of ARM processors allows you to see, evaluate and, most importantly, compare different SoCs (System-On-Chip) solutions. Using our table, you can compare mobile processors and it’s enough to find out exactly how the ARM heart of your future (or present) smartphone or tablet is positioned.

Here we have compared ARM processors. We looked at and compared the performance of CPU and GPU in different SoCs (System-on-Chip). But the reader may have several questions: Where are ARM processors used? What is an ARM processor? How does ARM architecture differ from x86 processors? Let's try to understand all this without going too deep into details.

First, let's define the terminology. ARM is the name of the architecture and at the same time the name of the company leading its development. The abbreviation ARM stands for (Advanced RISC Machine or Acorn RISC Machine), which can be translated as: advanced RISC machine. ARM architecture combines a family of both 32 and 64-bit microprocessor cores developed and licensed by ARM Limited. I would like to note right away that the ARM Limited company is exclusively engaged in the development of kernels and tools for them (debugging tools, compilers, etc.), but not in the production of the processors themselves. Company ARM Limited sells licenses for the production of ARM processors to third parties. Here is a partial list of companies licensed to produce ARM processors today: AMD, Atmel, Altera, Cirrus Logic, Intel, Marvell, NXP, Samsung, LG, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Sony Ericsson, Texas Instruments, nVidia, Freescale... and many others.

Some companies that have received a license to produce ARM processors create their own versions of cores based on ARM architecture. Examples include: DEC StrongARM, Freescale i.MX, Intel XScale, NVIDIA Tegra, ST-Ericsson Nomadik, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Texas Instruments OMAP, Samsung Hummingbird, LG H13, Apple A4/A5/A6 and HiSilicon K3.

Today they work on ARM-based processors virtually any electronics: PDA, Cell phones and smartphones, digital players, portable game consoles, calculators, external hard disks and routers. They all contain an ARM core, so we can say that ARM - mobile processors for smartphones and tablets.

ARM processor represents a SoC, or "system on a chip". An SoC system, or “system on a chip,” can contain in one chip, in addition to the CPU itself, the remaining parts of a full-fledged computer. This includes a memory controller, an I/O port controller, a graphics core, and a geopositioning system (GPS). It may also contain a 3G module, as well as much more.

If we consider a separate family of ARM processors, say Cortex-A9 (or any other), we cannot say that all processors of the same family have the same performance or are all equipped with a GPS module. All these parameters strongly depend on the chip manufacturer and what and how he decided to implement in his product.

What is the difference between ARM and X86 processors?? The RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture itself implies a reduced set of instructions. Which accordingly leads to very moderate energy consumption. After all, inside any ARM chip there are much fewer transistors than its counterpart from the x86 line. Don't forget that in the SoC system everything peripherals located inside a single chip, which allows the ARM processor to be even more energy efficient. The ARM architecture was originally designed to calculate only integer operations, unlike x86, which can work with floating point calculations or FPU. It is impossible to clearly compare these two architectures. In some ways, ARM will have an advantage. And somewhere it’s the other way around. If you try to answer the question in one phrase: what is the difference between ARM and X86 processors, then the answer will be this: the ARM processor does not know the number of commands that the x86 processor knows. And those that do know look much shorter. This has both its pros and cons. Be that as it may, lately everything suggests that ARM processors are beginning to slowly but surely catch up, and in some ways even surpass conventional x86 processors. Many openly declare that ARM processors will soon replace the x86 platform in the home PC segment. As we already know, in 2013 several world-famous companies completely abandoned the further production of netbooks in favor of tablet PCs. Well, what will actually happen, time will tell.

We will monitor the ARM processors already available on the market.

The number of companies joining the development of mobile platforms is growing. Therefore, now you can find a variety of configurations, with different characteristics. Each developer makes his own changes, invents layout structures and cores, and the variety of mobile processors is very large.

By number of cores and processor frequency

The core is the main computing unit of the processor. It is the kernel that determines performance and . Manufacturers mobile systems they can produce their own cores on-chip or borrow them from other developers. Depending on the application of the embedded system, the number of cores can be from 1 to 8. Although systems with 16 cores are not uncommon.

