Apple A9 vs Apple A10 Fusion

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A9 or Apple A9 – 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 A9 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Apple A10 Fusion features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2016 and belongs to the 10 generation of the Apple A series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A9 Name Apple A10 Fusion
Apple A series Family Apple A series
9 Generation 10
Apple A9/A9X Group Apple A10/A10X
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A9 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9 is 1.85 GHz
The Apple A10 Fusion has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.34 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
2 Threads 4
No Hyperthreading No
2x Twister Cores None
None None 1.09 GHz
None None 2.34 GHz
None None 2x Zephyr
None None 2x Hurricane
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
1.85 GHz Frequency None
2 CPU Cores 4
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A9 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9 uses the Apple A9, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple A10 Fusion has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A10 Fusion uses the Apple A10, which has 192 texture shaders
0.65 GHz GPU frequency 0.9 GHz
Q3/2015 Release date Q3/2016
-- Direct X --
Apple A9 GPU name Apple A10
16 nm Technology 16 nm
-- Max. displays --
192 Shaders 192
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 4.0 GB
24 Execution units 24
6 Generation 7
-- 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 Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
No VP9 Decode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode
Decode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode VP8 Decode
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 2.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 3.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
1 Memory channels 1
2.0 GB Max. Memory 3.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
25.6 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
LPDDR4-3200 Memory type LPDDR4-3200
 
 

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) 5 W
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A9 is manufactured using a 16 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 A10 Fusion is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
Q3/2015 Release date Q3/2016
-- Part Number --
3.0 MB L2-Cache 3.0 MB
None Virtualization None
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
A9 Architecture A10
16 nm Technology 10 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

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

Apple A10 Fusion
4C 4T @ 2.34 GHz
227804
227804
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
172160
172160

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A10 Fusion
4C 4T @ 2.34 GHz
1422
1422
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
1024
1024

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple A10 Fusion
4C 4T @ 2.34 GHz
1207
1207
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
921
921

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple A10 Fusion
4C 4T @ 2.34 GHz
853
853
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
632
632

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A10 Fusion
4C 4T @ 2.34 GHz
776
776
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
558
558