Apple A9 vs Apple A5X. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Family
  Apple A series Apple A series
• Generation
  9 5
• CPU group
  Apple A9/A9X Apple A5/A5X
• Predecessor
  Apple A8 --
• Successor
  Apple A10 Fusion Apple A6X

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  1.85 GHz 1.00 GHz
• Turbo (1 Core)
  No turbo No turbo
• Turbo (2 Cores)
  No turbo No turbo
• Hyperthreading
  No No
• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  normal normal

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Apple A9 PowerVR SGX543MP4 (4 Cores)
• GPU frequency
  0.65 GHz 0.20 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo
• Execution units
  6 8
• Shader
  192 64
• Max. GPU Memory
  4 GB --
• Max. displays
  1 1
• Generation
  6
• Technology
  16 nm 45 nm
• Release date
  Q3/2015 Q1/2012

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• h264
  Decode No
• VP9
  No No
• VP8
  Decode No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  Decode No
• VC-1
  Decode No
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Apple A5X and Apple A9. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  LPDDR4-3200 LPDDR2-800
• Max. Memory
  2 GB 1 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  1 4

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Apple A9 and Apple A5X to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  5 W

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Apple A9 and Apple A5X, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) ARMv7-A32 (32 bit)
• Virtualization
  None None
• L2-Cache
  3.00 MB 1.00 MB
• L3-Cache
  4.00 MB --
• Architecture
  A9 A5
• Technology
  16 nm 32 nm
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• Release date
  Q3/2015 Q1/2011
• Part Number
  -- APL 5498