The frequencies, despite the fact that these are mobile systems, are quite catching up with their older brothers. And the processor frequency in the smartphone affects the same as in regular computer- for productivity. Frequencies can reach 3 GHz. However, it is worth remembering that this is a slightly different architecture and set of instructions, and they will perform operations in a different number of clock cycles. Also, frequency values ​​usually do not apply to the entire system-on-chip. Usually 4 + 4 or 2 + 2 clusters are formed: a high-performance cluster with 4 or 2 cores and the same, but energy efficient. For heavy tasks and games, cores with more high frequencies, and for the undemanding and background processes- weaker and more economical. Based on this, you can determine which processor frequency is best for each specific smartphone.

By architecture and technological process

The tone in the architecture of mobile processors has long been set by ARM - Advanced RISC Machines. It does not produce or sell its own processors. She develops concepts and structures for how components should be laid out on cores. That is, it forms an architecture, which it then sells under license to other companies, which, in turn, create systems on a chip based on them. In fact, all commercially available processors today have ARM architecture in one way or another or use their instruction set.

As for the term “technological process,” it now refers to the resolution of the equipment. In other words, this is the ability to place elements at the closest possible distances between them. The smaller the process technology, the greater the number of electronic components that can be placed on a chip. And this leads to an increase in productivity with the same area. The technology has made huge strides in the past few years. If in 2000 the 130 nm technology was in use, then the latest one in use today is 10 nm. This is a big leap forward. Besides, 10 nm is not the limit. In 2018, several companies announced the start of development of 7 nm processors. Their mass production will most likely be implemented in 2019.

By video processor

Since a system on a chip is practically a miniature computer, it is natural that a graphics processor is located on it. It performs the same function as the graphics card in a PC: displaying images on the screen. To a large extent, all GPU performance is required in mobile games.

In addition to processor cores, ARM also develops and licenses Mali graphics subsystems. Many companies often use them in their SoCs. For example, Samsung and HiSilicon. Qualcomm usually uses Adreno GPUs. Apple uses either its own GPUs or PowerVR.

Top mobile processors by manufacturer

It’s worth taking a closer look at each manufacturer and its most interesting processors.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm is an American company that began its journey with the production of communication systems. Later, since 2005, the company licensed the Cortex-A8 processor core from ARM and created its own processor based on it. Qualcomm is currently actively developing processors based on ARM cores. The manufacturer is especially known for its series of systems on chips called Snapdragon.

The latest top-end processor from the company is the Snapdragon 845 SDM845. It is produced using 10 nm technology. Inside there are two clusters of 4 cores. The first consists of high-performance Kryo 385 Gold with a frequency of up to 2.8 GHz. The second includes economical cores with 1.8 GHz. The graphics subsystem is represented by Adreno 630. It supports the latest trends in graphics - Open GL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, DirectX 12, as well as Vulcan. They work on this SoC Asus ZenFone 5Z, Samsung Galaxy S9 Duos, Xiaomi Black Shark and Sony Xperia XZ2.

Mediatek

A Taiwanese company that became especially popular in 2009-2010 with the release of the MT6516, MT6573 and MT6513 processors. Mediatek is developing several lines of processors:

• MT65xx. Simple 32-bit solutions aimed at smartphones;
• MT67xx. 64-bit systems for smartphones;
• Helio P. Budget solutions for smartphones;
• Helio X. A series of powerful processors for smartphones;
• MT8xxx. Processors for tablets.

The most powerful of all Mediatek processors Today it is considered Helio X30. This is a 10-core system on a chip, assembled using a 10 nm process technology. Core structure: 2 high-performance 2.5 GHz Cortex-A73, 4 medium ones with 2.2 GHz Cortex-A 53 and 4 exactly the same with a frequency of 1.9 GHz. The video adapter used is not the most productive PowerVR 7XTP to date. Of all the newfangled trends, it supports OpenGL ES 3.2.

Apple

Apple Company initially produced its processors based on the exact ARM architecture. Then she switched to her own developments, using solutions from ARM as a base. The company's latest development is the Apple A12. He is present on those released in September 2018 iPhone of the year XS, XS-Max and XR also take leading positions in mobile processor tests. Total number of cores central processor- 6.2 are used for “heavy” tasks and can operate at a frequency of 2.49 GHz. The remaining 4 cores are designed to provide energy-efficient operation daily tasks. The graphics system has 4 cores.

Intel Mobile Processors

It has its own powerful base for the development of processors. However, for some reason, implementing your own mobile solutions They became systems on a chip much later than other market players. Accordingly, fewer devices run on Intel mobile chips. The latest, most popular processor for tablets was released in 2016 - Intel Atom X5-Z8550. The manufacturing process is 14 nm, supports 64-bit architecture, carries 4 cores at 2.4 GHz. Also on board is Intel HD Graphics 400 with 12 cores and support for DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4.3, OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL 1.2. The only tablet spotted with this chip is the Panasonic ToughPad FZ-A2 MK1 Wi-Fi.

