Dimensity 8100 vs Snapdragon 870: Which one is Better?

MediaTek announced the Dimensity 8100 a couple of months ago alongside the Dimensity 9000. We have seen the Dimensity 8100 in phones like the Redmi K50i, Oppo Reno 8 Pro, realme GT Neo 3, Redmi Note 11T Pro+, and the OnePlus 10R. The main competitor of this chip is the Snapdragon 870. We have seen this chip in many phones since last year, including the latest ones like the iQOO NEO 6 and the POCO F4 5G. If you are willing to buy a phone with either of these chips, making a choice isn’t easy. But don’t worry, here’s a detailed comparison between the two to help you choose the best one.

Dimensity 8100 vs Snapdragon 870 Comparison

1. CPU Performance

Let’s start with the most important of a processor: the performance. The Dimensity 8100 is a mid-tier flagship chip based on a 5nm fabrication process. It is an 8-core chip with 4x 2.85 GHz – Cortex-A78 high-performance cores and 4x 2 GHz – Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. Since it is based on a 5nm fabrication process, it is more power-efficient than the Snapdragon 870.

The Snapdragon 870 comes with an 8-core architecture which includes 1x 3.2 GHz – Kryo 585 Prime (Cortex-A77) core, 3x 2.42 GHz – Kryo 585 Gold (Cortex-A77) cores, and 4x 1.8 GHz – Kryo 585 Silver (Cortex-A55) efficiency cores. Moreover, it is based on a 7nm fabrication process. The CPU has an advantage over the Dimensity 8100 as it is clocked higher at 3200 MHz. Both chips support LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

On Antutu v9, the Snapdragon 870’s CPU scored 180231 points, and the Dimensity 8100’s CPU scored 203965 points. This makes the Dimensity 8100 the clear winner regarding CPU performance.

2. GPU Performance

Now, getting to the GPU side, the Dimensity 8100 features the Mali-G610 MC6 GPU, whereas the Snapdragon 870 features the Adreno 650 Graphics clocked at 670MHz.

On Antutu v9, the Snapdragon 870’s GPU scored 239895 points, and the Dimensity 8100’s GPU scored 314343 points. Here, the Dimensity 8100’s GPU performs around 31% better than the Snapdragon 870’s GPU. Indeed, the Dimensity 8100 has the better GPU, but the Snapdragon 870 is better optimized for most games.

3. Benchmarks

Here are some benchmarks from the most popular benchmark apps.

On AnTuTu 9, the Dimensity 8100 scores 711365, close to the 684672 on the Snapdragon 870. These are scores from the Realme GT Neo 3 and the POCO F4 5G, respectively. While the difference between the two is just a mere 4%, the Dimensity 8100 is still a winner.

On GeekBench 5, the Snapdragon 870 scores higher than the Dimensity 8100 in single-core, possibly due to the higher-clocked A77 core. However, the Dimensity 8100 beats the Snapdragon 870 in multi-core by 12%. The Snapdragon 870 scores around 1008 in single-core and 3400 in multi-core. On the contrary, the Dimensity 8100 scores 926 and 3808 in single-core and multi-core, respectively.

On 3DMark Wild Life, the Dimensity 8100 gives no chance. It scores 5667 against the 4224 on the Snapdragon 870, which is a difference of 34%.

The Dimensity 8100 performs exceptionally against the Snapdragon 870. The CPU performance and the GPU performance are better than the Snapdragon 870. It is more power-efficient as well. This chip is comparable to the Snapdragon 888 instead of the Snapdragon 870.

4. Display & Camera Support

The Dimensity 8100 supports displays of either QHD+ resolution up to 120Hz or FHD+ resolution up to 168Hz. There is no support for 4K. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 870 supports displays up to 4K @60Hz and QHD+ @144Hz. Both chips support Dolby Vision and HDR10+ up to 10-bit.

The Dimensity 8100 can record and playback videos of resolution up to 4K at 60FPS. The Snapdragon wins here as it can record and playback videos up to 8K at 30FPS and 4K at 60FPS. The Dimensity 8100 handles games and graphic-intensive tasks better, while the Snapdragon 870 has better display support.

5. Connectivity

Both the chips are 5G enabled, where the Snapdragon 870 has the X55 5G modem, and the Dimensity 8100 uses the R16 5G modem. The Snapdragon has better download and upload speeds, mainly due to its more advanced 5G modem.

The Snapdragon 870 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth v5.2 support, whereas the Dimensity 8100 has the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3 support. It also has tri-band GPS against the dual-band GPS on the Snapdragon. The MediaTek Dimensity 8100 beats the Snapdragon in Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth departments. However, the Snapdragon excels in every aspect— better speed, connectivity, MIMO, and more.

Which One is Better?

Well, the answer is Dimensity 8100. Regardless, you cannot go wrong with either of these chips. Your priorities and preferences should help you make a choice.

The Dimensity 8100 performs exceptionally well while being power-efficient. It has the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3. Moreover, it was announced one year and two months after the Snapdragon 870, making it future-proof. However, the Snapdragon 870 has advantages— better download and upload speeds, better-optimised games and apps, and more.