New Generation Flagship Powerhouse Test is Here!

On October 9th, MediaTek held the "Dimensity Flagship Chip Launch Event" in Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, officially unveiling the all-new flagship chip - Dimensity 9400.

As one of the ironclad "Big Three" in the mobile semiconductor industry, MediaTek was the last to submit its answer last year. Fortunately, Dimensity 9300 was like the last dessert at a dinner party - delicious, refreshing, and stunning.

This year, however, things are a bit different. The launch of Dimensity 9400 came much faster than expected, and MediaTek was not aggressive with its clock speed settings. Although the clock speed is not as high as that of competitors, there are significant improvements in both performance and energy efficiency. With its relentless pursuit of AI and ray tracing performance, MediaTek hopes to comprehensively outperform its contemporaries.

While we know that the vivo X200 series won't be launched until October 14th, this doesn't stop us from getting an early hands-on experience and testing the Dimensity 9400 engineering prototype.

Now, let's see how Dimensity 9400 performs in real-world scenarios. Could this be the next king of mobile SoC performance and energy efficiency?

Specification Analysis: Enhanced Performance, Lower Power Consumption

As usual, let's take a look at the core specifications of Dimensity 9400.

The all-new Dimensity 9400 continues to excel in terms of hardware specifications. It adopts the second-generation "full large core" architecture, comprising one Cortex-X925 supercore with a maximum frequency of 3.62GHz, three Cortex-X4 supercores capable of reaching 3.3GHz, and four Cortex-A720 cores operating at up to 2.4GHz.

Interestingly, it's notable that MediaTek didn't follow the trend of competitors by pushing for higher clock speeds. Instead, they opted to replace only one Cortex-X4 supercore with the more advanced PC-grade Cortex-X925 supercore. According to official test data, Dimensity 9400 offers nearly 35% improvement in single-core performance and 28% in multi-core performance, while saving 40% in power consumption compared to the previous-generation Dimensity 9300 at equivalent performance levels.

Enhanced core performance translates to improved multitasking capabilities and parallel application execution, resulting in smoother experiences, especially when handling heavy-duty applications. Additionally, Dimensity 9400 ensures better battery life.

At this point, some readers may wonder how power consumption can be reduced despite the core upgrades.

This is achieved in two ways. Firstly, the new Cortex-X925 brings a 15% IPC improvement, meaning the processor can complete tasks with fewer computational units in the same amount of time. Secondly, compared to the previous generation, Dimensity 9400 boasts a 100% increase in L2 cache and a 50% increase in L3 cache, significantly enhancing CPU performance in prefetching data and executing complex instructions.

Most importantly, Dimensity 9400 is the first flagship chip in the Android camp based on TSMC's N3E process technology. Compared to the common TSMC N5 process, N3E offers a 34% reduction in power consumption at equivalent performance levels and an 18% performance boost at equivalent power consumption levels. It also achieves an unprecedented 29.1 billion logic transistor density.

Furthermore, under the new Dimensity scheduling mechanism, Dimensity 9400's CPU cores fully utilize out-of-order execution, automatically identifying and prioritizing important tasks. According to MediaTek's official demonstration, even under full background load, Genshin Impact can maintain a smooth 60FPS gameplay experience at maximum graphics settings, fully utilizing CPU resources and enhancing application execution efficiency, making it easier to handle heavy-duty and multi-tasking scenarios.

AI has always been a strength of Dimensity chips, and Dimensity 9400 takes it to the next level with the integration of the all-new eighth-generation dedicated AI computing unit - NPU 890, the first intelligent AI chip in the Android camp. Not only is it fully optimized for generative AI across the entire pipeline, but it also delivers significant improvements in integer and floating-point computational performance.

In terms of benchmark scores, Dimensity 9400 surpassed 6700 points on the ETHZ AI Benchmark, far outperforming its competitors and ranking first in mobile AI performance.

At the technical level, NPU 890 is equipped with the Dimensity AI Intelligence Engine, providing an autonomous, reasoning, and actionable large model experience. Users can make requests through natural language, and the intelligent agent will reason based on the current situation, provide recommendations based on user preferences and location, and even complete orders directly.

Moreover, considering user privacy, Dimensity 9400 supports edge-side intelligent AI technologies such as locally generated high-quality DIT videos and Lora inference training, allowing users to enjoy personalized intelligent experiences while ensuring privacy. It also leads the way in adopting 10.7Gbps LPDDR5X memory, enhancing data transfer speed and efficiency to support smooth edge-side operation of large AI models.

In the long run, the proliferation of AI agents will enrich and personalize users' lives. With the support of Dimensity 9400, popular large language models are expected to be realized on mobile devices, potentially leading to the emergence of more application scenarios for edge-side AI agents.

