For years, the “Exynos vs. Snapdragon” debate has felt like a one-sided fight, but I just saw some benchmark leaks that might finally flip the script. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to actually want the Exynos version of the upcoming Galaxy S26, Samsung’s new silicon just pulled off a major upset in the graphics department.
The Exynos 2600—specifically its Xclipse 960 GPU—just topped the charts in the Basemark In Vitro 1.0 Ray Tracing test. This isn’t just a tiny win; it’s a shot across the bow of every other chipmaker.
The Graphics Powerhouse: Xclipse 960
Samsung’s secret weapon? A deepening partnership with AMD. The Xclipse 960 is built on the same RDNA 4 architecture found in high-end PC gaming cards. This brings “console-level” lighting and reflections to your pocket.
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Benchmark Champ: It posted a massive 8,321 points in Ray Tracing tests.
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Beating the Best: That’s about 8% faster than the Adreno 840 in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and a whopping 17% lead over MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500.
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Next-Gen Tech: It utilizes AMD RDNA 4, which is optimized for realistic shadows and light bounces that usually kill mobile battery life.
The 2nm Advantage
It’s not just about the architecture; it’s about the “bones” of the chip. This is one of the world’s first 2nm chips, which means Samsung can cram more power into a smaller, more efficient space.
Why it matters: Better efficiency usually means your phone won’t turn into a hand-warmer after 20 minutes of Genshin Impact or Call of Duty.
The Catch: Raw Speed
I have to keep it real with you: while the GPU is a beast, the CPU is still playing catch-up. Early reports show the Exynos 2600 trailing behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite in single-core tests.
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The Reality Check: While your games will look stunning with Ray Tracing enabled, the Snapdragon variant might still feel a “snappier” for everyday tasks and heavy app-switching.
The Verdict: If you’re a mobile gamer who lives for the best visuals possible, the Exynos 2600 might actually be the version to hunt for this year. Samsung is betting big that “pretty” graphics will win over “raw” speed.
