The new Tensor G4 chipset is powering Google’s latest flagship Pixel 9 series, which promises good performance and competitive battery life. But how does it stack up against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset? To find out, we have compared Tensor G4 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on a number of benchmark tests, including Geekbench, AnTuTu, 3DMark, and more.
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Specs Comparison
| Specs | Tensor G4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Eight-core CPU (1+3+4) |
Eight-core Kryo CPU (1+3+2+2) |
| CPU Cores | 1x 3.10GHz (Cortex-X4) 3x 2.60GHz (Cortex-A720) 4x 1.95GHz (Cortex-A520) |
1x 3.3GHz (Cortex-X4) 3x 3.2GHz (Cortex-A720) 2x 3.0GHz (Cortex-A720) 2x 2.3GHz (Cortex-A520) |
| Process Technology | Samsung 4nm | TSMC 4nm |
| GPU | Mali-G715 MC7 GPU Up to 940MHz |
Adreno 750 HW Ray Tracing |
| Machine Learning and AI | Google Custom TPU (Codename Rio) | Hexagon NPU Run up to 10B AI Models |
| ISP | Google Custom DSP (Codename Callisto) | Cognitive ISP, Triple 18-bit ISPs |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.4, LE |
| Modem | Samsung Exynos 5400 5G modem Up to 14.79 Gbps Peak Download Satellite SOS |
Snapdragon X75 5G modem Peak Download Speed 10 Gbps Peak Upload Speed 3.5 Gbps |
| Others | AV1 Encoder and Decoder Titan M2 security chip Ultra-wideband chip NavIC |
HW-accelerated AV1 Decode only NavIC |
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Geekbench 6 Benchmark
In the Geekbench CPU test, the Tensor G4 scored 1,897 in the single-core test and 3,721 in the multi-core test. In comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 achieved 2,234 in single-threaded tasks and a whopping 6,985 in multi-threaded tasks.
In both tests, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 maintained a lead of 18% and 46%, respectively. Simply put, despite packing the same ARM cores, the Tensor G4 performed much worse than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
It goes without saying that Tensor G4’s poor performance is due to fabrication on Samsung’s older 4nm process node whereas Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is developed on TSMC’s 4nm process node.
| Geekbench 6 Score | Tensor G4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-core | 1,897 | 2,234 |
| Multi-core | 3,721 | 6,985 |
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: AnTuTu Benchmark
In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Tensor G4 managed to get a score of 1,253,407 points. In contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 crosses the 2 million mark, standing with 2,063,041 points. The difference in AnTuTu performance is around 40%, which is massive. Particularly, the Adreno 750 GPU on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 absolutely crushes the 7-core Mali-G715 GPU on the Tensor G4.
| AnTuTu Benchmark | Tensor G4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu Score | 1,253,407 | 2,063,041 |
| CPU | 337,131 | 453,927 |
| GPU | 444,488 | 834,879 |
| Memory | 243,643 | 404,061 |
| UX | 228,145 | 370,174 |
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: CPU Throttling Test
Thanks to the Vapor Cooling chamber on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Tensor G4 does slightly better over the non-Pro model, with the CPU still throttling at 71%. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 manages to achieve 90% showing almost no sign of throttling.
Keep in mind that the Tensor G4 manages better performance on the CPU Throttling Test at the cost of performance. It gets the highest score of just 137,622 GIPS (giga instructions per second) whereas Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores a massive 414,246 GIPS. It goes on to show that Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers significantly better sustained peak performance without throttling the CPU.
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test
In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test that evaluates the GPU, the 8 Gen 3 again decimates the ARM Mali GPU on the Tensor G4. The Adreno 750 GPU on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 gets the best loop score of 5,136 and the lowest loop score of 2,697 at a stability of 52.9%.
In comparison, the Mali-G715 GPU on the Google Tensor G4 manages to get the best loop score of 2,590 and the lowest loop score of 1,525 at 58.9% stability. Despite Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s lower stability, its score is 2x better than Tensor G4.
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | Tensor G4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best loop score | 2,590 | 5,136 |
| Lowest loop score | 1,525 | 2,697 |
| Stability | 58.9% | 52.9% |
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Geekbench AI Benchmark
In the Geekbench AI benchmark, Tensor G4’s TPU, aka NPU, does better in Half Precision and Quantized tests. However, in the Single Precision test, it loses to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s Hexagon NPU.
As for the CPU and GPU performance on AI workloads, you can see that Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has scored 30-40% better than Tensor G4.
| Geekbench AI | Tensor G4 CPU | SD8Gen3 CPU | Tensor G4 GPU | SD8Gen3 GPU | Tensor G4 TPU/NPU | SD8Gen3 NPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Precision Score | 1,883 | 2,532 | 720 | 1,098 | 289 | 485 |
| Half Precision Score | 1,837 | 2,601 | 825 | 1,550 | 4,145 | 485 |
| Quantized Score | 2,899 | 3,476 | 772 | 1,546 | 6,103 | 1,117 |
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: 5G Connectivity Test
In the 5G speed test, Google Tensor G4’s new Exynos 5400 modem disappoints. It achieves a peak download speed of 174.8 Mbps whereas Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem maxes out at 513 Mbps. In the upload test, however, Tensor G4 does better with a peak upload speed of 35.1 Mbps; Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tops at 5.47 Mbps.
Tensor G4 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Qualcomm Is Miles Ahead
To conclude, the Google Tensor G4 doesn’t stand a chance against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Be it the CPU, GPU, or even the upgraded 5G modem, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is leaps and bounds ahead of the Tensor G4. If you are someone who doesn’t want to compromise on the performance front, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is an obvious pick over the Tensor G4.