Amlogic have released their latest flagship processor in their S9 series – the Amlogic S922X. The new chipset features support for USB 3.0 for faster data transfers and HDMI 2.1 – allowing for higher resolutions. So how does the new Amlogic S922X compare with Amlogic’s other popular processor – the octa-core Amlogic S912 SoC.
Let’s compare the S922X vs S912 to find out which is the best chipset.
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Specifications
Let’s take a look at the specifications of these two popular Android TV box chipsets:
| Amlogic S912 | Amlogic S922X | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 | Quad-core Cortex-A73+Dual-Core Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-T820MP3 | ARM Mali-G52 MP4 |
| Video Decoding | 4K 60fps HW decoding, supports multiple formats including H.265/VP9 10-bit, H.264 and AVS+
| 4K 60fps HW decoding, supports multiple formats including H.265/VP9 10-bit, H.264 and AVS+ Supports HDR10 and HLG HDR processing FHD 1080p 60fps HW encoding, supports H.265/H.264 |
| Audio Processing |
| TBC |
| Display |
| HDMI 2.1 for 4K@60Hz with HDCP 1.4/2 |
| Connectivity |
| TS in, DVP, MIPI 10/100/1000M MAC+10/100 PHY MIMO 2T2R Wifi / BT 5.0 |
| Ultra HD/4K Output | Yes | Yes |
| HDR Video Playback | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 |
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Performance
Despite the Amlogic S912 offering 8 Cortex-A53 ARM cores in a big.LITTLE design, the Amlogic S922X’s hexa-core configuration with 4 Cortex-A73 cores and 2 Coretex-A53 cores results in significantly higher CPU benchmarking for Amlogic’s newer processor.
Whilst the Amlogic S912 was definitely no slouch in the Android TV boxes I’ve tested, the Amlogic S922X should offer a better overall experience when using Android apps, gaming, navigating the UI and other day-to-day tasks across both single and multi-core workloads.
It’s also important to note that the Amlogic S922X features the much faster USB 3.0 standard vs USB 2.0 found on the older Amlogic S912 process. This means that you’ll be able to transfer files faster and be able to play high resolution movies from your USB drive or hard drive without any risk of buffering.
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Video Playback
Both the Amlogic S922X and Amlogic S912 are designed specifically for Android TV boxes. As such, video playback performance is excellent regardless of which processor you choose.
Both chipsets have the ability to decode Ultra HD 4K video content at up to 60 frames per second for H.265, VP9 and H.264 video codecs.
Additionally, full HD playback of VC-1, MPEG-1/2/4, and VP8 videos are also supported.
High Dynamic Range video (HDR) videos are also supported when connected to compatible TVs for improved picture quality. The 3 main HDR formats; HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision; are supported by both chipsets.
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Gaming Performance
Gaming performance on the Amlogic S922X has seen a significant bump over the Amlogic S912, with the new ARM Mali-G52 MP4 offering significant performance gains compared to the S912’s ARM Mali-T820 MP3 GPU.
As seen in the 3DMark Ice Storm and Sling Shot benchmarks, the Amlogic S922X’s GPU significantly outperforms the older chip’s GPU. Whilst performance in Ice Storm Extreme is roughly equal, the S922X outperforms the S912 by nearly 110% in Ice Storm and 200% in Sling Shot benchmarks.
These results don’t necessarily translate to such dramatic changes in gaming performance in reality as I’ve found in my Android TV box reviews. That said, the Amlogic S922X should offer a significantly better gaming experience with most games running smoothly at playable framerates so the edge goes to the Amlogic S922X.
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Benchmark Comparison
Synthetic Android benchmark comparisons don’t always translate to real-world performance differences but they’re an easy way to compare different Android TV boxes in a reasonably scientific way.
To test out the Amlogic S912 vs the Amlogic S922X, I’ve run the following benchmarks on dozens of Android TV boxes:
- Antutu: Popular general benchmark that covers everything from GPU performance to general usage
- GeekBench: CPU benchmark that tests both single and multi-core performance
- 3DMark: GPU-centric benchmark that focuses primarily on gaming performance
The below Android TV box benchmark comparisons cover popular benchmarks across a number of S922X and Amlogic S912 devices I’ve reviewed to see how these two chipsets stack up, with average scores being used to account for TV box differences such as firmware.
As you can see in the benchmark gallery below, the Amlogic S922X dominates every benchmark making it an easy choice based on these alone.
Amlogic S922X vs S912: Verdict
The Amlogic S922X is an excellent leap forward for Amlogic, with significant jumps in both CPU and GPU performance which should directly translate to a better user experience.
From a video playback perspective, there’s not really any difference between the two thanks to support for both 4K and HDR videos. However, USB 3.0 support on the Amlogic S922X and better CPU/GPU performance makes the Amlogic S922X the winner for most users makes it the winner.
Best Amlogic S922X Android TV Boxes: Beelink GT-King
With the Amlogic S922X being the new kid on the block, there’s really not too many choices available on the market yet.
However, Beelink was able to bring their GT-King TV box to the market first, offering good media playback and gaming performance thanks to the power of the new processor – though the UI is looking very dated.
Specs wise, it features 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage, dual band wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1. It runs a stock version of Android 9.0 Pie with a TV-friendly launcher over the top.
Netflix is limited to lower resolutions and automatic framerate switching isn’t supported which is disappointing to home theatre enthusiasts.
Check Price at GearBestBest Amlogic S912 Android TV Box: Mecool M8S Pro L
The Mecool M8S Pro L was a sleeper hit when I reviewed it earlier this year and it’s become one of the most popular Amlogic S912 boxes available at the time of writing.
It’s one of the few Chinese Android TV boxes that run Android TV – Google’s TV-friendly OS. This means the Mecool Pro L offers a more TV-friendly user interface than the custom solutions used by most TV boxes.
The rest of the specs are solid too with 3GB of RAM, up to 32GB of onboard storage, dual band wireless AC, 100M Ethernet and Bluetooth 4.1.
The included voice remote lets you access the Google Assistant whilst support for Google’s Widevine L1 DRM means you should 1080p Netflix streaming out of the box – though users on forums are saying that Nteflix has closed that particular loophole.
Check Price at AmazonAre you going to get a S912 or S922X Android TV box? Let me know in the comments
I may be too late but am still contemplating the beelink s922 hexacore vs the912 acta core . I don’t play video games or watch movies. hence I am inclined to the cheaper 912 octa cove.