Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 8050: A comprehensive analysis

Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Vs Dimensity 8050: Which mid-range SoC is better for your smartphone in 2024? Join me as we compare these two processors from Qualcomm and MediaTek in various aspects such as performance, gaming, memory, photography, connectivity, and battery life. We will also look at the specs and benchmarks of both SoCs and see which one has the upper hand in each category. Read on to find out more.

Jan 24, 2024, 6:32 PM

Qualcomm and MediaTek are two of the leading manufacturers of smartphone processors, or system-on-chips (SoCs). Both companies have several mid-range SoCs which are expected to power some of the most popular devices in 2024. We are going to compare two of them today. They are the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Vs Dimensity 8050.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 was released in 2023 and it is the successor to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. It is based on a 4-nanometer process technology, which makes it more power-efficient and faster than its predecessor. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is rather new and it is yet to be featured on any smartphone.

The Dimensity 8050 is a mid-range SoC from MediaTek, which was announced in May of 2023. It is based on a 6-nanometer process technology, which gives it slightly less power efficiency and speed than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. Despite being a new SoC, the Dimensity 8050 has appeared in several phones. These are the Infinix Note 30 VIP, Infinix GT 10 Pro, Tecno Phantom V Flip, Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G and Oukitel WP30 Pro.

In this article, we'll compare these two SoCs in terms of performance, gaming, memory, photography, connectivity, and battery life. We will also analyze the specs and benchmarks of both SoCs and see which one has the edge in each category.

» See: Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 vs Dimensity 8050 - Full specs comparison

Performance: CPU and Benchmarks

One of the main factors that determine the performance of a SoC is the CPU. The CPUs handle the general tasks and computations of a smartphone. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has 8 powerful CPUs in a 1+3+4 DynamIQ setup (1x Cortex A715 + 3x Cortex A715 + 4x Cortex A510). The Dimensity 8050 also uses the same 1+3+4 DynamIQ setup (1x Cortex A78 + 3x Cortex A78 + 4x Cortex A55). It has the higher CPU clock speeds but uses weaker CPUs than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. This puts it at a disadvantage as you'll soon see.

According to the AnTuTu 10 benchmark, the Dimensity 8050 scored 741,108, while the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 scored a much higher 858,224. This shows that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 performs at least 16% higher than the Dimensity 8050 on this test. On GeekBench 6 however, both SoCs were closely matched with the Dimensity 8050 scoring 1093 in single-core and 3332 in multi-core, while the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 scored 1130 in single-core and 3373 in multi-core. This benchmark shows that both SoCs are largely on par with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 just edging ahead.

Having considered the specs and benchmark results, we can conclude that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has a slightly better CPU performance than the Dimensity 8050.

Gaming: GPU and Graphics

Another important factor that determines the performance of a SoC is the GPU, which handles the graphics and gaming tasks of the device. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 uses the Adreno 720 GPU while the Dimensity 8050 is equipped with the Mali-G77 MP9, respectively. With that being said, the Adreno 720 is the better GPU and offers better performance than the older Mali-G77 MP9. As a result, we can conclude that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has a better GPU and gaming performance than the Dimensity 8050.

RAM and Storage

The memory of an SoC consists of the RAM and the storage, which affects the speed and capacity of the device. For this segment, there's no question, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is the superior option here. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 utilizes an LPDDR5 RAM running at 3200MHz, while the Dimensity 8050 on the other hand can only support LPDDR4X RAM running at a slower 2133MHz. The Dimensity 8050 does use a quad-channel controller and thus offers more memory bandwidth for apps. However, it's not enough to match the RAM speed of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.

Despite the disparity in RAM, both the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 8050 support UFS 3.1. Having gone through the information available here, we can conclude that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has the edge when it comes to memory (RAM) but for storage, both SoCs are on par.

Photography and Videography: ISP and NPU

The photography and videography of an SoC depend on the ISP and the NPU, which handle the camera and the AI features of the device. Both the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 8050 have an ISP and an NPU, which enable them to support various camera modes and effects, such as HDR, night mode, portrait mode, panorama, slow motion, time-lapse, etc. That being said, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has a slightly more powerful and versatile ISP and NPU than the Dimensity 8050. Other than that, both SoCs are tied here. They both support max camera resolutions of 200MP and can record/playback 4K resolution video at 60fps.

Connectivity: 5G, 4G, WiFi, and Bluetooth

The connectivity of an SoC consists of the 5G, 4G, WiFi, and Bluetooth features, which affect the data speed and the wireless compatibility of the device. Both the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 8050 support 5G and 4G networks, which enable them to access the Internet quickly and reliably. However, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 supports a higher 5G download speed whilst the Dimensity 8050 supports a higher 4G download speed. Similarly, both the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 8050 support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, but the Snapdragon also supports Bluetooth 5.3 as well.

The edge from this one remains with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.

Battery life: Process and Nanometer Size

The battery life of a SoC depends on the process and the nanometer size, which affects the power consumption and the heat dissipation of the device. In this regard, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is easily the winner here. It is built on a more efficient 4nm TSMC process and even it has efficient CPU cores. The Dimensity 8050 on the other hand is built on an older 6nm process and it consumes more power and generates more heat than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. We can tentatively conclude that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 should have a better battery life than the Dimensity 8050.

Conclusion: Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Vs Dimensity 8050 - Which SoC is Better?

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 8050 are two of the most powerful and popular mid-range SoCs in the market, which offer impressive performance, gaming, memory, photography, connectivity, and battery life features. However, based on our analysis and comparison, we can see that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has a slight advantage over the Dimensity 8050 in most categories.

From CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, ISP, NPU, 5G, and Wi-Fi, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 maintained a slight edge. However, you should note that the Dimensity 8050 is still a great SoC. It ran the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 very close and it is the more affordable option. Ultimately, these SoCs are almost on par and the choice between the two SoCs depends on the personal preference and the budget of the user.