HiSilicon Kirin 955 vs HiSilicon Kirin 970

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The HiSilicon Kirin 955 and HiSilicon Kirin 970 are two powerful processors, but they do have some differences in their specifications.

Starting with the HiSilicon Kirin 955, it features an architecture of 4x 2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 cores and 4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 cores. With a total of 8 cores, it is capable of handling multiple tasks efficiently. The instruction set used is ARMv8-A, which ensures compatibility with a wide range of software. The lithography of this processor is 16 nm, which implies that it is manufactured with a process that allows for higher power efficiency. The Kirin 955 includes 2000 million transistors, allowing for a capable performance. With a TDP of 5 Watts, it is designed to manage power consumption effectively.

On the other hand, the HiSilicon Kirin 970 boasts an upgraded architecture. It is equipped with 4x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 cores and 4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 cores. Again, there are 8 cores in total to handle demanding tasks smoothly. Like the Kirin 955, it uses the ARMv8-A instruction set. However, it features a more advanced lithography of 10 nm, enabling even greater power efficiency. The Kirin 970 takes a significant leap in the number of transistors, with 5500 million, indicating improved performance capabilities. It has a slightly higher TDP of 9 Watts, which is still efficient considering the power it can deliver. One remarkable addition in the Kirin 970 is the inclusion of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The NPU enhances the processor's capability to handle artificial intelligence-related tasks more efficiently.

In summary, the HiSilicon Kirin 970 outperforms the Kirin 955 in several aspects. It features a more advanced architecture, a smaller lithography, and a higher number of transistors. Additionally, the Kirin 970 incorporates a Neural Processing Unit for improved artificial intelligence capabilities. However, both processors are excellent choices depending on the specific requirements of the system they will be used in.

CPU cores and architecture

Architecture 4x 2.5 GHz – Cortex-A72
4x 1.8 GHz – Cortex-A53
4x 2.4 GHz – Cortex-A73
4x 1.8 GHz – Cortex-A53
Number of cores 8 8
Instruction Set ARMv8-A ARMv8-A
Lithography 16 nm 10 nm
Number of transistors 2000 million 5500 million
TDP 5 Watt 9 Watt
Neural Processing HiSilicon NPU

Memory (RAM)

Max amount up to 4 GB up to 8 GB
Memory type LPDDR4 LPDDR4
Memory frequency 1333 MHz 1866 MHz
Memory-bus 2x32 bit 4x16 bit

Storage

Storage specification UFS 2.0 UFS 2.1

Graphics

GPU name Mali-T880 MP4 Mali-G72 MP12
GPU Architecture Midgard Bifrost
GPU frequency 900 MHz 750 MHz
Execution units 4 12
Shaders 64 192
DirectX 11.2 12
OpenCL API 1.2 2.0
Vulkan API 1.0 1.0

Camera, Video, Display

Max screen resolution 2340x1080
Max camera resolution 1x 31MP, 2x 13MP 1x 48MP, 2x 20MP
Max Video Capture FullHD@60fps 4K@30fps
Video codec support H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
VP8
H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
VP8
VP9

Wireless

4G network Yes Yes
5G network Yes Yes
Peak Download Speed 0.3 Gbps 1.2 Gbps
Peak Upload Speed 0.05 Gbps 0.15 Gbps
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth 4.2 4.2
Satellite navigation BeiDou
GPS
Galileo
GLONASS
BeiDou
GPS
Galileo
GLONASS

Supplemental Information

Launch Date 2016 April 2017 September
Partnumber Hi3655 Hi3670
Vertical Segment Mobiles Mobiles
Positioning Flagship Flagship

AnTuTu 10

Total Score
Kirin 955
147887
Kirin 970
318577

GeekBench 6 Single-Core

Score
Kirin 955
345
Kirin 970
389

GeekBench 6 Multi-Core

Score
Kirin 955
1180
Kirin 970
1502