Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500: benchmarks, AI, cameras

The mobile processor world has long revolved around the rivalry between Qualcomm and MediaTek. Where Snapdragon once felt untouchable, the Dimensity line has been closing in fast. In autumn 2025 both companies unveiled their most powerful chips yet — Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500. This comparison breaks down how they differ and who sits closer to the absolute-flagship crown.

Performance and tests

Geekbench 6 shows a clear lead for Qualcomm: 3,634 points in single‑core and 10,813 in multi‑core — roughly 15% and 12% above Dimensity 9500. That suggests the Qualcomm chip handles both single‑thread speed and multi‑threaded loads better, from launching heavy apps to running aggressive multitasking.

In AnTuTu both processors crossed the 4‑million mark, but Qualcomm still leads: 4,166,339 versus 4,011,932 for MediaTek. The overall gap is small — about 4%. The breakdown tells more: the CPU test shows a 16% advantage for Snapdragon; graphics are marginally better on Dimensity (around 3%); memory works more efficiently on MediaTek; the user‑experience score favors Qualcomm. In practical terms, day‑to‑day responsiveness likely tilts to Snapdragon, while GPU‑heavy bursts hardly separate the two.

Architecture and cores

Both processors are built on TSMC’s 3 nm process. Qualcomm sticks to a proven layout: two high‑performance Oryon cores up to 4.61 GHz and six performance cores at 3.63 GHz. This mix keeps the chip versatile, smartly distributing workloads.

MediaTek goes for an all‑big‑core strategy. Dimensity 9500 uses one C1‑Ultra at 4.21 GHz, three C1‑Premium at 3.5 GHz, and four C1‑Pro at 2.7 GHz. The design targets high throughput across threads, though on current benches Qualcomm’s single‑core punch gives it an edge.

Graphics and games

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 brings the new Adreno 840 GPU clocked up to 1.2 GHz with hardware ray tracing and the Snapdragon Elite Gaming toolkit. Dimensity 9500 pairs a Mali‑G1 Ultra MP12 GPU with a focus on power efficiency and advanced in‑game effects. In testing, MediaTek’s graphics come out slightly ahead, but the delta sits within the margin of error.

AI workloads

Both makers pushed hard here. Qualcomm introduced an updated Hexagon NPU that is 37% faster and 16% more efficient than the previous version and supports what the company describes as agentic AI — generative analysis and adaptive scenarios. MediaTek counters with the NPU 990, which doubles the speed of its predecessor while cutting peak power consumption by 56%. For on‑device AI features, that efficiency gain looks especially meaningful.

Cameras and multimedia

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 features a 20‑bit triple Qualcomm Spectra ISP that nearly quadruples dynamic range versus earlier generations. It supports cameras up to 320 MP, 8K video recording, and Advanced Professional Video to bring capture quality closer to pro territory.

Dimensity 9500 is equipped with the Imagiq 1190 ISP with support for up to 320 MP and 8K video. The chip tracks focus in real time and taps the NPU for noise reduction and image segmentation. On paper, Qualcomm leans into dynamic range and pro video, while MediaTek emphasizes AI‑assisted processing.

Connectivity and wireless

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 pairs with the X85 5G modem for peak 12.5 Gbps downloads and 3.7 Gbps uploads. It supports Wi‑Fi 7 up to 5.8 Gbps and Bluetooth 6.0. Dimensity 9500 offers up to 7.4 Gbps over 5G and faster Wi‑Fi 7 — up to 7.3 Gbps — plus Bluetooth 6.0. In short, cellular throughput favors Qualcomm, while Wi‑Fi speeds favor MediaTek.

Bottom line

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 holds the lead in benchmarks, especially single‑core performance, user experience, and camera support. Dimensity 9500 answers with slightly stronger graphics, standout AI efficiency, and faster Wi‑Fi.

Both chipsets represent the pinnacle of mobile tech in 2025. The smarter choice depends on your priorities: consistent horsepower and camera capabilities on Qualcomm, or more frugal AI and a speedier Wi‑Fi stack on MediaTek. Either way, the rivalry has grown genuinely fierce — and buyers of new smartphones are the ones who benefit.