The battle among mid-range smartphone chipsets is more fierce than ever. They are now more powerful and continue to get better with the latest chip advancements. With so many options out there, picking the right one can be a daunting task. To make it a little easier, we’ve put together two popular offerings, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and Dimensity 7400, to test how they stack up against each other.
Let’s begin with a spec sheet:
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | Dimensity 7400 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | November 2023 | February 2025 |
| Manufacturing | 4nm (TSMC) | 4nm (TSMC) |
| CPU | 1 x 2.63 GHz — Cortex-A715 3 x 2.4 GHz — Cortex-A715 4 x 1.8 GHz — Cortex-A510 | 4 x 2.6 GHz — Cortex-A78 4 x 2 GHz — Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Adreno 720 | Mali-G615 MP2 |
| NPU | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU | MediaTek NPU 655 |
| Memory | LPDDR5, up to 3.2GHz | LPDDR5, up to 3.2GHz |
| Camera | Spectra triple ISP (12-bit) Up to 200MP single camera Up to 4K video recording | Imagiq 950 ISP (12-bit) Up to 200MP single camera Up to 4K video recording |
| Connectivity | Snapdragon X63 5G modem (mmWave, sub-6GHz 5G) Downlink: 5 Gbps Wi-Fi 6E (peak speed: 2.9 Gbps) Bluetooth 5.4 | MediaTek 5G modem (sub-6GHz 5G) Downlink: 3.27 Gbps Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.4 |
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 7400 — Benchmark battle
Note: The tests were conducted on the OnePlus Nord CE 4 (powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 3) and Motorola Edge 60 Fusion (powered by Dimensity 7400).
AnTuTu comparison
In the AnTuTu benchmark comparison, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 outperforms the Dimensity 7400 with a total score of 819,655, which is about 18% higher than the Dimensity’s 694,362. The performance gap is most evident in the CPU and GPU segments — the Snapdragon posts a CPU score of 269,334, compared to the Dimensity’s 209,325, marking a 29% lead in processing power. On the graphics front, the Adreno GPU helps the Snapdragon notch 256,584 points, outpacing the Dimensity’s 172,706 by nearly 49%, translating to smoother gameplay and faster rendering.
Interestingly, the Dimensity 7400 strikes back in memory (138,293 vs. 129,961) and UX (174,038 vs. 163,776) scores, even if the difference isn’t significant. This suggests better RAM handling, faster app loading, and a snappier user experience with the Dimensity 7400.
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | Dimensity 7400 | |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu score | 819,655 | 694,362 |
| CPU | 269,334 | 209,325 |
| GPU | 256,584 | 172,706 |
| Memory | 129,961 | 138,293 |
| UX | 163,776 | 174,038 |
Geekbench comparison
In Geekbench benchmarks, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 maintains a slight edge over the Dimensity 7400 in both single-core and multi-core performance. It scores 1,154 in the single-core test compared to Dimensity’s 1,052, offering a 9% advantage in tasks that rely on individual core speed — such as app launches, UI rendering, and light workloads.
The gap in multi-core performance is narrower, with the Snapdragon posting 3,018 against the Dimensity’s 2,981. While both chips deliver solid multi-threaded performance for the mid-range segment, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3’s slight advantage in both categories suggests it offers a bit more headroom in CPU-bound scenarios.
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | Dimensity 7400 | |
| Single core | 1,154 | 1,052 |
| Multi core | 3,018 | 2,981 |
While benchmark scores are very helpful, they don’t tell the complete story. It doesn’t provide detailed information on connectivity, camera capabilities, and other details that we’ve included below.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 7400 — key differences that matter
Performance
While both are mid-range chipsets built on TSMC’s 4nm process, they take different routes when it comes to CPU architecture. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 utilizes a newer ARMv8.6-A architecture, featuring four Cortex-A715 performance cores and four Cortex-A510 efficiency cores.
In contrast, the Dimensity 7400 features an older ARMv8.2-A architecture, with four Cortex-A78 performance cores and four Cortex-A55 cores. The Snapdragon chip benefits from faster and more efficient CPU cores.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 also delivers superior GPU performance in benchmarks as well as in real-world applications. It features an Adreno 720 GPU, which has twice as many shading units and total shaders as the Mali-G615 MP2 in the Dimensity 7400, resulting in higher parallel processing power and theoretical throughput.
Both Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and Dimensity 7400 have NPUs built into the chip for on-device AI capabilities. It optimizes various important aspects, including camera, gaming, and power efficiency.
Camera
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 features a Spectra triple ISP (12-bit), which supports up to 200MP camera resolution and 4K video recording. It offers a range of camera features, including real-time object classification, low-light photography architecture, and computational HDR. There are also several AI-assisted camera features, including AI Remosaic, AI Noise Reduction, and AI Video Retouch.
The Dimensity 7400’s Imagiq 950 (12-bit) ISP also supports up to 200MP camera and 4K video capture. This chip comes with its own set of camera features, including Hardware MCNR (essentially a noise reduction), Video EIS, and AI-based (auto-exposure, auto-white balance, and auto-focus).
Connectivity
It’s another crucial area where differences can impact your daily usage. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 utilizes the X63 5G modem, which supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G, with a peak download speed of up to 5 Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 for faster and more reliable connectivity.
On the other hand, the Dimensity 7400 supports sub-6GHz 5G only, with a slightly lower peak download speed of 3.27 Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 for better audio streaming and connection stability.
Over a Wi-Fi 6E connection, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 can achieve a maximum speed of 2.9 Gbps. MediaTek hasn’t disclosed this information on the official website. Overall, both have strong connectivity features, but the mmWave support on the Snapdragon chip gives it a slight edge in certain regions, such as the US, where its availability is higher.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 7400 — Which is better?
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and Dimensity 7400 are both solid upper mid-range chipsets, but they serve slightly different priorities. Qualcomm’s offering clearly leads in raw CPU and GPU performance, thanks to newer core architectures and a more powerful Adreno GPU. It also has the edge in connectivity, especially with mmWave 5G support, which future-proofs it in markets like the US.
On the other hand, the Dimensity 7400 holds its own with solid battery efficiency. It also has better memory and UX performance on the AnTuTu benchmark. It’s a capable chipset, especially for those who prioritize a good balance of performance and efficiency over peak performance.
If you want the best all-round performance, especially for gaming and future-ready network support, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is the better pick. But if you’re after a well-balanced experience with a slight price advantage, the Dimensity 7400 still delivers a lot of value.
Best Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 phones:
Best Dimensity 7400 phones:
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