.png "Google Tensor G5 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Geekbench Comparison")
In single core CPU tests, Google's Tensor G5 ties or narrowly beats Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In the overall benchmark charts the Snapdragon wins by 30 to 60 percent, and almost the entire gap is the GPU; the 8 Gen 3 also holds a 4 to 10 percent multi core edge. That split explains most of the verdicts written about the phones that carry these two chips, and it decides which of them you should buy in 2026, when both are a generation or two old and priced to match.
At a Glance
- Tensor G5: Pixel 10 series, August 2025, TSMC 3nm
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Galaxy S24 series, January 2024, TSMC 4nm
- Single core: a tie within about 5 percent, Geekbench 6 roughly 2,200 to 2,360 on both
- Multi core: 8 Gen 3 leads by about 4 to 10 percent
- Overall: AnTuTu about 1.1M to 1.6M (G5) vs about 1.8M to 2.2M (8 Gen 3)
- GPU: Adreno 750 scores about 2x the PowerVR DXT-48-1536 in AnTuTu
- 2026 context: both are previous generation. Tensor G6 (Pixel 11) and 8 Elite Gen 5 are the current flagships
Head to head specs
Sources: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 product brief (official), Google Pixel 10 hardware spec page (official), GSMArena, 91mobiles, cpu-monkey.
Why This Matters
This comparison stopped being a launch week story and became a buying decision. The Pixel 10 line that carries the Tensor G5 and the Galaxy S24 line that carries the 8 Gen 3 are both now discounted, and many buyers choose between them on one question: does the chip inside matter, and for what?
It also matters strategically. Google has built the Tensor line around on device AI, and the 8 Gen 3 was the peak of Qualcomm's Arm based Kryo CPU line before the Oryon core era. Where each company went from this chip, to the Tensor G6 and the 8 Elite line, is the clearest signal of where Android flagship silicon is heading.
Main Story
The CPUs are genuinely close
Geekbench 6 single core is the fairest yardstick here, and across the lab tests reviewed (Beebom, Gizmochina, 91mobiles, and the aggregated cpu-monkey database with nearly 2,000 entries) the two chips land within a few percent of each other, sometimes with the Tensor ahead. Beebom's Pixel 10 Pro measured 2,285 single core against 2,183 for the 8 Gen 3; the cpu-monkey aggregate puts the Tensor at 2,362 to 2,293.
Multi core tilts the other way, but modestly: the 8 Gen 3 leads by roughly 4 to 10 percent depending on the lab (Beebom: 6,434 to 6,191; 91mobiles: 7,376 to 6,503). In sustained use the two are nearly identical. Beebom's 3DMark CPU throttle test shows peak within 3 percent (408,383 GIPS for the G5 against 397,971) and floor within 4 percent (239,312 against 249,129). For day to day app speed, open to background, messaging, camera processing, these chips feel the same, and the Tensor's 3nm node gives it a theoretical efficiency edge that the throttle numbers do not fully show in raw GIPS.
One disclosure up front: PetaTech24 did not independently benchmark these chips. Every figure in this article is third party lab data, and the scores are presented as ranges because they vary by lab, build and AnTuTu version.
The GPU is where the 8 Gen 3 pulls away
AnTuTu's GPU sub test tells the whole story. In Beebom's run, the 8 Gen 3's Adreno 750 scored 860,385 against 382,578 for the Tensor's PowerVR DXT-48-1536, more than double. That is why the overall AnTuTu gap is as wide as it is, and why serious reviews of the Pixel 10 line mention the same trade off: a fast, consistent CPU and a GPU that works harder to hold frame rates in demanding titles.
Practically, the split looks like this. Light to mid gaming, social feeds, camera pipelines, multitasking: no meaningful difference. Heavy sustained 3D at high settings: the 8 Gen 3 holds higher frame rates with less throttling. Beebom's Wild Life Extreme stability data on the Pixel 10 Pro XL (95 percent loop to loop stability) shows the Tensor's strength is consistency rather than peak output.
Benchmark results, all labs
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Third party lab data (Beebom, Gizmochina, 91mobiles, cpu-monkey), not independently benchmarked by PetaTech24. Ranges are the honest number, not a single figure.
Different AI philosophies, same on device goal
The Tensor G5 pairs its Google TPU with Gemini Nano and the Pixel feature set, and Google tunes the whole stack, chip to software, for its own models. The 8 Gen 3 carries Qualcomm's Hexagon NPU; most secondary sources put its AI compute at 45 TOPS, a figure the product brief reviewed here does not headline, and the Tensor's TPU does not publish an equivalent. Neither chip is smarter in an absolute sense. The G5 wins on the features that are actually shipped in the Pixel UI, and the 8 Gen 3 wins on the headline number. For buyers, the on device AI argument is really a platform argument: stay in the Pixel ecosystem, or run whichever Android skin your phone ships with.
The 2026 context: both chips are last season's flagships
This is the part that makes the comparison different from its 2025 version. Google announced the Tensor G6 in August 2026 with the Pixel 11 line: a 7 core Arm C1 cluster, a TPU with roughly 50 percent more compute, and a shift to a MediaTek M90 modem, per Beebom and Gizmochina. On the Qualcomm side, the 8 Elite Gen 5, with third generation Oryon cores and an Adreno 840, is the current flagship in phones like the Galaxy S26 line, per Beebom. So in September 2026, the G5 vs 8 Gen 3 question is effectively: which of two excellent, now discounted flagships fits your use, and how much of a generation gap should you even care about?
