Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) vs Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU)

The Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) and Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU) are both System-on-Chips based on the A15 architecture, primarily developed for mobile devices.

Both were introduced in September 2021 and are aimed at users who require high computing and graphics performance in compact devices. Both processors are manufactured using the advanced 5 nm manufacturing process and feature identical CPU cores. They share a common cache structure, including a 16 MB Level 2 cache and a 32 MB Level 3 cache.

The crucial difference lies in the number of active GPU cores. Regarding pure CPU performance, the Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) and Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU) show identical results in benchmarks. The single-core and multi-core CPU performance is equivalent for both variants, as the CPU cores and their clock frequencies are identical.

In gaming scenarios and graphics-intensive applications, the Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) shows noticeably higher performance, as it benefits from an additional GPU core. While the Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU) offers good graphics performance, it does not reach the level of the variant with five GPU cores.

Power consumption and thermal dissipation are comparable for both processors. Under heavy load, especially with graphics-intensive tasks, the Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) will exhibit slightly higher power consumption and potentially generate more heat due to the additional active GPU core. Since both processors are integrated components in Apple devices, they are not available separately on the market.

A direct price evaluation is therefore not possible; the price-performance ratio is tied to the respective end device. The Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) is the better choice for users who value gaming or graphics-intensive applications, as it offers superior graphics performance. The Apple A15 Bionic (4-GPU), on the other hand, delivers identical CPU performance and is an excellent choice for general tasks where graphics performance is not the decisive criterion.