A 4.55 GHz clock speed on a mobile chip sounds almost absurd. But that’s exactly what a Geekbench listing for the Vivo X500 Pro Max is showing, and it’s giving us the clearest picture yet of what MediaTek has been cooking up for its next flagship processor.
A test unit running model number V2610 has appeared on Geekbench Browser loaded with an unreleased chip labeled “MT6995(ENG).” That’s widely believed to be the Dimensity 9600 Pro. As reported by Gizmochina, this is the most detailed look we’ve had at the chip’s CPU layout and clock speeds ahead of MediaTek’s expected September launch.
The CPU uses an eight-core design split across three clusters in a 2+3+3 arrangement. That breaks down like this:
- 2 prime cores clocking up to 4.55 GHz
- 3 performance cores peaking at 4.35 GHz
- 3 efficiency cores running at a base of 3.10 GHz
Worth pointing out: during this particular test, the prime cores were held at just 2.8 GHz, so the scores don’t reflect what the chip can actually do at full tilt. That’s normal for engineering samples, but it does mean the Geekbench numbers floating around right now (somewhere in the 4,200 to 4,300 single-core and 12,000 to 12,500 multi-core range) should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The 2+3+3 layout matches what tipster Digital Chat Station described earlier. The two prime cores are reportedly based on Arm’s not-yet-announced C2-Ultra architecture, codenamed “Canyon.” The three mid cores appear to be “Gelas-B” variants, and the three efficiency cores use the “Gelas” design, which is the same label attached to the C1-Pro cores in the Dimensity 9500. If all of that holds up, this would be the first MediaTek flagship chip to put two ultra-large prime cores in the mix. That’s a notable shift from how MediaTek has structured its top-tier chips so far.
The GPU listed is “Mali-G2-Ultra-NX MC12,” which lines up with earlier leak reports. Arm hasn’t officially said anything about the G2 series yet, but related hardware has already dropped some hints about where performance is headed. The listing also shows 11.05 GB of usable RAM, which points to 12 GB installed, and a “release-keys” signing status that’s typical of pre-production hardware.
Earlier reports suggest the Dimensity 9600 Pro will be built on TSMC’s N2P process, which is a 2nm node. That matters because the jump to 2nm should bring meaningful efficiency gains on top of the raw clock speed bump. Still, it’s fair to be cautious here. MediaTek’s pre-launch projections have a habit of looking better than what retail chips actually deliver, and engineering sample results can shift quite a bit before a chip goes into mass production.
The Vivo X500 Pro Max is expected to be among the first phones out the door with this chip when the series launches in September. And given that Vivo has already confirmed the X500 lineup is coming with cinema-grade video capabilities, the combination of a new MediaTek flagship chip and a serious camera push could make this one of the more interesting Android releases of the year.