Qualcomm not only significantly improved the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s compute performance by adding custom Oryon cores, but the Adreno 830 GPU and its clock speed increased to 1.10GHz, ensuring that the SoC is tailor-made for AAA gaming up to a certain extent. We see the first glimpse of its graphics performance when compared to the Radeon 780M in 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, where the smartphone chipset actually performs better than a GPU that is found in a gaming handheld, the ASUS ROG Ally. As for what this means for gaming possibilities for devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, that all depends on developers willing to make the effort.
A separate test running 3DMark Steel Nomad Light shows the Radeon 780M is still faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s Adreno 830
The 3DMark Steel Nomad Light comparison was posted by @4k_isn on X, showing that the ROG Ally’s Radeon 780M obtained 2,547 points in the benchmark, with the Adreno 830 being faster with a score of 2,681. However, YouTuber Dame Tech, who frequently posts gaming performance videos of various Apple products, shows that the Radeon 780M outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Elite with a score of 2,859.
He also points out that the ROG Ally can maintain this score because of its robust cooling solution, which flagship smartphones will lack. Then again, given that the Snapdragon 8 Elite has a significantly lower power draw than the Radeon 780M, making it more efficient, perhaps the vapor chambers can do a decent enough job of taming the chipset’s thermals. Regardless if Qualcomm’s latest and greatest silicon is capable enough, these scores reveal that the Adreno 830 is more than capable of handling AAA games.
The only problem is that game developers have to be invested heavily in porting their titles to the platform, or more specifically, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Apple has done a phenomenal job in this area, but tons of improvements are still required, which will eventually get there. Even last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was more than sufficient to be able to run AAA games, as demonstrated when Black Myth: Wukong ran on the platform through emulation. Hopefully, we will hear some positive news on this front, so stay tuned.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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