Intriguing Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU core configuration revealed by new leak
Qualcomm's next flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8850), has been rumoured to arrive a tad earlier than its predecessors. ARM's refusal to publicly announce its upcoming CPU core architecture, on the other hand, suggests that it could be delayed. While it did fairly well in initial efficiency tests, its "prime" Cortex-X3 core is said to be quite the power hog. Now, Weibo veteran Digital Chat Station has made an important revelation about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2's innards.
Unlike most of the mobile APs that came before it, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will feature a unique core configuration spearheaded by a Cortex-X3 core, two Cortex-A720 cores, two Cortex-A710 cores and three Cortex-A510 cores. Furthermore, it will be manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process node, the same one used by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. It isn't surprising as TSMC's new 3 nm node is expected to kick off mass production sometime in Q4 2022, right about when Qualcomm could unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Qualcomm's decision to cut the number of efficiency cores on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is interesting, as most SoCs across all segments often use four of them, including Apple's industry-leading APs. While that should result in some performance gains on paper, thermals will always be an issue, especially with the power-hungry Cortex-X3 thrown in the mix. The SoC could also pack an upgraded Adreno 740 GPU. If the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1's upgraded Adreno 730 is anything to go by, its successor could pack some serious firepower and even dethrone Apple.
Source(s)
Digital Chat Station on Weibo (in Chinese)