We continue our cycle of comparative reviews of chipsets. From 8,000 to 12,000 rubles, you can buy a smartphone based on: MediaTek Helio X10 and X20 , Qualcomm Snapdragon 616, 617, 625 and 650.
Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there were no smartphones on sale based on the Helio P20 or Snapdragon 652 chipset worth less than 12,000 rubles, they will have to be rescheduled for the next time.
The official information about the branded chipsets Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi (Surge S1) still cried. After the final comparison of the flagship solutions from MediaTek and Qualcomm, you can inspect them based on tests. Do I need to do this, it's up to you
Menu
- CPU and GPU
- RAM, ROM and SD
- Modems
- Sound
- conclusions
616
The chipset is used in Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus, ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser ZE601KL, Xiaomi Redmi 3 and others.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 is an improved version of the 615th. This is reflected in its marking – MSM8939v2 versus MSM8939 in Snapdragon 615. Compared to its predecessor, the frequency of the Cortex A-53 cores (in two clusters of 4) has slightly increased. It was 1.0 + 1.5, now 1.2 + 1.7 GHz. But these are not all the differences, below we will see how the chipset was brought to mind.
We decided to use Adreno 405 as a GPU in Qualcomm Snapdragon 616. Let me remind you that this video processor is faster than Adreno 505 (in Snapdragon 430, 435 and 625). Supports modern graphics libraries OpenGL ES 3.1, DirectX 11.2, OpenCL Full Profile, plus hardware tessellation and geometry shading. Some users complain about overheating of the smartphone during games, maybe this led, in the future, to the abandonment of this GPU as part of chipsets.
617
The chipset is installed in Alcatel IDOL 4 6055K, ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini, Samsung Galaxy C5 and others. The chipset received the main distribution in a more expensive segment than 'up to 12,000 rubles', but, as they say, 'the claw is stuck – the whole bird is gone.'
In this chipset, Qualcomm decided not to experiment with the ARM big.LITTLE principle among absolutely identical Cortex A-53s, differing only in clock frequency. Two clusters of four A-53 cores each operate at a frequency of 1.5 GHz.
GPU – Adreno 405, the same as in 615-616.
650 (618)
Don't be surprised friends, initially Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 was number 618, but then Qualcomm replayed the situation. Used in smartphones: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro, as well as others that go far beyond 'up to 12,000 rubles'. Among them: Xiaomi Mi Max (1), Sony Xperia X and X Compact.
So, we have all the same 28 nm, but the CPU part has grown significantly. Now, in addition to one 4-core ARM Cortex A-53 cluster, there are two Cortex A-72 cores. The cores operate at 1.4 and 1.8 GHz, respectively. In normal use, the four A-53s work, and when you start 'heavy games' or open several heavy tabs in the browser, a couple of mighty A-72 cores are connected. How do you know how powerful the 2 Cortex A-72 cores are? To do this, let's take the test results for one core and compare them with other chipsets. The best test for this (IMHO) is Geekbench 4.0. The results are indicative – one A-72 core in Snapdragon 650 is equal in processing power to the A-72 core in Snapdragon 820 (and 821/835), is on a par with the 'adult' processors Intel Celeron N3450, Pentium N3510 and AMD A8-7410. In practice, this means that in a 2-thread application (and there are most of them in Android), a smartphone with this chipset is capable of delivering the maximum computing power available today.
With GPU Adreno 510, the situation is interesting. Nothing is known about the frequency of the video processor and its background. However, in Snapdragon 650, the Adreno 510 video processor shows parity (according to tests) with the Adreno 418 (Snapdragon 808) and faster than the Adreno 330 (Snapdragon 800-801) by 20-25%. Compared to the Adreno 405 (Snapdragon 615, 616 and 617), the performance has doubled. It will be possible to play all modern games at high and maximum graphics settings, the entire CPU + GPU bundle can be called gaming. Qualcomm claims that all modern graphics libraries are supported. Briefly and clearly. I would like to warn those who like to refer to Wikipedia when challenging official information from the manufacturer – not a word about AMD's Vulcan support on the Qualcomm website and in the information for developers.
625
Unlike other current competitors from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 625 is made using a 14nm (versus 28nnm) process technology. From the very beginning of its appearance, the 625th began to be installed in expensive devices and, only thanks to its use in Xiaomi Note 4X, we have the pleasure of contemplating it in today's comparison of 'up to 12,000' rubles. Other notable smartphones with this chipset: Huawei Nova and Nova Plus, Asus ZenFone 3 (some), Lenovo P2, Xiaomi Mi Max 2 , Samsung Galaxy C7, Motorola Moto Z Play, BlackBerry KEYone.
