Huawei Kirin 990 5G vs MediaTek Helio G96
33.3CPU21.1
48.6Benchmarks27.7
20Efficiencyspec-based44.2
4 spec wins — Huawei Kirin 990 5G1 spec wins — MediaTek Helio G96
InnoReviews verdict
Huawei Kirin 990 5G wins this mobile chipset face-off, 34.9 to 28.5, pulling ahead mainly in benchmarks (+21) and CPU (+12). MediaTek Helio G96 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 21
- Stronger benchmarks score: 49 vs 28
- 95% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 3,419 vs 1,750
- 93% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,023 vs 530
- 42% lower process: 7 nm vs 12 nm
Reasons to pick the MediaTek Helio G96
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019 | 2021 |
| 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 G96 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Core configuration | 2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 + 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 + 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55 | 2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 + 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| Max clock | 2.86 GHz+40% | 2.05 GHz |
GPU
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | Arm Mali-G76 MP16 | Arm Mali-G57 MC2 |
AI
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| NPU | HUAWEI Da Vinci NPU (2x Ascend Lite + 1x Ascend Tiny) | — |
Memory
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X-2133 |
| Max bandwidth | — | 17.1 GB/s |
Connectivity
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| Modem | Integrated 5G modem (SA/NSA) | Integrated LTE Cat-13 |
| Max download | 2.3 Gbps | — |
| Wi-Fi | — | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | — | 5.2 |
Media
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| Max display | — | FHD+ @ 120Hz |
| Video capture | — | 2K@30fps |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Huawei Kirin 990 5G | MediaTek Helio G96 |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 778,713Bottom 27% | 340,000 |
| 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+93%Top 50% | 530Bottom 20% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,419+95%Top 38% | 1,750Bottom 22% |
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