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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Neither chip wins across the board. In the compiled NanoReview results available in 2026, the Dimensity 8450 leads in AnTuTu 11, Geekbench 6 multi-core, and both 3DMark graphics tests shown, while the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 leads in Geekbench 6 single-core. Qualcomm’s platform also specifies Wi-Fi 7, which MediaTek’s Dimensity 8450 page does not list (it specifies Wi-Fi 6E). Treat every score below as an aggregate of many phones, not a controlled test of the two chips in identical hardware.
Specifications side by side
The table below uses each vendor’s own platform description where one is available. Where a value appears only in one source, the other chip’s cell says so rather than guessing. The Qualcomm figures come from its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform Product Brief (copyright 2024), and the Dimensity figures come from MediaTek’s official Dimensity 8450 specification page.
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| Feature | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Dimensity 8450 |
|---|---|---|
| Model or part number | SM8635 | Not stated on MediaTek’s page |
| Process node | 4 nm | Not stated in the cited sources |
| CPU layout | 1× Cortex-X4 at 3.0 GHz, 4× Cortex-A720 at 2.8 GHz, 3× Cortex-A520 at 2.0 GHz (clock speeds as listed by NanoReview) | 8× Cortex-A725 in three groups: 1× with 1 MB L2, 3× with 512 KB L2 each, 4× with 256 KB L2 each |
| Cache | Not stated in the cited sources | 6 MB L3 and 5 MB system-level cache |
| GPU | Adreno 735 | Arm Mali-G720 MC7 |
| Memory | LPDDR5X up to 4200 MHz, up to 24 GB | LPDDR5X (maximum speed and capacity not stated on the cited page) |
| Storage | UFS 4.0 | UFS 4 with MCQ |
| AI processing | Qualcomm AI Engine with Hexagon NPU | MediaTek NPU 880 |
| Modem | Snapdragon X70, peak rates of up to 6.5 Gbps downlink and 3.5 Gbps uplink | Modem performance up to 5.17 Gbps (modem model not named) |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 7 via FastConnect 7800; Bluetooth not stated in the cited brief | Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Video | Not stated in the cited sources | 4K60 capture and playback |
| Camera sensor support | Not stated in the cited sources | Up to 320 MP |
| Maximum display support | Not stated in the cited sources | WQHD+ up to 144 Hz |
What the platform differences mean in practice
CPU design
The two chips take different routes to their core layouts. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 uses one high-performance Cortex-X4 core for peak single-threaded work, backed by four Cortex-A720 cores and three efficiency-oriented Cortex-A520 cores. The Dimensity 8450 uses eight Cortex-A725 cores with no separate efficiency tier in the cited description, so its scheduling depends on how the phone maker and kernel group the cores. That design difference helps explain why the two chips can finish a single-threaded task and a multi-threaded workload in different orders, as the benchmark section below shows.
The Tool Desk
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Graphics differ in architecture: Adreno 735 on the Qualcomm side and Mali-G720 MC7 on the MediaTek side. The graphics benchmark results below are the most direct evidence of how those designs compare, though they are still aggregates. On AI, MediaTek’s page describes the NPU 880 as supporting “the latest global mainstream LLMs, SLMs, and LMMs.” That is MediaTek’s own claim about its ecosystem, not an independent test of model performance or app behavior.
#1 Best Overall
- Ultra-high Performance Chipset: This cell phone is equipped with a powerful and efficient Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, using 4nm technology and a full-core 3.2GHz CPU, supporting 24GB LPDDR5X memory + UFS 4.0 flash memory, and equipped with an AI engine, with comprehensive performance upgrades.
- Revolutionary 50MP Quad Camera System: This smartphone is equipped with All 50MP four camera system: Including a Main Camera, a Periscope, an Ultra-wide Camera, and a ultra-clear Front Camera; this cell phone support Ultra XDR 4K video, Auto Tone, Portrait Optimiser, Motion Capture Mode, Night Mode; Whether you're a photographer, vlogger, or social media enthusiast, with the pro-grade camera system and AI enhancements, this Nothing phone can ensure every shot is masterpiece-ready.
- One-Touch Control, AI-Powered Organization：ESSENTIAL KEY: A new button on the side of your device.Press once to capture your screen, long-press to record voice and ideas, and double-press to access Essential Space; ESSENTIAL SPACE: Everything in one place, organised the way you want it to be，AI mobile phones helps organise your captures, generating suggestions, and staying on top of what matters; Explore more AI features, Let AI enrich your life
- GLYPH INTERFACE: Where Light Speaks; The Glyph Matrix transforms your phone into an interactive playground—smart animations turn notifications, tools, and games into living light experiences; NFC: An animation comes to life when NFC is triggered; Glyph Button: Quick-tap to browse Glyph Toys, long-press to launch—from utilities to games; Smarter Alerts: Notifications now speak in light and sound, blending visuals with meaning; Beyond illumination; This is interaction, redefined.
