Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 Review: Benchmark Performance and Specs
The Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 is a mobile processor that was launched in September 2017 and announced by the device maker of several smartphone brands. This chip features Four 2.36GHz Cortex A73 Four 1.84GHz Cortex A53 cores. The SoC is designed in-house by Huawei HiSilicon and manufactured by TSMC using a 10 nm process technology. The Kirin 970 integrates the Mali G72 MP12 GPU running at 850 MHz and supports 8GB of LPDDR4X memory. It can be configured with the company’s Huawei HiSilicon modem, offering peak download speeds of up to 150 Mbps.
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970: Benchmark Performance
In terms of AnTuTu performance, the Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 scores over 223225 points. In the Geekbench test, it records 349 points in the single-core test and 1434 points in the multi-core test. It also achieved a combined score of 2887 on Passmark. Additionally, it holds a solid 3DMark score, which is a benchmark designed to measure the graphics performance of smartphones and tablets. The average Kirin 970 score is around 827. This positions it comparably with other mobile chipsets, such as the Unisoc Tiger T618 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678, in the ranking.
| Benchmark | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 Score |
|---|---|
| AnTuTu | 223225 |
| Geekbench (Multi Core) | 1434 |
| Geekbench (Single Core) | 349 |
| 3DMark | 827 |
| Passmark | 2887 |
Equivalent List for Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970
The Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 is equal to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 678 in benchmark scores.
Compared to the Mediatek, it is a similar value to the Helio G85 in terms of CPU performance.
| Equivalent Model to Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 | Antutu Score |
|---|---|
| Mediatek Helio P90 | 227266 |
| Unisoc Tiger T618 | 223477 |
| Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 | 223225 |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 | 220477 |
| Unisoc Tiger T700 | 219855 |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 Gaming Performance
The gaming performance test for Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 on PUBG Mobile shows a result of 54 FPS. When handling demanding games like COD, the chip operates at frame rates of 53 FPS. Other benchmarks include popular choices among mobile gamers such as Genshin Impact, Mobile Legends, Fortnite, and War Thunder. Its Mali G72 MP12 class graphics processor is capable of boosting up to 850 MHz, ensuring improved peak performance and highly responsive gameplay. This SoC supports a high-powered Huawei HiSilicon modem for a fast gaming experience. Speeds of up to up to 150 Mbps allow for seamless streaming from the cloud, while global support enables gamers around the world to engage in battles simultaneously in real time.
| Games | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 frame rates | Graphics settings |
|---|---|---|
| PUBG: Mobile | 54 FPS | |
| PUBG: New State | 40 FPS | |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | 53 FPS | |
| Fortnite | 26 FPS | |
| Genshin Impact | 33 FPS | |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | 57 FPS |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 Specification
| Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970 Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Huawei HiSilicon |
| Model | Kirin 970 |
| Manufacturer | TSMC |
| Launch date | September 2017 |
| Architecture | ARMv8-A |
| Bit width | 64-bit support |
| Architecture | Octa-core: 4x 2.36GHz Cortex A73 + 4x 1.84GHz Cortex A53 |
| Number of Cores / Threads | 8 |
| Clock Speed | up to 2.36 GHz |
| Big | Four 2.36GHz Cortex A73 |
| Mid | Four 1.84GHz Cortex A53 |
| Level 1 Cache | 512 KB |
| Level 2 Cache | 2 MB |
| Transistor Count | 5.5 Million |
| Integrated GPU | Mali G72 MP12 |
| GPU Cores | 12 |
| GPU frequency | 850 MHz |
| Shading units | 18 |
| Total shaders | 216 |
| Vulkan | 1.3 |
| OpenCL | 2 |
| AI processor (machine learning) | Yes |
| Max display resolution | 3120 x 1440 |
| Max camera resolution | 1x 48MP, 2x 20MP |
| Video capture | 4K at 30FPS |
| Video playback | 4K at 30FPS |
| Video codecs | H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9, VC-1 |
| Audio codecs | 32 bit@384 kHz, HD-audio |
| Max Memory | 8GB |
| RAM Type | LPDDR4X |
| Maximum bandwidth | 29.8 Gbps |
| Bus | 4x 16 Bit |
| Storage | UFS 2.1 |
| Technology Process | 10 nm |
| Wattage (peak TDP) | 9W |
| Features | Huawei HiSilicon modem up to 150 Mbps |
| 4G Modes | LTE Cat. 18 |
| 5G support | No |
| Wi-Fi version | 5 |
| Bluetooth version | 4.2 |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |