Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s new A19 Pro are the latest mobile processors pushing the limits of performance on flagship devices. A new benchmark comparison puts them head-to-head in synthetic tests, giving us the clearest early look at how the two chipsets stack up against each other.
The YouTube channel Geekerwan published results from Geekbench 6 and 3DMark, running tests on devices equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max powered by the A19 Pro. The results confirm that Apple continues to dominate in single-core performance, but Qualcomm’s new Elite chip now leads in multi-core and GPU workloads.
Geekbench 6 benchmark results
| Processor / Device | Geekbench 6 Single-Core | Geekbench 6 Multi-Core |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | 3846 | 12,546 |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | 3237 | 10,242 |
| Dimensity 9500 | 3709 | 10,716 |
| Dimensity 9400 | 3010 | 9317 |
| Apple A19 Pro (iPhone 17 Pro Max) | 4019 | 11,054 |
| Apple A19 (iPhone 17) | 3849 | 10,307 |
| Apple A18 Pro (iPhone 16 Pro Max) | 3605 | 9376 |
The chart shows that Apple’s A19 Pro still claims the top spot in single-core, scoring 4019 compared to 3846 on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. However, in multi-core, Qualcomm’s new chip pulls ahead with 12,546 points, overtaking the A19 Pro’s 11,054. This shift demonstrates how Qualcomm has significantly improved its parallel computing power, a key area where it previously lagged behind Apple.
CPU efficiency comparison
Geekerwan also plotted CPU efficiency curves for Geekbench 6 multi-core. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 reached the highest performance, topping 12,500 points, but only by drawing close to 20W. Apple’s A19 Pro scored around 11,000 multi-core points at just over 11W, highlighting Apple’s superior efficiency. In practical terms, iPhones deliver more performance per watt, staying cooler and more consistent over long sessions, while Snapdragon devices push higher peaks when thermal budgets allow.
3DMark Wild Life Extreme results
| Processor / Device | 3DMark Wild Life Extreme (Score) | Notes |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | ~5700 | Strongest GPU score, improved stability |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | ~4900 | Lower sustained performance |
| Dimensity 9500 | ~5300 | Competitive, but behind Elite Gen 5 |
| Apple A19 Pro (iPhone 17 Pro Max) | ~5500 | High efficiency, steady performance |
| Apple A19 (iPhone 17) | ~5200 | Slightly weaker than Pro model |
| Apple A18 Pro (iPhone 16 Pro Max) | ~4800 | Previous-gen GPU baseline |
In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 posted the highest score at around 5700, surpassing Apple’s A19 Pro at about 5500. While the raw gap is modest, Geekerwan’s extended runs showed Qualcomm’s GPU sustaining its advantage better under heavy load. Apple’s GPU remained extremely consistent, but Snapdragon’s Adreno clearly delivers more peak throughput this generation.
Overall, Apple’s A19 Pro remains king of single-core speed and efficiency, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is now the clear leader in multi-core and GPU throughput. For users, this narrows the performance gap between iPhone and Android flagships to the closest it has ever been, making ecosystem and software optimization more important than raw silicon numbers.
Check out the full video below:
