Rumors suggest that MediaTek's upcoming Dimensity 9500 processor will have slower clock speeds than Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Dimensity 9500's performance cores are reportedly being tested at 4.00GHz, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite's default frequency of 4.32GHz.
Dimensity 9500 Core Configuration
A recently deleted Reddit post, captured by @curunnil, revealed that the Dimensity 9500 will feature two Cortex-X930 cores clocked at 4.00GHz and six Cortex-A730 cores running at 3.50GHz. While this is an improvement over the Dimensity 9400's 3.62GHz Cortex-X925, it is still potentially slower than the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s Oryon performance cores.
Snapdragon 8 Elite's Clock Speed Advantage
The Snapdragon 8 Elite's performance cores can reportedly reach 4.57GHz with sufficient cooling, showing a significant clock speed advantage over the rumored 4.00GHz for the Dimensity 9500's Cortex-X930 cores. Furthermore, the next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is rumored to be tested with its performance cores at 5.00GHz, widening the gap further.
Custom Cores and Future Implications
Qualcomm's decision to develop in-house Oryon cores was driven by the belief that ARM's designs were falling behind. Apple has also adopted a similar strategy, allowing their A18 and A18 Pro chips to achieve performance core speeds of 4.04GHz. While MediaTek may not have pursued custom CPU cores due to potential legal issues with ARM, the recent Qualcomm victory in a case against ARM might change that in the future.
It is too early to draw firm conclusions. Further information about the Dimensity 9500's architecture and clock speeds will be needed to assess its performance against the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
