So, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 in the vivo X100 is apparently the chipset to beat, as this all-big-core CPU has a 40% faster CPU and a 46% increased GPU. It has hardware-level ray tracing, generative AI, and, on top of all that, apparently a great battery life too.
Hmm, really? Let’s find out!
About MediaTek
MediaTek, in case you do not know, is the world’s 5th-largest global fabless semiconductor company. They took the world by storm when their MediaTek 9200+ topped the charts last year.
Since then, other companies released new chips, and MediaTek dropped a bit. But now, in the year 2024, they are back with a bang to claim the “Iron Throne”
MediaTek Dimensity 9300
So, what kind of technological advancement has come with their latest processor? They got this all-big-core CPU which increases its performance by 40%. It’s an octa-core CPU but not the usual kind of efficiency cores. Instead, it has eight high-power cores – four Cortex-X4 and four Cortex-A720.
Now, you may think that all of that power means a very draining battery, right? But no, here is the twist because it’s actually designed to use up to 33% less power thanks to its new TSMC 4nm architecture. Pretty impressive, MediaTek!
But what about the GPU, you know, the heart of gaming performance? Well, the ARM Immortalis-G720 in this chip is a beast with 12 cores!
Now, that is more than I count with my two hands, I probably need my toes too.
So, as ARM’s newest and most advanced GPU, not only does it offer a whopping 46% better performance but also 40% more efficiency according to their test. That, my friends, is some serious gaming power!
Then there are some other cool features on this chip too. It has an APU 790 architecture, which includes a hardware-generative AI engine that is 8x faster than a transformer-based AI.
And then there’s a massive 18MB L3 + SLC cache that is 29% bigger than the last generation. But, you know what I’ve said before, that is all on paper. So, let’s put that to the test.
In-Depth Tests
Now, let’s test this chip in three big benchmark tests that everyone in the industry uses – Antutu, Geekbench, and 3D Mark. And I did not do this test just once, I did it three times, and then I averaged the scores to get a fair picture. And let’s see how it did.
For Geekbench 6, the results are as follows:
Then, as for Antutu, the averages of runs are here:
And as for 3D Mark, the averages are here:
And just to give you an idea of how the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 stacks up, let’s look at the Geekbench scores.
The top dog there is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which scores just under 1900 points in the single-core test. Now, hold on to your hats because the MediaTek 9300 scores 2231, which is 17% faster!
And in the multicore test, the Snapdragon is at 5000 points, but the MediaTek zooms ahead with 7460 points, a whopping 49% faster! Now, that is just not a small win, that is a huge leap!
Then, moving on to Antutu, the results were pretty cool because this vivo X100 with the MediaTek chip beats between 85% to 96% of other devices. The Antutu checks everything – CPU, GPU, memory, and even User Interface performance.
Then, as for 3D Mark, this device is leaving about 92% of other devices in the dust!
But wait, there is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to consider, right? So how does MediaTek’s chipset compare to that? Well, if you peek at mobile comparison sites like nanoreview.net, you’ll see that the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 is still topping the charts, beating all other mobile processors available.
So yes, on synthetic benchmarks, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 is a killer flagship CPU. But not everyone, including myself, feels that synthetic benchmarks are a true indicator of real-life performance, especially for gaming. Because if you look at the definition of synthetic, that literally means imitation.
Well, luckily I had a bit more time on this device, and it has been a very good experience. Now, before I go into the gaming test, this is probably one of the best mobile gaming smartphones that I have used so far, but let’s recap on the device.
vivo X100
So this vivo X100 has three standout features. First, there’s the star of the show – the flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset.
Next up is the camera module because this is hard to miss, right? It’s almost as big as some mirrorless camera lenses.
And lastly, there’s the fast charging because this phone has a super-sized battery that charges up in no time.
So these are the three features that really set the vivo X100 apart.
The vivo X100 has a powerful camera trio – a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP 3x periscope lens, all fine-tuned with ZEISS.
In case you didn’t know, ZEISS is a world-leading optic manufacturer, and they have an exclusive collaboration with vivo for the imaging system. Now, this means features like the ZEISS optics with T* coating, ZEISS Multifocal Portrait, ZEISS Style Portrait, and ZEISS B-Speed Style Bokeh all are in the vivo X100 series.
