Qualcomm is rumored to be preparing not one, but two 2nm chipsets, with both SoCs having a myriad of differences between them to help manufacturers decide between using the top-end one for their most premium devices and reserving the standard version for slightly less expensive options. According to the newest rumor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 might share the same CPU cluster, but a tipster highlights a boatload of differences between the two silicones, starting with the GPU.
The higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is set to tower over the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 with LPDDR6 RAM support, increased GPU memory, and other changes
Unlike the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Digital Chat Station claims that both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will sport a ‘2 + 3 + 3’ CPU cluster, making it the first time in a few years that Qualcomm is moving away from the ‘2 + 6’ configuration that it adopted ever since it introduced its first-generation in-house Oryon core for the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform.
As for the GPU, the higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is expected to feature the Adreno 850, while the less capable model will be treated to the Adreno 845. Unfortunately, the tipster hasn’t mentioned the graphics processors’ specification differences, but one of them will likely be a change in frequencies.
Both SoCs will also have varying GPU memory, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro sporting 18MB, making it 50 percent higher than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6’s 12MB. Additionally, the Last-Level Cache on Qualcomm’s high-end chipsets is rumored to be 8MB, a small bump from the standard version’s 6MB.
Of course, let us not forget that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage right off the bat, with Qualcomm allowing its smartphone partners to switch to the older LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage combination to lower their component costs and increase their margins. Sadly, the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 doesn’t offer this flexibility, supporting only LPDDR5X.
However, smartphone manufacturers that intend to utilize LPDDR6 RAM chips are expected to get quad-channel 24-bit memory bus speeds, as opposed to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6’s slower quad-channel 16-bit memory bus speeds. We will dive into what all of these differences mean, but in a nutshell, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is going to be one of the most powerful and downright expensive chipsets to be mass-produced on TSMC’s 2nm process.
News Source: Digital Chat Station
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.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
