For months, there have been rumors that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC is getting hotter, and this is due to Samsung's decision to use its own 14nm technology in Samsung Galaxy S6. Other sources indicate that this is a factory defect. Samsung needed to complete its tablet after Apple decided to return production back to TSMC for the A9, and the company was able to use its own 14nm that was on its way. So why not? The new study brought back the heating issue and demonstrated that the Qualcomm 810 does indeed have thermal issues that were not present in previous devices.

Ars Technica has tested Snapdragon 810 (in LG G Flex 2 and HTC M9)? and compared it to other devices using Snapdragon 801 and 805 silicon. These were chips on the more mature 28nm, with a lower peak in theoretical performance, according to the stress test on Geekbench. This benchmark has recently been revised to better fit real-world scenarios; this benchmark now doesn't just squeeze the maximum load out of each core and wash its hands.

The results for Qualcomm's 810 are not very encouraging. Compared to the Exynos 7420, the 14nm chip used in the Samsung Galaxy S6, it's just awful:

Both chips slowed down (and indeed, like all the chips that Ars tested), but the Snapdragon 810 slowed down much more. The missing dashes in both lines indicate the time when both cores switched to their "smaller" cores. thus, the Snapdragon 810 briefly increased the clock speed, but every time the large cores were involved, the chip had to be turned off to avoid overheating.

So does the Snapdragon 810 have overheating issues? Since the chip slows down more than its predecessors, and these brakes negatively affect the overall performance of the device, the answer is definitely yes. But it’s not over yet.

What goes around comes around.

Nobody claims that the Galaxy S6 comes out on top of the competition with Qualcomm, like the previous 28nm chips. It's fair to point out, however, that part of the reason these problems exist is the desire of manufacturers to drastically reduce the weight and thickness of their devices. First Samsung phone The Galaxy S was around 9.9mm, and 14mm, depending on the variant you purchased. It used a single-core Cortex-A8 processor built on a 45nm node, clocked at 1GHz. The modern Samsung Galaxy S6 uses an octa-core Cortex-A57 / 53 processor, and despite the changes in the Geekbench test, the chip does not deliver 2.1GHz even close. Instead, the chip barely reaches 1.6GHz.

This problem is not unique to the phone and tablet market. Intel's Core M suffers from the same problems in some configurations and for the same reasons. Manufacturers create devices that do not fully meet their declared characteristics. To some extent, this is done on purpose. Intel told us that when they designed the Core M, it gave the manufacturer a lot of flexibility in choosing its own thermal operating margins and clock shell. But when it comes to selling devices that don't have enough cooling to keep up with even their predecessors, this problem arises.

The bottom line is this: Moore's Law no longer works like it does for any ARM or x86 device. The relentless drive to reduce thickness and weight while increasing the number of cores means that manufacturers have no room to maneuver. In fairness, it's worth noting that the Qualcomm chip has disadvantageous power characteristics, but part of the blame for the end result of this fact (inexperience of users) lies on the shoulders of companies like HTC and LG, which decided to create fast-heating chips that are unable to adequately monitor cooling, instead of taking a chance by adding a millimeter of thickness for better system cooling.

It's time to let go of the fantasy that one day Apple or Samsung would build a smartphone so thin that it would be two-dimensional, and return to a time when devices were robust enough that they didn't need bulky cases that still wouldn't save them if dropped. Considering that this also improves cooling, and we can get better performance in the long run, there is no catch.

A couple of weeks ago, Qualcomm confirmed that Microsoft plans to release multiple smartphones based on latest processor Snapdragon 810. It was rumored that Qualcomm specialists were faced with overheating of these chipsets, and for this reason Samsung allegedly refused to install them in her next flagship Galaxy smartphone S6.

However, several devices are already running on the Snapdragon 810, and they do not have problems related to overheating. The editors of STJS Gadgets Portal tested this processor and looked at how much heat it gets compared to the Snapdragon 801. They performed several tests, first running the demanding game Asphalt 8 on two devices with different processors, and then recording video at 4K resolution.

The initial temperature of both processors was room temperature and was 25 degrees. In the first test, the Snapdragon 801 processor gradually warmed up to 45 degrees, and the maximum temperature of the Snapdragon 810 was slightly lower - 40 degrees. In the second test, the Snapdragon 801 warmed up to 43 degrees, while the Snapdragon 810 only reached 35.

This means that the Snapdragon 810 has no overheating problems, or at least much less than the Snapdragon 801. At the same time, it has much higher performance and lower power consumption.

