Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 | |
CPU comparisonApple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 - 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) has 12 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. Up to 36 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) was released in Q4/2023. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.00 GHz. The CPU supports up to 32 GB of memory in 8 memory channels. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 was released in Q1/2022. |
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Apple M series (25) | Family | Qualcomm Snapdragon (102) |
Apple M3 (6) | CPU group | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 (1) |
3 | Generation | 3 |
M3 | Architecture | Cortex-X1 / Cortex-A78 |
Mobile | Segment | Mobile |
Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) | Predecessor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen. 2 |
-- | Successor | -- |
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CPU Cores and Base FrequencyThe Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 has 8 CPU cores and 8 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is at 3.00 GHz. |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Characteristic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
12 | Cores | 8 |
12 | Threads | 8 |
hybrid (big.LITTLE) | Core architecture | hybrid (big.LITTLE) |
No | Hyperthreading | No |
No | Overclocking ? | No |
0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) 6x P-Core |
A-Core | 3.00 GHz 4x Kryo 680 Prime |
0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz) 6x E-Core |
B-Core | 2.42 GHz 4x Kryo 680 Gold |
Artificial Intelligence and Machine LearningProcessors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor. |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Characteristic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
Apple Neural Engine | AI hardware | Qualcomm AI engine |
16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS | AI specifications | Hexagon |
Internal GraphicsThe Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 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 M3 Pro (18 Core) | GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 690 |
0.39 GHz | GPU frequency | -- |
1.40 GHz | GPU (Turbo) | -- |
-- | GPU Generation | 6 |
3 nm | Technology | 7 nm |
3 | Max. displays | 0 |
288 | Compute units | -- |
2304 | Shader | -- |
Yes | Hardware Raytracing | No |
No | Frame Generation | No |
36 GB | Max. GPU Memory | -- |
-- | DirectX Version | 12.0 |
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 M3 Pro (18 Core) | GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 690 |
Decode / Encode | Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) | Decode / Encode |
Decode / Encode | Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) | Decode / Encode |
Decode / Encode | Codec h264 | Decode / Encode |
Decode / Encode | Codec VP9 | Decode |
Decode | Codec VP8 | Decode / Encode |
Decode | Codec AV1 | No |
Decode | Codec AVC | Decode |
Decode | Codec VC-1 | Decode |
Decode / Encode | Codec JPEG | Decode / Encode |
Memory & PCIeThe Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) can use up to 36 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 153.6 GB/s. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 supports up to 32 GB of memory in 8 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 68.2 GB/s. |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Characteristic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
LPDDR5-6400 | Memory | LPDDR4X-4266 |
36 GB | Max. Memory | 32 GB |
2 (Dual Channel) | Memory channels | 8 (Octa Channel) |
153.6 GB/s | Max. Bandwidth | 68.2 GB/s |
No | ECC | No |
36.00 MB | L2 Cache | -- |
-- | L3 Cache | -- |
4.0 | PCIe version | -- |
-- | PCIe lanes | -- |
-- | PCIe Bandwidth | -- |
Thermal ManagementThe thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is 35 W, while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 has a TDP of 7 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently. |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Characteristic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
35 W | TDP (PL1 / PBP) | 7 W |
-- | TDP (PL2) | -- |
-- | TDP up | -- |
-- | TDP down | -- |
100 °C | Tjunction max. | -- |
Technical detailsThe Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is manufactured in 3 nm and has 36.00 MB cache. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is manufactured in 5 nm and has a 0.00 MB cache. |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Characteristic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
3 nm | Technology | 5 nm |
Chiplet | Chip design | Chiplet |
Armv8-A (64 bit) | Instruction set (ISA) | Armv8-A (64 bit) |
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation | ISA extensions | -- |
-- | Socket | -- |
Apple Virtualization Framework | Virtualization | None |
Yes | AES-NI | No |
macOS, iPadOS | Operating systems | Android, Windows 10 (ARM) |
Q4/2023 | Release date | Q1/2022 |
-- | Release price | -- |
show more data | show more data | |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
Apple M3 Pro (18 Core) @ 1.40 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
Qualcomm Adreno 690 @ 0.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.70 GHz |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.00 GHz |
Devices using this processor |
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Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 |
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) |
Unknown |