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Updated | MediaTek Dimensity 9300 reportedly hamstrung by overheating problems

The MediaTek Dimensity 9300 is slated for an October 2023 launch (image via MediaTek)
The MediaTek Dimensity 9300 is slated for an October 2023 launch (image via MediaTek)
Due to thermal issues, MediaTek may have to lower the Dimensity 9300's performance targets. Its root cause is believed to be its unique octa-core design with four Cortex-X4 and Cortex-A720 cores with no efficiency cores.

Update (12/09/2023, 16:23 CET): MediaTek reached out to us stating the report in question is "completely false and has no source or basis in fact". We have reached out to the original source (Evan Blass) for clarification and will update the article once we get more information.

Original article:

MediaTek successfully taped out its first-ever 3 nm SoC, which many speculate to be the Dimensity 9400. While that is a commendable feat, its predecessor, the Dimensity 9300, isn't doing all that well. Renowned leaker Evan Blass (via Android Headlines) has heard from sources that the next-gen flagship AP has run into some roadblocks.

To recall, the Dimensity 9300 is one of the first smartphone SoCs to ditch efficiency cores altogether with its 4x Cortex-X4 (arranged in a 3+1 layout) plus 4x Cortex-A720 design. As a result, the chip, manufactured on TSMC's cutting-edge N4P node, has now run into thermal issues, resulting in it being unable to perform as advertised.

This could cause some friction between MediaTek and OEMs, as the latter will now have to lower their performance expectations and redesign their smartphones accordingly. Therefore, the retail version of the Dimensity 9300 can launch with nerfed clock speeds across the board. An earlier leak said its Cortex-X4 cluster would operate at 3 GHz minimum, with the prime core tipped to push that figure higher.

This could also jeopardize early rumours about it being 50% more power-efficient than the Dimensity 9200. Other improvements bought forth by the Dimensity 9300 include an upgraded Arm Immortalis G720 (tentative) GPU and 9.6 Gbps LPDDR5T RAM from SK Hynix. MediaTek is expected to launch the Dimensity 9300 in October, and it will likely debut alongside a Chinese-origin smartphone before the year ends.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 09 > MediaTek Dimensity 9300 reportedly hamstrung by overheating problems
Anil Ganti, 2023-09-10 (Update: 2023-09-12)