I would like to write that the CPU part is represented by an 8-core Cortex A-53 processor, but alas, the Cortex A-53 architecture is limited by the limit of 4 cores per cluster. Therefore, there are 2 clusters of 4 cores in each, although the difference is small, but it is there. As for performance, there is no direct relationship between the transition from 28nm to 14nnm process technology, however, reduced power consumption and (as a result) heat dissipation allow all cores to operate at a clock frequency of 2 GHz for a long time.
GPU Adreno 506 runs at 650 MHz. The performance increase over the Adreno 505 was 24% (according to tests) when using a FullHD screen. The support for graphics libraries has also been slightly refreshed: OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 2.0 Full, DirectX 12, GPU Tessellation, Geometry Shading – this list can be called complete, nothing new for mobile devices yet. The chipset is not fully gaming, but it will allow you to play all modern games at medium and high settings.
X10
There are still many smartphones on the market with this chipset. The price tag starts to creep up starting from Xiaomi (of course) and goes far beyond 12,000 rubles. Smartphones: Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 and Note 3, Meizu Metal, HTC Desire 830, HTC One S9 and X9, Sony Xperia M5, LeEco Le 1S and Lumigon T3.
As a CPU, two clusters of 4 Cortex A-53 cores are used, operating at a frequency of 2 GHz. Full parity with CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 at the moment, but the 'old' 28-nnm process technology in X10 does not allow the cores to work at maximum frequency for a long time without overheating and reducing the frequency. It is enough to watch streams with game tests to be convinced of this.
The very controversial PowerVR G6200 video processor was chosen as the GPU. Controversial, first of all, because already at the time of its appearance (2014), its equal competitors Adreno 320 and ARM Mali-T624 MP4 had already become outdated. The list of supported graphics libraries is stuck between past and present and consists of: OpenGL 3.x / 4.x, OpenGL ES 3.0, and DirectX 10.
X20
10-nuclear beast from MediaTek is in smartphones: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Meizu MX6, LeEco Le 2 X620 and many others .
The CPU consists of 10 cores in three clusters. The manufacturing process is also unusual – 20 nm. Two clusters are represented by Cortex A-53 cores that have already set the teeth on edge, operating at frequencies of 1.4 and 1.85 GHz. The third cluster contains 2 Cortex A-72 cores operating at a frequency of 2.1 GHz. This is the official data MediaTek. According to performance tests per core, the A-72 in the Helio X20 is roughly equal to the Krio cores in the Snapdragon 820/821 and the Cortex A-72 in the 650/652.
GPU ARM Mali-T880 MP4 supports OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 1.2 and DirectX 11.2. In tests (3D Mark) Mali-T880 MP4 (780 MHz) is 8-10% inferior to Adreno 510 (In Snapdragon 650), but confidently bypasses Adreno 405 and 505 in Snapdragon 615-617 and 430-435 by 20 and 50%, respectively . In general, the solution can be called a game one, it will be possible to play decisively in all modern games at high and maximum graphics settings.
616
Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 uses only LPDDR3 RAM operating at 800 MHz. This is an average result for the middle price segment.
Communication with the flash drive is carried out according to the JEDEC E.MMC 4.5 standard (up to 200 Mb / s on the bus). The result for this price segment is average, there are not enough stars from the sky.
As previously reported, all restrictions on working with memory cards are artificial and unique for each specific smartphone. From the side of the chipsets we examined (all), there is only one limitation – a maximum of 1TB and this limitation is imposed by the Cortex A-53 architecture itself. But it can also be circumvented by adding an additional controller to the motherboard, the manufacturer, of course, will not do this.
617
Unlike 616, in Snapdragon 617 the frequency of used LPDDR3 RAM increased to 933 MHz. There are no other fundamental differences from 615 and 616.
650 (618)
This is the first time we come across LPDDR3 dual-channel RAM in this chipset. The situation is exactly the same as with BB (big brother). In typical applications, the productivity gains due to 'dual channel' are at most 2-5%. At the same time, all delays associated with the use of RAM are reduced. The principle remains true – 6 GB of “single-channel” and slower memory is better than 4 GB of fast “dual-channel”.
Qualcomm is silent about the speed of working with the drive.
625
The manufacturer indicates only the type of RAM – LPDDR3 and nothing else. Nothing is known about working with the drive either.
X10
The RAM in MediaTek Helio X10 operates in dual-channel mode, LPDDR3 is used at a frequency of 933 MHz. These are good metrics that give you an edge in any task.
The manufacturer is silent about working with the drive, probably there may be options.
X20
As in its predecessor, LPDDR3 is used in dual-channel mode (a sure sign of 'flagship'), but the frequency was slightly underestimated and now it is 800 MHz (against 933).
The chipset communicates with the drive at a speed of up to 400 MB / s (via the bus), according to the JEDEC E.MMC 5.1 standard.
