Dimensity 9500 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite 2: The Race for 2025’s Most Powerful Chip Begins!

Usama AnjumLast Updated: Apr 29, 2025

As the smartphone industry readies for its next leap forward, MediaTek and Qualcomm are once again set to clash at the premium end of the market. MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9500, the anticipated successor to the 9400+, is shaping up to be a major contender against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Both chipsets are expected to launch around October 2025, and each is promising significant leaps in performance, efficiency, and AI capabilities. The stakes are high, especially for flagship phones like the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S26, which will rely on these chips to push the boundaries of what smartphones can do. Let’s dive into how these two silicon giants stack up across architecture, GPU, AI, and more.

Performance and CPU Architecture

The heart of any chipset lies in its CPU architecture, and both the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 and Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 promise significant upgrades. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 is expected to feature a new prime core called the Cortex-X930, supported by three Cortex-X930 performance cores and four Cortex-A730 efficiency cores. This setup ensures a blend of power and efficiency for tasks ranging from gaming to AI processing. Built on TSMC’s 3nm N3P process, it promises better performance and power efficiency than its predecessor, the Dimensity 9400+.

In contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 takes performance up a notch with Qualcomm’s second-generation Oryon CPU cores. These cores are expected to boost performance by around 25% compared to the original Snapdragon 8 Elite. The chip will feature two Prime CPU cores for demanding tasks and six Performance cores for less intensive operations. This configuration promises a solid balance between speed and energy efficiency, ensuring that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 can handle everything from gaming to multitasking with ease.

GPU and AI Capabilities

Both chips are focused on delivering impressive GPU performance, with notable upgrades in their respective architectures. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 includes the Immortalis-Drage GPU, which introduces a new microarchitecture to improve ray tracing capabilities and reduce power consumption. This GPU, combined with a 16MB L3 cache and 10MB SLC cache, ensures smooth graphics and faster processing speeds for demanding applications.

On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 also steps up its GPU game with a significant 30% improvement over its predecessor. One of the major upgrades here is the increase in the GPU’s independent cache to 16MB from the previous 12MB, which should result in better graphics performance, particularly for tasks like gaming and 3D rendering. Qualcomm’s GPU also promises improved efficiency, allowing devices to run demanding apps without overheating or draining too much power.

Memory and Storage

When it comes to memory, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 leads with the inclusion of LPDDR6 RAM, which is the next-generation memory standard, offering faster data transfer rates ranging from 10.667 Gbps to 14.4 Gbps. This leap in memory technology should translate into smoother multitasking, quicker load times, and overall faster performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 supports both LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 RAM, providing users with flexibility depending on the device.

Meanwhile, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 supports LPDDR5x RAM with a frequency of 10667 Mbps and utilizes the UFS 4.1 storage standard, allowing for faster data access and improved storage efficiency. While it doesn’t yet support LPDDR6, the combination of LPDDR5x and UFS 4.1 is still a significant upgrade over older technologies and should deliver excellent performance for most users.

AI and Efficiency

AI capabilities are crucial for modern chipsets, and both the Dimensity 9500 and Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 shine in this area. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 is expected to boast a 100 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which should deliver lightning-fast AI performance for tasks like image processing, natural language processing, and machine learning. The NPU is also expected to work alongside the Immortalis-Drage GPU for enhanced AI and machine learning tasks.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 also offers a strong AI performance, with a significant performance gain over the original Snapdragon 8 Elite. The chip’s 25%-30% improvement in performance, coupled with its efficient GPU and NPU, positions it as a strong competitor in AI-based applications. Qualcomm’s strategic decision to use the 3nm N3P process for production means the chip will be highly energy-efficient, further improving battery life without compromising on power.

Conclusion: Who Wins?

Both the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 and Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 offer outstanding performance, but when we weigh the key aspects, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 comes out ahead in terms of power efficiency, GPU performance, and overall versatility. While the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 offers solid improvements in CPU and GPU performance, MediaTek’s chip seems better equipped to handle the increasingly demanding workloads of modern smartphones. Additionally, MediaTek’s focus on energy efficiency, backed by the 3nm TSMC N3P process, positions the Dimensity 9500 as a standout option in the market.

Ultimately, while both chips will dominate flagship smartphones in 2025, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 seems to be the better all-rounder, making it the winner in this comparison.