MediaTek Dimensity 9500 doubles down on all big core architecture
MediaTek is preparing its Dimensity 9500 flagship chip, combining ARM C1 cores with an Immortalis GPU to challenge Qualcomm in thermal efficiency.
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ARM C1 cores replace Cortex designs
MediaTek is sticking to its aggressive all-big-core strategy for the Dimensity 9500, dropping standard small efficiency cores entirely. The new design shifts to ARM's updated Lumex architecture, utilizing an 8-core layout built on TSMC's 3nm process. One C1-Ultra core clocks at 4.21GHz, three C1-Premium cores run at 3.50GHz, and four C1-Pro cores handle lighter tasks at 2.70GHz.
Early test data gives the chip an AnTuTu score passing 4 million points. In single-core Geekbench 6 testing, it hits 3,315 points, while multi-core performance reaches 9,914 points. It runs cooler under sustained load than Qualcomm's equivalent silicon, losing less than twelve percent of its peak speed over twenty-minute stress runs.
Immortalis Mali graphics and local AI
The Immortalis Mali-G1 Ultra MP12 GPU handles graphics rendering. It adds hardware ray-tracing features alongside MediaTek's HyperEngine frame generation system, which targets steady 120fps gameplay in titles like Genshin Impact.
- The NPU 990 handles high-speed on-device generative tasks with half the power of previous units.
- An Imagiq 1190 image processor supports 8K video capture at 60 frames per second.
- The integrated 5G modem supports sub-6GHz and mmWave carrier aggregation up to 10Gbps down.
Vivo and Oppo plan to ship flagships with the Dimensity 9500 before the end of the fourth quarter. MediaTek hasn't shared official pricing, but retail handsets using the chip should hit store shelves starting around $750.
