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Today, Samsung took the wraps off their latest upper mid-range chipset, the Exynos 1080. This is the second 5nm chipset to be announced, with the Huawei/Hislicon Kirin 9000 5G being the first, and this will be the official successor to the Exynos 980.
However, Samsung has upped their game this year, and the Samsung Exynos 1080 looks to be far more than your typical generational improvement. The overall specification is not far off what you would expect a flagship chipset to be like. If Samsung are launching their mid-range chipset with this sort of calibre, it could make the flagship Exynos 2100 a very exciting chipset for 2020.
So how do the new Exynos 1080 stack up against the older Exynos chipsets, and the only other 5nm chipset on the market?
Specification Comparison
| SoC | Exynos 1080 | Exynos 980 | Exynos 990 | Kirin 9000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.8GHz | 2x Cortex-A77@2.2GHz | 2x Exynos M5 Cores @ 2.73 GHz | 1x Cortex A77 @ 3.13Ghz |
| 3 x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz | 2x Cortex-A76 Cores @2.5 GHz | 3x Cortex A77 @ 2.54Ghz | ||
| 4x ARM Cortex-A55@1.8GHz | 6x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz | 4x Cortex-A55 Cores @ ?GHz | 4x Cortex A55@ 2.05Ghz | |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G78 MP10 | Arm Mali G-76 MP5 | ARM Mali-G77 MP11 | Mali-G78 24 Cores |
| APU / NPU / AI Proc. / Neural IP | Dual NPU + DSP | Dual NPU + DSP | Dual NPU + DSP | 2 big core, 1 tiny core |
| Memory | LPDDR5 @ 2750MHz | LPDDR5 @ 2750MHz | LPDDR5 @ 2750MHz | LPDDR5 / LPDDR 4X |
| ISP/Camera | 200MP 32MP+32MP Dual camera | Single Camera - 108MP Dual Camera - 20MP+20MP | Single: 108MP | quad-core, 6th gen ISP |
| Integrated Modem | Integrated 5G modem 5.1Gbps with mmWave and 3.67Gbps with Sub-6GHz | Integrated 5G modem 3.55Gbps download speed and up to 1.38Gbps for upload speed. | Exynos Modem External (5G NR Sub-6) DL = 5100 Mbps (5G NR mmWave) DL = 7350 Mbps | Balong 5000 4G + 5G NR NSA+SA Sub-6GHz |
| Process | 5nm | 7nm | 7nm | TSMC 5nm |
CPU
Typically we see brands use two big cores and six smaller cores for their upper mid-range chipset, this is the case with the Exynos 980 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, though Mediatek bucked that trend with their Dimensity 800 series.
Samsung has adopted a 1x3x4 design this year with four Arm Coretex A78 cores with one running at 2.8Ghz and the other three at 2.6Ghz.
This will likely give the Exynos 1080 considerably more processing power than the flagship Exynos 990 from last year, and will quite likely beat the flagship Kirin 9000 from this year
GPU
The GPU has had a huge upgrade too, it has skipped a generation going from the Mali G76 to the G78 then doubled the number of cores! That is just not something you see with generation improvements.
It will quite likely offer more GPU grunt than the Exynos 990 too, that has one more GPU core but uses the generation behind with the Mali G77.
While Exynos 1080 will likely have more CPU power than the Kirin, it doesn’t come close to the 24 cores on the Kirin chipset.
Benchmarks
An early benchmark for Antutu was revealed for the Exynos 1080, which indicated a massive score of 693,600.
The Kirin 9000 has scored as high as 686,835 though this is with the benefits fo performance mode.
The current Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G with the Exynos 990 only manages 536835
Overall
The Samsung Exynos 1080 looks like it could be the most powerful upper mid-range chipset for the up and coming year. However, the main issue is the availability of devices using it. Currently, Samsung list just four devices with the Exynos 980, including the Galaxy A71, A51 then the Vivo S6 and X30. Vivo has almost no presence in western markets.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
