Snapdragon 665 Review & Gaming Benchmarks

So, did you all think Qualcomm was all done with Snapdragon 660?

Not yet. Let’s welcome the Snapdragon 660 v2, aka Snapdragon 665.

And guess what? It has a weaker CPU than the 660.

Let me just end the rant here and get into the details instead.

So, the Snapdragon 665 is the replacement for 660 and it features a slightly better GPU, DSP, ISP, and is manufactured using a slightly better fabrication node (Samsung’s 11nm). However, all these benefits come at the cost of CPU performance.

While both the chips use the same core configuration, i.e. Kryo 260 Gold (Semi-Custom Cortex-A73) + Kryo 260 Silver (Semi-Custom Cortex-A53), the SD665’s frequency is lower by 200 MHz!

Before we get deep into the specs, here are the pros. and cons. for those of you who are in a hurry.

    Snapdragon 665 Specification

This SOC is codenamed as SM6125 and it is fabricated using Samsung’s 11nm LPP Process. This 11nm Process is an enhancement of the 14nm LPP Node which is used in Snapdragon 660. This node allows 10% reduction in die size and 15% upliftment in performance at the same power consumption.

Unlike 10nm, 11nm is only an enhancement over 14nm, not a proper die shrink. So you shouldn’t expect any significant improvements.

But as this chip is clocked 200 MHz lower than the 660, so there’s a good improvement in the power efficiency.

CPU & GPU

It has a 4 + 4 CPU configuration with four Kryo 260 Gold cores running at 2.0 GHz and four Kryo 260 Silver cores at 1.8 GHz.

The performance or the ‘Gold’ Cores are based on a semi-custom Cortex-A73 architecture while the low-power ‘Silver’ cores are based on Cortex-A53 architecture. This architecture is significantly powerful than the Cortex-A72 based SOCs like Snapdragon 653 but significantly weaker than Cortex-A75 based chips like Snapdragon 710 or 670.

The Adreno 610 GPU is a minor upgrade over the previous-gen Adreno 512 and has nearly no difference in the real-world gaming experience. In our GPU Rankings, it is just marginally better than the Adreno 512.

Memory, Modem, & ISP

It supports both the LPDDR4x & LPDDR3 Memory up to 1866 MT/s.

For the modem, Qualcomm has used the X12 LTE which can support download and upload speeds up to 600 Mbps & 150 Mbps respectively. This modem also supports Dual VoLTE.

The Spectra 165 Image Signal Processor has support for a signal camera up to 48 Megapixels. It also uses the new Hexagon 686 Signal Processor.

You can get the rest of the details on this SOC from Qualcomm’s official website.

    Benchmark Scores

Let’s get started with synthetic benchmarks. As I say in every product review, do not rely solely on the benchmarks numbers. These scores do not represent real-world performance and they can easily be manipulated.

Antutu Score

On our Antutu test, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 scored 173,644 points which is significantly higher than Exynos 9611. MediaTek’s Helio G70 chip, which is considerably cheaper takes a big lead in this test.

Geekbench 5 Score

On Geekbench 5, Snapdragon 665 manages to outperform both Helio G70 & Exynos 9611 in Multi-Threaded test but loses against them in Single-Thread test.

Helio G70 has better Single-Core performance due to the higher IPC of Cortex-A75 cores while Exynos 9611 is better due to higher clock speed (2.3 GHz) of Cortex-A73 cores.

    Comparison

Before I talk about the real-world performance, let’s do a few comparisons against other processors in the same price segment.

Helio G70 vs Snapdragon 665

The GPU Performance of Helio G70 is slightly better. But the difference in CPU Performance is significant. Snapdragon 665 only has the lead in power efficiency.

Snapdragon 675 vs 665

Snapdragon 675 outperforms the 665 in all the departments due to its exceptionally faster CPU based on Cortex-A76 Design and a slightly faster GPU (Adreno 612).

Snapdragon 660 vs 665

While Snapdragon 665 is more efficient and has a better GPU, it has a weaker CPU. By considering all the factors, their real-world performance turns out to be similar.

Exynos 9611 vs Snapdragon 665

Exynos 9611 is more efficient and has a better CPU but a slightly weaker GPU.

Snapdragon 712 vs 665

Snapdragon 712 have a faster CPU & GPU and it is manufactured using a better (10nm) fabrication process.

    Review & Centurion Mark

When it comes to the experience in the real-world use cases, I found the Redmi Note 8’s performance similar to the other chipsets like the Snapdragon 660, Exynos 9611, and Helio P70. You can expect a smooth user experience in the UI and the common apps of a smartphone.

Here’s a detailed look at the performance & power efficiency.

Performance in Light Tasks

It was a lag-free experience to use Social Media Apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Snapchat & it was similar to many high-end phones. The same can be said for browsing and all the other basic apps on a smartphone.

I had no issues with Video Streaming, Playback & Productivity apps either. For someone who needs a smartphone that can smoothly run all these necessary apps, Snapdragon 665 is a great choice.

Gaming Performance

I tried a wide variety of games ranging from the basic ones to the graphically-intensive titles such as PUBG Mobile & Call of Duty. The gaming experience was smooth and it was on par with Helio G70 & Snapdragon 660.

There were no frame drops and the experience was excellent. But still, there’s a noticeable difference when we move to high-end chipsets like Snapdragon 712, 730G or the Helio G90T. While it is still a good choice for gaming, I would recommend the Snapdragon 730G or the Helio G90T instead if your budget allows that.

Power Efficiency

The power efficiency of this chip is excellent. With Snapdragon 665, you get a great pair of good performance with excellent battery life. Both the Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8 had a really high Screen-on-time.

These are some of the most efficient phones I’ve seen to this date. I’ll highly recommend a phone based on this processor if battery life is your priority.

Centurion Mark

Using our ranking methodology, we have given the Snapdragon 665 a score of 101 points. That makes it on-par with Snapdragon 660. You can check this page for the ranking of all the Smartphone SOCs.

List of Phones with Snapdragon 665 SOC:

• Redmi Note 8
• Xiaomi Mi A3
• Realme 5
• Realme 5s
• Oppo A9 (2020)
• Vivo U10