Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus Performance Review: Oryon CPU Takes the Lead, Game Experience Evolves Across the Board

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus Performance Review: Oryon CPU Takes the Lead, Game Experience Evolves Across the BoardAt the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit held from October 22nd to 24th, Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus mobile platform. This platform features the Qualcomm-designed Oryon CPU and boasts comprehensive upgrades across 5G, AI, performance, imaging, and connectivity technologies

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus Performance Review: Oryon CPU Takes the Lead, Game Experience Evolves Across the Board

At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit held from October 22nd to 24th, Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus mobile platform. This platform features the Qualcomm-designed Oryon CPU and boasts comprehensive upgrades across 5G, AI, performance, imaging, and connectivity technologies. It's also built using the second-generation 3nm process. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus sees significant performance advancements, with substantial improvements across the board. CPU performance has increased by 45%, graphics performance by 40%, and graphics power consumption has been reduced by 40%. These figures are impressive on paper, but they might not be entirely intuitive for users. Before the Snapdragon Summit, we got our hands on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus "reference design" engineering prototype and conducted in-depth testing. After reviewing the test data, you'll have a more concrete understanding of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus's capabilities.

Before diving into the tests, let's take a look at the phone's specs. The reference design boasts a 6.73-inch WQHD+ resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Its equipped with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS4.0 storage. It's crucial to note that the reference design's memory frequency is 9600MHz, not its full potential, which might have a slight impact on the test results. Additionally, there could be performance discrepancies between the reference design and production models.

Antutu Benchmark Exceeds 3 Million, Reaching the Peak of Performance

First, let's examine the Antutu benchmark results. This Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus engineering prototype achieved a staggering score of 3.06 million in Antutu, undeniably the highest performance among all smartphones currently available. Notably, the starting temperature during the test was 25 degrees Celsius, indicating that this score was achieved in a normal room temperature environment. Under laboratory conditions, the score could potentially be even higher. Regardless, the score significantly surpasses competing platforms. We also specifically compared it to the Xiaomi 14 Pro, which is powered by the 3rd generation Snapdragon 8. Compared to the 2.12 million score achieved by the previous generation, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus saw a 44% performance increase, with significant improvements across all sub-scores. This test demonstrates the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus's ability to deliver a substantial overall performance enhancement.

GeekBench 6 Test: Demonstrating the Power of Oryon CPU

In the GeekBench 6 test, which focuses on CPU performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus achieved a single-core score of 3233 and a multi-core score exceeding 10,000, reaching 10560. Compared to the 2146/7153 score of phones equipped with the 3rd generation Snapdragon 8, the improvement is remarkably significant. It also holds a substantial advantage over competing products. The CPU test results clearly show that Qualcomm's Oryon CPU is a true powerhouse, delivering a remarkable performance boost. In the framework of the current Android operating system, the Oryon CPU's single-core performance will undoubtedly be fully utilized. Additionally, the multi-core performance offered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus will also be fully leveraged. With major brands recently announcing new system updates incorporating multi-core scheduling optimizations, we have every reason to anticipate a significantly smoother user experience on new smartphones. These optimizations will enhance multitasking capabilities and ensure a seamlessly fluid experience during everyday use.

Impressive Graphics Performance, Dramatically Enhanced Game Smoothness

In terms of graphics performance, the 1440P Aztec Vulkan offscreen scenario achieved 125 frames per second. Compared to the 91 frames per second attained by the Xiaomi 14 Pro, this represents a 37.3% improvement. What truly excites us is the frame rate exceeding 120 fps. Benchmarking scenarios often push higher loads than real-world gaming scenarios, so achieving 120 frames per second in a benchmark indicates that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus powered phones could potentially deliver a consistently smooth 120 fps gaming experience across the board.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light scene, which tests ray tracing capabilities, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus achieved a score of 2616. Compared to the previous generation's score of 1709, this represents a significant 53% performance increase. For current mobile games, this higher ray tracing performance allows games to adapt to 90 fps graphics, resulting in noticeably smoother gameplay than 60 fps ray tracing.

Real-World Game Testing: Excellent Power Control, Upgraded Game Experience

Following the benchmark tests, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus's performance left a lasting impression. Now, let's delve into real-world game performance. This aspect demands not only high performance but also low power consumption, as it directly impacts heat generation and overall gameplay comfort.

First, we'll examine the performance in "Genshin Impact." Running the game for 30 minutes at 60 fps with the highest graphics settings in the Fontaine region, the average frame rate reached 59.7 fps, with stable gameplay and an average power consumption of 4.28W. "Genshin Impact" has been heavily optimized over the years, and achieving 60 fps with the highest graphics settings isn't a challenge for flagship chipsets anymore. The 4.28W power consumption is quite impressive, offering not only energy efficiency and less heat but also headroom for even higher graphics settings. It's important to note that the game version we tested had some bugs that periodically caused frame rate drops, potentially affecting the overall frame rate. Under normal circumstances, the experience should be a smooth 60 fps. We believe that with future updates, these issues will be resolved in the production models.

Next, let's test the performance in "Honkai: Star Rail." We turned on the highest graphics settings and explored the Xianzhou Luofu map. Over 30 minutes of gameplay, the average frame rate reached 59.8 fps, with stable and minimal fluctuations. Power consumption was 5.53W, a significant reduction compared to the previous generation. In our previous tests, phones capable of achieving near-full frame rates typically consumed over 6.1W.

In "Tower of Fantasy," we tested gameplay at the highest graphics settings in the Guangying Square region. The average frame rate reached 59.7 fps, with stable and energy-efficient performance at 4.46W.

We also tested the performance in two popular titles: "Naraka: Bladepoint" and "Undawn." In "Naraka: Bladepoint," the average frame rate reached 59.7 fps with a power consumption of 3.91W over a single game session. In "Undawn," the average frame rate reached 59.2 fps with a power consumption of 5.99W.

Overall, across various games, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus demonstrates stable performance and relatively lower power consumption. We can confidently say that achieving 60 fps is no longer a challenge for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus. With the new generation of flagship phones, we should focus on even higher frame rates, higher resolutions, and ray tracing for enhanced graphics quality.

Conclusion: Unbridled Performance, Low Power Consumption, A Promising Future

Through the tests mentioned above, you now have a quantifiable understanding of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Plus's performance. This chipset, powered by Qualcomm's in-house architecture, delivers truly wild performance while maintaining energy efficiency, creating excitement for the upcoming models from various smartphone manufacturers. Phones powered by the Snapdragon 8gen 3 Plus are poised to provide users with an unparalleled performance experience, paving the way for exciting advancements in mobile gaming and mobile applications.