Apple A13 Bionic vs Apple A6. 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
  13 6
• CPU group
  Apple A13 Apple A6/A6X
• Predecessor
  Apple A12 Bionic Apple A5
• Successor
  Apple A14 Bionic Apple A7

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
  1.80 GHz 1.30 GHz
• Turbo (1 Core)
  2.65 GHz No turbo
• Hyperthreading
  No No
• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) 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 A13 PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3 Cores)
• GPU frequency
  1.80 GHz 0.27 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  2.70 GHz No turbo
• Execution units
  4 6
• Shader
  384 48
• Max. GPU Memory
  4 GB --
• Max. displays
  1 1
• Generation
  10
• Technology
  7 nm 32 nm
• Release date
  Q3/2019 Q3/2012

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)
  Decode / Encode No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h264
  Decode / Encode No
• VP9
  Decode / Encode No
• VP8
  Decode / Encode 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 A6 and Apple A13 Bionic. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  LPDDR4X-4266 LPDDR2-1066
• Max. Memory
  4 GB 1 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  1 2

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Apple A13 Bionic and Apple A6 to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  6 W

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Apple A13 Bionic and Apple A6, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) ARMv7-A32 (32 bit)
• Virtualization
  None None
• L2-Cache
  8.00 MB 1.00 MB
• Architecture
  A13 (Lightning / Thunder) A6
• Technology
  7 nm 32 nm
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• Release date
  Q3/2019 Q3/2012
• Part Number
  -- APL 0598