RedMagic 10S Pro: Blazing Fast, But Is the Fan Just for Show?
The RedMagic 10S Pro enters the ring as an upgraded contender to the already powerful RedMagic 10 Pro, flexing overclocked specs, upgraded memory, and a promise of cooler, more stable gaming sessions. But does it truly deliver beyond the numbers?
Armed with the Snapdragon 8 Elite “Leading Version,” the 10S Pro features Prime CPU cores boosted to 4.47GHz and a faster Adreno 830 GPU at 1.2GHz. It pairs these with up to 24GB LPDDR5T RAM and 1TB UFS 4.1 Pro storage. On paper, it’s a dream. But benchmarks tell a more nuanced story.
Performance Peaks (But Fan Is Optional)
In Geekbench and AnTuTu scores, the 10S Pro edges past its predecessor, but just barely. The fan, supposedly a headline feature, doesn’t change peak performance-it’s the sustained loads where it might help. Surprisingly, even without the fan, the 10S Pro holds its ground and sometimes outperforms rivals like the ROG Phone 9 Pro with active cooling. Games and optimized apps do benefit from the GPU bump, especially in the Wild Life Extreme benchmark, where it outpaces similarly specced competitors.
Throttling Still Lurks
Despite an advanced cooling setup-liquid metal expanded to 36mm² and a massive vapor chamber-the CPU still throttles significantly: down to 56% with the fan, and 54% without. The GPU also shows minimal stability improvement despite the loud 23,000rpm fan. A thermal cam even captured the hot air gushing out, but heat is still a bottleneck.
So What’s the Point of the Fan?
Ironically, the RedMagic 10S Pro’s standout feature feels more like a gimmick. Real-world usage shows that its passive cooling is already top-tier. Many users argue that the fan adds bulk and cost while compromising water resistance-without delivering real gains. A smarter move might have been offering a fanless IP68 version as the base, and leaving the active cooling to a ‘Hardcore Gamer’ edition.
The Verdict
The RedMagic 10S Pro is blazing fast, with or without the fan. If you’re chasing numbers or game in extreme sessions, the fan might justify its existence. But for most users, the Pro’s passive design is powerful enough. RedMagic nailed thermal design-the fan just tags along for marketing flair.