MediaTek Dimensity 9200: the new high-end chip that breaks all schemes

It has not been enough for MediaTek to have a meteoric rise in recent years. During 2022, the Chinese mobile chipmaker managed to outperform Qualcomm’s best chip with its Dimensity 9000+, but it wants more.

Before closing the year, MediaTek wanted to ensure the absolute supremacy of the premium range and therefore presented its most powerful SoC. This is the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 , the rival of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that hits the market with Ray Tracing, exclusively 64-bit CPU and the new ARM Immortalis-G715 GPU. Has the era of MediaTek reign begun?

All the technical specifications of the MediaTek Dimensity 9200

Latest generation 64-bit CPU, 10% more powerful and 25% more efficient

MediaTek’s new high-end SoC is the first mobile chip to use TSMC’s second-generation 4nm process and use a 64-bit-only CPU . We knew that the death of 32 bits was very close, as the Pixel 7 limited compatibility through its software, but this time the blow comes directly from the hardware.

Specifically, the MediaTek chip divides its package into three blocks: the Cortex-X3 @ 3.05 GHz supercore , three high-performance Cortex-A715 cores @ 2.85 GHz, and four Cortex-A510 @ 1.8 GHz low-performance cores. consumption. In addition, it supports its operation with 8 MB of L3 cache and 6 MB of system cache, the same amount used by the Dimensity 9000 and Dimensity 9000+.

MediaTek points out that its new CPU consumes 25% less energy compared to the previous generation. In addition, it claims to have improved heat dissipation by 10% and delayed the speed at which temperature increases by 4 times (from 20 to 95º Celsius). We will only be able to verify the latter when the first mobiles with this chip arrive, but it sounds very good.

Shall we start talking about performance? Days ago the first benchmarks of this processor were leaked and the results made us all tear up. According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 9200’s CPU is 10% more powerful in multi-core and 12% more powerful in single-core than the previous generation. In fact, we are talking about an overall AnTuTu performance of 1,266,102 points , a real madness that comfortably exceeds the 1,117,077 points of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 on board the Asus ROG Phone 6.

The Immortalis-G715 GPU is the Dimensity 9200’s secret weapon, and it’s unstoppable

Although the performance increase in the processor is important, the real star of this SoC is its graphics chip. The Dimensity 9200 is the company’s first chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing , thanks to ARM’s Immortalis-G715 MC11 GPU. What advantages does this have? Improves reflections and makes shadows more realistic in compatible games.

This GPU is not the first to bring ray tracing to mobile, that honor goes to the Exynos 2200 with AMD Xclipse 920 GPU. Currently, there are no mobile games that support this technology, but MediaTek said they will start to be seen starting in Q1. of 2023.

Now, the fanfare around ray tracing is pretty cool, but what’s really impressive about this GPU is its power consumption and performance. According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 9200’s GPU is 41% more efficient and up to 32% more powerful , a beast.

With this, MediaTek would finally overtake Qualcomm in all scenarios , as the Dimensity 9000+ was only behind the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in GPU. Shall we put it in numbers? In a leaked GFXBench result, the Immortalis-G715 MC11 GPU achieved: 228 fps in the Manhattan 3.1 offscreen test at 1080p, as well as 328 fps in the Manhattan 3.0 offscreen test at 1080p. Do these numbers tell you nothing? Read the comparison table below:

Yes, the new GPU in the Dimensity 9200 marks a historic double milestone : it finally outperforms Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs, but also knocks out the GPU in Apple’s A16 Bionic . The latter is a feat without equal, because Apple’s mobile graphics have always been superior to those of its rivals.

What else is in this GPU? Variable Rate Shading (VRS), twice the graphics machine learning performance, HyperEngine 6.0 for gaming , Vulkan 1.3, and lower bandwidth when using ARM Fixed Rate Compression (AFRC).

Supports displays up to 240Hz and 5K resolutions, as well as faster, more accurate cameras

What is gross performance worth if you don’t have a way to show it? MediaTek knows this very well and that’s why they equipped their Dimensity 9200 with the ability to handle incredible screens. This chip supports panels with the following characteristics:

• 5K resolution with 60 Hz refresh rates.
• WQHD resolution with speeds up to 144 Hz.
• Full HD+ with refresh rates up to 240 Hz .

Of course, it is compatible with LTPO , the variable frequency technology that helps reduce energy consumption. In addition, it is capable of handling foldable screens and for very demanding games without any problem, thanks to the MiraVision 980 image chip. Likewise, AI Region PQ and AI-Color technology are responsible for identifying regions, objects and scenes within each image and automatically improve them.

About the cameras, MediaTek did not give too many details, but it did advance some things. The new Imagiq 890 ISP can capture raw images directly from the sensor . Consequently, its AI capabilities will be faster and more energy efficient, mixing with the Dimensity 9200’s NPU.

Furthermore, the Imagiq 980 is the first mobile ISP to natively support RGBW sensors. Among the advantages of this type of sensor are: 30% more sensitivity to light , 34% energy efficiency, as well as better videos and photos with HDR. In fact, MediaTek promises brighter and sharper images in low light conditions, as well as much higher levels of detail.

Support for faster RAM and storage, WiFi 7, and a much smarter APU

In the neural processing section (NPU), MediaTek debuts its new sixth-generation APU 690. The 690 APU is 35% more powerful than the 5th generation Dimensity 9000+, which was already four times better than the 4th. This NPU has eXtreme technology, capable of saving 30% energy in noise reduction work (AI-NR) and 45% in super resolution work (AI-SR).

The Dimensity 9200 is compatible with the new LPDDR5X RAM standard, being capable of handling speeds of up to 8533 Mbps . It is also capable of handling storage chips in UFS 4.0 format, the fastest in the consumer market.

Finally, it turns out that the Dimensity 9200 is also compatible with the best connectivity technologies. It is the first mobile consumer chip capable of managing tri-band Wi-Fi 7 networks with speeds of up to 6.5 Gbps. Of course, it integrates a 5G modem compatible with all current bands.

In addition, it incorporates advanced AI search to connect faster and recover from disconnections in dead zones (no coverage). Of course, it is compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and LE , capable of saving energy and connecting multiple devices simultaneously without interference between them.

When will the first phones with the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 be available?

MediaTek’s new flagship chip will be available for sale starting in December . At the presentation event in China, Vivo confirmed that it will be one of the first manufacturers to launch a mobile with this processor. Probably, it will be the new Vivo X90, whose presentation is expected next month.

Finally, and as expected, other companies also showed interest in this chip , although they did not specify how many of their devices would carry it. Among them are OPPO, Xiaomi, Honor and ASUS.