But in the segment of laptop processors it will beat almost anyone. There are solutions for every taste and color. From the simplest for the Internet and Word, to the most top-end for gaming modern AAA games.

Nvidia

Nvidia is known around the world for its graphics adapters. But perhaps not everyone knows that it also produces systems on a chip. The latest known development is Tegra X1, released in 2015. It was built on 8 ARM cores, with two clusters of 4 each. The graphics on board are represented by our own development on the Maxwell architecture. It supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, Nvidia CUDA and Vulkan. There are only a few devices available on this chip. The first TV set-top box was released from Nvidia Shield Console itself, then this solution was used in the Pixel C tablet from Google. The latest device to appear with this SoC is the Nintendo Switch console.

Which processor is better: Mediatek or Qualcomm

As always, you can determine which of the two mobile processors is better based on the range of tasks required to be solved. In recent years, Qualcomm has been positioning its creations as top solutions for mobile systems. Synthetic test measurements show that the processors and graphics subsystem of the latest Snapdragons produce excellent results. This is relevant for those devices on which the user actively uses the full power of the system: plays demanding games, watches videos in high quality, and also uses resource-intensive applications.

But what happens when you only need average performance for simple to average tasks? Powerful processors Although they have energy-efficient cores in the set, they will still be a very unjustified purchase for a person who simply does not realize the full power of the system on a chip. And this is where Mediatek opens its arms. Its set of chips is very wide and is aimed not only at top and middle segment, but also for very modest and budget devices. Naturally, energy-efficient solutions are an order of magnitude cheaper than productive assemblies. A comparison of the performance of mobile processors shows that in fact there is no big difference in the budget versions of the systems. Therefore, if you regularly need performance and synchronization between the processor and video core, it is better to choose Qualcomm. And if you need a simple solution for everyday tasks, then there is a huge selection of more economical solutions from Mediatek. This simple conclusion can be used when you are at a crossroads about which processor to choose: Qualcomm or Mediatek.

Rating of mobile processors for laptops

Intel Core i7-8750H

The most expensive solution and at the same time the most productive. The average cost of a processor is 25,000 rubles. It was first presented to the consumer in the second quarter of 2018, the technological process is 14 nm. There are 6 cores, each with two threads. The base frequency is 2.2 GHz, and at Turbo Boost- 4.1 GHz. The internal graphics core is represented by Intel UHD Graphics 630, capable of displaying video at a speed of 30 frames/s at a resolution of 4096 × 2304. An ideal solution for gamers, however, it is very expensive.

Intel Core i5-8250U

The prefix U in the designation tells us that this processor is designed for everyday tasks. Although you can also play on it if the laptop is well assembled. The processor was introduced at the end of 2017. The technical process is 14 nm, in fact, like many representatives of the 8th generation. Recommended cost - 18,000 rubles. There are 4 cores in 8 threads. The base frequency is 1.6 GHz, and with Turbo Boost - 3.4 GHz. The graphics here are Intel UHD Graphics 620 with 4K support. An excellent solution for medium-level systems - rare games, working with documents, development, and the like.

AMD Ryzen 5 2500U

You can't ignore products from AMD. This processor is approximately equal in performance to the i5-8250U. The difference between them in synthetic tests does not exceed 5%. There are 4 computing cores in the processor, they work in 8 threads. The maximum operating frequency is 3.6 GHz. 3 cache levels are implemented: 1 - 384 KB, 2 - 2 MB and 3 - 4 MB. The system also runs Radeon Vega 8 graphics with 8 GPU cores. A good option for a budget build without a significant loss in performance.

Comparison of laptop processors

We have selected 3 interesting processors, which we will compare in different tasks. Not only top models are involved here, but also simpler and budget-friendly ones for work and the Internet.

It's worth going over basic performance first. Next, you can look at the results of synthetic tests.

As you can see, the i7 representative remains in the lead. Next behind it, almost neck and neck, are i5 and Ryzen 5. At the end - more budget solutions. But such a comparison will not give us the full picture. Therefore, we will also compare their integrated graphics.

