Recent reports suggest that ARM’s latest Cortex-X5 design is encountering challenges, specifically related to high power consumption at elevated clock speeds and diminished multi-core performance when power limits are reduced. While this may not pose significant issues for Qualcomm, which is reportedly adopting custom CPU designs for its Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, MediaTek could face difficulties with its upcoming Dimensity 9400, rumored to incorporate the Cortex-X5 in its CPU cluster.
The adoption of the Cortex-X5 by chipsets like MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 is expected to result in a trade-off, sacrificing ARM’s power-efficient cores for raw performance gains. Previous rumors indicated that the Dimensity 9400’s CPU cluster would feature the Cortex-X5 alongside three Cortex-X4 cores, potentially challenging the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 with a multi-core score nearing 10,000 points. However, concerns regarding power draw must be addressed for a fair assessment of overall performance.
According to recent rumors from sources like Revegnus on X, the Cortex-X5’s performance and efficiency are reportedly underwhelming. Higher clock speeds are said to significantly increase power consumption, while reducing frequencies negatively impact multi-core scores. This suggests that further collaboration between ARM and MediaTek may be necessary to optimize the Cortex-X5 for a balance between performance and power efficiency.
In light of these developments, Apple’s A18 Pro chipset appears to offer a more promising prospect. Despite potentially lower benchmark scores compared to competitors like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Dimensity 9400, Apple is likely to prioritize “performance per watt,” aiming for unrivaled battery life without sacrificing significant performance.
Qualcomm and MediaTek may need to undertake additional optimizations to remain competitive unless improvements are made. It’s important to note that these reports are based on rumors, and readers should exercise caution. Further updates are expected, particularly as the Dimensity 9400 is rumored to be mass-produced on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, which could potentially offset any power consumption issues associated with the Cortex-X5.