- Larger and Brighter FHD Display: 6.67" FHD+ 1.5K AMOLED flex screen with 1.07B colors & 120Hz adaptive refresh for ultra-smooth visuals; Vs Nothing Phone (2)/(3a): Phone (3) boasts 181.2% brighter (4500 nits), 16.7% sharper (460 PPI), and 316% faster touch response (1000Hz); IP68-rated—tough enough for any adventure.
Memory and storage
Both chips use LPDDR5X and UFS 4-class storage, so the gap here is in what each vendor states. Qualcomm gives a memory speed (4200 MHz) and capacity ceiling (24 GB). MediaTek’s page names the memory type but not those limits. Real-world memory and storage performance also depends on how the phone maker configures them.
Connectivity
Qualcomm lists Wi-Fi 7 and a faster modem ceiling than MediaTek’s stated figure. MediaTek lists Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4. Those are platform capabilities. A phone only gets them if its maker includes the matching radio parts and enables them for the market where it is sold, so check the handset’s own specification sheet before assuming Wi-Fi 7 or the highest modem rate.
Rank #2
- Ultra-high Performance Chipset: This cell phone is equipped with a powerful and efficient Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, using 4nm technology and a full-core 3.2GHz CPU, supporting 24GB LPDDR5X memory + UFS 4.0 flash memory, and equipped with an AI engine, with comprehensive performance upgrades.
- Revolutionary 50MP Quad Camera System: This smartphone is equipped with All 50MP four camera system: Including a Main Camera, a Periscope, an Ultra-wide Camera, and a ultra-clear Front Camera; this cell phone support Ultra XDR 4K video, Auto Tone, Portrait Optimiser, Motion Capture Mode, Night Mode; Whether you're a photographer, vlogger, or social media enthusiast, with the pro-grade camera system and AI enhancements, this Nothing phone can ensure every shot is masterpiece-ready.
- One-Touch Control, AI-Powered Organization：ESSENTIAL KEY: A new button on the side of your device.Press once to capture your screen, long-press to record voice and ideas, and double-press to access Essential Space; ESSENTIAL SPACE: Everything in one place, organised the way you want it to be，AI mobile phones helps organise your captures, generating suggestions, and staying on top of what matters; Explore more AI features, Let AI enrich your life
- GLYPH INTERFACE: Where Light Speaks; The Glyph Matrix transforms your phone into an interactive playground—smart animations turn notifications, tools, and games into living light experiences; NFC: An animation comes to life when NFC is triggered; Glyph Button: Quick-tap to browse Glyph Toys, long-press to launch—from utilities to games; Smarter Alerts: Notifications now speak in light and sound, blending visuals with meaning; Beyond illumination; This is interaction, redefined.
- Larger and Brighter FHD Display: 6.67" FHD+ 1.5K AMOLED flex screen with 1.07B colors & 120Hz adaptive refresh for ultra-smooth visuals; Vs Nothing Phone (2)/(3a): Phone (3) boasts 181.2% brighter (4500 nits), 16.7% sharper (460 PPI), and 316% faster touch response (1000Hz); IP68-rated—tough enough for any adventure.
Benchmark results
NanoReview’s comparison page reports averaged scores from phones using each chip. These are not results from one phone run by the publisher. The numbers below are reproduced as published, and the sample counts are shown because they differ sharply between the two chips.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Test (version as labelled by NanoReview) | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Dimensity 8450 | Higher score |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu 11 total | 1,797,821 | 2,016,572 | Dimensity 8450 |
| AnTuTu 11 CPU | 556,525 | 656,057 | Dimensity 8450 |
| AnTuTu 11 GPU | 503,679 | 641,242 | Dimensity 8450 |
| AnTuTu 11 memory | 307,418 | 256,365 | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 |
| AnTuTu 11 UX | 430,199 | 462,908 | Dimensity 8450 |
| AnTuTu 11 sample count | 287 results | 25 results | Not applicable |
| Geekbench 6 CPU single-core | 1,923 | 1,612 | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 |
| Geekbench 6 CPU multi-core | 5,179 | 6,210 | Dimensity 8450 |
| Geekbench 6 CPU sample count | 64 results | 7 results | Not applicable |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light | 1,033 (8 FPS graphics test; 90% stability shown) | 1,467 (11 FPS graphics test; stability not provided) | Dimensity 8450 |
| 3DMark Solar Bay | 4,992 (19 FPS graphics test) | 6,549 (25 FPS graphics test) | Dimensity 8450 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme | 3,116 | No score shown | Not established |
| PCMark 3.0 | 15,526 (14 phone models in the aggregation) | 17,957 (2 phone models in the aggregation) | Dimensity 8450 |
On the averages as published, the Dimensity 8450 is about 12% ahead on AnTuTu 11 total and about 20% ahead on Geekbench 6 multi-core. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is about 19% ahead on Geekbench 6 single-core. The Steel Nomad Light gap is about 42% and the Solar Bay gap about 31%. These percentages are simple arithmetic on the published averages. They are not measured everyday speed differences.
