We examined the Snapdragon 8 Elite: a newer competitor to Apple’s A16 chip that integrates several high-performance computing units designed for mobile devices and which boosts the performance across all tasks – CPU, GPU, and NPU – significantly. One of the problems that Qualcomm has to deal with is the shrinking size of consumer electronics such as Smartphones. These smaller devices demand high-quality thermal management systems for effective heat dissipation.
Presenting The 7-Core Snapdragon 8 Elite
To address these needs, Qualcomm has created a 7-core model of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This version takes out one performance core to improve heat dissipation and power efficiency. It is optimal for thin devices like the Oppo Find N5, which is one of the slimmest foldables available.
Losing a performance core was designed to improve efficiency, but what is the trade-off? Qualcomm estimates the 7-core version is approximately 14% slower relative to the overclocked 8-core version. But do benchmarks confirm this? A deal of efforts was made to verify whether this change is an acceptable sacrifice.
Test Methodology
To assess execution, benchmark tests were conducted on multiple devices, such as OnePlus 13 with 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite and Oppo Find N5 with the 7-core version. The benchmarks included 3DMark Solar Bay for graphical capabilities and GeekBench 6 for compute and graphic capabilities.
Benchmark Results (GeekBench 6)
| Device | CPU Single-Core | CPU Multi-Core | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 13 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 3107 | 9213 | 18065 |
| Oppo Find X8 Pro (Dimensity 9400) | 2753 | 8102 | 20522 |
| Realme GT7 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 3112 | 9425 | 19065 |
| ROG Phone 9 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 3073 | 9855 | 19403 |
| Oppo Find N5 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 7-core) | 2885 | 7978 | 13875 |
| Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | 2314 | 7104 | 15898 |
The data suggests that losing a single performance core results in a significant drop in CPU and GPU power. While the Dimensity 9400 lagged behind in CPU performance, the 7-core version suffered a drastic decrease in GPU performance, which pushed it below the last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in graphics performance.
Gaming & Graphics Performance
The decrease in GPU performance implies that the device will be able to handle daily productivity effectively, but high-end gaming will not match the performance of the 8-core variant. This was reinforced when observing the results from the Solar Bay GPU benchmark test.
Benchmark Results (Solar Bay)
| Device | Solar Bay Score |
| OnePlus 13 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 11714 |
| Oppo Find X8 Pro (Dimensity 9400) | 11560 |
| Realme GT7 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 11200 |
| Oppo Find N5 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 7-core) | 9333 |
| Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | 8674 |
The 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite had around 20% less GPU performance than the 8-core version. With these numbers, it is clear that this chipset will not perform well with heavy gaming, but should perform decent with less demanding tasks.
Battery Life Considerations
As previously noted, the 7-core version offers better efficiency. Qualcomm hopes to achieve high levels of performance while prolonging battery life by eliminating a performance core. To evaluate this, the extended period of high-demand gaming was tested using the Solar Bay Stress Test.
Battery Drain Comparison
| Device | Solar Bay Stress Test | Battery Drain (%) | Estimated Drain (mAh) |
| OnePlus 13 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 11774 | 17% | ~1000 mAh |
| Oppo Find X8 Pro (Dimensity 9400) | 11051 | 9% | ~530 mAh |
| ROG Phone 9 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite 8-core) | 10009 | 13% | ~750 mAh |
| Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | 8308 | 10% | ~500 mAh |
| Oppo Find N5 (Snapdragon 8 Elite 7-core) | 9156 | 11% | ~615 mAh |
The 7-core version has shown to be more energy efficient than the 8-core version, as it was able to sustain prolonged periods of high performance without depleting the battery excessively. That said, some of the performance benefits may be negated by some of the efficiency losses.
Final Thoughts: Is the Trade-Off Worth It?
The 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite is an impressive performer, but at the cost of power and heat consumption. For ultra-thin designs with inadequate cooling, the 7-core version is a suitable option.
This comes at the cost of lowered graphics capabilities, amplifying performance constraints on gaming and other intensive software. While everyday tasks are relatively seamless, the degree to which the performance is impacted leads to the question of whether this model should actually be marketed as an “Elite” or it’s somewhere in the middle of Snapdragon 8s Elite and Snapdragon 8.
In the end, every move made to the Snapdragon 8 Elite with 7 cores integrated is Qualcomm’s attempt to address the demand for ultra-slim mobile phones. While it is weaker when it comes to brute processing power as compared to the 8-core version, it is still more powerful than the average user’s design and battery loving standards.
