Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 To Get Revamped CPU Configuration, First Qualcomm SoC To Use ‘Titanium’ Cores And Offer 64-Bit-Only Support

An earlier specifications leak of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 revealed that Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship SoC for 2023 would feature a ‘1 + 5 + 2’ CPU cluster, along with being mass produced on TSMC’s 4nm process. However, an update from a person who has leaked reliable information in the past mentions a completely revamped configuration. Also, for the first time, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is said to use ‘titanium’ cores. There is a boatload to discuss here, so let us get right into it.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to also take advantage of unannounced ARM cores codenamed ‘Hayes’ and ‘Hunter’

First, let us start with the model number and codename. According to Kuba Wojciechowski, who started a long Twitter thread, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will feature the unique designation number SM8650, along with the codename ‘Lanai’ or ‘Pineapple.’ What is most interesting about the latest leak is the CPU configuration, and according to the tipster, the flagship chipset will have a ‘1 + 2 + 3 + 3’ cluster, using a combination of ‘gold+’ and ‘titatium’ cores.

It is the first time that Qualcomm will use ‘titanium’ cores, with the single ‘gold+’ core signifying that it will likely be the Cortex-X4. Earlier reports mentioned that this core could run at 3.70GHz, but it was not confirmed if the frequency would be reserved for the Galaxy S24 series expected to launch next year. In any case, the tipster has provided the CPU cluster breakdown below.

One Hunter ‘gold+’ core (likely the Cortex-X4)
Two Hunter ‘titanium’ cores (Cortex-A7xx)
Two Hayes ‘silver’ cores (Cortex-A5xx)
Three Hunter ‘gold’ cores (Cortex-A7xx)

The CPU configuration shows that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is using fewer power-efficiency cores this time, meaning that Qualcomm could be focused more on delivering higher multi-core performance. If you noticed the CPU cluster, there are three gold cores added, which is a step up. As for the ‘titanium’ cores, the tipster states that these could be clocked higher and possess a higher cache than the ‘gold’ ones, but he does not have concrete information right now.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to come with 2+3+2+1 next-gen Arm cores, Adreno 750, more: leak pic.twitter.com/TAYu8GsDto

— Kuba Wojciechowski :3 (@Za_Raczke) March 23, 2023

We expect to hear more about these ‘Hayes’ and ‘Hunter’ cores from ARM later in the year and see how they stack up against the Cortex-X3 and Cortex-A715 from 2022. After that, we should have an idea of how the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should perform when it powers various flagships in 2024. The ‘Hayes’ and ‘Hunter’ also drop support 32-bit support, according to Qualcomm’s code spotted by Kuba.

Coming to the Adreno 750 GPU, it will succeed the Adreno 740 GPU that is a part of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. While we previously reported that the Adreno 750 would run at an impressive 1.00GHz, the new update states that the graphics processor is operating at 770MHz, and may change when future revisions of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are made and tested. It is possible the 1.00GHz GPU clock speed would be the one tweaked for the Galaxy S24 family, but there is no way of confirming at this time.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is rumored to be manufactured on TSMC’s 4nm process, the same one used for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but Qualcomm appears to have heavily tweaked the design. If the company’s primary aim is to increase multi-core performance, our biggest concern is power draw and increased temperatures. We have reported that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 running in an engineering unit comfortably beat the A16 Bionic in both single-core and multi-core tests, so we are excited to see it in commercial devices next year.