The phone that I have is the X100, the non-pro model. So the ZEISS 1-inch main camera, the ZEISS APO Floating Telephoto camera, and the V3 chip of the pro model are not present. But it still delivers top-notch performance, the dynamic range is a standout with pictures taken with the main camera striking a perfect balance between natural and vibrant colors.
Then, of course, the ZEISS Portrait shots are the highlight, with sharp focus and beautifully rendered bokeh effects around the subject.
I can switch between 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 100mm for the portrait shots. And you can see the different vibes and effects with each photo composition.
Another cool feature that really surprised me is the Sunshot photography. It makes sunrise and sunset photos emotionally captivating, adding a special touch to the moments. Yeah, don’t I sound like Shakespeare after taking the shots?
Then, on the video front, the main camera can record up to 4K 60FPS. The stabilization is gimbal-like and very impressive, a common strength in vivo phones. But all in all, the photo capabilities are what really shine on the phone.
Battery-wise, the vivo X100 comes with a 5000 mAh battery supporting rapid 120W charging, getting you from zero to full in just half an hour. And for those of you who are curious, the Pro model has a larger 5400 mAh battery but charges a bit slower at 100W.
Then the other specs include 16GB + 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, a 6.78” AMOLED FHD+ screen with up to 120Hz and is running on the latest Funtouch OS 14 that is based on Android 14.
Gaming
All right, let’s get into the main event – the gaming performance.
So, I put the vivo X100 to the test with three heavy-hitting games – Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and PUBG Mobile. So, I cranked up each game to the maximum settings of the highest frame rate possible to really push this phone to its limits.
So, for Genshin and Honkai: Star Rail, it’s 60FPS, and man, is it just smooth sailing all around. And this is all done with the settings maxed out. And if you love bright colors and overall smoother animation for the games provided, well, you’re in for a treat on the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset.
There were literally zero issues, stutters, or lag during my testing. And best of all is the loading times. It is pretty much instantaneous from the start. And the only time that I felt that I waited longer is when I was downloading the game itself.
Then, as for PUBG Mobile, 90FPS is the maximum frame rate that the game can go. And again, no issues all around. Now, the experience was fluid and so smooth that even though I told myself that I would only take about 30 minutes each game, I just got so immersed that I easily went over that time because time really flies when you enjoy this level of smooth gaming experience.
Now, for those of you who stayed till this portion of the game, there is a surprise… I LIED. But not about the gaming performance of those games. That is all true, but I tested a bunch more games that I found online that say are capable of 120FPS gaming.
So I tried games like CSR2, CSR3, Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, Subway Surfer, and Wild Rift. And it didn’t work. Not that the games did not work, it worked flawlessly. But I did not seem to get the claimed 120FPS that the games are capable of.
And here’s where I don’t think it’s the phone or the chip’s fault, though it could just be that the chipset or the phone is so new that the software developers have not yet optimized for higher refresh rate gaming or probably the frame rate counter I’m using is just busted.
Also, it doesn’t help that a lot of games don’t actually let the user choose the frame rate they want in a game. So a number of factors could be played over here. I’m certain that this will definitely crush 120Hz gaming. So we might need to revisit this in the future.
So, a part that makes or breaks a gaming experience is not only how smooth the game is but also how hot the phone gets. And in this case, it barely heats up because seriously, there might be some kind of magic at work here.
Because even during long gaming sessions, the phone only gets a little warm. Never so hot that it feels like you’re holding a hot brick. And I found that apparently, this is due to MediaTek HyperEngine Adaptive Gaming Technology that not only makes the phone cooler – which explains why my hand did not get all toasty – but also gives up to 15% boost in power efficiency with popular game titles.
Not only that, because MediaTek also says that it is the world’s first mobile platform to achieve console-level global illumination effects with the extreme 8-core CPU and 2nd-generation hardware ray-tracing engine flawlessly working together.
Now, imagine that this processor was inside a gaming-focused phone. I won’t be surprised that it will be running solidly cool during hard gameplay too.
Conclusion
So, that was my testing on the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 in the vivo X100. Now, this phone truly earns its title as the reigning gaming king and a top-notch flagship for 2024.
Performance? Check ✅
Battery life? Check ✅
Especially considering the powerhouse performance packed in this little beast.
