Apple A9 | Apple A8 | |
CPU comparisonApple A9 or Apple A8 - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.
The Apple A9 has 2 cores with 2 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 1.85 GHz. Up to 2 GB of memory is supported in 1 memory channels. The Apple A9 was released in Q3/2015. The Apple A8 has 2 cores with 2 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 1.50 GHz. The CPU supports up to 1 GB of memory in 1 memory channels. The Apple A8 was released in Q3/2014. |
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Apple A series (22) | Family | Apple A series (22) |
Apple A9/A9X (2) | CPU group | Apple A8/A8X (2) |
9 | Generation | 8 |
A9 | Architecture | A8 |
Mobile | Segment | Mobile |
Apple A8 | Predecessor | Apple A7 |
Apple A10 Fusion | Successor | Apple A9 |
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CPU Cores and Base FrequencyThe Apple A9 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple A9 is 1.85 GHz while the Apple A8 has 2 CPU cores and 2 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Apple A8 is at 1.50 GHz. |
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Apple A9 | Characteristic | Apple A8 |
2 | Cores | 2 |
2 | Threads | 2 |
normal | Core architecture | normal |
No | Hyperthreading | No |
No | Overclocking ? | No |
1.85 GHz | Frequency | 1.50 GHz |
-- | Turbo Frequency (1 Core) | -- |
-- | Turbo Frequency (All Cores) | -- |
Internal GraphicsThe Apple A9 or Apple A8 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die. |
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Apple A9 | GPU | Apple A8 |
0.65 GHz | GPU frequency | 0.53 GHz |
-- | GPU (Turbo) | -- |
6 | GPU Generation | 5 |
16 nm | Technology | 20 nm |
1 | Max. displays | 1 |
24 | Compute units | 16 |
192 | Shader | 128 |
No | Hardware Raytracing | No |
No | Frame Generation | No |
4 GB | Max. GPU Memory | 4 GB |
-- | DirectX Version | -- |
Hardware codec supportA photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos. |
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Apple A9 | GPU | Apple A8 |
No | Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) | No |
No | Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) | No |
Decode | Codec h264 | Decode |
No | Codec VP9 | No |
Decode | Codec VP8 | No |
No | Codec AV1 | No |
Decode | Codec AVC | Decode |
Decode | Codec VC-1 | Decode |
Decode / Encode | Codec JPEG | Decode / Encode |
Memory & PCIeThe Apple A9 can use up to 2 GB of memory in 1 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 25.6 GB/s. The Apple A8 supports up to 1 GB of memory in 1 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 12.8 GB/s. |
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Apple A9 | Characteristic | Apple A8 |
LPDDR4-3200 | Memory | LPDDR3-1600 |
2 GB | Max. Memory | 1 GB |
1 (Single Channel) | Memory channels | 1 (Single Channel) |
25.6 GB/s | Max. Bandwidth | 12.8 GB/s |
No | ECC | No |
3.00 MB | L2 Cache | 1.00 MB |
4.00 MB | L3 Cache | 4.00 MB |
-- | PCIe version | -- |
-- | PCIe lanes | -- |
-- | PCIe Bandwidth | -- |
Thermal ManagementThe thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple A9 is 5 W, while the Apple A8 has a TDP of 5 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently. |
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Apple A9 | Characteristic | Apple A8 |
5 W | TDP (PL1 / PBP) | 5 W |
-- | TDP (PL2) | -- |
-- | TDP up | -- |
-- | TDP down | -- |
-- | Tjunction max. | -- |
Technical detailsThe Apple A9 is manufactured in 16 nm and has 7.00 MB cache. The Apple A8 is manufactured in 20 nm and has a 5.00 MB cache. |
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Apple A9 | Characteristic | Apple A8 |
16 nm | Technology | 20 nm |
Chiplet | Chip design | Chiplet |
Armv8-A (64 bit) | Instruction set (ISA) | Armv8-A (64 bit) |
-- | ISA extensions | -- |
-- | Socket | -- |
None | Virtualization | None |
No | AES-NI | No |
iOS | Operating systems | iOS |
Q3/2015 | Release date | Q3/2014 |
-- | Release price | -- |
show more data | show more data | |
Devices using this processor |
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Apple A9 | Apple A8 |
Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (1. Gen) |
Apple iPhone 6 Apple iPhone 6 Plus Apple iPad Mini 4 Apple TV HD Apple HomePod Apple iPod touch (6. Gen) |