Suddenly, the graphics of the fifth Ryzen are significantly ahead. That is, given the processor’s own performance, its graphics subsystem gives good overall performance out of the box and without adding discrete cards.

Well, now it remains to look at the lowest prices for laptops in which these processors are installed.

The i7-8750H processor can be found in Asus laptop ROG GL503GE for 92,000 rubles. True, with all the available characteristics, it also has discrete graphics GeForce GTX 1050 Ti on board.

The i5-8250U processor is built into a laptop for 36,000 rubles - Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15IKBR. Here we get a more complete picture of the price, since discrete graphics are missing.

The most inexpensive option with i3-8130U installed in Acer Aspire 3 for 25,500 rubles. The only graphics here are built-in. And there are no special frills in the laptop, so the system is the cleanest for comparison.

Ryzen 5 is found in the laptop model from HP - 15-db0344ur. There is only one graphics core here. But 8 GB of RAM is installed and Windows 10 is preinstalled. The laptop costs 35,000 rubles.

Ryzen 3 can be found in the Acer Aspire 3 in the A315-41G-R4FD modification. This laptop costs 26,500 rubles.

The cheapest option with E2 9000 is in the HP 15-rb017ur model. You can buy a laptop for 17,000 rubles.

Thus, it turns out that the best option that will suit most users is with Ryzen 5. It does not require a discrete card with powerful graphics and will solve most of both ordinary work tasks and problems with more or less modern games.

The best processors for smartphones and tablets

Among more mobile systems - smartphones and tablets - there are also leaders and outsiders. We have selected the most productive solutions for comparison and analysis.

Apple A11 Bionic

The leading position in synthetic tests is occupied by the assembly from Apple. This system-on-chip is present in all versions of the iPhone 8 and iPhoneX. The structure of the cores consists of two clusters 2 + 4. Two high-performance and 4 energy-efficient. The maximum available frequency is 2390 MHz. The built-in graphics core is also of its own design - Apple A11 GPU. Decoding capabilities are 2160p at 60 fps.

Apple A10X Fusion

Another product from Apple, only aimed at iPad Pro. In fact, it occupies a leading position in the ranking of tablet processors. Here the cores are divided in a 3 + 3 format: 3 maximum productive ones and 3 maximum energy saving ones. The frequency is 2380 MHz. The graphics have 12 cores and are noticeably superior to its successor - A11 - in test results.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

As we already wrote about this processor, it is a modified ARM Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A55 cores in 4 + 4 format. The maximum frequency is 2800 MHz. Graphics core - Adreno 630.

Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 9810

SoC is divided into two clusters of 4 cores. One contains nuclei from Samsung series Mongoose 3 with ARMv8 instruction set, another with ARM Cortex-A55 implementation. The frequency is 2900 MHz. Samsung uses Mali-G72 graphics in this system. It has 18 processing cores, support for OpenGL 3.2 and the ability to decode 2160p video at 120 frames/s.

Comparison of smartphone and tablet processors

Consider processor performance mobile devices more fully possible in direct testing on devices. We will take ready-made statistics for comparing phone and tablet processors from the Geekbench test service.

As can be seen from the table, the top processors for smartphones in single-core load mode are Exynos from Samsung. But the situation changes a little when the test is carried out for multi-core. In this smartphone processor performance chart, Snapdragon ranks first.

Apple processors score around 4200 for the A11 and 3900 for the A10X in single-core testing.

Although all processors are either built in the image and likeness of ARM cores or have their instructions, it is objectively impossible to determine which processor is better for a phone - Android or iOS. The quality of code optimization and structure itself operating system does not allow us to accurately establish points of contact by which the two types of tests could be compared.

Summary table of the 2018 mobile processors rating by performance

We have divided the comparison into two parts. The first is a table with the rating of mobile processors for smartphones in 2018, and the second is for laptops.

Processors for tablets and smartphones
Name	Number of Cores	Frequency, MHz	Graphics core
Apple A11 Bionic	6	2390	Apple A11 GPU
Apple A10X Fusion	6	2380	Apple A10X GPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845	8	2800	Adreno 630
Exynos 9 Octa 9810	8	2900	Mali-G72
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835	8	2450	Adreno 540
HiSilicon Honor Kirin970	8	2360	Mali-G72
Exynos 9 Octa 8895M	8	2290	Mali-G71
MediaTek Helio X30	10	2500	PowerVR 7XTP

