The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a flagship chipset known for its excellent performance and power efficiency. Announced in October 2023, it features an octa-core CPU with a peak clock speed of 3.3GHz and the powerful Adreno 750 GPU, which delivers an immersive gaming experience even in demanding titles.
On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, released in May 2022, was also introduced as a flagship chip. But over time, it has trickled down to mid-range phones, offering buyers strong performance at a more affordable price.
It’s no surprise that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers better performance, but how big is the gap? We compared both chips across several benchmark platforms to find out. You’ll also find key differences listed below to help you decide which chipset better suits your needs.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs 8+ Gen 1: Benchmark scores
[Note: The tests were conducted on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) and Poco F5 Pro (powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1).]
AnTuTu comparison
AnTuTu evaluates a device’s overall performance by running a series of tests across multiple components, including CPU, GPU, memory, and UX (user experience). The overall score represents the combined strength of these individual tests.
| SD 8 Gen 3 | SD 8+ Gen 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu score | 1,937,417 | 1,301,426 |
| CPU | 419,604 | 339,745 |
| GPU | 829,698 | 482,109 |
| Memory | 382,043 | 237,702 |
| UX | 306,072 | 241,869 |
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 outperforms the 8+ Gen 1 by 49% in the overall AnTuTu score. The GPU performance is particularly impressive with a 72% lead, while the CPU is around 23% faster.
Geekbench comparison
Geekbench measures how well a processor handles various workloads by performing real-world and synthetic tests, such as image processing, machine learning, and file compression.
| SD 8 Gen 3 | SD 8+ Gen 1 | |
| Single core | 2,185 | 1,732 |
| Multi core | 6,735 | 4,361 |
The 8 Gen 3 delivers 26% better single-core and 55% better multi-core performance, making it a more capable chip for demanding apps and multitasking.
3DMark scores
It’s a popular gaming benchmarking tool that evaluates a device’s graphics performance and thermal stability under prolonged heavy workloads.
| SD 8 Gen 3 | SD 8+ Gen 1 | |
| Wild Life Unlimited | 16,991 | 8,294 |
| Wild Life Extreme | 4,937 | 2,121 |
| Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | 4,690 | 2,079 |
In all 3DMark tests, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 outshines the 8 Plus Gen 1 by a wide margin, making it a better choice for gamers.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs 8+ Gen 1: Key Differences
CPU
Both chips are manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm process, but their core structures differ. For instance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has one large core, five mid-cores, and two small cores, whereas the 8+ Gen 1 has one large score, three mid-cores, and four small cores.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3:
- One large core (1 x 3.3GHz — Cortex-X4)
- Five mid cores (3 x 3.15GHz — Cortex-A720, 2 x 2.96GHz — Cortex-A720)
- Two small cores (2 x 2.27GHz — Cortex-A520)
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1:
- One large core (1 x 3.2GHz — Cortex-X2)
- Three mid cores (3 x 2.75GHz — Cortex-A710)
- Four small cores (4 x 2GHz — Cortex-A510)
The 8 Gen 3 not only has a higher clock speed but also uses newer and more efficient CPU cores that offer better performance per watt. For example, the Cortex-X4 in 8 Gen 3 can achieve the same level of performance as the Cortex-X2 at a lower power consumption. This is also true for other cores.
GPU
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Adreno 750
- Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1: Adreno 730
Though both GPUs share the Adreno 700 series architecture, the 8 Gen 3 has higher FLOPS and shading units, making it suitable for demanding games and graphics-intensive applications.
Additionally, the 8 Gen 3 supports advanced features like real-time ray tracing and Unreal Engine 5.2 MetaHumans, offering a more immersive gaming experience. While the 8+ Gen 1 lacks these features, it still offers a competitive gaming performance.
Camera
Both chips support up to 200MP cameras and 108MP with Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL). However, the 8 Gen 3 goes a step further by bringing in ZSL support for dual 64+36MP and triple 36MP setups.
One of the key camera differences is the real-time semantic segmentation (up to 12 layers) on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for improved object recognition and enhanced photography effects.
Connectivity
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 8+ Gen 1 feature advanced connectivity features, but the former offers significantly better speed, Wi-Fi capability, and a newer Bluetooth standard.
The 8 Gen 3 provides better wireless speed, lower latency, and improved power-saving technology.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs 8+ Gen 1: Conclusion
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a major upgrade, offering better CPU, GPU, camera, and connectivity features. It’s the clear winner in terms of performance and future-proofing. However, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is still a solid choice for budget-conscious users who want flagship-like performance without spending top dollar.
| SD 8 Gen 3 | SD 7+ Gen 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2023 | May 2022 |
| Process node | 4nm | 4nm |
| Manufacturer | TSMC | TSMC |
| CPU | 1 x 3.3 GHz — Cortex-X4 3 x 3.15 GHz — Cortex-A720 2 x 2.96 GHz — Cortex-A720 2 x 2.27GHz — Cortex-A520 | 1 x 3.2 GHz — Cortex-X2 3 x 2.75 GHz — Cortex-A710 4 x 2 GHz — Cortex-A510 |
| GPU | Adreno 750 GPU Support for Unreal Engine 5.2 Lumen Global illumination Ray tracing support Snapdragon Elite Gaming features | Adreno 730 GPU Snapdragon Elite Gaming features |
| NPU | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU |
| Memory | LPDDR5x — 4.8GHz | LPDDR5 — 4.2GHz |
| Camera | Qualcomm Spectra Cognitive Triple 18-bit ISP Real-time semantic segmentation (max 12 layers) Up to 200MP single camera Up to 108MP single camera at 30fps with zero shutter lag Up to 64MP+36MP dual camera at 30fps with zero shutter lag Up to 36MP triple camera at 30fps with zero shutter lag Up to 8K/30fps video recording | Qualcomm Spectra Triple 18-bit ISP Up to 200MP single camera Up to 108MP single camera at 30fps with zero shutter lag Up to 8K/30fps video recording |
| Connectivity | Snapdragon X75 5G modem Downlink: 10Gbps Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 5.8Gbps) Bluetooth 5.4 | Snapdragon X65 5G modem Downlink: 10Gbps Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi 6E (peak speed: 3.6Gbps) Bluetooth 5.3 |
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones:
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (review)
OnePlus 12 (review)
Asus ROG Phone 8
Galaxy Z Fold 6
Galaxy Z Flip 6 (review)
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (review)
iQOO 12
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phones:
OnePlus 11R (review)
Poco F5 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
Nothing Phone 2
Comments