MediaTek Dimensity 8450 Chipset: A Subtle Evolution Over Its Predecessor

MediaTek has unveiled the Dimensity 8450, its latest mobile chipset, but don’t expect fireworks – this is more of a cautious refinement than a revolution. Built on TSMC’s second-gen 4nm node, the Dimensity 8450 mirrors much of the hardware found in last year’s Dimensity 8400, including the same 1x Cortex-X4 core at 3.25GHz, 3x Cortex-A720 at 3.0GHz, and 4x Cortex-A520 at 2.1GHz.

The GPU, a Mali-G720 MC7 clocked at 1300MHz, remains unchanged, although MediaTek promises improved gaming performance thanks to its new StarSpeed Engine. The company also touts live-streaming upgrades and a few tweaks to the Imagiq 1080 ISP.

Dr. Yenchi Lee, General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communications Business Unit, claims this chip allows users to tap into “agentic AI” and improved imaging while offering power efficiency through UltraSave 3.0+, which boosts 5G efficiency over the 8400.

Feature-wise, you get support for WQHD+ displays at 144Hz, 320MP camera sensors, dual-screen setups, 4K60 HDR video with dual EIS, and blazing-fast LPDDR5X RAM speeds up to 8533 Mbps. Storage is UFS 4.0, paired with MCQ support. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and 5G with 3CC Carrier Aggregation delivering speeds up to 5.17Gbps.

Despite these niceties, the Dimensity 8450 doesn’t break new ground. It’s more of a stepping stone to what’s next. Expect to see it powering several upcoming mid-range devices, starting with the Reno 14 Pro in India, followed closely by a new K series entry.

In a market moving at breakneck speed, this chipset might not stick around long. But it keeps MediaTek on track, pushing steady – if not spectacular – progress.