With the release of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, we have seen a leap forward in both performance and efficiency. Qualcomm has made significant improvements in areas such as CPU performance, AI capabilities, GPU enhancements, and connectivity. Since Snapdragon 8 Elite is the successor to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it is important to compare these platforms to understand how better Snapdragon 8 Elite is.
| Category | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Process Technology | 3nm | 4nm |
| CPU | Qualcomm Oryon CPU (2nd Gen) 2x 2nd-gen Oryon (4.32GHz) 6x 2nd-gen Oryon (3.53GHz | ARM Cortex-X4 Prime Core 1x 3.3GHz (Cortex-X4) 3x 3.2GHz (Cortex-A720) 2x 3.0GHz (Cortex-A720) 2x 2.3GHz (Cortex-A520) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 GPU (Sliced architecture) | Adreno 750 GPU |
| AI Engine | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU On-device multimodal AI support | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU |
| Memory | Dual-channel LPDDR5X at 5.3GHz | Dual-channel LPDDR5X at 4.8GHz |
| Storage | UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.0 |
| Gaming | Real-time ray tracing, Unreal Engine 5.3, Nanite | Real-time ray tracing |
| Camera | Qualcomm Spectra™ AI ISP 320 MP photo, 4K @ 120 FPS video capture 8K HDR video at 60 FPS | Qualcomm Spectra™ ISP 200 MP photo, 4K @ 120 FPS video capture 8K HDR video at 30 FPS |
| AI-Powered Camera features | Enhanced AI segmentation (250+ layers), AI Pet Capture | AI segmentation, AI face detection |
| Display | 4K @ 60 Hz, QHD+ @ 240 Hz, 8K @ 30 Hz external support | 4K @ 60 Hz, QHD+ @ 144 Hz, 8K @ 30 Hz external support |
| Audio | Qualcomm aptX Lossless, Spatial Audio with head-tracking | Qualcomm aptX Lossless |
| 5G Modem | Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System Up to 10 Gbps Peak Download Up to 3.5 Gbps Peak Upload | Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System Up to 10 Gbps Peak Download Up to 3.5 Gbps Peak Upload |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, UWB | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Charging | Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 | Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 |
| Security | Truepic with C2PA for video and audio, IP protection for AI models | Standard security features |
Snapdragon 8 Elite uses TSMC’s 3nm process and promises better efficiency and improved performance. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 relies on a 4nm process. The smaller node in the Elite helps achieve lower power consumption and higher performance as compared to its predecessor. Qualcomm claims that Snapdragon 8 Elite is 44% more power-efficient than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, thanks to its 3nm node and advanced power-saving architecture.
Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with 2nd-gen Oryon CPU cores. It has Octa-core setup that includes 2x Oryon cores at 4.32 GHz (performance) and 6x Oryon cores at 3.53 GHz (efficiency). Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 came with Kryo CPU cores. It features Octa-core setup with 1x Cortex-X4 (3.3 GHz), 3x Cortex-A720 (3.2 GHz), 2x Cortex-A720 (3.0 GHz), and 2x Cortex-A520 (2.3 GHz)
2nd-gen Oryon CPU cores in Snapdragon 8 Elite offer a significant upgrade over the Kryo CPU cores in Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Qualcomm says the Oryon-powered CPU can offer 45% more powerful performance in both single and multi-core performances as compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
the new 8-series Adreno 830 GPU in Snapdragon 8 Elite also promises 40% better performance and 35% better ray-tracing performance over Adreno 750 GPU on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Qualcomm used the new Sliced architecture in Adreno 830 GPU. There are three slices clocked up to 1.1GHz each. The new GPU promises 35% better graphics performance and faster rendering by using onboard GMEM. Qualcomm also claims that Adreno 830 GPU consumers 40% less power.
Snapdragon 8 Elite supports faster memory speeds, with LPDDR5X clocked at 5.3 GHz, compared to 4.8 GHz in Gen 3. It results in faster multitasking, app loading, and AI processing.
Snapdragon 8 Elite has an upgraded AI engine with its upgraded Hexagon NPU. Qualcomm added new NPU Cores for a 45% boost in AI performance as compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Snapdragon 8 Elite supports on-device multimodal AI models and Generative AI applications. This enables AI-driven features such as real-time language translation, image editing, and voice commands without the need for cloud processing. On the other hand, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 had AI enhancement but wasn’t optimized for on-device Generative AI.
Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with AI-powered Spectra ISP. It supports up to 320 MP photo capture, up to 8K HDR video recording at 60 FPS, and features like AI-enhanced segmentation and video object erasing. That’s a big improvement in camera performance. It also uses AI-based segmentation to separate and enhance different elements of an image or video in real time.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has Cognitive Spectra ISP and is limited to 200 MP photo capture and 8K HDR at 30 FPS.
Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System offering Peak download speeds of up to 10 Gbps and upload speeds of up to 3.5 Gbps. It provides a better AI-enhanced connectivity performance.X75 Modem in Snapdragon Gen 3 offers comparable download and upload speeds but lacks AI advancements. Snapdragon 8 Elite also adds Bluetooth 6.0 for higher bandwidth and UWB for proximity-based features. It was missing in Snapdragon Gen 3.
Conclusion
The Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with big improvements over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in nearly every aspect, from CPU performance and AI capabilities to GPU and ISP enhancements. It offers a 45% increase in processing power, 40% better GPU performance, and 44% more power efficiency. Combined with Generative AI support, the Snapdragon 8 Elite turns out to be the most advanced SoC for smartphones. Snapdragon 8 Elite also seems a capable chip fo compete well against Apple’s A18 Pro in terms of performance-per-watt.
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