Laptop processors
Name	Number of Cores	Frequency, MHz	Graphics core
Intel Core i7-8750H	6	Up to 4100	UHD Graphics 630
Intel Core i5-8250U	4	Up to 3400	UHD Graphics 620
Intel Core i3-8130U	2	Up to 3400	UHD Graphics 620
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U	4	3600	Radeon Vega 8
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U	2	3400	Radeon Vega 2
AMD E2-9000	2	2200	Radeon R2 Series

Anyone's heart modern smartphone is a mobile processor. Today there are a large number of chips on the market for budget and flagship mobile phones. Two companies monopolized the market: Qualcomm and MediaTek (not included in the rating). Huawei, Samsung and Apple also produce central chips for their own smartphones. The AnTuTu benchmark presented a fresh rating of mobile processors for smartphones in 2016. We'll show you ten of the best central processing units (CPUs) that feature high performance and include powerful video processors.

10. 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (68,508 points)

The last place in the AnTuTu rating was given to the 64-bit Snapdragon 808, which is slightly lower in performance than the famous flagship chip of past years, the Snapdragon 810, and is made using a 20-nm process technology. The test result showed 68,508 points, which is very good and immediately places this mobile processor in the category of the best. Its architecture uses the concept of combining several ARM big.LITTLE cores of different frequencies. It includes two Cortex A57 cores at 2 GHz and four Cortex A53 cores at 1.5 GHz.

The system on the chip also includes a Qualcomm Adreno 418 video processor, which has a frequency of 600 MHz and supports DirectX 11.1 and OpenCL 1.2 drivers. Smartphones with this mobile processor can be equipped with displays with a resolution of up to 2560 x 1600 pixels and support fast charging Quick Charge 2.0.

9. 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 (78,979 points)

Next mobile Snapdragon processor The 650 appeared this year and has very good performance. The structure consists of four Cortex A53 cores with a frequency of each 1.2 GHz and two high-performance Cortex-A72 cores with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. “Stone” copes well with all modern tasks and has ample capabilities for assembling a fairly powerful smartphone.

This includes an ARM Adreno 510 video processor clocked at 650 MHz and support for a high-speed LTE X8 modem that operates at speeds of up to 300 Mb/s. The video chip is capable of processing high quality 4K video with a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. There is support for Quick Charge 3.0 and NFC near-field wireless technology.

Smartphones with this chip - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro, Sony Xperia X.

8. Dual-core Apple A8 (79,100 points)

This mobile processor is used exclusively for iPhone smartphones 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Last year, mobile phones made a lot of noise and at the end of 2015 they became leaders in performance in AnTuTu ratings. The chip is equipped with two cores on a single-chip system with proprietary Cyclone architecture. Both models of sixth-generation Apple mobile phones were equipped with 1 GB of RAM. This indicates a very interesting and high-performance system.

This also includes a very powerful 6-core PowerVR GX6650 video processor, which, together with the M8 coprocessor, has excellent performance and affects the operation of all built-in sensors on Apple phones. The energy efficiency of the entire system has excellent indicators, which made it possible to use batteries of small capacity, but with for a long time work.

Smartphones with this chip are iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

7. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (79,636 points)

The seventh place was taken by another Qualcomm chip, codenamed Snapdragon 652. It was designed for mid-class smartphones and tablets, although it is designed for greater capabilities than are used in mobile phones with its participation. This is an improved 8-core version of the Snapdragon 650, which received four Cortex-A53 cores with a standard frequency of 1.2 GHz and four Cortex-A57 cores with increased speed of 1.8 GHz. The cores operate on the ARMv8-ISA architecture.

The mobile processor was included in the AnTuTu 2016 rating without question, thanks to good performance and support for the Adreno 510 (650 MHz) video processor. The latter can work with video resolution 4K or FullHD with a frame rate of 120 FPS. Cameras up to 21 megapixels and an LTE-UMTS modem with data transfer rates of up to 300 Mb/s are also supported.

Smartphones with this chip - Samsung Galaxy A9, Oppo R9 Plus, ZTE Nubia Z11 Max.

6. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (81,049 points)

The flagship mobile processor from two years ago, the Snapdragon 810, still has high performance and competes with new chips created on a smaller process technology. The already well-known big.LITTLE architecture includes four Cortex-A57 cores, which are overclocked to 2 GHz and four Cortex-A53 with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz. This “stone” is capable of using 8 cores at once.

