Apple M2 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Let's find out which one of Apple M2 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is of a more recent generation, and what segment it belongs to.

• Name
  Apple M2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Family
  Apple M series Qualcomm Snapdragon
• Generation
  2 2
• CPU group
  Apple M2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 7/8 Gen 2
• Predecessor
  -- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

In this block we are going to compare Apple M2 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by main technical specifications: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies, process technology and cache size. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)

Common specifications for integrated graphics cards in Apple M2 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

• GPU name
  Apple M2 (8 Core) Qualcomm Adreno SD 8 G2
• GPU frequency
  3.50 GHz 1.00 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo
• Execution units
  128 0
• Max. GPU Memory
  16 GB --
• Max. displays
  3 0
• Generation
  2 7
• Technology
  5 nm 4 nm
• Release date
  Q1/2022 Q4/2022

Let's compare the support of video codecs between Apple M2 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h264
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• VP9
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• VP8
  Decode Decode / Encode
• AV1
  Decode Decode
• AVC
  Decode Decode
• VC-1
  Decode Decode
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

To choose the best model between Apple M2 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 you need to pay special attention to memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version. The higher these numbers are, the better your CPU will be. Keep in mind that the maximum memory and frequency may also depend on the model of the motherboard.

• Memory type
  LPDDR5-5500 LPDDR5-6400
• Max. Memory
  16 GB 16 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  2 4 (Quad Channel)

Let's find out what TDP value would be better for Apple M2 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? The Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the maximum amount of heat that should be dissipated by the chip cooling system. However, the value of TDP gives only a rough indication of the real power consumption of the CPU.

• TDP (PL1)
  15 W
• TDP up
  20 W --
• TDP down
  10 W --

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for Apple M2 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPUs along with a list of ISA extensions.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) ARMv9-A64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  None None
• ISA extensions
  Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
• L2-Cache
  16.00 MB --
• Architecture
  M2 Cortex-X3 / -A715 / -A510
• Technology
  5 nm 4 nm
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• Release date
  Q1/2022 Q4/2022