Introduction

The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 vs Dimensity 9000 vs Tensor G4 comparison brings together three flagship-class processors from different generations. Although they use different CPU and GPU architectures, their overall NanoReview scores remain close.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 was announced in May 2022 and uses TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing process. It features a Cortex-X2 prime core and Adreno 730 graphics. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 arrived in November 2021, combining a Cortex-X2 CPU with Mali-G710 MP10 graphics. Google’s Tensor G4 launched in August 2024 with a Cortex-X4 CPU, Mali-G715 MP7 graphics and a 4nm manufacturing process.

Their different strengths matter more than their small overall score differences. Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 has a strong traditional flagship CPU and gaming platform, Dimensity 9000 offers high memory bandwidth and a capable CPU configuration, while Tensor G4 combines modern connectivity, high theoretical GPU throughput and Google’s AI-focused platform design.

Quick Answer

The Google Tensor G4 is the overall winner according to NanoReview, scoring 57 compared with 56 for Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and 55 for Dimensity 9000. Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 leads in CPU performance and Geekbench results, while Tensor G4 has the highest gaming rating, AnTuTu 11 score, memory bandwidth and newer connectivity features. Both Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000 score 91 for battery life.

CPU Architecture and Performance

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 leads NanoReview’s CPU performance rating, while Tensor G4 uses the newest CPU architecture in this comparison.

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 contains one Cortex-X2 core clocked at 3.2GHz, three Cortex-A710 cores at 2.75GHz and four Cortex-A510 efficiency cores at 2.0GHz. Its 6MB L3 cache and TSMC 4nm process form a conventional flagship-oriented CPU design.

Dimensity 9000 uses the same broad core arrangement but runs its prime Cortex-X2 at 3.05GHz. Its three Cortex-A710 cores reach 2.85GHz, while four Cortex-A510 cores operate at 1.8GHz. Its 8MB L3 cache is larger than that of Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.

Tensor G4 moves to a Cortex-X4 prime core at 3.1GHz, supported by three Cortex-A720 cores at 2.6GHz and four Cortex-A520 cores at 1.92GHz. This is a newer CPU architecture than the Cortex-X2-based designs used by the two older competitors.

The practical distinction is that CPU architecture, clock frequency, cache and software optimization all contribute to performance. A newer core does not guarantee that every benchmark or workload will be faster, which is why the results below are more useful than comparing clock speeds alone.

GPU and Gaming Performance

Tensor G4 leads NanoReview’s gaming rating, while Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 has the highest theoretical GPU FLOPS figure among these three processors.

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 integrates the Adreno 730 GPU, listed at 900MHz with 1843.2 GFLOPS. Dimensity 9000 uses Mali-G710 MP10 at 848MHz with 1085.4 GFLOPS, while Tensor G4 has Mali-G715 MP7 at 940MHz with 1684.4 GFLOPS.

These are different GPU architectures, so theoretical FLOPS should not be treated as a direct prediction of game performance. Drivers, rendering APIs, device cooling and game optimization can all affect practical results.

For gaming, the NanoReview ratings favor Tensor G4, followed by Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000. This makes Tensor G4 the strongest choice by the site’s current gaming metric, although the precise experience will vary across individual smartphones.

Manufacturing and Battery Efficiency

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000 tie for the highest NanoReview battery score at 91.

All three chipsets use a nominal 4nm process, but their manufacturing platforms differ. Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000 are manufactured by TSMC, while Tensor G4 is manufactured by Samsung.

NanoReview assigns both Qualcomm and MediaTek chips a battery score of 91, compared with 90 for Tensor G4. Therefore, the efficiency result is a tie between Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000, rather than a unique winner.

A battery score is not the same as a guaranteed runtime. Battery capacity, screen size, refresh rate, signal strength, application workload and software tuning can make two phones with the same chipset perform differently.

RAM, Memory and Storage

Tensor G4 has the highest listed memory bandwidth, while Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000 support more maximum RAM.

Tensor G4 supports LPDDR5X memory at 4266MHz, with a maximum bandwidth of 68.2GB/s and up to 16GB of RAM. Dimensity 9000 supports LPDDR5X at 3750MHz, reaches 60GB/s bandwidth and supports up to 24GB of RAM.

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 supports LPDDR5 at 3200MHz, with 51.2GB/s of bandwidth and up to 24GB RAM. All three list UFS 3.1 storage, while Tensor G4 additionally lists UFS 4.0 support.

In specification terms, Tensor G4 offers faster memory bandwidth and a newer listed storage option. The Qualcomm and MediaTek chips allow a higher maximum RAM capacity, which can be useful for devices designed around memory-intensive applications.

AI and NPU

Tensor G4 is the most explicitly AI-oriented platform by positioning, but NanoReview’s listed information does not establish a definitive cross-chip AI performance winner.

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 uses Qualcomm’s Hexagon AI hardware. Dimensity 9000 includes the MediaTek APU 590, and Tensor G4 contains a dedicated neural processing unit.

The pages do not provide directly comparable TOPS figures for all three chips, so ranking their AI throughput numerically would be unsupported. Actual results also depend on the model being run, supported operations, memory availability and software optimization.

