Highlights

• MediaTek Dimensity 9300 suffers significant performance loss in stress tests.

• Thermal throttling leads to core frequency reduction to as low as 0.60GHz.

• Lack of efficiency cores in Dimensity 9300 contributes to overheating.

• Vivo X100 Pro with Dimensity 9300 unable to manage heat effectively.

MediaTek’s latest chipset, the Dimensity 9300, recently underwent a rigorous CPU stress test, revealing a significant drop in performance due to thermal throttling.

This outcome raises concerns about the chipset’s design choices and their impact on overall device efficiency and performance.

Dimensity 9300 Throttling Test and Its Consequences

In the CPU Throttling Test, conducted by X user Sahil Karoul, which pushes the processor to its limits, the Dimensity 9300 showcased a substantial decrease in performance.

Notably, the test saw one of the processor’s cores slow down to just 0.60GHz, with others dropping to frequencies between 1.20GHz and 1.50GHz.

This reduction was a sharp contrast from the chipset’s maximum clock speed of 3.25GHz, resulting in a 46 percent drop in performance.

Such a decline highlights the thermal challenges faced by the chipset under intense workload conditions.

Mediatek Dimensity 9300 #VivoX100Pro pic.twitter.com/Zi3k4Wmeib

— Sahil Karoul (@KaroulSahil) November 23, 2023

Design Choices and Their Impact

One of the key factors contributing to this issue is MediaTek’s decision to omit low-power efficiency cores in the Dimensity 9300.

Unlike its competitors, like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Apple’s A17 Pro, which balance high-performance and efficiency cores, MediaTek’s flagship SoC focuses solely on performance cores.

While this design enables impressive performance peaks, surpassing even Apple’s A17 Pro GPU in certain aspects, it comes at the cost of higher power consumption and heat generation.

Even in the Vivo X100 Pro, equipped with a capable vapor chamber cooling system, the Dimensity 9300 still faced thermal throttling.

This situation was exacerbated by the chipset’s reliance on TSMC’s N4P process, which, despite being power-efficient, couldn’t compensate for the lack of low-power cores.

MediaTek Comments on The Test

MediaTek had the following to say about this test process

• It is well known that all modern smartphones include thermal throttling to ensure the device temperature stays in an acceptable/safe range.
• A better way to use the CPU Throttle Test as a way to compare devices side by side, would be to run the test with the same device case temperature.
• With MediaTek’s big core CPU architecture, the Dimensity 9300 will achieve a much higher max & average score than the competitors if the testing is done correctly. In summary, the Dimensity 9300 will be able to deliver more computing performance across the span of the test.

FAQs

Q: What was the outcome of the CPU Throttling Test for the Dimensity 9300?

A: The MediaTek Dimensity 9300 exhibited a drastic performance drop of 46% during the CPU Throttling Test. This test subjected the chipset to intense processing demands, resulting in thermal throttling and a significant reduction in core frequencies.

Q: How did the lack of efficiency cores affect the Dimensity 9300’s performance?

A: The absence of efficiency cores in the Dimensity 9300 led to higher power consumption and increased heat generation. Unlike its competitors, which balance high-performance with efficiency cores, the Dimensity 9300’s sole focus on performance cores contributed to its overheating under stress conditions.

Q: Can the Vivo X100 Pro’s cooling system manage the Dimensity 9300’s heat?

A: Despite having a vapor chamber designed to dissipate heat, the Vivo X100 Pro struggled to manage the thermal output of the Dimensity 9300. The cooling system was unable to prevent thermal throttling, affecting the chipset’s performance.