Where each chip sits in 2026
Successor specs are announced specs per Beebom (Aug 2026) and Gizmochina (Sep 2026), not independently verified by PetaTech24.
The verdict, by use case
- Daily snappiness: a tie. Buy the phone, not the chip.
- Gaming: 8 Gen 3, by a real margin.
- On device AI and camera features: Tensor G5, because Google tunes the stack end to end.
- Heat and consistency: near tie, with the 3nm Tensor holding a small edge in theory and steady throttle behavior in practice.
- Value in 2026: both are discounted flagships; the cheaper of the two in your region wins the tie break.
What Remains Unknown
- Exact TDP figures for the G5 are not published by Google, so efficiency claims stay at the node level (3nm vs 4nm) rather than watt level.
- AnTuTu scores keep moving with each version update, so any single figure, including the ranges here, is a snapshot.
- Real world frame rate results vary by phone tuning; the data reviewed is chip level, not phone level.
- Google does not publish a standalone Tensor G5 spec sheet. Core and clock details come from device databases (GSMArena, cpu-monkey) and agree across sources.
What Happens Next
- The Pixel 11 line with the Tensor G6 is in market now; early reviews will show whether the Arm C1 cluster closes the single core gap with Oryon.
- Qualcomm's 8 Elite Gen 5 keeps taking flagships through 2026; the 8 Gen 3 remains the value pick of the Oryon transition era.
- Watch Google's modem strategy: the G6's move to a MediaTek M90 modem is the first sign the Tensor line may stop depending on Exynos silicon.
FAQ
Which chip is faster overall, Tensor G5 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3?
The 8 Gen 3, by roughly 30 to 60 percent in overall AnTuTu scores. Single core is a near tie with the Tensor sometimes ahead; multi core favors the 8 Gen 3 by 4 to 10 percent. The GPU drives the overall gap.
Which one is better for gaming?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Adreno 750 scores about double the Tensor's PowerVR GPU in AnTuTu, which shows up as higher and steadier frame rates in demanding 3D titles.
Is the Tensor G5 good at AI?
For what Google actually ships, yes. The TPU runs Gemini Nano and the Pixel camera and assistant features with the software tuned to the silicon. Qualcomm's Hexagon posts a higher raw compute figure in secondary coverage (about 45 TOPS), but raw NPU compute and shipped AI features are not the same thing.
Will a Pixel 10 overheat?
The 3nm node and the throttle data suggest no worse than its rivals. Beebom's sustained CPU test showed the G5 within 4 percent of the 8 Gen 3 at both peak and floor, and its 3DMark loop to loop stability was 95 percent, which is a consistency strength.
Should I buy a Tensor G5 phone or an 8 Gen 3 phone in 2026?
Both are previous generation and discounted. If you game a lot, take the 8 Gen 3 phone. If you want Google's on device AI, the camera pipeline and the Pixel ecosystem, take the Tensor G5 phone. For everything else, the cheaper unit in your region is the right answer.
Bottom Line
What is confirmed: single core performance is within about 5 percent of each other (with the Tensor sometimes ahead), the 8 Gen 3 holds a 4 to 10 percent multi core edge and a GPU roughly double the Tensor G5's in lab tests, and both chips are now previous generation flagships selling at discounted prices.
Why it matters: in 2026 this is a value buying decision dressed up as a chip rivalry, and the GPU gap is the only part of the spec sheet that should change your choice.
What remains uncertain: single figure benchmark scores (they move with every AnTuTu version), the exact efficiency story at the watt level, and how the Tensor G6 and 8 Elite Gen 5 reshuffle the value table this fall.
Sources / Attribution
- Qualcomm, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform Product Brief (official, docs.qualcomm.com): 4nm process, core configuration, clocks up to 3.4/3.2/2.3 GHz, Adreno ray tracing, X75 modem
- Google, Pixel phone hardware tech specs (support.google.com): Tensor G5 with Titan M2 on the Pixel 10 line and Pixel 10 Pro Fold
- GSMArena, Pixel 10 Pro page: Tensor G5 core and clock details, 3nm
- Wikipedia, Pixel 10 Pro (Aug 22, 2026): Exynos 5400 modem, TSMC N3E node, 16GB LPDDR5X
- Beebom, "Google Tensor G5 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Benchmarks and Specs" (Aug 28, 2025): AnTuTu and Geekbench 6 lab scores, GPU sub scores, CPU throttle test, 3DMark stability
- Gizmochina, "Tensor G5 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Benchmarks and specs" (Aug 25, 2025): second lab scores
- 91mobiles, Tensor G5 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor pages: core configuration, clocks, node, GPU identity, aggregate lab scores
- cpu-monkey, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Tensor G5 comparison (May 2026): aggregated Geekbench 6 data across roughly 2,000 entries
- Tech Nerdiness, "Tensor G5 Explained" (Sep 25, 2025) and Tensor G5 breakdown (Feb 24, 2026): TSMC 3nm context, 3DMark Wild Life Extreme results
- Geekbench browser database: device level single core entries for Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro
- Gizmochina, "Tensor G6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite" (Sep 4, 2026) and Beebom, "Google Tensor G6 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5" (Aug 12, 2026) and "Google Tensor G6: Benchmarks and Specs" (Aug 26, 2026): announced successor chip specs
Internal link suggestion: PetaTech24's iOS 27 and iPhone 18 coverage for cross platform context, and any existing Galaxy S24 or Pixel 10 review.
Source Verification
Note: PetaTech24 did not independently benchmark these chips. Single source TDP and gaming FPS claims were dropped. AnTuTu figures are reported as ranges across four labs rather than a single number.
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