.png "Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Dimensity 9400 SoC Benchmark Comparison")
Qualcomm and MediaTek released their 2024 flagship chips two weeks apart, on the same TSMC 3nm process, with almost opposite ideas about how a phone chip should be built. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite pushed custom CPU cores to a record 4.32 GHz, while MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 stacked eight big Arm cores behind identical memory speed. Nearly two years on, both chips power some of the best value flagships on the market, so the differences between them still decide real purchases.
At a Glance
- Both chips use TSMC's second-generation 3nm (N3E) process and support LPDDR5X RAM up to 24GB.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite: 2 custom Oryon cores at 4.32 GHz plus 6 at 3.53 GHz, a 2+6 layout.
- Dimensity 9400: 1 Cortex-X925 at 3.62 GHz, 3 Cortex-X4 and 4 Cortex-A720, a 1+3+4 all-big-core layout.
- Lab benchmarks favor the Snapdragon: 3,184 vs 2,819 in Geekbench 6 single-core and 2.81M vs 2.54M in AnTuTu.
- The Adreno 830 GPU also outscores the Immortalis-G925, but reviews found real-world gaming close.
- Both now have successors, so phones carrying these chips sell for less in 2026.
Why This Matters
In 2026, this comparison is a value question. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 arrived in late 2025, which pushed the previous generation down in price. That makes phones like the OnePlus 13, Galaxy S25, Vivo X200 and Oppo Find X8 some of the smartest flagship buys right now: last-generation chips, current-generation performance.
The catch is that the two platforms are not identical. The Snapdragon wins most benchmark charts, but the Dimensity often sits inside cheaper phones with aggressive battery specs. Knowing which differences are real, and which only show up in test labs, is the difference between overpaying and getting a bargain.
CPU: Custom Oryon Against All Big Arm Cores
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750) on October 21, 2024, at its annual Snapdragon Summit. MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 9400 two weeks earlier, on October 7, 2024. Both companies used TSMC's second-generation 3nm N3E node, and both removed small efficiency cores entirely. From there, almost everything diverges.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite carries the second generation of Qualcomm's custom Oryon CPU: two prime cores at up to 4.32 GHz, the highest clock speed in any phone chip at announcement, plus six performance cores at 3.53 GHz. The Dimensity 9400 takes the opposite route with Arm's newest cores in an all-big-core layout: one Cortex-X925 prime at 3.62 GHz, three Cortex-X4 at 3.3 GHz and four Cortex-A720 at 2.4 GHz. MediaTek says the X925 delivers 15 percent more instructions per clock than the Cortex-X4, while Qualcomm claims a 45 percent single-core jump over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
The scoreboard favors Qualcomm. In 91mobiles lab data, the Snapdragon leads Geekbench 6 single-core 3,184 to 2,819, about 13 percent, and multi-core 10,105 to 8,515. The AnTuTu 10 totals finish 2,810,079 to 2,537,181, about 11 percent apart. Scores vary by device, RAM and cooling, and these are highest recorded figures, but the pattern repeats across independent reviews. Notably, the AnTuTu CPU sub-scores are nearly tied at 598,383 versus 588,394, so everyday app speed feels far closer than the headline numbers suggest.
GPU: Adreno 830 Against Immortalis-G925
The graphics fight is closer than the CPU one. Qualcomm's Adreno 830 uses a new slice-based design and is about 40 percent faster and 40 percent more power-efficient than the Adreno 750, with 35 percent better ray tracing. MediaTek's Immortalis-G925 MC12, clocked at up to 1.61 GHz, claims a 41 percent peak performance gain and 44 percent lower graphics power than its predecessor, with hardware ray tracing.
In the AnTuTu GPU sub-test the Adreno still wins, 1,207,894 to 1,134,289, and it generally leads 3DMark-style graphics tests across reviews. But Android Authority's testing found the Dimensity 9400 puts up a great fight against the Snapdragon 8 Elite in real games, and both chips run top mobile titles at high settings. The GPU gap is real in benchmarks and mostly invisible in daily play.
Modem, Memory and the Parts You Actually Feel
Two spec sheet rows matter more than they look. First, the modem: the Snapdragon pairs with the X80, rated at 10 Gbps downlink with mmWave support, which matters on US networks. The Dimensity integrates a Release-17 5G modem rated at 7 Gbps on sub-6 bands only. Second, memory: both chips support LPDDR5X at 5333 MHz, roughly 85 GB/s of bandwidth, so the RAM line in marketing slides is effectively a tie. Both image processors handle up to 320MP sensors and 8K video, and both NPUs run on-device large language models, with MediaTek pushing its agentic AI engine and Qualcomm its Hexagon stack.
