Other than the Mate 40 series, Huawei also announced a new model for the Mate 30 series called the Mate 30E Pro 5G. The new flagship is powered by a new processor dubbed the Kirin 990E 5G. If you are wondering how this chipset differs from the Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G, then you are at the right place.
The Kirin 990E 5G is a mix of the Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G. It is a 7nm+ EUV processor that has the same CPU configuration and clock speeds as the Kirin 990 5G. However, its GPU is less powerful than that of the Kirin 990 5G and Kirin 990. It also shares the same NPU as the Kirin 990 and has a 5G modem.
The table below should make it easier to understand the differences between the three processors.
| Processor | Kirin 990 | Kirin 990E 5G | Kirin 990 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process | 7nm Process | 7nm+ EUV Process | 7nm+ EUV Process |
| No. of cores and arrangement | Octa-core CPU (2+2+4) | Octa-core CPU (2+2+4) | Octa-core CPU (2+2+4) |
| CPU | 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.86 GHz 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.09 GHz 4 x Cortex-A55 clocked at 1.86 GHz | 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.86GHz 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.36GHz 4 x Cortex-A55 clocked at 1.95GHz | 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.86GHz 2 x Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.36GHz 4 x Cortex-A55 clocked at 1.95GHz |
| GPU | 16 core Mali-G76 GPU | 14 core Mali-G76 GPU | 16 core Mali-G76 GPU |
| NPU | Large core NPU + micro core NPU | Large core NPU + micro core NPU | Dual large core NPU + micro-core NPU |
| Modem | 4G modem | 5G modem with support for 5G/4G/3G/2G bands of all three major domestic operators | 5G modem with support for 5G/4G/3G/2G bands of two out of the three major domestic operators |
Kirin 990 versus Kirin 990E 5G versus Kirin 990 5G
As you can see, the new Kirin 990E 5G processor offers the same CPU performance as the Kirin 990 5G. However, its GPU is not as powerful as that of the Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G.
Huawei also seems to have slightly upgraded the modem of the Kirin 990E 5G as it supports all frequencies of the three main domestic operators in China with the exception of China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G band which the Kirin 990 5G also doesn’t support.
The Kirin 990E 5G is a result of Huawei tweaking its existing chipsets. It is a smart move based on its current predicament and we expect it to power more devices in the future.
UP NEXT: Multiple benchmark tests rank the Kirin 9000 as one of the most powerful chipsets yet
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