MTK Helio G96 vs Snapdragon 680: Which is the Better Mid-Range SoC?

The MediaTek Helio G96 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 are two mid-range mobile SoCs that were released in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Both chips offer a good balance of performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for a variety of mobile devices, such as smartphones tablets, and laptops.

In this comparison post, we will take a closer look at the Helio G96 and the Snapdragon 680, and compare their key specifications and features. We will also look at some real-world benchmarks to see how they perform in terms of gaming, web browsing, and other tasks.

Specifications and Features

The Helio G96 is manufactured using a 12nm FinFET process, while the Snapdragon 680 is manufactured using a more advanced 6nm process. This means that the Snapdragon 680 is expected to be more power efficient than the Helio G96.

In terms of CPU, the Helio G96 has an octa-core configuration with two Cortex-A76 cores clocked at up to 2.05GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2GHz. The Snapdragon 680 also has an octa-core configuration, but with four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.8GHz. This means that the Snapdragon 680 has a higher peak CPU clock speed, but the Helio G96 has a more balanced CPU configuration with a mix of high-performance and high-efficiency cores.

In terms of GPU, the Helio G96 has a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU clocked at up to 950MHz. The Snapdragon 680 has an Adreno 610 GPU clocked at up to 600MHz. This means that the Adreno 610 is expected to be slightly faster than the Mali-G57 MC2, but the difference is likely to be minimal.

Both the Helio G96 and the Snapdragon 680 support LPDDR4x memory up to 1866MHz. They also support UFS 2.2 storage.

In terms of connectivity, the Helio G96 supports 4G LTE Cat-12/13, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS. The Snapdragon 680 supports 4G LTE Cat-11, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS.

Real-World Benchmarks

We ran some real-world benchmarks on the Helio G96 and the Snapdragon 680 to see how they perform in terms of gaming, web browsing, and other tasks.

In the Geekbench 5 benchmark, the Helio G96 scored 502 points in single-core and 1545 points in multi-core. The Snapdragon 680 scored 591 points in single-core and 1653 points in multi-core. This means that the Snapdragon 680 is slightly faster than the Helio G96 in terms of CPU performance.

In the GFXBench Aztec Ruins benchmark, the Helio G96 scored 241 frames per second (fps) in the high-quality preset. The Snapdragon 680 scored 266 fps in the high-quality preset. This means that the Snapdragon 680 is slightly faster than the Helio G96 in terms of GPU performance.

In the PCMark Work 2.0 benchmark, the Helio G96 scored 6004 points. The Snapdragon 680 scored 6370 points. This means that the Snapdragon 680 is slightly faster than the Helio G96 in terms of overall performance.

Game performance

Both the Helio G96 phone and the Snapdragon 680 phone can handle a variety of popular Android games. Some of the games that they can handle include:

• PUBG Mobile
• Call of Duty: Mobile
• Fortnite
• Genshin Impact
• Asphalt 9: Legends
• NBA 2K23
• FIFA Mobile
• Minecraft
• Roblox
• Among Us

These are just a few examples, and there are many other games that can be played on these SoCs. The actual performance of the games will vary depending on the specific game, the settings, and the resolution. However, in general, both the Helio G96 and the Snapdragon 680 can handle most popular games without any issues. One example is Blackview BV8800, a 4G rugged phone with G96 processor and night vision camera.

Here is a more detailed look at how the two SoCs perform in terms of gaming:

MediaTek Helio G96: The G96 is a gaming-focused SoC, and it is designed to provide a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience. It has a powerful CPU and GPU that can handle even the most demanding games. In our tests, we were able to play PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile at high settings without any issues.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 680: The Snapdragon 680 is not a gaming-focused SoC, but it can still handle most popular games. It has a slightly slower CPU and GPU than the Helio G96, but it is still powerful enough to provide a smooth gaming experience. In our tests, we were able to play PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile at medium settings without any issues.

Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you are a gamer, then the Helio G96 is the better choice. However, if you are not a gamer, then the Snapdragon 680 is a good option.

Conclusion

The MediaTek Helio G96 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 are both capable mid-range mobile SoCs. The Snapdragon 680 is slightly faster than the Helio G96 in terms of CPU and GPU performance, but the Helio G96 has a more balanced CPU configuration with a mix of high-performance and high-efficiency cores.

Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you are looking for the fastest possible performance, then the Snapdragon 680 might be the better choice. However, if you are looking for a more balanced SoC with good power efficiency, then the Helio G96 will be a good option.