Benchmark source: 91mobiles lab database as of August 2026, highest recorded scores. Results vary by device, RAM and cooling.
The Phones You Buy Them In
The Snapdragon 8 Elite shipped in the Xiaomi 15, OnePlus 13, iQOO 13, Asus ROG Phone 9 and Samsung's Galaxy S25 series, which uses a slightly faster Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy variant with prime cores at 4.47 GHz. At launch, the OnePlus 13 cost 899.99 US dollars in the US and 1,029 euros in Europe, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra started at 1,299.99 US dollars and about 1,449 euros in Europe.
The Dimensity 9400 shipped in the Vivo X200 series and Oppo Find X8 series, which launched first in Asia. The Vivo X200 started at 4,300 yuan in China, about 600 US dollars or roughly 555 euros, and the X200 Pro started at 5,299 yuan, about 745 US dollars or roughly 690 euros. That price gap is the Dimensity's strongest argument: similar flagship performance for noticeably less money, though availability outside Asia has been narrower.
Which Should You Pick
This section is PetaTech24's assessment, not a manufacturer claim. Choose the Snapdragon 8 Elite if you want the highest benchmark scores, the stronger GPU test results, or a phone sold officially in the US with mmWave, such as the Galaxy S25 series or OnePlus 13. Choose the Dimensity 9400 if value is the priority: it delivers roughly 90 percent of the performance, often inside phones that cost hundreds less.
The most honest advice is that the phone matters more than the chip. Display, cameras, battery, software updates and local warranty support will shape your experience far more than a 13 percent single-core difference. If two phones are otherwise equal, take the Snapdragon. If the Dimensity phone is meaningfully cheaper, take the Dimensity.
FAQ
Which is better overall, Snapdragon 8 Elite or Dimensity 9400?
On paper, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It leads every major lab benchmark: Geekbench 6 single-core by about 13 percent, multi-core by about 19 percent and AnTuTu 10 by about 11 percent, according to 91mobiles data. In daily use, reviews consistently find the gap much smaller than the numbers suggest.
What is the Geekbench 6 difference?
The Snapdragon 8 Elite scores 3,184 single-core and 10,105 multi-core in 91mobiles lab data. The Dimensity 9400 scores 2,819 single-core and 8,515 multi-core. Scores vary by device, RAM and cooling.
Which chip is better for gaming?
The Adreno 830 GPU outscores the Immortalis-G925 in AnTuTu graphics, 1,207,894 to 1,134,289, and leads most sustained graphics tests. In real games, both run top titles at high settings, and reviewers found the practical difference small.
Which phones use each chip?
Snapdragon 8 Elite: Xiaomi 15, OnePlus 13, Galaxy S25 series, iQOO 13, ROG Phone 9. Dimensity 9400: Vivo X200 series, Oppo Find X8 series, and later models such as the Vivo X200s with the Dimensity 9400+ refresh.
Are these chips still worth buying in 2026?
Yes. Their successors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500, arrived in September 2025, so phones with the 2024 chips now sell at lower prices while remaining flagship-grade performers.
Bottom Line
The Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 are built on the same TSMC 3nm N3E process and support the same memory, but Qualcomm's custom Oryon cores win the benchmark war: roughly 13 percent ahead in single-core, 19 percent in multi-core and 11 percent in AnTuTu, with the stronger GPU score. The Dimensity 9400 answers with an all-big-core design, nearly tied AnTuTu CPU performance, aggressive power claims and phones that launched at much lower prices. In 2026, both are discounted last-generation flagships, and either one still outperforms what most people need. Buy the phone, not just the chip.
Sources and Attribution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite announcement and specifications, October 21, 2024, via XDA-Developers and Android Central spec sheets.
- MediaTek Dimensity 9400 announcement and specifications, October 7, 2024, via Beebom and Android Central spec sheets.
- Benchmark figures: 91mobiles processor database, highest recorded lab scores as of August 2026.
- Real-world gaming comparison: Android Authority testing of the Dimensity 9400 against the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
- Launch prices: Frandroid for OnePlus 13 European pricing (1,029 euros), SamMobile and WinFuture for Galaxy S25 Ultra European pricing (1,449 euros), Times of India and Gadgets360 for Vivo X200 series China pricing (from 4,300 yuan), and launch coverage for US prices (OnePlus 13 at 899.99 dollars, Galaxy S25 Ultra at 1,299.99 dollars).
- Successor context: 9to5Google for Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (September 24, 2025) and Android Authority for Dimensity 9500 (September 22, 2025).
- Conversion note: yuan figures are PetaTech24 conversions at about 7.1 yuan per US dollar, and euro conversions from US dollar figures use late-2024 exchange rates of roughly 0.92 to 0.93 euro per dollar. European prices shown are official local launch prices where available.
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