MediaTek has risen to become one of the world’s largest chipset supplier, presenting stiff competition to rival Qualcomm. With a slew of processors across segments, making sense of MediaTek’s extensive lineup can be challenging. This guide breaks down the chipmaker’s offerings by category to understand their capabilities. But before we get started, here’s a brief MediaTek history.
The Origin Story Behind MediaTek’s Rise
MediaTek originally started by producing low-end chipsets for budget smartphones. While affordable, these entry-level processors were plagued by poor performance, overheating and an unreliable reputation.
The company tried breaking into high-end territory with the short-lived Helio X series, but its failure only compounded MediaTek’s image issues. The tide turned with the successful Helio G series, which powered phones like Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 Pro. However, MediaTek still wanted another shot at the premium category, and that led to the creation of the Dimensity series.
Free from the baggage of its Helio history, the Dimensity name signifies MediaTek’s rebirth as a high-performance chipmaker. Flagships bearing Dimensity chipsets have performed admirably, earning acclaim in the industry.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s have a look at MediaTek’s chipset lineup. We’ve split the chipsets into four categories, namely, flagship, mid-range, budget and 4G for easier understanding.
Flagship MediaTek 5G Chipsets
The Dimensity 9000 series currently leads MediaTek’s flagship portfolio with the Dimensity 9200 and 9200 Plus based on cutting-edge 4nm process. These chips boast a second-generation 4nm TSMC design, an exceptionally potent CPU configuration (comprising one Cortex-X3, three Cortex-A715, and four Cortex-A510 cores), and an impressive Mali-G715 Immortalis MC11 GPU. Notably, this GPU supports hardware-based ray tracing, aligning with Qualcomm’s latest innovations.
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Other remarkable features include the introduction of mmWave 5G for the first time in a flagship MediaTek chipset, an impressive 240Hz refresh rate, and a cutting-edge sixth-generation APU. Furthermore, camera enthusiasts can rejoice with features like 8K recording, enhanced semantic image segmentation, and technology to reduce image blurriness. In essence, the Dimensity 9200 is fully capable of competing with Qualcomm’s best offerings.
Before the Dimensity 9200 series, MediaTek introduced the Dimensity 9000 and Dimensity 9000 Plus chips, marking the first genuine rivals to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series in several years. These processors bring forth 4nm designs, a robust octa-core CPU configuration (comprising 1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, and 4x Cortex-A510 cores), and an adept Mali-G710 MC10 GPU. Other noteworthy features encompass AV1 decoding, support for single cameras up to a whopping 320MP, and simultaneous triple-camera HDR recording.
In contrast, MediaTek’s high-end chipset for 2021, the Dimensity 1200, lagged behind Qualcomm’s 2021 offerings due to the absence of Cortex-X cores, 8K recording, and mmWave support. The Dimensity 1xxx series has since transitioned into the mid-range segment.
While flagship phones with the Dimensity 9200 remain scarce, Qualcomm’s flagship processors continue to dominate the global premium space. However, an intriguing trend has emerged, with some brands adopting MediaTek’s 2022 Dimensity 9000 series for their foldable devices, including the OPPO Find N2 Flip and TECNO Phantom V Fold.
Mid-range MediaTek 5G Chipsets
Mediatek’s most recent mid-range processor, the Dimensity 8200, was unveiled in December 2022. It represents an upgrade over the Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100. All three processors share a potent CPU configuration consisting of 4x Cortex-A78 and 4x Cortex-A55 cores, accompanied by Mali-G610 MC6 graphics.
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While these chips deliver commendable performance for their price, the Dimensity 8200 distinguishes itself with a smaller 4nm manufacturing process, higher CPU clock speeds, increased camera resolution support, and compatibility with higher refresh rates. Reviews of devices like the OPPO Reno 8 Pro underscore the competitive performance of the Dimensity 8100, placing it on par with 2021’s flagship silicon.
Stepping down a notch, MediaTek offers the Dimensity 1300, 8050, and 8020, sharing DNA with the flagship Dimensity 1200 from 2021. These processors feature a 6nm TSMC design, an octa-core CPU setup comprising four Cortex-A78 and four Cortex-A55 cores, and a Mali-G77 MC9 GPU.
The Dimensity 8050 stands out with its higher CPU clock speed, support for higher resolution cameras, and compatibility with higher refresh rates. The Dimensity 8100 and 8200 ruled the upper mid-range segment in terms of performance until the launch of the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 this year, offering ample power for users opting for phones equipped with these chips.
Budget MediaTek Chipsets
MediaTek also offers a range of budget-focused 5G chipsets, characterized by modest CPUs (two big and six little cores) and mid-tier graphics. The Dimensity 7200 stands out as the best among them, featuring a 4nm design, new CPU cores (two Cortex-A715 and six Cortex-A510), and Mali-G610 MC4 graphics. Notable features include support for single cameras up to 200MP, 4K HDR video capability, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, and a fifth-generation APU.
MediaTek has revamped its mid-range chip lineup, introducing the Dimensity 6000 and 7000 series processors. The Dimensity 7050 and 7020, positioned just above the budget tier, offer an octa-core CPU configuration (2x Cortex-A78 and 6x Cortex-A55), respectable Mali-G68 MC4 graphics, and a 6nm design. These chips also bring a third-generation APU, a 120Hz refresh rate, 4K HDR recording, and support for 200MP single cameras.
A pivotal release in this tier was the Dimensity 1050 in 2022, as it marked MediaTek’s first processor with mmWave 5G support. While sharing some features with the Dimensity 7050, it features a different GPU (Mali-G610 MC3), a maximum camera resolution of 108MP, upgraded Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E versus Wi-Fi 6), an enhanced APU, and dual HDR video capabilities.
Mediatek has introduced two other recent releases, the Dimensity 6020 and 6080. These processors share similarities such as the CPU configuration (2x Cortex-A76 and 6x Cortex-A55), a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, a sub-6GHz modem with speeds topping out at 2.77Gbps, and support for aging Wi-Fi 5. Notably, these chips appear to lack an APU for advanced machine learning capabilities. The Dimensity 6080 distinguishes itself with a smaller 6nm manufacturing process and support for higher-resolution cameras (108MP versus 64MP).
Older 5G Budget MediaTek Chipsets
Mediatek also offers a selection of older budget 5G chips in its portfolio that are currently more popular than the aforementioned processors. These older chips, including the Dimensity 700, Dimensity 900, and Dimensity 920, typically feature 2+6 core CPU configurations, older mid-tier Arm GPUs, support for 5G+5G dual-SIM, and a maximum video recording capability of 4K.
MediaTek’s 4G Chips
Despite the industry’s shift towards 5G, MediaTek still provides 4G chipsets. Among them, the Helio G9x range, Helio G8x series, and Helio G70 offer the most capable performance. These chipsets feature 2+6 core CPU setups, with the Helio G99 standing out due to its small 6nm design, enhancing efficiency. In contrast, many low-end 4G chips from MediaTek rely on older 12nm designs. These Helio G series chips are often found powering 4G variants of smartphones from various brands.
Even lower-end 4G options like Helio G35, G25 and A25 remain in circulation, though lagging in aspects like CPU power, GPU tech and fabrication process.
In Conclusion
That’s about it for our MediaTek chipset guide. With its expanding 5G portfolio spanning flagship, mid-range and entry-level, MediaTek powers devices across price points. Understanding the capabilities and target segment of each processor series helps pick the right MediaTek chip for your usage needs and budget.
We will be updating this article periodically as MediaTek releases new chipsets.