The system on a chip includes a quite decent Adreno 430 (650 MHz) graphics accelerator, which at one time was the most powerful and supports a maximum video resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. It is still quite relevant today and can handle even the most powerful toys on a smartphone. There is support for LTE CAT6 and eMMC 5.0 standard storage.

Smartphones with this chip are Sony Xperia Z5, Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, ZTE Axon Lux, ZTE Nubia Z9 Max.

5. 8-core Samsung Exynos 7420 (86,652 points)

The chip was introduced at the beginning of 2015 and still holds the leading position, taking AnTuTu rating an honorable fifth position. It uses an 8-core architecture of small-large big.LITTLE cores, with four high-performance Cortex-A57 (2.1 GHz) and four less fast Cortex-A53 (1.5 GHz). It can use all cores at once, thereby achieving high performance of the smartphone OS.

This mobile processor is equipped with an ARM Mali-T760 MP8 772 MHz video chip and a bandwidth of 302 gigaflops. Supports OpenGL ES 3.1 and of course DirectX 11. Also Exynos 7420 can work with RAM new generation LPDDR4. Overall, a very good processor with up-to-date performance. Although new generations have already been released, the chip will still hold a high position until the end of the year.

Smartphones with this chip - Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the famous Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and no less popular Meizu Pro 5.

4. 8-core Huawei Kirin 950 (92,746 points)

A proprietary development of Huawei, which is designed for high-end devices powerful smartphones. It uses a system of 8 cores, which is also distributed into four Cortex-A53 (frequency 1.8 GHz) and four Cortex-A57 (frequency 2.3 GHz). The chip easily works with ultra-high quality 4K video and is up to 30% more productive than the previous “stone”.

The graphics are handled by the powerful and very intelligent ARM Mali-T880 video processor. This mobile processor is manufactured using technological process 16nm and is quite energy efficient. FinFET transistors are used here. There is also a separate DSP for audio processing, codenamed Tensilica HiFi 4. The system also includes an additional i5 coprocessor, which is responsible for encryption.

Smartphones with this chip - Huawei P9, Huawei Mate 8, Huawei Honor 8

3. 8-core Samsung Exynos 8890 (129,865 points)

Another very powerful chip from Samsung, which was the first for the manufacturer to have cores of its own design. The 64-unit ARMv8 architecture was used to build the same configuration of big.LITTLE cores with different types and frequencies. Where four high-performance Samsung M1 cores with a clock frequency of 2.6 GHz and the already familiar Cortex-A53 with a slightly increased frequency of 1.6 GHz were used.

Thanks to the 14nm process technology, a 10% improvement in energy efficiency and a 30% increase in performance were achieved compared to the previous generation of mobile processor. The chip rightfully ranks third in this year’s AnTuTu ranking of the most powerful processors for smartphones. There is support for an LTE modem up to a maximum value of 600 Mb/s.

Smartphones with this chip are the latest generation Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and the latest Samsung version Galaxy Note 7.

2. Dual-core Apple A9 (132,657 points)

The next generation of high-performance chip from Apple that came out with the iPhone 6s and its improved iPhone version The 6s Plus put these smartphones on the highest pedestal of 2015. Apple phones were the best in 2015 in terms of performance and even now they have not moved much from their positions. Compared to the Apple A9, the mobile processor is 70% more efficient, and the video core is as much as 90% better.

Together with the M9 coprocessor, the chip allows you to work with 4K video and even record videos in ultra-HD quality. Despite the fact that the processor has only two cores, this does not prevent it from being one of the best in the AnTuTu 2016 rating. Bandwidth data buses are much higher than those of their 8-core counterparts. Apple keeps the bar high and is not going to stop there.

1. Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (136,383 points)

The first position went to the mobile processor, which made a breakthrough in performance and finally made Qualcomm the world leader in the design and production of powerful mobile chips. The latest Harvard architecture was used here, which has very low heat dissipation compared to its predecessors. The already well-known Adreno 530 video processor is responsible for graphics.

The latter supports all the latest versions of software drivers such as OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 2.0 and Vulkan. There is mandatory support for 4K video, which can be recorded on the camera at 60 FPS, which is very impressive. The chip is so popular that it is used in many smartphone models.

Smartphones with this chip are OnePlus 3, Lenovo Moto Z, ZTE Axon 7, Xiaomi Mi5 and many others.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the graph, half of all positions went to Qualcomm, which practically monopolized the market. Samsung and Apple each gained two places and lowered their performance numbers compared to last year. The top mobile processor from Chinese Huawei performed quite well.