Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) | |
CPU comparisonQualcomm Snapdragon 821 or Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) - 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 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 has 4 cores with 4 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 2.40 GHz. Up to 8 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 was released in Q3/2016. The Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) has 11 cores with 11 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. The CPU supports up to 36 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) was released in Q4/2023. |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon (103) | Family | Apple M series (25) |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (3) | CPU group | Apple M3 (6) |
3 | Generation | 3 |
Kryo | Architecture | M3 |
Mobile | Segment | Mobile |
-- | Predecessor | Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) |
-- | Successor | -- |
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CPU Cores and Base FrequencyThe Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 is a 4 core processor with a clock frequency of 2.40 GHz. The Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) has 11 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz). |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Characteristic | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
4 | Cores | 11 |
4 | Threads | 11 |
hybrid (big.LITTLE) | Core architecture | hybrid (big.LITTLE) |
No | Hyperthreading | No |
No | Overclocking ? | No |
2.40 GHz 2x Kryo |
A-Core | 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) 5x P-Core |
1.60 GHz 2x Kryo |
B-Core | 0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz) 6x E-Core |
NPU AI performanceThe performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Characteristic | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
Qualcomm AI engine | AI hardware | Apple Neural Engine |
Hexagon 680 | AI specifications | 16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS |
-- | NPU + CPU + iGPU | -- |
Integrated graphics (iGPU)The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs. |
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Qualcomm Adreno 530 | GPU | Apple M3 Pro (14 Core) |
0.62 GHz | GPU frequency | 0.39 GHz |
0.62 GHz | GPU (Turbo) | 1.40 GHz |
5 | GPU Generation | -- |
14 nm | Technology | 3 nm |
0 | Max. displays | 3 |
-- | Compute units | 224 |
256 | Shader | 1792 |
No | Hardware Raytracing | Yes |
No | Frame Generation | No |
-- | Max. GPU Memory | 36 GB |
11,1 | 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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Qualcomm Adreno 530 | GPU | Apple M3 Pro (14 Core) |
Decode | Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) | Decode / Encode |
No | Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) | Decode / Encode |
Decode | Codec h264 | Decode / Encode |
Decode | Codec VP9 | Decode / Encode |
Decode | Codec VP8 | Decode |
No | Codec AV1 | Decode |
No | Codec AVC | Decode |
Decode | Codec VC-1 | Decode |
Decode | Codec JPEG | Decode / Encode |
Memory & PCIeThe Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 supports a maximum of 8 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) can connect up to 36 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Characteristic | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
LPDDR4-3733 | Memory | LPDDR5-6400 |
8 GB | Max. Memory | 36 GB |
2 (Dual Channel) | Memory channels | 2 (Dual Channel) |
14.9 GB/s | Max. Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s |
No | ECC | No |
-- | L2 Cache | 36.00 MB |
-- | L3 Cache | -- |
-- | PCIe version | 4.0 |
-- | PCIe lanes | -- |
-- | PCIe Bandwidth | -- |
Thermal ManagementThe TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 has a TDP of --, that of the Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) is 35 W. |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Characteristic | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
-- | TDP (PL1 / PBP) | 35 W |
-- | TDP (PL2) | -- |
-- | TDP up | -- |
-- | TDP down | -- |
-- | Tjunction max. | 100 °C |
Technical detailsThe Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 has a 0.00 MB cache, while the Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) cache has a total of 36.00 MB. |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Characteristic | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
14 nm | Technology | 3 nm |
Chiplet | Chip design | Chiplet |
Armv8-A (64 bit) | Instruction set (ISA) | Armv8-A (64 bit) |
-- | ISA extensions | Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation |
-- | Socket | -- |
None | Virtualization | Apple Virtualization Framework |
No | AES-NI | Yes |
Android | Operating systems | macOS, iPadOS |
Q3/2016 | Release date | Q4/2023 |
-- | Release price | -- |
show more data | show more data | |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 4.06 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 3.80 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 4.06 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 3.80 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Qualcomm Adreno 530 @ 0.62 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
Apple M3 Pro (14 Core) @ 1.40 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 4.06 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 4.06 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 4.06 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 3.80 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 3.80 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
4C 4T @ 2.40 GHz |
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Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)
11C 11T @ 0.70 GHz |
Devices using this processor |
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Apple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU) |
Unknown | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) |