Rank #3
- For USA Buyers: This Smartphone is not compatible/will not work with any CDMA Networks including: VERIZON, SPRINT, US CELLULAR. Please check with your network provider for 3G or 4G/LTE compatibility check before you purchase.
- Dual-SIM, Network Compatibility, SIM CARD 1 & 2 : [2G : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and/or 3G : HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 and/or 4G : FDD-LTE 700(B12) / 700(B13) / 700(B17) / 700(B28) / 800(B20) / 850(B5) / 850(B18) / 850(B19) / 850(B26) / 900(B8) / 1700|2100(B4) / 1800(B3) / 1900(B2) / 2100(B1) / 2600(B7) TDD-LTE 1900(B39) / 2100(B66) / 2300(B40) / 2500(B41) / 2600(B38) and/or 5G : N1 / N3 / N5 / N7 / N8 / N20 / N28 / N38 / N40 / N41 / N66 / N77 / N78 SA/NSA]
- 6.78 inches, LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 1264 x 2780 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- 256GB ROM Storage, 12GB RAM
- Android 14, Realme UI 5.0, Qualcomm SM8635 Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm), Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A520), Adreno 735
How to read these numbers
Sample counts are lopsided
The Snapdragon averages draw on 287 AnTuTu 11 results and 64 Geekbench 6 CPU results. The Dimensity averages draw on 25 and 7. A seven-sample average can swing with a few unusual devices, so the Dimensity Geekbench 6 figures in particular should be treated as indicative. The published aggregation also does not fully explain its inclusion rules or control for phone model and firmware version.
Benchmark versions and conditions
Scores move with benchmark version, operating system build, cooling design, and whether a phone was tested cold or after sustained load. None of those are normalized in the comparison. Compare these figures only with each other, not against scores from a different benchmark version or a different site.
Rank #4
- 6.78 inches, OLED, 1B , 1224 x 2700 pixels
- 512GB Storage, 12GB RAM
- Android 14, Qualcomm SM8635 Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm), Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A520)
- Rear: 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.3", 1.2µm, PDAF, OIS, 50 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom, 12 MP, f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide), AF, Front: 50 MP, f/2.1, (wide), 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
- Dual SIM (SIM + ESIM)
Where the vendor claims come from
MediaTek’s own performance claims on its Dimensity 8450 page are comparisons against a previous-generation Dimensity platform, according to the page’s footnote. They show progress within MediaTek’s line. They do not show how the chip compares with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3.
Which chip fits which use
- Short, lightly threaded tasks: The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 has the higher Geekbench 6 single-core average, which may matter for app launches and other bursty work. The gap is one benchmark’s average, not a guaranteed speed advantage in daily use.
- Multi-threaded and gaming-style workloads: The Dimensity 8450 has the higher AnTuTu 11 totals, GPU and CPU subscores, Geekbench 6 multi-core average, and both shown 3DMark graphics results. That is the more consistent pattern in the published data, though the Steel Nomad and Solar Bay results come from NanoReview’s aggregation and not from a single test session.
- Wi-Fi and modem capability: Choose the Snapdragon platform if Wi-Fi 7 or the higher stated modem ceiling matters to you, and confirm the handset actually includes it.
- Memory-heavy tasks: The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 leads on the AnTuTu 11 memory subscore, and its published memory ceiling (up to 24 GB) is stated explicitly.
The chip is only part of the phone
Two phones with the same chip can differ widely in sustained performance, battery life, display quality, camera hardware, software update length, and the radio bands enabled in your region. Those factors often matter more than a few percent of benchmark score. Before comparing specific handsets, check each model’s cooling design, update policy, and certified bands for your country.
NanoReview’s Dimensity 8450 device list includes the Oppo Reno 14 Pro and Oppo K13 Turbo, among other models. Its listing does not establish which phones are sold in your market today or at what price. For Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 phones, verify the exact model and availability on the maker’s or retailer’s own site, since the sources reviewed here do not provide a current handset list.
Sources
- MediaTek, Dimensity 8450 specifications: https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones/mediatek-dimensity-8450
- Qualcomm, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform Product Brief (copyright 2024): https://docs.qualcomm.com/bundle/publicresource/87-73942-1_REV_C_Snapdragon_8s_Gen_3_Mobile_Platform_Product_Brief.pdf
- Qualcomm, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 platform page: https://www.qualcomm.com/smartphones/products/8-series/snapdragon-8s-gen-3-mobile-platform
- NanoReview, side-by-side comparison (accessed 2026): https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compare/qualcomm-snapdragon-8s-gen-3-vs-mediatek-dimensity-8450
- NanoReview, Dimensity 8450 specifications and device list (accessed 2026): https://nanoreview.net/en/soc/mediatek-dimensity-8450
Benchmark figures are NanoReview 2026 aggregates, cited as NanoReview, 2026. The AnTuTu 11, Geekbench 6, and 3DMark results are compiled averages from that comparison page, not measurements made for this article.
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