Pixel 9 Pro XL Stress Test Results Disappointing: Tensor G4 Thermal Management Still Needs Improvement

Pixel 9 Pro XL Stress Test Results Disappointing: Tensor G4 Thermal Management Still Needs ImprovementGoogle has been singing praises about the latest Tensor G4 chip, which powers all the new Pixel 9 models, promising superior performance, AI prowess, and impressive energy efficiency. However, these claims were not reflected in the latest stress tests for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, where the chipset was throttled to 50% of its maximum performance

Pixel 9 Pro XL Stress Test Results Disappointing: Tensor G4 Thermal Management Still Needs Improvement

Google has been singing praises about the latest Tensor G4 chip, which powers all the new Pixel 9 models, promising superior performance, AI prowess, and impressive energy efficiency. However, these claims were not reflected in the latest stress tests for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, where the chipset was throttled to 50% of its maximum performance.

Alongside the base Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold come equipped with vapor chambers, designed to effectively manage heat generated by the Tensor G4, achieving better performance. This was one of the most significant upgrades announced by the company this year and a welcome one, as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro from last year suffered from severe overheating issues during stress tests.

Unfortunately, the tests conducted by @callmeshazzam indicate that Google's top-of-the-line flagship, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, still struggles with the Tensor G4's heat dissipation. The stress tests revealed a disappointing performance degradation, with the SoC's performance cores dropping from 3.10 GHz to 1.32 GHz, and the efficiency cores from 1.92 GHz to 0.57 GHz.

Firstly, we are unaware of the ambient temperature during the Pixel 9 Pro XL testing, which significantly impacts the chipset's ability to prevent thermal throttling for prolonged periods. Furthermore, we previously reported that even the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chip, manufactured using TSMC's 4 nm N4P process, experienced a 46% peak performance loss when running the same stress tests on the Vivo X100, which also features a vapor chamber. It's important to note that stress tests are designed to push smartphone SoCs to their limits, so even the most energy-efficient chips will likely struggle under such demands.

Hopefully, the Tensor G4 will perform better in other tests and justify the Pixel 9 Pro XL's price tag.