- an important factor, a significant increase in the temperature of the processor leads to a decrease in its performance and can even cause a breakdown. Therefore, it is important to ensure that it does not overheat and that it works under normal temperature conditions. IN this material we will look at temperatures that can be considered normal for modern processors, and also talk about how you can reduce the temperature of the processor by improving the computer's cooling system.

So what's the normal CPU temperature? Normal processor temperatures may vary from processor to processor, depending on their specifications. However, the maximum values, which can also be called the normal processor temperature, are:

• idle up to 45 degrees Celsius;
• under load up to 65 degrees Celsius;

If you exceed these figures, then most likely you have problems with cooling. In this case, it is necessary to urgently take measures in order to avoid negative consequences.

70 degrees and higher is already a critical temperature for the processor. At this temperature, a decrease in performance can be observed. If the temperature rises further, the computer will restart.

In order not to bring the processor to such emergency situations its temperature must be checked regularly. You don't have to do this every day. One check per month is more than enough. Regular checks will allow you to monitor the status of the processor and respond to the problem in time.

In order to check the temperature of the processor you need special program... One of the simplest and most convenient programs of this kind is the program. With its help, you can find out the temperature of all the main components of your computer, including: processor, hard drives, and chipset. In addition, using this program, you can find out the voltages and rotation speeds of coolers.

The screenshot above shows the processor temperatures in the HWmonitor program. Temperatures marked as "Core" are individual temperatures. The "Package" temperature is the temperature of the processor case.

For each temperature sensor, the program shows three temperatures: current (column Value), minimum during program operation (column Min) and maximum during program operation (column Max).

Why does the CPU temperature rise?

The processor temperature can go beyond the normal level for many reasons. Let's consider the most popular ones:

Dust on the processor heatsink. The most common reason for a rise in CPU temperature. Over time, a huge amount of dust collects on the radiator, which impairs heat transfer. Therefore, if you do not conduct it at least once every six months, then you will not be able to achieve a normal processor temperature.

Poor cooling system unit. Sometimes CPU overheating is only part of a bigger problem. If the system unit does not cool well, then the normal temperature of the processor and other computer components cannot be reached. The most common cause of overheating of the system unit is dust. But, sometimes there are more exotic reasons. For example, installing the system unit directly under the central heating battery.

Problems with mounting the processor. Quite a rare problem. Most often occurs after self replacement processor.

Snapdragon 810! Qualcomm has never released a more mystical SoC for smartphones and tablets. Does it overheat during operation? Does it meet the highest requirements of modern games and applications? We will try to find answers to these answers right now, having the results of performance tests, graphic characteristics and the ability to connect to global networks.


Slashgear has managed to install Qualcomm Mobile Developer Platform into MDP smartphones and tablets. - literally the most amped-up mobile devices money and a developer certificate can buy - through benchmarks and testing. The tablet has a 4K and 4GB display random access memory, while the smartphone has a 2K display and 3GB of storage. Here's what we found out:

Test results are impressive

On AnTuTu, the MDP smartphone scored a whopping 61,692 overall. SoC proved to be excellent, and if the test had to be repeated again immediately, the results would not have been much lower!

At the same time, the MDP tablet with 4K display scored 52,102 points. On the this moment most powerful smartphone in our database is the Snapdragon 805 in the Nexus 6, which has a 2K display and scored 56,836 on AnTuTu. The Qualcomm Adreno 430 GPU is able to drive a 4K display at almost the same intensity as the Adreno 420 drives a 2K display.

WAN connection

Qualcomm has worked hard to expand connectivity for its chip. The Snapdragon 810 supports Cat 9 LTE, and is compatible with all major cellular standards and technologies supporting 4G LTE, including GSM / EDGE, CDMA1x / EVDO, TD-SCDMA, and WCDMA / HSPA +. It works even in China, with any of the standards cellular communication... Peak low-frequency speed reaches 450 Mbps.

Overheating rumors are greatly exaggerated

After rumors and reports of Snapdragon 810 overheating, Qualcomm has stepped up its damage control in hopes of restoring its flagship's reputation. The manufacturer gave an estimate of the temperature change during the operation of the chip, for typical scenarios of its use.


With light operation - phone calls, taking photos, browsing regular websites - the system temperature is between 86 - 95F (30 - 35 degrees Celsius), which is not unusual. Temperature levels can go up to 113F (45 degrees Celsius) when running demanding games. When this threshold is reached, the temperature stabilization function is activated, which selects the optimal clock frequency to prevent overheating.


