MediaTek launches Dimensity 9600 Pro on TSMC's 2nm process

MediaTek launches the Dimensity 9600 Pro, its first flagship smartphone processor built on TSMC's advanced 2nm N2P process node. Designed to compete with Qualcomm's premium chipsets, the processor features a dual-NPU architecture, LPDDR6 support, and a 61% reduction in multi-core power draw. Major Android manufacturers including Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo plan to adopt the chip, with the first commercial devices expected to debut in October 2026.

Dimensity 9600 Pro specifications

• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor delivers up to 17% higher single-core and 15% higher multi-core CPU performance compared to the previous generation.
• ▪MediaTek launched the Dimensity 9600 Pro smartphone processor on September 15, 2026, featuring a 2+3+3 CPU configuration with one additional prime core compared to the Dimensity 9500.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor features a 12-core Mali G2 Ultra NX GPU with third-generation ray tracing and MediaTek's Neural Graphics Architecture for AI-powered super-resolution upscaling.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor supports LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage, which are firsts for the Dimensity family, alongside up to 34.5MB of total cache.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor achieves a 61% reduction in multi-core power draw compared to the previous generation.

TSMC 2nm process technology

• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600M processor, launched alongside the Dimensity 9600 Pro on September 15, 2026, is built on TSMC's 3nm technology.
• ▪MediaTek completed a successful tape-out of a 2nm system-on-chip targeting premium mobile and compute applications in 2025 prior to the September 15, 2026 launch.
• ▪MediaTek demonstrated the Dimensity 9600 Pro processor using a pre-production DX6 engineering sample without active cooling, including no fan or additional cooling system.

Gaming benchmark performance results

• ▪MediaTek demonstrated the Dimensity 9600 Pro processor on benchmarks including Geekbench 6, Geekbench 7, 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, and 3DMark Solar Bay Extreme.
• ▪MediaTek demonstrated the Dimensity 9600 Pro engineering sample running Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves at a locked 60fps for 30 minutes.
• ▪MediaTek demonstrated the Dimensity 9600 Pro engineering sample running Hitman Absolution at up to 120fps for 30 minutes and BGMI at 120fps for one hour.
• ▪MediaTek demonstrated the Dimensity 9600 Pro processor using a pre-production DX6 engineering sample without active cooling, including no fan or additional cooling system.

Dual-NPU AI architecture

• ▪MediaTek is working with customers to optimize mobile chip performance in response to a memory chip supply crunch that is driving up component costs.
• ▪MediaTek claims a two-fold improvement in INT4 compute over the previous generation, which reduces memory and compute requirements for running larger AI models on-device.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor uses a dual-NPU architecture that combines a primary NPU with a power-efficient eNPU for lighter, always-on AI workloads.

On-device generative AI capabilities

• ▪MediaTek reported a score of 31,232 on the ETH Zurich AI Benchmark and demonstrated lower time-to-first-token latency with INT4 compared to INT8 workloads.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor's dedicated neural processing unit delivers 51% higher performance for large language model prefill tasks compared to the previous generation.
• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor can handle generative AI models with up to 30 billion parameters running entirely on-device.

Qualcomm market positioning

• ▪The MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro carries an estimated price of up to $220, positioning it to compete with Qualcomm's flagship chipsets priced between $240 and $260.
• ▪Smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are expected to adopt the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro processor, with the first devices anticipated to launch in October 2026.