Qualcomm and MediaTek Opt for TSMC’s Enhanced 2nm Process
Qualcomm and MediaTek are reportedly set to adopt TSMC’s advanced 2nm ‘N2P’ process node for their upcoming flagship chipsets, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600, respectively. This move comes as Apple is expected to secure the majority of capacity for TSMC’s original N2 process with its A20 and A20 Pro chips. By choosing the improved N2P variant, Qualcomm and MediaTek aim not only to secure sufficient wafer supply but also to push their CPUs to higher frequencies, potentially gaining an edge over Apple’s latest silicon.
Technical Advantages of the N2P Node
TSMC’s N2P process offers a modest 5% performance uplift over the standard N2 node. Despite this seemingly small gain, it could be crucial in enhancing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600’s single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The design rules for N2P remain the same as N2, which facilitates a smooth transition for chipmakers. This slight improvement in lithography may help reduce the efficiency gap that currently exists between Android chipsets and Apple’s A20 series.
Context and Efficiency Challenges
Currently, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s A19 Pro both utilise TSMC’s 3nm ‘N3P’ process. However, Qualcomm’s flagship chip consumes approximately 61% more power than Apple’s silicon during benchmark tests like Geekbench 6, highlighting a significant efficiency disadvantage. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 fares even worse in terms of performance per watt. Apple’s architectural enhancements, such as improved efficiency cores delivering up to 29% better performance without extra power draw, contribute to this lead. The incremental gains from N2P could help Qualcomm and MediaTek narrow this gap.
Additional Performance Factors
Beyond the manufacturing process, both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 are expected to support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage, which may offer bandwidth advantages over Apple’s A20 and A20 Pro. Nevertheless, these specifications alone do not guarantee superior real-world performance, and it remains to be seen how these improvements translate in practice.
Looking Ahead
The decision by Qualcomm and MediaTek to leverage TSMC’s N2P node signals their intent to compete more aggressively with Apple’s next-generation chips. While the performance uplift is modest, every percentage point counts in the high-stakes race for smartphone processor supremacy. As the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 approach launch in the second half of next year, further details and benchmarks will shed light on how effectively these enhancements close the gap with Apple’s A20 series.
Source: Wccftech