The Snapdragon 810 is reported to be able to maintain a comfortable temperature of around 104F (40 degrees Celsius) for over thirty minutes after a heavy load. It only heats up to y 95F (35C) after 5 minutes of 4K video recording. Whereas devices based on Snapdragon 801 require stopping the recording in this case.

Conclusion

The Snapdragon 810 is designed with technology in mind and has many advanced features such as noise cancellation, Dolby Atmos, Sense Audio, Quick Charge and more. Competitors will have to work hard to meet the established bar.

The Snapdragon 810 will go into production in mid-March, which means that all flagship smartphones from MWC 2015, not labeled "Samsung", will ship in April-May. Meanwhile, the LG G Flex 2 and Xiaomi Mi Note Pro will launch even earlier in selected countries.

* translation of an article from the Phonearena website

Which Snapdragon Processor Is Better? To answer the question, we will compare the current models of Qualcomm chipsets, which can be found not only in old smartphones, but also in 2017 phones. First, let's compare the characteristics Snapdragon processors and talk about the key features of each model, after which we will confirm the predictions regarding the speed of work with the results of testing smartphones in popular benchmarks.

Snapdragon Processor Specifications

Key characteristics of any processor - manufacturing process, core architecture central processing unit, the number of cores and their clock frequency, as well as the graphics accelerator of the chipset. These specifications should be given the utmost attention.

The heating of the smartphone, the degree of its susceptibility to throttling (drop in clock frequency under load) and the operating time of the smartphone from a single charge depend on the technical process. The "smaller" the technological process, the more economically the chipset consumes the battery.

The architecture of the cores, their number and clock frequency affect the speed of work. Powerful cores such as the Cortex A72 or Kryo consume more power, but perform a lot more operations per clock. Simply put, they are faster. Thrifty cores, which include the Cortex A53 cores, are designed for simple tasks. They do not use up the battery as aggressively, but they also work slower with processes.

Snapdragon processors: specifications

	430	625	650	820
Technical process	28 nm	14 nm	28 nm	14 nm
Number of Cores	8	8	6	4
Processor architecture	8x ARM Cortex A53	8x ARM Cortex A53	2x ARM Cortex A72 + 4x ARM Cortex A53	4x Kryo CPU
Clock frequency	up to 1.4 GHz	up to 2.0 GHz	up to 1.8 GHz	up to 2.15 GHz
Graphics Accelerator	Adreno 505 GPU	Adreno 506 GPU	Adreno 510 GPU	Adreno 530 GPU
LTE Modem	LTE Cat.4 download 150 Mbps transmission up to 50 Mbps	LTE Cat. 13/7 download 300 Mbps transmission up to 150 Mbps	LTE Cat.7 download 300 Mbps transmission up to 100 Mbps	LTE Cat. 13/12 download 600 Mbps transmission up to 150 Mbps

The number of processor cores affects the speed of the phone in multitasking mode. If the cores are built on the same architecture, the more the better. But when switching to a new architecture, the rule no longer works.

Smartphones with a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor are faster than 8-core phones built on previous generations of chipsets. The difference in speed is explained by the fact that the improved cores perform more operations per unit of time, due to which they confidently bypass the "slow" predecessors.

The graphics adapter determines the speed of the smartphone in games and when working with 3D graphics. Qualcomm Snapdragon processors use different generations graphics Adreno, which is a priori high performance. Updated versions of the adapter with a large index are faster than their predecessors, which affects the frame rate. This will be clearly seen from the benchmark results.

Key features of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors

In this part of the article, we talk about the key features of the various models of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, highlight their strengths and weaknesses from the point of view of efficiency, speed of operation and degree of heating when solving complex (and not so) problems.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 is the weakest chipset on our list. Its only advantage is its low cost. Manufacturers who want to offer the buyer inexpensive smartphone, this chipset is chosen as a compromise solution.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor is built on 8 reference Cortex A53 cores, which operate at a very low frequency by modern standards. 1.4 GHz... Accordingly, you can forget about the high speed of the smartphone even before buying it. Graphics Accelerator Adreno 505 also grazes the hind ones. It will still allow you to play at minimum settings, but the frame rate will be low.

Since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 is manufactured in a 28nm process, it uses up battery relatively quickly for such a slow processor. Compare the ratings of autonomy and. Due to the same technical process, the heating in games and when working with heavy applications will be noticeable.

Snapdragon 625 processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is a very interesting chipset, in a way, even cool. Of course, we are not talking about cosmic speeds here, the main advantage of the model is extremely low energy consumption with almost complete absence of heating and throttling.

