A recent Geekbench 6 comparison highlights a performance difference between two versions of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. The 7-core cluster variant shows a notable performance decrease in multi-core tasks compared to the 8-core overclocked version.
Two Snapdragon 8 Elite Configurations
Qualcomm is offering two Snapdragon 8 Elite variants: one with an 8-core CPU cluster, and a new version with a 7-core cluster. The 7-core variant was recently benchmarked in the OPPO Find N5 foldable smartphone. While both variants have the same performance and efficiency core clock speeds of 4.32GHz and 3.53GHz, respectively, the core count difference does lead to a performance gap.
Geekbench 6 Results
The OPPO Find N5, featuring the 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite, achieved a multi-core score of 8,865 on Geekbench 6. This is approximately 14 percent lower than the score of the 8-core overclocked version, whose performance cores run at a higher 4.47GHz. The single-core scores were within expected ranges.
Possible Reasons for 7-Core Variant
The article suggests that OPPO may have opted for the 7-core version to reduce component costs in their ultra-thin Find N5 foldable phone, allowing them to increase their profit margin. While the difference in scores might primarily be seen in benchmarks, some premium users might still want the best performance possible.
Key Takeaways
- Qualcomm offers two versions of the Snapdragon 8 Elite: 8-core and 7-core.
- The 7-core variant is 14% slower in multi-core tests on Geekbench 6.
- The 7-core version may be used by OEMs to cut costs in certain devices.
- Real-world performance differences might not be as noticeable.
Source: Geekbench 6