In addition to the second-generation "full large core" CPU design, the GPU also packs a punch. Dimensity 9400 features ARM's latest Immortalis G925 graphics processor with 12 graphics compute cores. According to official data, peak performance is improved by 41% compared to the previous-generation Dimensity 9300, while power consumption is reduced by 44% at equivalent performance levels.

It also incorporates the third-generation OMM Ray Tracing Engine, supporting 90FPS high-fluidity ray tracing and delivering console/PC-grade ray tracing experiences. By simulating complex surface details using tiny opacity maps, it reduces polygon counts and enhances ray tracing fineness. The on-site demonstration showed significantly improved leaf shadows on walls and a notable boost in frame rates.

Simultaneously, the StarSpeed Engine Super-Resolution Technology and Dimensity Frame Doubling Technology 2.0 enable users to enjoy higher-definition visuals or smoother frame rates. The StarSpeed Engine, powered by NPU 890, includes AI Coaching technology that provides real-time reminders during Honor of Kings matches, such as enemy jungle movements and lane disappearance times, ensuring players stay informed at all times.

Beyond providing ray tracing hardware and StarSpeed Engine support, MediaTek is actively expanding its gaming ecosystem. Multiple popular games have already joined, covering the Unity/Unreal/Messiah game engines. In the future, players can expect more games supporting ray tracing and the StarSpeed Engine.

Certainly, Dimensity 9400 doesn't skimp on connectivity either. With the exclusive Wi-Fi 7 Enhanced Technology Xtra Range 3.0, connection distance can be extended by approximately 30 meters, while Bluetooth range is boosted to 1500 meters, enabling offline calls. Thanks to the ultra-energy-efficient core and 4nm process, network and Bluetooth connection power consumption is significantly reduced, resulting in approximately 50% energy savings compared to the previous generation.

Performance Testing: Benchmark Leader, Setting New Records in Gaming Energy Efficiency

Ultimately, no matter how impressive the hardware specifications and technical features may be, they must translate into actual performance.

Indeed, benchmarks don't tell the whole story, but they remain a fundamental and direct reflection of a product's capabilities.

This time around, Leitech was fortunate enough to get an early hands-on with a Dimensity 9400 engineering prototype provided by MediaTek, conducting multiple rounds of benchmark tests and gaming evaluations to showcase the real-world performance of this new architecture flagship SoC with outstanding paper specifications.

It's essential to note that the performance of engineering prototypes does not necessarily reflect that of final mass-produced devices, especially considering the inferior cooling capabilities of prototypes. The on-site testing was conducted at a room temperature of 22°C, with screen brightness adjusted to 250 nits before each test.

MediaTek's engineering prototypes retain their familiar green back cover, boasting a sturdy and boxy design significantly larger than regular smartphones. The main specifications include the Dimensity 9400 chip, paired with 16GB LPDDR5X memory at 10667Mbps, 1TB UFS 4.0 storage, and a 6.73-inch 2K+ display.

Starting with the familiar AnTuTu benchmark, the Dimensity 9400 engineering prototype easily surpassed 2.839 million points. This score not only exceeds the previous generation by a whopping 600,000 points but also tops all currently available Android flagship devices, solidifying Dimensity 9400's position as the industry leader in comprehensive performance.

In terms of CPU performance, the Dimensity 9400 scored 2934 in Geekbench 6's single-core test and 9151 in the multi-core test, demonstrating its exceptional prowess. Based on the multi-core results, Dimensity 9400 currently holds the top spot for multi-core performance.

Compared to the Dimensity 9300+ (in a mass-produced device), the single-core performance leads by approximately 26%, while the multi-core advantage reaches 18%, highlighting the substantial single-core performance boost from the updated Cortex-X925.

Moving on to GPU performance, the Dimensity 9400 scored 380FPS in GFX Bench's Manhattan 3.1 1080P off-screen test, marking a 10% improvement over the previous generation. In the Aztec 1440P Vulkan test, it achieved 128FPS, a staggering 29% jump from the previous model.

In modern graphics API general-purpose tests, Dimensity 9400 secured a score of 2553 in 3DMark Steel Normad Light, representing a substantial 26% improvement over the Dimensity 9300+'s 2011 points. This outstanding result positions Dimensity 9400 as the undisputed GPU performance leader among mobile devices.

Beyond benchmarks, we also conducted hands-on gaming tests.

In Genshin Impact, we tested the Sumeru exploration and boss fight routes, achieving an average framerate of 60.1FPS with a power consumption of just 4.36W.

