The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has a faster GPU, but the edge seems to be short-lived

Modern high-end Android smartphones have reached a level of computational power such that they appear almost excessive for ordinary daily tasks and even for the most demanding games. This is computing power that is bringing smartphones closer and closer to the capabilities of some laptops.

In this highly competitive scenario, Samsung has unveiled its new Galaxy S26 Ultra, equipped with a customized version of Qualcomm’s flagship processor, named Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

Official statements indicate notable improvements over the previous generation, promising a 19% increase for the CPU, a 24% for graphics performance and a 39% for AI-related operations via the NPU.

However, the most interesting aspect lies in the direct comparison with the standard version of the same processor, already on the market since late 2025 on other premium devices.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy compared with the standard variant

Analyzing in detail the technical specifications, it emerges that the main cores of the Oryon CPU in the Samsung-customized variant reach a peak frequency of 4.74 GHz, marking a slight increase of 2.8% over the 4.61 GHz of the standard model. The efficiency cores, however, remain unchanged at 3.62 GHz.

Putting the Galaxy S26 Ultra to the test against two other giants in the field, namely OnePlus 15 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra, benchmark results such as Geekbench 6 show a picture of substantial parity. Differences in CPU performance, whether evaluating single-core or multi-core operations, shrink to fall within the margin of statistical error.

The theoretical advantage of the higher clock frequency on the Samsung device does not translate into a tangible benefit. This likely happens because it is a temporary peak performance, not maintained long enough to influence the mixed workloads of the benchmark.

Paradoxically, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra manages to achieve a multi-core score higher by 1.4%, underscoring how the tiny differences do not impact the end-user experience.

Graphics advantage and thermal management in comparison

Shifting the analysis to graphics processing through the stress tests of 3DMark, the Galaxy S26 Ultra initially shows a marked superiority.

In the first run of the benchmarks, the Galaxy processor outperforms rivals by a margin of roughly 5% to 12%. Specifically, the Wild Life Extreme test shows an average advantage of 10% for Samsung, while in ray tracing tests such as Solar Bay the gap sits around 7%.

This advantage, however, has a decidedly limited duration. The Galaxy S26 Ultra records a faster temperature rise than rivals, triggering an inevitable thermal throttling to preserve the device’s integrity.

After only 4 minutes of extreme graphics load, all three analyzed smartphones align at the same performance level.

Subsequently, the cooling systems of Samsung and OnePlus intervene, reducing power in a very similar way. OnePlus operates at slightly lower frequencies but guarantees lower average temperatures, stopping at 39.1°C on Wild Life Extreme and 37.3°C on Solar Bay, compared to 41.5°C and 41.7°C of the Samsung device.

The redesigned cooling of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is undoubtedly effective at balancing heat, but the device is not the coolest on the market.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra stands out for its ability to maintain high performance under load, but at a considerable cost in terms of heat. The smartphone reaches a peak temperature of 49.5°C.

So what changes in real-world use?

The customized processor variant implemented on the Galaxy S26 Ultra does not significantly modify the perceived performance in daily use.

The additional theoretical power is evident in short graphical sessions, but is promptly curbed by the necessary thermal limitations when the workload persists.

In real use, the ability to maintain steady performance and balanced temperature management are much more determining factors than isolated benchmark results.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra remains a device with formidable capabilities, able to deliver extremely high power without turning into an object that is impossible to hold.