Exynos 2600 Seems to Sit Between Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

When Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset last month, it mentioned that a non-elite version is in the works. Since then, we haven’t heard much about the chipset, let alone any specifics. But a reliable tipster has shared some details. We can now see how it might compare to Exynos 2600 chipset.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 looks a bit inferior than the Exynos 2600 in early leaks

The rumor mill suggests that Samsung might use both the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the Galaxy S26 series. If the past is any indication, that could mean the Exynos 2600 powers the Galaxy S26 and S26+ in select markets. Others (including the US) might go all in on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, will likely feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in all markets.

As the name implies, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 sits one level below the Elite version. Based on what Digital Chat Station (DCS) shared on Weibo about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, let’s see how it stacks up against the Exynos 2600.

It will be made using TSMC’s N3P process

DCS (via Android Authority) says the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will be made using TSMC’s N3P process, just like the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It is expected to have two main CPU cores running at 3.8GHz and six performance cores at 3.32GHz. The chip will use the Adreno 840 GPU.

Geekbench results show that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 scores about 3,000 points in single-core tests and 10,000 points in multi-core tests (via SamMobile). In comparison, Exynos 2600 performs slightly better, reaching around 3,455 points for single-core and 11,621 for multi-core tests. This suggests that the Exynos 2600 may be faster in CPU performance. However, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 still seems to lead overall. It scores roughly 3,800 in single-core and 12,100 in multi-core tests.

Geekbench scores give only a rough idea of what a chipset can do. Do they tell the whole story? Not really. Scores can be influenced by factors like temperature-controlled rooms and specific test devices, which may not reflect real-world usage. So how reliable are they? It’s best to wait until phones with these chipsets are actually available. For now, we can say that the Exynos 2600 seems to sit right between the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and its non-Elite version.