Mediatek Dimensity 9400: This processor could be in the Galaxy S25
Competition for Qualcomm – Mediatek wants to push further into the high-end and is presenting its second exceptional smartphone processor.
(Image: Mediatek)
Mediatek is introducing one of the fastest mobile processors smartphone manufacturers can buy for their Android devices. The Dimensity 9400 uses faster cores with an exceptional configuration and improved 3-nanometer manufacturing technology from TSMC (N3E) to finally make it into premium designs. According to rumors, Samsung could use the processor in the Galaxy S25 and S25+ – at least in models for some countries.
If the manufacturer's claims are correct, the leap in performance is impressive: The single-threaded performance of the Dimensity 9400 is said to increase by 35 percent compared to its predecessor 9300; the sustained multi-threaded performance by 28 percent. If the maximum performance is not called up, the electrical power consumption should fall by 40 percent with the same performance.
CPU without small efficiency cores for the second time
The single-threading performance increases due to the change in architecture, higher clock frequencies and larger caches: Mediatek relies on the current ARM Cortex-X925 design with a wide structure. There is a single core with a clock frequency of 3.62 GHz. The remaining seven cores do not make an architectural leap per se – it remains with three Cortex-X4 and four Cortex-A720. The predecessor Dimensity 9300 has four Cortex-X4, including one with an extended level 2 cache and 3.25 GHz clock speed, and also four Cortex-A720, manufactured by TSMC with N4P technology.
However, the CPU cores of the new Dimensity 9400 will have larger caches and presumably higher clock frequencies in order to increase performance. Unfortunately, Mediatek is currently only providing relative information: doubled level 2 cache – that would be a total of 7 instead of 3.5 MByte – and 50 percent more level 3 cache, i.e. 12 instead of 8 MByte. A system level cache (SLC), which is accessed by all logic blocks, should also be added.
ARM develops the core designs, but leaves it up to the licensees how much cache they use. Larger caches are a comparatively simple method of increasing performance and efficiency in many cases: games and applications can store more data directly in the processor and do not have to take a detour via RAM. This reduces memory movements via RAM and therefore latencies.
Mediatek has dispensed with the otherwise common Cortex-A520 as "efficiency cores". Instead, tasks without high performance requirements run on the Cortex-A720. ARM actually considers these to be performance cores. However, when clocked low, as in the Dimensity 9400, they are faster and more efficient than the Cortex-A520. The only disadvantage for the manufacturer is that the 720s are larger – which increases manufacturing costs.
(Image:Â Mediatek)
AI unit and 5G modem integrated, Wi-Fi 7 separate
Mediatek also promises significant improvements to the integrated graphics unit from ARM's Immortalis G925 kit. Peak performance should increase by 41% despite the same number of 12 shader clusters; alternatively, the GPU saves 44% energy at the same frame rate (fps) compared to the Dimensity-9300 GPU.
Meanwhile, a smartphone processor in 2024 would not be one without a fast AI accelerator. There is talk of massive increases in performance, even doubling, depending on the task and AI model. However, Mediatek does not provide any information on the expansion, the supported data formats (such as INT8) and the computing power (FLOPS/TOPS).
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We are talking about the world's first "Agentic AI Engine": The AI unit (Neural Processing Unit, NPU) should be able to "agentize" general AI algorithms. The processor should be able to solve complex tasks with simple prompts.
A further optimized 5G modem is also on board. Mediatek sells wireless technology for Wi-Fi 7 in the form of a 4-nanometer add-on chip as part of the package.
A cooperation with Samsung for the Galaxy S25 does not appear to be completely out of the blue: the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and S10+ already feature Mediatek processors – in this case the Dimensity 9300+ as an accelerated version of the 9300 with an increased maximum clock speed of 3.4 GHz. The entry-level Galaxy A15/M15 smartphones also feature affordable Mediatek chips.
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