For a buyer, the relevant distinction is not simply the NPU name but which AI features the phone’s operating system and applications actually support.

Camera, ISP and Video

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Tensor G4 have the strongest listed video-recording capabilities, while Dimensity 9000 lists the highest maximum camera resolution.

NanoReview lists Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 with support for up to 200MP cameras and video recording at 8K30 or 4K120. Tensor G4 also lists 8K30 and 4K120 recording, but its maximum camera resolution is not specified on the page.

Dimensity 9000 supports up to 320MP camera hardware according to NanoReview, but its listed maximum capture capability is 4K60.

Maximum sensor resolution does not guarantee better photos. Sensor quality, lens design, stabilization, ISP tuning, HDR processing and the phone manufacturer’s camera software all play major roles. The supplied data establishes the listed hardware limits, not which phone takes the best photographs.

Display and Connectivity

Tensor G4 has the strongest listed display-resolution and wireless-connectivity specifications, while Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 has the highest listed 5G download speed.

Tensor G4 supports a maximum display resolution of 3840×2400, compared with 3840×2160 on Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and 3200×1440 on Dimensity 9000. These are chipset capabilities, not guarantees that every phone will use those resolutions.

For connectivity, Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 lists up to 10Gbps 5G download, while Dimensity 9000 lists up to 7Gbps. NanoReview does not list a maximum 5G download figure for Tensor G4 on the cited page. Tensor G4 stands out for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0; both older competitors list Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

That makes Tensor G4 more modern in wireless standards, while Qualcomm has the highest specified peak cellular download rate in this comparison.

Benchmark Comparison

Tensor G4 has the highest AnTuTu 11 and NanoReview overall scores, while Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 leads the listed Geekbench 6 CPU results.

Source: NanoReview’s individual and comparison pages. GPU compute results may use different APIs, and absent benchmark results are not treated as zero.

The results show why overall performance cannot be decided by one test. Tensor G4 performs best in AnTuTu 11 and Steel Nomad Light, while Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 leads both Geekbench CPU tests. Dimensity 9000 sits between the two in some measurements but does not lead the overall NanoReview scores.

These scores represent NanoReview’s current aggregated results. They should not be interpreted as guaranteed outcomes for every device, because manufacturers use different cooling systems, power limits and software configurations.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

Strengths

• Highest CPU performance rating in this comparison.
• Strong Geekbench 6 single-core and multi-core results.
• Adreno 730 GPU.
• 8K30 and 4K120 video recording support.
• Up to 24GB RAM.
• 10Gbps listed maximum 5G download speed.
• Battery score tied for the highest.

Weaknesses

• Lowest listed memory bandwidth of the three.
• UFS 3.1 listed, without UFS 4.0 support on NanoReview’s page.
• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are older wireless standards than Tensor G4’s.

Dimensity 9000

Strengths

• 60GB/s maximum memory bandwidth.
• Up to 24GB RAM.
• 8MB L3 cache.
• Up to 320MP camera support.
• 91 battery score.
• Competitive AnTuTu 11 result.

Weaknesses

• Lowest gaming rating in this comparison.
• Lower Geekbench CPU results than Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.
• 4K60 maximum listed video capture.
• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

Tensor G4

Strengths

• Highest NanoReview overall score.
• Highest AnTuTu 11 score.
• Highest gaming rating.
• Highest listed memory bandwidth at 68.2GB/s.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.
• UFS 4.0 support.
• 8K30 and 4K120 video recording support.

Weaknesses

• Lower Geekbench CPU scores than Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.
• Maximum RAM listed at 16GB.
• Battery score slightly below the two competitors.
• Maximum camera resolution not listed on NanoReview’s page.

Best Processor for Different Users

Final Verdict and Ranking

Tensor G4 ranks first overall, Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 second, and Dimensity 9000 third according to NanoReview’s current overall scores.

#1 Google Tensor G4

Tensor G4 wins overall with a score of 57. Its strengths include its AnTuTu result, gaming rating, memory bandwidth, UFS 4.0 support and modern wireless connectivity. It is the best choice by NanoReview’s aggregate ranking, particularly for users who value these features alongside Google’s software platform.

#2 Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 takes second place with a score of 56. It remains highly competitive due to its CPU results, Adreno 730 GPU, high-end video support and 10Gbps listed 5G capability. It also ties Dimensity 9000 on NanoReview’s battery rating.

#3 MediaTek Dimensity 9000

Dimensity 9000 ranks third with a score of 55. It still offers strong flagship hardware, including an eight-core CPU, 8MB L3 cache, LPDDR5X memory, 60GB/s bandwidth and 320MP camera support. However, its lower gaming rating and more limited listed video-recording capability keep it behind the other two in this comparison.

Winner Summary

Final ranking:

1. Google Tensor G4
2. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
3. MediaTek Dimensity 9000

The central takeaway is that Tensor G4 wins overall, but Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 remains the stronger choice for CPU benchmarks. Dimensity 9000 still offers capable flagship specifications, yet does not lead the main performance categories in NanoReview’s current comparison.

Sources: NanoReview Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, NanoReview Dimensity 9000, and NanoReview Tensor G4. Data checked October 9, 2026.