Apple A9X vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A9X or Apple A9X – 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 A9X 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.
Mobile Segment --
Apple A9X Name Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Apple A series Family
9 Generation --
Apple A9/A9X Group
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A9X has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9X is 2.26 GHz
normal Core architecture --
2.26 GHz Frequency None
2 Threads --
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading No
2 CPU Cores --
2x Twister Cores None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A9X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9X uses the Apple A9X, which has 384 texture shaders
and 48 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 does not have integrated graphics.
0.65 GHz GPU frequency --
Q3/2015 Release date --
-- Direct X --
Apple A9X GPU name
16 nm Technology --
-- Max. displays --
384 Shaders --
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
48 Execution units --
6 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 --
Decode VC-1 --
No VP9 --
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode VP8 --
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 4.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels --
4.0 GB Max. Memory 0 bytes
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI No
No ECC No
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth --
LPDDR4-3200 Memory type
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 8 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 --
8 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) None
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A9X 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.
Q3/2015 Release date --
-- Part Number --
3.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
None Virtualization
ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design --
A9 Architecture --
16 nm Technology --
Socket
iOS Operating systems
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA)
4.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
272103
272103

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
2501
2501
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
1362
1362

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
1251
1251
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
746
746

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
1198
1198
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
903
903

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
763
763
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
367
367

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple A9X
2C 2T @ 2.26 GHz
652
652
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
NoneC NoneT @ --
344
344