The excellent energy efficiency is due to the fact that the Snapdragon 625 processor is manufactured using a modern 14 nm process technology. For the same reason, he always stays cold, even in games. Graphics Accelerator Power Adreno 506 enough to play at minimum and medium settings.

The CPU speed is not prohibitive, but higher than that of the S430. The performance of the smartphone is also higher - Android will work smoothly, there should be no problems with applications either, at least if at least 3 GB of RAM was assigned to the Snapdragon 625. (.)

Snapdragon 650 processor

Compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors we reviewed earlier, the 650 Dragon is almost a speed champion. This is explained by the fact that the processor architecture uses improved Cortex A72 cores. Yes, the total number of cores is less, but at the expense of performing more operation per clock cycle, the processor is much faster, like the phones built on it.

The performance boost in games is provided by a graphics accelerator Adreno 510... Compared to Snapdragon 625 and 430 processors, the difference is clear. The comparison results can be found at the end of the publication in the GFX benchmarks. The frame rate in games will be higher, and it will be possible to play not only at medium, but also at maximum settings.


The disadvantage of the Snapdragon 650 processor is that it is manufactured using a 28nm process technology. Because of this, the chipset heats up a lot and drops frequencies under serious load, including in 3D toys. This feature should be taken into account for those who like to play for a long time and do not want to face a drop in fps. The battery consumption is also higher, and the time autonomous work smartphone - less.

A few words about Snapdragon 652... It differs from the 650th model in the increased number of cores to eight, and additional cores are built on the Cortex A72 architecture (powerful). Thanks to this, it is even faster, although it does not reach the S820. The disadvantages due to the 28 nm process technology are the same - throttling and high battery consumption.

Snapdragon 820/821 processors

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821 - top chipsets in 2016. Them strengths- high speed of work and relatively low, as for fast processors, battery consumption. The chipsets are equipped with the Adreno 530 graphics accelerator, which broke records last year and outstripped almost all competitors.

If you really need fast smartphone, or if you want to play heavy games at maximum frame rates, smartphones with a 4-core Snapdragon 820 processor are a great choice. Excellent, but not devoid of flaws. The problem is that smartphones based on Snapdragon 820, despite the 14 nm process technology, are prone to overheating, and they sometimes heat up to uncomfortable temperatures.


Qualcomm engineers tried to solve the problem in one of the versions of the Snapdragon 821. The "cold" version of the S821 received the AB index, and it works at the same reference frequencies as the S820. Smartphones with 4-core Snapdragon 821 processor are not always faster than phones at 820 Dragon, but they can be colder. In a sense, this is even better, because the performance of the 820 is already enough with the head.

The Snapdragon 821 version with the non-AB index is a processor overclocked to 2.3 GHz on the same architecture and with the same number of cores (4 Kryo CPU cores). An example of a smartphone with a 4-core Snapdragon 821 non-AB processor -. For comparison, or based on Snapdragon 821, which operates at reference frequencies without increasing processing power.

Snapdragon 835 processors

The latest Snapdragon 835 chipset is space in terms of performance. We will not talk about it in detail in this publication, because a special material is devoted to the comparison of the S835 and S821 processors.

Snapdragon processors: comparison in benchmarks

Let's move on to comparing Snapdragon processors in popular benchmarks. Then there will be many diagrams that may not display correctly in older browsers and some built-in browsers of mobile platforms. If you encounter this issue, open the publication in the current build of Mozilla, Opera, or Chrome.

Small explanations for benchmarks. GeekBench measures CPU power, which affects the smooth running of an operating system.

Snapdragon processors in GeekBench 4 (multi-core)

Snapdragon processors in GeekBench 4 (single-core)

In Antutu and BaseMark OS 2.0, we compare the overall speed of the smartphone.

Snapdragon processors in AnTuTu 6

Snapdragon processors in BaseMark OS 2.0

In the GFX tests, the power of the graphics accelerator is estimated, which correlates with the speed of working with 3D graphics and the frame rate in games.

GFX 3.1 Manhattan

GFX 3.1 Car Scene

Snapdragon Processor Comparison: Summary

Any conclusions or comments on the test results are superfluous, it remains only to summarize the above and highlight key features Snapdragon processors:

1. Snapdragon 430: a budget option, a compromise between the comfort of working with the phone and its cost.
2. S625: the best choice for those who need a cold smartphone with high autonomy.
3. S650 / 652: a good option for gamers and those looking for a fast and affordable smartphone.
4. S820: A very fast chipset that will last for a couple of years. Smartphones with the S820 / S821 quad-core processor are not cheap, although there are options available.
5. S835: best processor at the time of publication.

New publications