Apple A8 vs Apple A7

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A8 or Apple A8 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple A8 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Apple A7 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2013 and belongs to the 7 generation of the Apple A series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A8 Name Apple A7
Apple A series Family Apple A series
8 Generation 7
Apple A8/A8X Group Apple A7
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A8 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A8 is 1.5 GHz
The Apple A7 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A7 is 1.4 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
1.5 GHz Frequency 1.4 GHz
2 Threads 2
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading No
2 CPU Cores 2
2x Typhoon Cores 2x Cyclone
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A8 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A8 uses the Apple A8, which has 128 texture shaders
and 16 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple A7 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A7 uses the PowerVR G6430, which has 128 texture shaders
0.53 GHz GPU frequency 0.45 GHz
Q3/2014 Release date Q3/2013
-- Direct X 10
Apple A8 GPU name PowerVR G6430
20 nm Technology 28 nm
-- Max. displays --
128 Shaders 128
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
16 Execution units 16
5 Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode AVC No
Decode VC-1 No
No VP9 No
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode h264 No
No VP8 No
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode JPEG No
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 1.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
1 Memory channels 1
1.0 GB Max. Memory 1.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
12.8 GB/s Bandwidth 12.8 GB/s
LPDDR3-1600 Memory type LPDDR3-1333
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 5 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
-- Tjunction max --
5 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) None
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A8 is manufactured using a 20 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple A7 is manufactured using a 28 nm process.
Q3/2014 Release date Q3/2013
-- Part Number APL 5698
1.0 MB L2-Cache 1.0 MB
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
A8 Architecture A7
20 nm Technology 28 nm
Socket
iOS Operating systems iOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
4.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A8
2C 2T @ 1.5 GHz
607
607
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
528
528

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A8
2C 2T @ 1.5 GHz
324
324
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
278
278

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple A8
2C 2T @ 1.5 GHz
136
136
Apple A7
2C 2T @ 1.4 GHz
115
115