Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) VS Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Comparison of video cards Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in benchmarks and specifications.

Differences Specifications Benchmarks

Differences

Top features of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

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Top features of Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

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Specifications

Complete list of technical specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

CPU generation and family

Let's find out which one of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is of a more recent generation, and what segment it belongs to.

Specification	Value
Name	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Family	Qualcomm Snapdragon Apple M series
CPU group	Qualcomm Snapdragon 7/8 Gen 2 Apple M2
Segment	Mobile Mobile
Generation	2 2
Predecessor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

In this block we are going to compare Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) by main technical specifications: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies, process technology and cache size. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

Specification	Value
CPU Cores / Threads	8 / 8 12 / 12
Core architecture	hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE) hybrid (big.LITTLE)
A-Core	1x Cortex-X3 8x Avalanche
B-Core	4x Cortex-A715/A710 4x Blizzard
Hyperthreading / SMT	No No
Overclocking	No No
A-Core Frequency	3.20 GHz 3.50 GHz
B-Core Frequency	2.80 GHz 2.80 GHz

Internal Graphics

Common specifications for integrated graphics cards in Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

Specification	Value
GPU name	Qualcomm Adreno SD 8 G2 Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
GPU frequency	1.00 GHz 1.40 GHz
GPU (Turbo)	No turbo No turbo
Execution units	0 608
Shader	0 4864
Max. GPU Memory	-- 96 GB
Max. displays	0 2
Generation	7 2
Direct X	12.1 --
Technology	4 nm 5 nm
Release date	Q4/2022 Q1/2023

Hardware codec support

Let's compare the support of video codecs between Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU). Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

Specification	Value
h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h264	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VP8	Decode / Encode Decode
VP9	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
AV1	Decode No
AVC	Decode Decode
VC-1	Decode Decode
JPEG	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

To choose the best model between Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) you need to pay special attention to memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version. The higher these numbers are, the better your CPU will be. Keep in mind that the maximum memory and frequency may also depend on the model of the motherboard.

Specification	Value
Memory type	LPDDR5-6400 LPDDR5-6400
Max. Memory	16 GB 96 GB
Memory channels	4 (Quad Channel) 4 (Quad Channel)
Bandwidth	-- 409.6 GB/s
ECC	No No
PCIe	4.0
AES-NI	No Yes

Thermal Management

Let's find out what TDP value would be better for Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)? The Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the maximum amount of heat that should be dissipated by the chip cooling system. However, the value of TDP gives only a rough indication of the real power consumption of the CPU.

Specification	Value
TDP (PL1)	45 W
Tjunction max.	-- 100 \xc2\xb0C

Technical details

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) CPUs along with a list of ISA extensions.

Specification	Value
Technology	4 nm 5 nm
Chip design	Chiplet Chiplet
Socket	N/A N/A
L2-Cache	-- 36.00 MB
Architecture	Cortex-X3 / -A715 / -A510 M2
Operating systems	Android, Windows 10/11 (ARM) macOS, iPadOS
Virtualization	None Apple Virtualization Framework
Instruction set (ISA)	ARMv9-A64 (64 bit) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
ISA extensions	Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
Release date	Q4/2022 Q1/2023
Documents	-- Technical data sheet