MediaTek’s latest flagship chip, the Dimensity 9500, just had its die shot go public, thanks to semiconductor teardown expert KurnalSalts on X. The new chip looks familiar at first glance, but it hides some key upgrades in size, layout, and AI processing power.
Dimensity 9500 die shows modest but meaningful changes
At 140.79 mm², the Dimensity 9500 is visibly larger than its predecessor, the Dimensity 9400, which measured around 126.26 mm². That extra die area isn’t just for show; it’s making room for more horsepower under the hood. Notably, the CPU now carries 16 MiB of L2 cache, up from 12 MB on the previous version.
The CPU structure remains mostly intact, sticking with MediaTek’s all-P-core layout. The fastest performance core still sits at the bottom-right of the cluster. So while the architecture hasn’t shifted dramatically, internal tweaks offer just enough to keep things interesting.
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NPU gets a size boost, GPU stays aggressive
AI performance has clearly become a priority. The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) now takes up noticeably more space. This tracks with the industry’s ongoing shift toward on-device AI tasks from camera enhancements to language models running locally.
Meanwhile, the Mali C1 Ultra GPU comes with more compute units than the Adreno 840 in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Although raw comparisons are tricky without direct performance data, the die layout confirms MediaTek isn’t holding back in the GPU department either.
Dimensity 9500 layout adjusts for performance balance
KurnalSalts’ side-by-side die shots of the Dimensity 9400 and 9500 offer more than just numbers. They reveal how MediaTek is tweaking its internal layout:
- Larger NPU for AI tasks
- Increased L2 cache for faster CPU operations
- Smaller 5G modem to fit improved ISP and video engine
- Wider GPU footprint for graphical load balancing
These layout shifts suggest MediaTek is playing a careful game, refining what’s proven rather than overhauling its design.
Dimensity 9500 won’t break ground, but it won’t fall behind
MediaTek isn’t aiming for a revolution here. The Dimensity 9500 refines the 9400’s blueprint with more cache, more AI room, and smarter hardware allocation. It’s a bigger chip, larger even than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but that added size seems less about excess and more about precision.
The next real leap might come with the Dimensity 9600, which has already taped out on TSMC’s 2 nm N2 node. But for now, the 9500 holds its ground quietly and carefully.
