Apple’s A20 Pro sets Geekbench single-core record, topping desktop chips

Apple's ↘ 0.62% A20 Pro, the company's first 2-nanometer smartphone processor, has posted the highest single-core score ever recorded on Geekbench 7, outperforming flagship desktop CPUs from Intel ↘ 2.09% and AMD Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. ↗ 1.30% by as much as 32%. Early benchmark submissions show the chip scoring 4,006 in single-thread and 11,460 in multi-thread tests, representing a 23.3% and 27.1% improvement over the A19 Pro, respectively.tomshardware

Desktop-Class Performance in a Phone

The six-core chip, featuring two "super" performance cores clocking up to 4.93 GHz and four efficiency cores, beats AMD's 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 26% and Intel's Core i9-14900KS by 32% in single-thread workloads, according to Tom's Hardware. A separate Geekbench 7 submission spotted by Notebookcheck recorded an even higher single-core score of 4,042, surpassing even Apple's own M5 Max in the MacBook Pro. Multi-thread performance remains well behind high-core-count desktop parts, but the A20 Pro rivals and in some cases exceeds laptop-class CPUs.notebookcheck+1

Against mobile rivals, the lead is equally commanding. Apple's chip outpaces Qualcomm's ↗ 1.20% Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 by roughly 31% in single-core and 12% in multi-core, while nearly doubling the single-thread performance of Google's Alphabet Inc. ↘ 0.38% Tensor G5.tomshardware

Architecture and Process Gains

Built on TSMC's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited ↗ 2.02% N2 node, the A20 Pro marks the largest generation-over-generation performance jump for Apple's mobile processors in years. The chip uses a new wafer-level multi-chip module packaging design that places memory alongside the processor die, boosting memory bandwidth by 50%. A redesigned seven-core GPU delivers up to 40% faster graphics than the A19 Pro, while a dual 16-core Neural Engine handles on-device AI tasks.lowyat+1

Apple unveiled the A20 Pro on September 9 as the processor for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo. Pre-orders are underway, with the iPhone 18 Pro models set for delivery starting September 18 and the iPhone Duo arriving October 23.macrumors+1

A20 Pro Architecture Trickles Down to Apple Watch

The same architectural advances powering the A20 Pro have also reached Apple's wearable line. The new S11 chip inside the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 is derived from the A20 Pro's architecture, ending years of Apple Watch chipsets relying on older iPhone processor designs. The S11 enables features like continuous heart-rate sampling every five seconds and on-device Audio Intelligence, with both watch models launching September 18.gadgetsandwearables+3