MediaTek successfully tapes out first 3 nm SoC; renowned leaker says it is the Dimensity 9400

With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 all but confirmed to be manufactured on TSMC's N4 family, there has been quite some back and forth about which fab Qualcomm will use for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. On the other hand, its immediate competitor, the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, hasn't been talked about as much. Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station and MediaTek itself have now given us a decent idea about what to expect from its 2024 flagship SoC.

In a press release, MediaTek has confirmed that it has taped out its first-ever 3 nm chip on TSMC's manufacturing lines. The next-gen chip is up to 18% faster while being 32% more power-efficient. Logic density has gone up by 60% as well. While the exact node or SKU isn't specified, one can reasonably assume it to be N3E due to Apple calling dibs on most of N3B's capacity.

Digital Chat Station adds that the chip in question is the Dimensity 9400. This makes sense as the Dimensity 9300 has presumably entered mass production already on TSMC's N4P node. Recent rumours suggested the Dimensity 9300 could pack four Cortex-X4 and four Cortex-A720 CPU cores, and the Dimensity 9400 could follow suit.

The leaker adds the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, with six Nuvia Phoenix L and two Phoenix M cores, is also manufactured on the N3E node. This goes against an earlier report, which stated Qualcomm would look at Samsung Foundry's 3GAP node for its SoC needs. Then again, dual-sourcing could be on the table, too, given the capacity constraints at TSMC.

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