MediaTek Dimensity 9500 vs Samsung Exynos 2600: Why Efficiency Cores May Be Overrated

Starting an industry-wide trend takes a unique flair, and MediaTek demonstrated this with the release of its Dimensity 9300 chip in November 2023, which boldly eliminated efficiency cores from its architecture.

Fast forward to today, and the Dimensity 9500 has emerged as a formidable contender, closely rivaling Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in multiple performance metrics, highlighting the diminishing relevance of efficiency cores. This shift serves as a critical lesson for competitors, particularly for Samsung’s Exynos 2600, which has traditionally relied on this architecture.

MediaTek’s Dimensity Chip: Catalyst for Industry Change in 2023

Qualcomm’s most recent flagship offering, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3, debuted in October 2023 and still featured efficiency cores, configured as follows:

1 ARM Cortex-X4 core
3 ARM Cortex-A720 cores
2 ARM Cortex-A720 cores
2 ARM Cortex-A520 efficiency cores

In contrast, Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 4, set to launch in 2024, is notably devoid of efficiency cores, showcasing a design with:

2 high-performance Oryon (Phoenix L) cores
6 medium-performance Oryon (Phoenix M) cores

This paradigm shift emphasizes how MediaTek, previously seen as a minor player alongside Samsung’s Exynos, made significant strides in 2023 by reengineering its chip architecture, prompting a leading rival to follow suit—a development that is reshaping the industry landscape.

In early 2024, Qualcomm acknowledged that its Oryon CPU cores could handle less demanding tasks with the same efficiency as ARM’s smaller cores, effectively negating the need for dedicated efficiency cores. This marks a pivotal moment in processor design, underscoring the growing competitiveness of MediaTek’s offerings.

The standout performer in MediaTek’s lineup, the Dimensity 9500, boasts an 8-core CPU configuration:

1 ARM C1-Ultra core running at 4.21 GHz with a 2MB L2 cache
3 ARM C1-Premium cores at 3.50 GHz with a 1MB L2 cache
4 ARM C1-Pro cores clocked at 2.70 GHz

A bar chart titled 'AnTuTu 10' shows the Dimensity 9500 scoring 4% higher than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. — Source: NanoReview

A GeekBench 6 chart shows Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 scoring 3834 for single-core and 12396 for multi-core, surpassing Dimensity 9500 with 3460 and 10192, respectively. — Source: NanoReview

The Dimensity 9500 showcases impressive performance metrics by achieving a higher score on AnTuTu 10 compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while also maintaining competitive results on Geekbench 6.

Samsung’s Continued Commitment to Efficiency Cores

In June 2025, Samsung launched its Exynos 2500 chip, and MediaTek followed suit with the Dimensity 9500 in September 2025. However, the performance disparity between these two SoCs indicates a significant gap, making it seem as though they were released several years apart.

Samsung’s Exynos 2500 suffers from inefficient CPU resource allocation due to its reliance on underpowered efficiency cores, resulting in low yields and thermal stability complications.

This raises concerns about Samsung’s approach, which could be seen as an aversion to risk: the legacy of thermal throttling associated with Exynos chips may have led decision-makers to believe that incorporating efficiency cores was essential to avoid overheating issues.

Interestingly, recent evidence suggests that Samsung’s 2nm GAA process is yielding impressive efficiency results. Reports indicate that the Exynos 2600 has achieved stable yields, with around a 30% improvement in efficiency and thermal management, alongside a significantly enhanced NPU for superior AI capabilities.

Moreover, leaked Geekbench 6 scores for the forthcoming Exynos 2600 reflect promising performance, with a single-core score of 3, 455 and a multi-core score of 11, 621. These results indicate that while Exynos 2600 competes closely in single-core performance with the Dimensity 9500, it outpaces it significantly in the multi-core category.

From a performance standpoint, it is intriguing to speculate how much more the Exynos 2600 could have achieved without the choice of efficiency cores. While we await the Exynos 2700, it’s clear that innovation and adaptability will be crucial for Samsung moving forward.

Key Takeaways

Samsung must eliminate efficiency cores if it hopes to compete effectively against Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon chips.
With the efficiency of its 2nm GAA process, Samsung should prioritize maximizing performance over unnecessary safety measures related to thermal stability.
Recent estimates suggest that Samsung might spend around $4 billion just to acquire Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

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