Qualcomm has quietly listed a new version of its flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset on its official website. Carrying the SM8850-1-AB model number, the new chip will power the upcoming Redmi K100 Pro series.
The variant keeps the same core CPU and GPU speeds as the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 but reduces the dedicated Adreno High Performance Memory from 18MB to 12MB. This suggests Qualcomm may have introduced it as a more affordable option for manufacturers, particularly as rising memory prices continue to increase smartphone production costs. However, Qualcomm has not officially confirmed cost reduction as the reason behind the new version.
Same CPU and GPU Performance
According to Qualcomm’s official product brief, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V-series SM8850-1-AB uses the same CPU and GPU configuration as the regular 4.6GHz Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
It includes two Oryon Prime cores running at up to 4.6GHz and six performance cores clocked at up to 3.62GHz. Its Adreno GPU operates at 1.2GHz.
The chipset also retains the same Hexagon NPU, X85 5G modem and FastConnect 7900 connectivity system found in the standard version.
It supports LPDDR5X memory, UFS 4.1 storage and Qualcomm’s Spectra image signal processor.
Adreno Memory Is the Only Hardware Difference
The only documented hardware difference involves Adreno High Performance Memory, also known as HPM.
The regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has 18MB of dedicated Adreno HPM. In comparison, the new SM8850-1-AB version includes 12MB.
Apart from this reduction, Qualcomm lists the same core hardware specifications for both versions.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Now Has Four Variants
The new gaming-focused model joins three other Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 variants already available.
The SM8850-AC is the standard version used in most flagship smartphones.
The SM8850-1-AD is a higher-clocked version used in Samsung flagship phones, as well as Red Magic and Legion gaming devices.
Qualcomm also offers the SM8850-5-AC, a seven-core model that powers the Oppo Find N6 foldable.
The arrival of the SM8850-1-AB gives smartphone manufacturers another option for flagship devices focused on gaming without changing the platform’s main CPU and GPU clock speeds.
Gaming Features Are Not Exclusive to the New Chip
Qualcomm promotes both the regular and new SM8850-1-AB variants with the tagline “Game smarter, not harder.”
However, Qualcomm’s documentation shows that the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 already supports the same major gaming technologies.
These include Tile Memory Heap, Mesh Shading, Unreal Engine 5 optimizations, Snapdragon Game Super Resolution 2.0 and Adreno Frame Motion Engine 3.0.
Both versions also support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Redmi K100 Pro Series Will Use the New Chip
The Redmi K100 Pro series will be the first smartphone lineup to use the new chipset variant. The series is scheduled to launch in China on August 11.
It remains unclear whether other manufacturers will adopt the gaming-focused platform in future flagship phones.
However, the Poco F9 Pro and Poco F9 Ultra are also expected to use the same chip. The two phones will be rebranded versions of the Redmi K100 Pro and Redmi K100 Pro Max, respectively.
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