Dimensity 8450: MediaTek’s Mid-Range Powerhouse

I’ve been tracking MediaTek’s Dimensity series for years, and the latest Dimensity 8450 caught my eye as a refresh toppling the premium mid-range. It's positioned just under the flagship 9000-series but brings enough innovation that it deserves its own spotlight. Here's what I discovered.
1. Launch & Release
MediaTek formally launched the Dimensity 8450 at the India Dimensity Summit in June 2025. It was announced that the chip would appear first on the OPPO Reno 14 Pro, followed by other mid-to-upper tier phones across Oppo’s K-series and regional models.
2. Core Specifications & Architecture
The Dimensity 8450 uses the “All Big Core” design — 8× Cortex-A725 cores at three tiers:
1× at 3.25 GHz,
3× at 3.0 GHz,
4× at 2.1 GHz .
It’s manufactured on the second-gen 4nm process, same as the Dimensity 8400.
For graphics, it retains the Arm Mali-G720 MC7 (7-core) while featuring Mediatek enhancements like StarSpeed Engine for gaming optimization.
Connectivity includes a 5G-A modem (supporting 3-carrier CA up to 5.17 Gbps), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and UFS 4.0 + LPDDR5X support.

3. AI & Imaging Prowess
MediaTek equips the 8450 with its NPU 880, paired with the Dimensity Agentic AI Engine (DAE), positioning it as “most powerful in its class” for generative AI, agentic AI, and camera features like real-time face detection during streaming.
Camera-wise, the Imagiq 1080 ISP enables up to 320 MP capture, 4K60 HDR video with enhanced stabilization via the Dual-EIS engine, which can record, edit, and transcode up to 30% faster than rivals.
4. Benchmark Performance
According to NanoReview data, compared to the Dimensity 8400:
AnTuTu 10 score: 1,675,507 (~2% higher)
GeekBench 6 single-core: 1,617 (+3%)
Multi-core: 6,406 (+6%)
GPU performance: ~88 vs 84 (nodes)
Battery life efficiency rated 91 (same as 8400)
Overall NanoReview score: 83 vs 81.
That tells me it’s a modest but tidy performance boost across the board.
5. Real-World Use & Perceptions
From Reddit and early user feedback, phones like the OPPO Reno 14 Pro have received praise for their camera quality in low light, solid multitasking, and better gaming experiences—particularly for casual gamers.
6. What’s Improved Over the 8400?
In essence, not much in raw structure—but MediaTek added impactful refinements:
Added Live Broadcast Booster for AI-enhanced streaming with 7% better power efficiency.
Introduced StarSpeed Engine, improving gaming FPS by up to 24%.
Improved video editing/transcoding speeds by ~30% and camera stabilization via the Dual EIS engine.
Higher generative AI capability via NPU 880 and Agentic AI Engine support.
7. My Perspective
What I really like about the Dimensity 8450 is that MediaTek didn't just rebrand the 8400—they added AI-focused, gaming, and camera features that matter in real usage. It’s still a mid-range chip, but feels premium in responsiveness, efficiency, and intelligent features.
If you're building or buying a device just below flagship price, the 8450 offers real value: all-big-core performance, stronger AI features, and modern camera/video tech—which, in 2025 and beyond, is what mobile users care about most.