Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are both flagship chips made by Qualcomm. In Geekbench 6, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is 20% faster in multi-core (10,941 vs 9,143) and 19% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 scores 13% higher (2,706 vs 2,387).
Benchmarks head to head
Full chipset rankingMulti-core Geekbench 6
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 +20%Single-core Geekbench 6
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 +19%Graphics 3DMark Steel Nomad Light
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 +13%Higher is better. Bars are relative to the faster chip in each test. A dash means we don’t have a reliable result for that chip yet.
Key facts
Specs from the chip makers. The better result in each benchmark is highlighted.
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Qualcomm | Qualcomm |
| Class | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | Oct 2024 | Sep 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm TSMC N3E | 3 nm TSMC N3P |
| CPU | 8 cores 2× 4.32 GHz + 6× 3.53 GHz | 8 cores 2× 4.6 GHz + 6× 3.62 GHz |
| Max CPU speed | 4.32 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 840 |
| 5G modem | Built-in 5G | Built-in 5G |
| Place in our ranking | #13 of 110 | #4 of 110 (better) |
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 3,046 | 3,628 (better) |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 9,143 | 10,941 (better) |
| Graphics (3DMark Steel Nomad Light) | 2,387 | 2,706 (better) |
| Phones in our database | 32 phones | 28 phones |
| Best-rated phone | OnePlus 13 9.0 | OPPO Find X9 Ultra 9.4 |
| Lowest US launch price | $529 REDMAGIC 11 Air | $749 REDMAGIC 11 Pro |
| Newest phone | REDMI K90 Ultra Jun 2026 | HONOR Magic9 Sep 2026 |
Phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite
32 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
9.0
OnePlus 13
6.82″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 6,000 mAh
From $899.99 + Compare -
8.9
HONOR Magic V5
7.95″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 5,820 mAh
No US price + Compare -
8.9
HONOR Magic7 Pro
6.8″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 5,270 mAh
No US price + Compare -
8.8
HONOR 600 Pro
6.57″ 120 Hz, 200 MP camera, 6,400 mAh
No US price + Compare
Phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
28 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
9.4
OPPO Find X9 Ultra
6.82″ 144 Hz, 200 MP camera, 7,050 mAh
No US price + Compare -
9.4
OnePlus 15
6.78″ 165 Hz, 50 MP camera, 7,300 mAh
From $899.99 + Compare -
9.3
POCO F9 Ultra
6.9″ 185 Hz, 200 MP camera, 8,050 mAh
No US price + Compare -
9.3
HONOR Magic8 Pro
6.71″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 6,270 mAh
No US price + Compare
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: FAQ
Which is faster, the Snapdragon 8 Elite or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
In Geekbench 6, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is 20% faster in multi-core (10,941 vs 9,143) and 19% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 scores 13% higher (2,706 vs 2,387). Real-world speed also depends on how well each phone keeps the chip cool and on its software.
Is the Snapdragon 8 Elite or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 better for gaming?
3DMark Steel Nomad Light measures graphics performance, which matters most for games. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 scores 13% higher than the Snapdragon 8 Elite (2,706 vs 2,387). Cooling, screen refresh rate and game support also make a difference, so check the phones themselves.
Which is newer, the Snapdragon 8 Elite or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is newer: it was announced in September 2025, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite was announced in October 2024.
Which phones use the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
The Snapdragon 8 Elite powers 32 phones in our database, including the OnePlus 13, HONOR Magic V5 and HONOR Magic7 Pro. The lowest US launch price with this chip is $529, for the REDMAGIC 11 Air. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powers 28 phones in our database, including the OPPO Find X9 Ultra, OnePlus 15 and POCO F9 Ultra. The lowest US launch price with this chip is $749, for the REDMAGIC 11 Pro.
Where do these benchmark scores come from?
They are reference results for each chip: the median of several Geekbench 6 runs on retail phones. The 3DMark Steel Nomad Light graphics score is the median of the results for retail phones with the chip in the official ranking of UL, the maker of 3DMark. The same chip can score a little differently from phone to phone, depending on cooling, clock speeds and software.
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