The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform is a high-end SoC for smartphones introduced in late 2022. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is manufactured in 4 nm technology at TSMC (N4P).
Released in late 2022, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor features a range of improvements and new features compared to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. From a new CPU arrangement, and ray tracing-capable GPU to high-end audio features and connectivity, and a deeper infusion of imaging and machine learning, there are lots of improvements. Let’s take a closer look at what the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has to offer.
Key Takeaways
– One of the big improvements of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the integrated Adreno 740 GPU, that now supports Hardware Raytracing.
– The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor also integrates a Hexagon accelerator for AI workloads (tensor, scalar, and vector). Qualcomm states that it’s one of the first chips with INT4 support and up to 4.35x performance compared to the previous generation.
– The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 features an 18-Bit-Spectra ISP that can process photos with up to 200 MP and work with videos up to 8k30 (including 10-bit, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision).
– The integrated AI Engine in SD 8 Gen 2 can offer up to 4x faster AI performance thanks to the bigger Tensor engine
Table of Content
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Nepal: Features and Overview
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 New CPU Arrangement
Qualcomm has come up with noticeable changes in the CPU of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 unlike Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Qualcomm has replaced the previous 1+3+4 CPU cluster configuration with a more innovative 1+4+3 CPU arrangement in Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Furthermore, two distinct CPU cores have been included in the middle/performance cluster. Two of the newer Arm Cortex-A715s have been paired with two last-gen Cortex-A710s. This specific design decision is bound to enhance multi-core benchmarking scores.
Qualcomm has explained that the change was made to ensure continued support for legacy applications. The Cortex-A710 is the final core from Arm that supports 32-bit applications (AArch32). Subsequent and future cores are only 64-bit (AAarch64) in theory.
Additionally, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 utilizes Arm’s upgraded Cortex-A510 little cores. These cores, along with a 5% reduction in power consumption, can now be constructed with 32-bit support as of 2022.
According to the notebookcheck’s SD 8 Gen 2 benchmarks, the SD 8 Gen 2 is the fastest mobile CPU for Android-based devices and is only topped by current Apple SoCs like the Apple A16.
The Galaxy S23 series including Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the first android smartphone to feature the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
Revised A510s with 32-bit support
Qualcomm has designed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU layout in a unique way to ensure that it supports legacy 32-bit applications.
The A510 efficiency cores have been revised in the new SD 8 Gen 2 processor to support 32-bit apps, resulting in a total of five cores that can handle legacy apps. When combined with the two A710 performance cores, this should provide acceptable performance for 32-bit applications, surpassing the four A510 core support seen in the MediaTek Dimensity 9200.
With that said, the 32-bit applications may not run as efficiently as 64-bit applications on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, as they cannot utilize all of the chip’s cores.
Furthermore, for many Snapdragon users, 32-bit support may not be necessary and it could rather even have a negative impact on battery life due to the loss of one efficiency core. However, Qualcomm claims to have further optimized the performance cores to address this issue.
An extra middle core and Arm Cortex-X3
Adding an extra middle core to a CPU can improve its performance for multi-core workloads, but it may not necessarily benefit low-power use cases.
However, Qualcomm claims that its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which includes an extra middle core as well as a powerful Arm Cortex-X3 core can improve both performance and efficiency. Specifically, Qualcomm claims up to a 35% performance improvement and up to a 40% efficiency improvement, which is mostly attributed to the move to TSMC’s 4nm process.
The loss of one efficiency core does not seem to have significantly impacted the overall efficiency improvement. This is similar to what we observed when Qualcomm switched from Samsung to TSMC for its previous Snapdragon processor.
Ray-tracing graphics for Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 gaming
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 gaming platform has made a headline with the introduction of mobile ray tracing graphics hardware. Although it is not the first to offer this feature, Qualcomm’s shipment volume makes it a game-changer for developers.
Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU technology is shrouded in secrecy, but it is known that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 accelerates ray-box and ray-triangle intersections.
Moreover, the GPU’s Bounding Volume Hierarchical (BVH) acceleration, also known as retrieval and decompression acceleration structure nodes, enhances the GPU’s ability to test ray collisions effectively.
In addition to ray tracing, the new Adreno GPU, internally named Adreno 740, offers a 25% increase in performance and up to 45% power savings compared to its predecessor, depending on the application.
It supports the Vulkan 1.3 API, and Qualcomm has optimized its drivers to improve performance by up to 30% in certain Vulkan-powered scenarios.
