Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple M4

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Apple M4

CPU comparison

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Apple M4 - 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 8 Gen 3 has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.40 GHz. Up to 24 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was released in Q4/2023.

The Apple M4 has 9 cores with 9 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.46 GHz. The CPU supports up to 8 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Apple M4 was released in Q2/2024.
Qualcomm Snapdragon (105) Family Apple M series (32)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (2) CPU group Apple M4 (7)
3 Generation 4
-- Architecture M4
Smartphone / Tablet Segment Notebook
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Predecessor Apple M3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a 8 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.40 GHz. The Apple M4 has 9 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 0.91 GHz (4.46 GHz).

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Characteristic Apple M4
8 Cores 9
8 Threads 9
hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking ? No
3.40 GHz
1x Cortex-X4
A-Core 0.91 GHz (4.46 GHz)
3x Donan P-Core
2.96 GHz (3.15 GHz)
5x Cortex-A720
B-Core 0.90 GHz (2.85 GHz)
6x Donan E-Core
2.27 GHz
2x Cortex-A520
C-Core --

NPU AI performance

The 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.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Characteristic Apple M4
Qualcomm AI engine AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
Hexagon NPU @ 34 TOPS AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 38 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.

Qualcomm Adreno 750 GPU Apple M4 (10 Core)
0.90 GHz GPU frequency 0.34 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.58 GHz
-- GPU Generation --
4 nm Technology 3 nm
2 Max. displays 3
-- Compute units 160
-- Shader 1280
Yes Hardware Raytracing Yes
No Frame Generation No
6 GB Max. GPU Memory 24 GB
12.1 DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A 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.

Qualcomm Adreno 750 GPU Apple M4 (10 Core)
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 / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode
Decode Codec AV1 Decode
Decode Codec AVC Decode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports a maximum of 24 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Apple M4 can connect up to 8 GB of memory in 2 memory channels.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Characteristic Apple M4
LPDDR5X-9600 Memory LPDDR5X-7500
24 GB Max. Memory 8 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.6 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 120.0 GB/s
No ECC No
-- L2 Cache 20.00 MB
12.00 MB L3 Cache --
-- PCIe version 4.0
-- PCIe lanes --
-- PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has a TDP of 12.5 W, that of the Apple M4 is 20 W.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Characteristic Apple M4
12.5 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 20 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down 15 W
-- Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has a 12.00 MB cache, while the Apple M4 cache has a total of 20.00 MB.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Characteristic Apple M4
4 nm Technology 3 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Armv9-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv9-A (64 bit)
-- ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
-- Socket --
None Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
No AES-NI Yes
Android, Windows 10/11 (ARM) Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Q4/2023 Release date Q2/2024
190 $ Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.1 stars (376 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M4 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.2 stars (642 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (65%)
Apple M4 (100%)
Multi core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (65%)
Apple M4 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
2293 (61%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 4.46 GHz
3767 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
7117 (54%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
13295 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
1701 (68%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 4.46 GHz
2491 (100%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Qualcomm Adreno 750 @ 0.90 GHz
2287 (54%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
Apple M4 (10 Core) @ 1.58 GHz
4260 (100%)

AnTuTu 10 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 10 benchmark is one of the best-known benchmarks for mobile processors, which is now available in version 10. There is a version for Android-based smartphones and tablets, as well as a version for Apple mobile devices, i.e. iPhones and iPads.

The Antutu 10 benchmark has 3 phases. In the first phase, the device's RAM is tested, in phase 2 the graphics are tested and in the final phase the entire device is pushed to its performance limits by rendering 3D graphics.

Antutu 10 is therefore ideal for comparing the performance of different devices.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
1949480 (75%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
2608620 (100%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

Processors 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. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
34 (89%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
38 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 4.46 GHz
175 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 4.46 GHz
860 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 4.46 GHz
2281 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
11575 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
6280 (100%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
0 (0%)

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 9 benchmark is very well suited to measuring the performance of a smartphone. AnTuTu 9 is quite heavy on 3D graphics and can now also use the "Metal" graphics interface. In AnTuTu, memory and UX (user experience) are also tested by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu version 9 can compare any ARM CPU running on Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly comparable when benchmarked on different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The rating is made up of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the working memory, and the performance of the internal graphics.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
1476480 (100%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
0 (0%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8C 8T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
9C 9T @ 0.91 GHz
22270 (100%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
3.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M4 Apple M4
11,575 CB R23 MC @ 18 W
643 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Apple M4
Xiaomi 14
Xiaomi 14 Pro
ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
Samsung S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Apple iPad Pro 11 (2024)

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