Apple M1 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

Comparisons 14-05-2021

Detailed comparison data of Apple M1 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, testing of graphics chips (GPU). A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table. From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as PCMark, Geekbench, 3DMark, AnTuTu, GFXBench, Vellamo, PassMark, Neocore, Quadrant, and how good the chipsets are in games Call of Duty, PUBG, Asphalt 9, Minecraft, Fortnite, GTA, Madout2 etc.
After looking at the data of parallel tests and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processors is better to buy M1 or Snapdragon 865.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
CPU Benchmark
Based on Antutu and Geekbench score

86%

Snapdragon 865

42%

Battery life test
Power Consumption efficiency (how quickly the processor reduces the battery charge)

78%

Snapdragon 865

73%

Gaming performance
Which CPU is better for gaming

83%

Snapdragon 865

39%

Antutu 8

Antutu benchmark separately tests the performance of the CPU, GPU, and memory speed

	M1	Snapdragon 865
Total score	1204017	583551
CPU	337129	163401
GPU	457523	221754
MEM	192638	93372
UX	216731	105047

GeekBench 5.2

This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	M1	Snapdragon 865
Single-Core	1807	934
Multi-Core	7691	3435

Comparison of specifications

CPU and Memory

	M1	Snapdragon 865
Frequency	3200 MHz	2840 MHz
Cores	8	8
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions
Core configuration	4x3.2 GHz Firestorm 4x2.0 GHz Icestorm	8x2.84 GHz Kryo 585
Power consumption (TDP)	5 W	10 W
Memory type	LPDDR4X	4x16bit, LPDDR5
Max. Memory	32 Gb	16 Gb
Memory Frequency	2666	2750
Memory bandwidth	64	44
Neural Processor (NPU)	Yes	Yes
L1 cache	48 KB	512 KB
L2 cache	4 MB	1 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	4 MB
Instruction set architecture (ISA)	ARMv8.4-A	ARMv8.2-A

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1 is 11% better than Snapdragon 865 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption.

GPU and Media

GPU	Apple M1	Adreno 650
GPU Frequency	3200 MHz	600 MHz
GFloPS	2600	989
# of Cores	8
# of Shader Units	128	512
Display	2732 x 2048 pixels	2840 x 2160 pixels

The frequency of the GPU does not always directly indicate its performance. To fully evaluate all the capabilities of a graphics chip, you should take into account the number of Shader Units and Cores, as well as how many GFlops it has.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite Mobile	46.1	29.4
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG Mobile)	142.7	62.8
Garena Free Fire - The Cobra	85.7	58.6
Call of Duty: Mobile	78.7	59.2
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5 Mobile)	122.1	49.6
Minecraft: Pocket Edition	176.2	76.5
Real Racing 3	171.6	73.3
Sniper 3D	188.1	111.3
Need for Speed No Limits	119.3	93.8
Mortal Kombat X	123.4	85
CSR Racing 2	102.7	70.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the gadget and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Antutu 8 and GeekBench 5.2 becnmarks.

Cameras

Camera resolution	24 MP	200 MP
Dual Camera resolution	24 MP	25 MP
Image Signal Processor (ISP)	Apple ISP	Qualcomm Spectra 480
Video Encoding FPS	960	960
Video Encoding resolution	4K (Ultra HD), 2K, FullHD	4K (Ultra HD), 2K, FullHD
Codec support	Dolby Vision, H.265 (HEVC), HDR10+, HLG, HDR10, H.264 (AVC), VP8, VP9	Dolby Vision, H.265 (HEVC), HDR10+, HLG, HDR10, H.264 (AVC), VP8, VP9

Networks and Navigation

Modem	Snapdragon X80 5G	Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 Modem-RF System 5G
Download speed	9500 MBit/s.	7500 MBit/s.
Upload speed	6000 MBit/s.	3000 MBit/s.
Navigation	Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, Beidou	SBAS, NavIC enabled, Galileo, GPS, GNSS, QZSS, Dual frequency GNSS, GLONASS, Beidou
NFC support	Yes	No
5G support	Yes	Yes

Result:
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 33
The number of parameters for which Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is better: 8
You need to understand that you should not sightlessly trust the automatic comparison on the table. You can watch video from beginning to end of joint comparison and listen to what those who really appreciated the capabilities of both chipsets think, and also read the test results on the links under the article.

M1 SoC - all data

• Devices lists
• Benchmarks
• PUBG mobile
• Fortnite Mobile
• Antutu 8
• 3DMark
• GeekBench 5 mobile

• M1 specs and review.

Snapdragon 865 SoC - all data

• Devices lists
• Benchmarks
• PUBG mobile
• Fortnite Mobile
• Antutu 8
• 3DMark
• GeekBench 5 mobile

• Snapdragon 865 specs and review.