Apple A8X vs Apple A7. Specifications, performance, tests

Background information about the processors being compared, series, generation and market segment.

• CPU group
  Apple A8/A8X Apple A7
• Family
  Apple A series Apple A series
• Generation
  8 7
• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Successor
  Apple A9X Apple A8

Core counts, threads, cache and clock modes describe the CPU configuration. Performance depends on the workload and comparable measured results.

• A-Core
  3x Typhoon 2x Cyclone
• Base Frequency
  1.5 GHz 1.3 GHz
• Core architecture
  normal normal
• CPU Cores
  3 2
• CPU Threads
  3 2
• Hyperthreading / SMT
  No No
• Overclocking
  No No
• Turbo Frequency (1 Core)
  No turbo 1.4 GHz
• Turbo Frequency (3 Cores)
  No turbo -
• Turbo Frequency (2 Cores)
  - 1.4 GHz

Internal Graphics does not affect the performance of the CPU, performs the work of the graphics card in its absence or on mobile devices.

• DirectX Version
  - 10
• Execution units
  8 4
• Generation
  5 -
• GPU Frequency
  450 MHz 450 MHz
• GPU name
  Apple A8X PowerVR G6430
• GPU Turbo
  No turbo 450 MHz
• Max. displays
  1 1
• Max. GPU Memory
  4 GB -
• Release date
  Q3/2014 Q3/2013
• Shader
  256 64
• Technology
  20 nm 28 nm

Built-in codecs used to encode and decode content. Significantly speeds up the required operations.

• AV1
  No No
• H.264 / AVC
  Decode No
• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode No
• VC-1
  Decode No
• VP8
  No No
• VP9
  No No

Types, channel quantity of RAM supported by Apple A7 and Apple A8X. Depending on the motherboards, higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported.

• ECC
  No No
• Max. Memory
  4 GB 1 GB
• Memory channels
  2 1
• Memory type
  LPDDR3-1600 LPDDR3-1333

• AES-NI
  No No

Compare the TDP requirements of TDP Apple A8X and Apple A7 Power specifications describe different manufacturer limits. TDP, base power and maximum turbo power are separate values; they do not establish measured system consumption.

• TDP (PL1, legacy label)
  8 W -

Architecture, interfaces, additional instructions supported by Apple A8X and Apple A7, virtual machine technologies and process technology.

• Architecture
  A8 A7
• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• L2-Cache
  2 MB 1 MB
• L3-Cache
  4 MB 4 MB
• Part Number
  - S5L8960X
• Release date
  Q3/2014 Q3/2013
• Technology
  20 nm 28 nm
• Virtualization
  None None