616
Unlike the 615th, the Qualcomm X5 LTE Global Mode is used here. Let me remind you a short list of its characteristics: LTE FDD, LTE TDD, WCDMA (3C-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA), CDMA1x, EV-DO Rev. B, TD-SCDMA and GSM / EDGE. LTE works in category 4 for both SIM cards, i.e. 150 Mbps upload and 50 Mbps upload. But its strength is not in the supported frequencies (their number is typical), but in multistage filters and signal amplifiers that ensure stable reception.
As with the 615, Qualcomm® IZat ™ location services Gen8C technology includes full support for GPS, GLONASS and Beidou. You've probably already noticed that Qualcomm stubbornly ignores the European satellite navigation system Galileo, with which it is unknown. Maybe because it is still only at the stage of deployment and is not working in full force.
For connections to Wi-Fi networks, VIVE 1-stream 802.11n / ac proprietary technology is used. In addition to supporting 5G Hz, even in the usual 2.4GHz mode, Qualcomm promises up to x3 increase in data transfer speed. I don't know how important this is for ordinary users, given the speed limits of the cable connection itself, but it will come in handy for someone. Bluetooth Smart v4.0 is used to connect to peripherals.
617
Using the even more powerful Qualcomm X8 LTE guarantees download / upload speeds of 300/100 Mbps.
All further Qualcomm models use 'Qualcomm® IZat ™ location services Gen8C' which means (among others) support for GPS, GLONASS and Beidou. In the following descriptions, I will simply list them.
Wi-Fi connection is carried out using some kind of modem, which provides fewer options than Qualcomm VIVE1-stream technology. However, operation in 5G Hz is supported. Bluetooth BT4.1 + BLE versions.
650 (618)
The Snapdragon 650 chipset has a Qualcomm X8 LTE modem (see above), Qualcomm® VIVE ™ 1-stream (see above) and Bluetooth Smart 4.1 provide almost flagship capabilities for the mid-range chipset. Navigation – GPS, GLONASS and Beidou.
625
The Snapdragon 625 has a Qualcomm X9LTE modem installed. Unlike the X8, the download / transmission speed over the LTE channel has grown to 300/150 Mbps.
The satellite systems GPS, GLONASS and Beidou are still supported.
As in the 617th, an unknown dual-band Wi-Fi modem 2.4 – 5G Hz is used. Peripheral devices are connected via BT4.1 + BLE.
X10
Unknown modem supports: DC-HSPA +, GSM-EDGE, FDD / TDD LTE, TD-SCDMA, WDCDMA. The set, in principle, is similar to that in Qualcomm X5. However, the funny thing is that the official information about X10 tells about the modem MediaTek Сat6, but it is mentioned in relation to the X25, X20, P10, MT6750 and MT6738 chipsets. I would like to ask MediaTek – why did you mention about the modem Mediatek Cat6, if it is not used in X10, and LTE works over Cat4 (150/50 Mbps) ???
With regard to navigation, all current satellite systems are supported: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo.
To connect to the home (work) Internet, an unknown Wi-Fi modem is used, and to connect every little thing to our services, again, an unknown one Bluetooth.
X20
The chipset works in communication standards: CDMA2000 (welcome back!), GSM-EDGE, FDD / TDD LTE, HSPA +, TD-SCDMA, WDCDMA. And here the modem MediaTek Cat6 and the accompanying microcircuit called the MT6300Envelope Tracking Module, which saves charge and prevents overheating, is just used. The download and transmission speeds over the LTE channel are 300 and 50 Mbps, respectively. In theory, in terms of data transfer speed, the modem in Helio X20 is inferior to those in Snapdragon 617, 625 and 650, but surpasses Snapdragon 616 and 615.
Support for all major satellite navigation systems – GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo – has not gone anywhere.
With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the situation is the same – the manufacturer does not indicate their type, apparently, there is nothing to be proud of or it does not matter, from his point of view.
There is nothing special to write about the sound in this price category. Qualcomm continues to use proprietary technologies to improve it, and Mediatek has achieved conditional quality (no complaints about sound from customers). This item will no longer exist in the category of 12,000 rubles or more.
We see a total superiority of the 'middle' chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 over yesterday's flagship MediaTek, represented by Helio X20. The 650 has a better video processor (GPU), better modems (X9). The Helio X20 boasts 20nm fabrication technology versus 28nm in the Snapdragon 650, but the difference in power consumption, which could be an advantage, is leveled by fewer cores in the 650th.
If we compare the Helio X20 with the economical Snapdragon 625, then the brainchild MediaTek is more suitable for toys, but loses by a significant margin in autonomy.
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Comparison of chipsets in smartphones for 5000 – 8000 rubles.