Huawei Kirin 990 5G vs MediaTek Helio G81
33.3CPU20
48.6Benchmarks21.5
20Efficiencyspec-based44.2
4 spec wins — Huawei Kirin 990 5G1 spec wins — MediaTek Helio G81
InnoReviews verdict
Huawei Kirin 990 5G wins this mobile chipset face-off, 34.9 to 26, pulling ahead mainly in benchmarks (+27) and CPU (+13). MediaTek Helio G81 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Huawei Kirin 990 5G
- Stronger CPU score: 33 vs 20
- Stronger benchmarks score: 49 vs 22
- 155% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 3,419 vs 1,340
- 144% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,023 vs 420
- 43% higher Max clock: 2.86 GHz vs 2 GHz
Reasons to pick the MediaTek Helio G81
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019 | 2024 |
| Process | 7 nm+42% | 12 nm |
| TDP (typical) | — | 5 W |
| Architecture | ARM (Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 cores) | Armv8.2 |
CPU
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Core configuration | 2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 + 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 + 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55 | 2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 + 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| Max clock | 2.86 GHz+43% | 2 GHz |
GPU
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | Arm Mali-G76 MP16 | Arm Mali-G52 MC2 |
AI
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| NPU | HUAWEI Da Vinci NPU (2x Ascend Lite + 1x Ascend Tiny) | — |
Memory
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X-1800 |
| Max bandwidth | — | 14.4 GB/s |
Connectivity
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| Modem | Integrated 5G modem (SA/NSA) | Integrated LTE Cat-7 |
| Max download | 2.3 Gbps | — |
| Wi-Fi | — | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | — | 5.0 |
Media
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| Max display | — | FHD+ @ 90Hz |
| Video capture | — | 2K@30fps |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G81 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 778,713Bottom 27% | 265,000 |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 267,234Bottom 22% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 130,102Bottom 34% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 188,134Bottom 50% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 193,243Bottom 15% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,023+144%Top 50% | 420Bottom 13% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,419+155%Top 38% | 1,340Bottom 11% |
Related comparisons
Huawei Kirin 990 5Gvs MediaTek Dimensity 7050VSHuawei Kirin 990 5Gvs Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2VSHuawei Kirin 990 5Gvs Qualcomm Snapdragon 685VSHuawei Kirin 990 5Gvs Huawei Kirin 9000SVSMediaTek Helio G81vs Huawei Kirin 710VSMediaTek Helio G81vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 660VSMediaTek Helio G81vs MediaTek Helio G80VSMediaTek Helio G81vs MediaTek Helio G85VS