Furthermore, Qualcomm claims to be the first to support Unreal Engine 5’s Metahumans framework, while the Adreno Display engine boasts features such as Adaptive HDR, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and OLED Aging Compensation.
Built-in Snapdragon X70 5G Modem
Qualcomm is shaking things up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by integrating the Snapdragon X70 modem, which offers speeds of up to 10Gbps down and 3.5Gbps up via 4x carrier aggregation. The modem’s AI capabilities are said to improve the throughput and connectivity robustness of both sub-6GHz and mmWave connections, particularly at the cell edge.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also supports dual active 5G SIMs, allowing users to receive messages and data on a secondary 5G SIM while taking a call on the first.
Qualcomm is also offering early support for Wi-Fi 7, as well as Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, in its latest Snapdragon Connect suite. The promised speeds are up to 5.8Gbps data over a 320MHz channel in the 6GHz band via High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link, with a latency of just 2ms.
This low latency is said to be valuable in supporting cloud gaming, XR, and other latency-dependent applications. However, a Wi-Fi 7 router is required to benefit, and these are currently only available for sale in China.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Other Specs
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor has several other features worth noting, as highlighted in Qualcomm’s launch presentations and press materials.
- Firstly, SD 8 Gen 2 is Qualcomm’s first processor to support AV1 playback, up to 8K 60fps. This feature is now supported by all major SoCs for future Android phones.
- The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also has dual Bluetooth radios, which promise to double the connectivity range and speed up device pairing.
- Additionally, the SD Gen 2 is tuned to support new image sensors, including the 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 with real-time remoasiac, and Sony’s quad digital overlap HDR video technology in the IMX800 and IMX989.
- Qualcomm hasn’t made any special changes to its Image Signal Processor (ISP) capabilities since the 8 Gen 1, so it still has the same 200MP single-shot camera, 36MP triple camera capture, and 4K HDR simultaneous capture features as last year.
- Finally, Qualcomm has added a second AI processor to its 4th generation Sensing Hub, along with 50% more memory, resulting in twice the performance. This can be leveraged with technologies such as Qualcomm’s always-sensing camera to apply privacy screen features.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | |
---|---|---|
CPU Config | 1x 3.19GHz (Cortex-X3) 2x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A715) 2x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A710) 3x 2.0GHz (Cortex-A510) | 1x 3.0GHz (Cortex-X2) 3x 2.5GHz (Cortex-A710) 4x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A510) |
GPU | Adreno 740 (ray tracing support) | Adreno 730 |
DSP | Hexagon (fused scalar, tensor, and vector) Mixed precision INT8/INT16 INT4 support | Hexagon (fused scalar, tensor, and vector) Mixed precision INT8/INT16 |
RAM support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
Camera support | • 200MP single shot • 108MP single with zero shutter lag • 64MP+36MP with zero shutter lag • Triple 36MP with zero shutter lag • Hybrid AF • 10-bit HEIF image capture • HDR video • Multi-frame noise reduction • Real-time object classification, segmentation, and replacement • Video super-resolution | • 200MP single shot • 108MP single with zero shutter lag • 64MP+36MP with zero shutter lag • Triple 36MP with zero shutter lag • Hybrid AF • 10-bit HEIF image capture • HDR video • Multi-frame noise reduction • Real-time object classification, segmentation, and replacement • Video super-resolution |
Video capture | 8K @ 30fps (HDR) 4K UHD @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps | 8K @ 30fps (HDR) 4K UHD @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps |
Video playback | 8K up to 60fps 4K HDR up to 120fps AV1, H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree | 8K 4K HDR up to 120fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree |
Charging | Quick Charge 5 | Quick Charge 5 |
4G/5G Modem | X70 LTE/5G (integrated) 10,000Mbps down 3,500Mbps up | X65 LTE/5G (integrated) 10,000Mbps down (3,000Mbps up assumed) |
Other networking | Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n |
Process | TSMC 4nm (N4?) | Samsung 4nm 4LPE |
How powerful is Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a high-performing processor that is expected to deliver 35% faster performance and 40% better power efficiency than its predecessor, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. It features a brand-new micro-architecture that converts one efficiency core into an additional performance core to reach peak multi-threaded performance, with speeds up to 3.36 GHz.
Which smartphone comes with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?
The Galaxy S23 series is the first smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The SD 8 Gen 2 is expected to be featured in many upcoming android flagship smartphones in 2023.
Is Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 better than A16 Bionic?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a powerful chipset that is comparable to A16 Bionic in terms of multi-threaded tasks. However, in terms of single-core performance, A16 Bionic is more powerful than Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.