MediaTek Goes All In on First All Big Core Chip for Smartphones

MediaTek has introduced the Dimensity 8400, a new direction in the company's smartphone chip design with its All Big Core architecture. By moving away from the traditional Arm big.LITTLE setup, this chip is designed to deliver consistent high performance across all cores.

The Dimensity 8400. 

With advanced AI capabilities, improved power efficiency, and more connectivity options, the Dimensity 8400 aims to make flagship-level performance more accessible in premium smartphones.

All Big Core Architecture: Redefining Smartphone Processing

The Dimensity 8400 is powered by an eight-core Arm Cortex-A725 processor, breaking from the common design that mixes high-performance and energy-efficient cores. Instead, this chip uses a 1+3+4 configuration, where every core is designed for performance:

• A single prime core runs at up to 3.25 GHz and includes 1 MB of L2 cache.
• Three performance cores operate with 512 KB of L2 cache each.
• Four additional cores handle tasks with 256 KB of L2 cache each.

This architecture enhances multitasking, app responsiveness, and system performance by eliminating the need to shift workloads between performance and efficiency cores. The chip’s data handling is boosted by 6 MB of shared L3 cache and 5 MB of system-level cache, which improve memory access and reduce latency.

Example of the All Big Core architecture in the Dimensity 9300.

MediaTek claims the Dimensity 8400 delivers 41% better multi-core performance and a 44% reduction in peak power consumption compared to its predecessor, the Dimensity 8300. 

Advanced Features for High-Performance Smartphones

The Dimensity 8400 goes beyond raw processing power with enhancements across graphics, AI, imaging, memory, and connectivity—all of which help the chip excel in various applications, from gaming to AI-powered tasks. 

The chip’s Arm Mali-G720 MC7 GPU delivers 24% higher peak performance and 42% greater power efficiency than the previous generation. It includes features like MediaTek Frame Rate Converter (MFRC) and Adaptive Gaming Technology 3.0, which optimize frame rates and responsiveness for a smoother, more immersive gaming experience.

AI is at the heart of the Dimensity 8400, thanks to the integration of MediaTek’s NPU 880. This neural processing unit enables advanced generative AI tasks, such as text generation, contextual replies, and media creation, directly on the device. The NPU supports large and multimodal language models, giving users access to tools like AI-powered translations, speech-to-text, and real-time transcription without relying on cloud-based services. 

Performance benchmarks show a 33% speed increase in text generation and 21% faster image processing using models like Stable Diffusion. MediaTek’s Dimensity Agentic AI Engine (DAE) enhances AI functionality further. It allows developers to build personalized, context-aware applications that learn and adapt to user behavior, transforming the smartphone into an intelligent assistant.

The chip also supports advanced connectivity with its integrated 5G-A modem, delivering download speeds of up to 5.17 Gbps. It also includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 for reliable wireless connections, catering to users who need fast and stable internet access.

A Significant Improvement Over Previous Architectures

The Dimensity 8400 takes several features from MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9400 and adapts to so-called premium-tier chips, bringing high-end capabilities to a broader audience.

Caching capabilities have seen notable improvements. The L2 cache size has doubled compared to previous generations, while the L3 cache and system-level cache have grown by 50% and 25%, respectively. These enhancements enable the chip to handle more data efficiently, which is essential for demanding applications like gaming, video editing, and AI tasks. Power management has been refined to support the All Big Core design. Despite the high-performance architecture, the chip achieves improved energy efficiency, allowing for longer battery life during heavy use. 

Finally, the Dimensity 8400 offers LPDDR5X memory with speeds of up to 8533 Mbps and UFS 4.0 storage, equipped with Multi-Circular Queue (MCQ) technology for faster app loading and smoother multitasking. 

By introducing the All Big Core architecture to the premium segment, MediaTek has positioned this chip as a compelling option for manufacturers and users looking for high-end capabilities at a more accessible price.

All images used courtesy of MediaTek.