QUALCOMM

Snapdragon 8 Elite starts shipping with new slower variant and missing performance core

A less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite version has begun shipping to OEMs. While Qualcomm insists that the SM8750-3-AB benefits from the same performance improvements as the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite, it has fewer Performance CPU cores than the original model.

Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite to great fanfare at the end of October. However, the new flagship chipset was quickly overshadowed by ARM's decision to cancel Qualcomm's design licence and the ensuing legal battle, which has now been settled for all intents and purposes.

Now, Qualcomm has been spotted quietly rolling out a new but downgraded version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. For context, the chipset was available until now exclusively with two Oryon Gen 2 Prime CPU cores and six Oryon Gen 2 Performance CPU cores clocked at 4.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz, respectively. For reference, Qualcomm also refers to this variant as 'SM8750-AB', which can be found in high-end devices globally like the Magic7 Pro, OnePlus 13 and RedMagic 10 Pro (curr. $749 on Amazon).

Now, Qualcomm has updated its Snapdragon 8 Elite product page to include the 'SM8750-3-AB', which drops a Performance CPU core while retaining all other features of the existing SM8750-AB. To add to the confusion, Qualcomm reports that the SM8750-3-AB achieves the same CPU performance gains over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as the SM8750-AB despite its CPU core deficit. 

Cores	Snapdragon 8 Elite (8-core)	Snapdragon 8 Elite (7-core)
Prime (4.32GHz)	2	2
Performance (3.53GHz)	6	5

Alongside the standard 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite, there’s now a 7-core version listed on Qualcomm’s website. This leaner iteration packs two prime cores clocked at a staggering 4.32 GHz, along with five performance cores reaching up to 3.53 GHz. In simpler terms, it’s missing one performance core compared to its 8-core sibling. 

The 7-core SoC is designated by the part number SM8750-3-AB, and it’s likely intended for manufacturers seeking a cost-effective alternative to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite. 

The assumption from GSMArena is that these are essentially chips that would have otherwise been regular 8-core processors, but with one core that didn’t quite meet performance standards. Instead of discarding them entirely, Qualcomm has disabled the underperforming core, resulting in this new 7-core variant.

The other specifications of the SoC remain the same as the regular 8 Elite.

Snapdragon 8 Elite (7-core) Specs:

	Snapdragon 8 Elite (7-core)
CPU Config	2x 4.32GHz Prime5x 3.53GHz Performance
GPU	Adreno(ray tracing support)
DSP	Hexagon(fused scalar, tensor, and vector)Mixed precision INT8/INT16INT4 support
RAM support	LPDDR5X
Charging	Quick Charge 5
4G/5G Modem	X80 LTE/5G (integrated)10,000Mbps down3,500Mbps upNB-NTN (satellite) support
Other networking	Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n
Process	TSMC 3nm

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