Apple M1 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 870: What is the difference? (2024)

Why is Apple M1 better than Qualcomm Snapdragon 870?

• 17.78% faster CPU speed?
  4 x 3.2 GHz & 4 x 2 GHzvs1 x 3.2 GHz & 3 x 2.42 GHz & 4 x 1.8 GHz
• 2 nm smaller semiconductor size?
  5 nmvs7 nm
• 10.2 MB bigger L2 cache?
  12 MBvs1.8 MB
• 191 KB bigger L1 cache?
  192 KBvs1 KB
• 1.24 MB/core more L2 cache per core?
  1.5 MB/corevs0.26 MB/core
• 24.25 GB/s more memory bandwidth?
  68.25 GB/svs44 GB/s
• 2.12x higher multi-core Geekbench 5 result?
  7404vs3488
• 1.66x higher single-core Geekbench 5 result?
  1710vs1029

Why is Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 better than Apple M1?

• 3.8W lower TDP?
  10Wvs13.8W
• Has integrated LTE?
• 1 Higher version of DDR memory supported?
  5vs4
• Has 5G support?

Apple M1

Qualcomm Snapdragon 870

The market that the CPU is designed for.

The CPU socket/s supported.

The motherboard chipset/s supported.

With integrated graphics you don’t need to buy a separate graphics card.

Small semiconductors provide better performance and reduced power consumption. Chipsets with a higher number of transistors, semiconductor components of electronic devices, offer more computational power. A small form factor allows more transistors to fit on a chip, therefore increasing its performance.

The thermal design power (TDP) is the maximum amount of power the cooling system needs to dissipate. A lower TDP typically means that it consumes less power.

If the CPU exceeds the maximum operating temperature then problems such as random resets can occur.

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is a high-speed interface standard for connecting components, such as graphics cards and SSDs, to a motherboard. Newer versions can support more bandwidth and deliver better performance.

A higher transistor count generally indicates a newer, more powerful processor.

The CPU speed indicates how many processing cycles per second can be executed by a CPU, considering all of its cores (processing units). It is calculated by adding the clock rates of each core or, in the case of multi-core processors employing different microarchitectures, of each group of cores.

More threads result in faster performance and better multitasking.

When the CPU is running below its limitations, it can boost to a higher clock speed in order to give increased performance.

Some processors come with an unlocked multiplier which makes them easy to overclock, allowing you to gain increased performance in games and other apps.

A larger L2 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.

A larger L3 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.

A larger L1 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.

More data can be stored in the L2 cache for access by each core of the CPU.

More data can be stored in the L3 cache for access by each core of the CPU.

This benchmark measures the performance of the CPU using multiple threads.

This benchmark measures the performance of the CPU using a single thread.

Cinebench R20 is a benchmark tool that measures a CPU's multi-core performance by rendering a 3D scene.

Cinebench R20 is a benchmark tool that measures a CPU's single-core performance by rendering a 3D scene.

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's multi-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2024)

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's single-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2024)

Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's multi-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2024)

Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's single-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2024)

The Blender (bmw27) benchmark measures the performance of a processor by rendering a 3D scene. More powerful processors can render the scene in less time.

The clock speed of the graphics processing unit (GPU).

When the GPU is running below its limitations, it can boost to a higher clock speed in order to give increased performance.

A graphics processing unit (GPU) with a greater number of execution units can deliver better graphics.

DirectX is used in video games, with newer versions supporting better graphics and features. The latest version is DirectX 12 Ultimate, which includes support for ray tracing, mesh shaders, and variable rate shading (VRS).

Using multiple displays you can create a larger workspace, making it easier to work across multiple apps.

OpenGL is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics.

Some apps use OpenCL to apply the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) for non-graphical computing. Newer versions introduce more functionality and better performance.

TMUs take textures and map them to the geometry of a 3D scene. More TMUs will typically mean that texture information is processed faster.

The ROPs are responsible for some of the final steps of the rendering process, writing the final pixel data to memory and carrying out other tasks such as anti-aliasing to improve the look of graphics.

The maximum speed of RAM that is supported by the CPU.

This is the maximum rate that data can be read from or stored into memory.

DDR (Double Data Rate) memory is the most common type of RAM. Newer versions of DDR memory support higher maximum speeds and are more energy-efficient.

More memory channels increases the speed of data transfer between the memory and the CPU.

The maximum amount of memory (RAM) supported.

The bus is responsible for transferring data between different components of a computer or device.

Error-correcting code memory can detect and correct data corruption. It is used when is it essential to avoid corruption, such as scientific computing or when running a server.

A higher version of eMMC allows faster memory interfaces, having a positive effect on the performance of a device. For example, when transferring files from your computer to the internal storage over USB.

The bus is responsible for transferring data between different components of a computer or device.

Instruction sets are sets of codes that the CPU runs for certain functions.

Multithreading technology (such as Intel's Hyperthreading or AMD's Simultaneous Multithreading) provides increased performance by splitting each of the processor's physical cores into virtual cores, also known as threads. This way, each core can run two instruction streams at once.

NEON provides acceleration for media processing, such as listening to MP3s.

A technology integrated into the processor to secure the device for use with features such as mobile payments and streaming video using digital rights management (DRM).

The CPU can decode more instructions per clock (IPC), meaning that the CPU performs better

NX bit helps protect the computer from malicious attacks.

Vector Floating-Point (VFP) is used by the processor to deliver increased performance in areas such as digital imaging.

It can support faster memory, which will give quicker system performance.

DirectX is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics.

The system on a chip (SoC) has an integrated LTE cellular chip. LTE is capable of downloading at faster speeds than older, 3G technology.

OpenGL ES is used for games on mobile devices such as smartphones. Newer versions support better graphics.

This is the maximum upload speed supported. In reality, the upload speed will usually be lower, as it will be affected by other factors (for example your home/mobile network speeds).

The fifth-generation wireless technology delivers higher speeds and lower latency than the previous, fourth-generation tech.

This is the maximum download speed supported. In reality, the download speed will usually be lower, as it will be affected by other factors (such as your home/mobile network speeds).