Compared to the Dimensity 9300+ (in a mass-produced device), frame stability was largely consistent (considering the maximum framerate cap of 60FPS), but overall power consumption was reduced by approximately 0.5W, underscoring Dimensity 9400's impressive energy efficiency under heavy loads.

Next up was Honkai: Star Rail, where we achieved an average framerate of 59.8FPS at 60FPS maximum settings during a 30-minute run in Xingcha Sea, with a power consumption of 4.72W.

While maintaining stable framerates, the average power consumption of the Dimensity 9400 engineering prototype was approximately 0.4W lower than its predecessor.

Finally, we tested the new game Honkai: Star Rail Zero at 60FPS maximum settings, following MediaTek's recommended evaluation route for 30 minutes. The highest temperature recorded was 39.7°C, with an average framerate of 59.9FPS and a power consumption of 4.8W.

Although Honkai: Star Rail Zero is a level-based action game, the test captured several high-load scenarios. From the CPU frequency data, we observed multiple instances where the supercore was fully utilized, and overall power consumption gradually increased over time. Nevertheless, the final framerate performance remained remarkably stable compared to other products on the market, with an average power consumption that didn't even exceed 5W, showcasing astonishing energy efficiency control.

The direct impression from the gaming tests is that Dimensity 9400 has successfully delivered a full-frame experience for current 3A mobile games while also impressing with its power consumption. It truly lives up to its reputation as a new-generation flagship powerhouse.

Regarding AI, I also had the chance to experience edge-side AI animations and multi-modal large models on-site.

Starting with AI animation generation, anyone familiar with Stable Diffusion won't be unfamiliar with the process. Beyond text-to-image and image-to-video generation, MediaTek has introduced skeleton control, seamlessly matching a fixed-pose photo with a pre-provided skeleton animation. The actual generation speed was blazingly fast, testament to the impressive computing power of NPU 890.

I also experienced the edge-side multi-modal large model. By feeding it an image of a linear equation, Dimensity 9400 quickly recognized the problem and provided the solution. Controlling the phone through natural language, enabling the large model to understand the phone's screen, and achieving seamless automation of perception and interaction within the user interface offered a truly engaging experience.

This time, it's time to lead the flagship market

A year ago, many people questioned MediaTek's decision to adopt an all-big-core architecture.

Of course, these doubts are reasonable. Since Arm introduced the big.LITTLE concept of combining large and small cores, mobile processors, especially flagship models, have consistently adhered to this approach in recent years. No one knows how the performance and power consumption of mobile phones will change after removing the small cores, so no one dares to take any rash actions.

A year later, the all-big-core architecture seems to have become the mainstream design for mobile flagship processors.

Breaking conventional wisdom often requires a pioneer with courage and strength. If Dimensity 9300 is a breakthrough, then Dimensity 9400 is boldly leading the trend. Now, competitors are also adopting the 2+6 all-big-core architecture, indicating that the entire industry is actively moving in this direction.

As the successor to the all-big-core pioneer and MediaTek's new flagship chip, Dimensity 9400 aims to bring users' attention back to the performance experience of mobile phones rather than obsession with ever-increasing frequency numbers.

The inherited and enhanced all-big-core design caters to the new demands of smartphone development and will continue to lead the way in future mobile chip architectures. Outstanding GPU performance and ray tracing gaming technology bring the future mobile gaming experience closer to that of consoles and PCs. Meanwhile, its hardware upgrades and supporting AI capabilities will unleash the potential of AI on mobile devices, fostering innovative generative AI applications that profoundly impact the industry and users.

What? Some say "excessive performance"?

Believe me, with the continuous development of mobile applications and hardware capabilities, many users' demand for performance has surged, which means there is no such thing as truly "excessive performance." In fact, well-scheduled big cores can also handle low-power tasks, and even do them better.

Most importantly, with the emergence of Dimensity 9400 and more flagship chips adopting the all-big-core design, this more streamlined architecture will encourage developers to more flexibly utilize the big and super-big cores of chips, simplifying development efforts. Rather than maintaining a stagnant small-core ecosystem, continuous iterative optimization of hardware performance aligns better with the objective laws of scientific development.

In recent years, MediaTek has enjoyed considerable growth. Its predecessor, Dimensity 9300, received positive feedback from the market, with vivo's flagship X100 series and OPPO's FIND X7 series performing well and becoming "blockbusters" among flagship mobile chips. Dimensity 9400 marks MediaTek's latest push towards the pinnacle, officially sounding the horn for the ultimate battle of the new generation of flagship mobile platforms.

It is foreseeable that the high-end market will once again welcome a new wave. Now, it remains to be seen what kind of actual performance vivo's upcoming X200 series, the first to feature Dimensity 9400, can deliver.

Source: Leikeji