Qualcomm Adreno 506 Review | 118 Data compared

Qualcomm Adreno 506 Review | 118 Data compared

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  • Avg. price in UK: ~£260
  • Avg. price in US: ~$230
  • VRAM: ?
  • Memory bus width: 64 bit
  • Thermal Design Power (TDP): ?

Qualcomm Adreno 506 review. Compare 118 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Graphics cards category and whether it is worth buying.

3.1

Overall score

What it is: An overall evaluation of the graphics card's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.

When it matters: When you need a quick reference to identify the best graphics cards on the market.

Score components:

90.0%

3.1

Technical Score

10.0%

?

User score

Poor
3.1

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of technical performance for products in the Graphics cards category across these key areas: Performance, Memory, Platform & Features, Connectivity & Media, Power & Cooling, Design.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

2.7

Performance

24.0%

1.2

Memory

12.0%

3.9

Power & Cooling

11.0%

5.9

Platform & Features

5.0%

5.1

Design

4.0%

5.0

Connectivity & Media

Poor
?

User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

?

User reviews

30.0%

?

Popularity

  • 7.5
    Gaming

    Score components:

    45.0%

    10

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    ?

    VRAM

    20.0%

    1.0

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    ?

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 8.1
    Video editing

    Score components:

    35.0%

    7.0

    AV1 encode

    30.0%

    ?

    VRAM

    20.0%

    10

    Floating-point performance

    15.0%

    ?

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 8.4
    1080p

    Score components:

    55.0%

    10

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    ?

    VRAM

    10.0%

    1.0

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    ?

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 8.0
    1440p

    Score components:

    50.0%

    10

    Floating-point performance

    30.0%

    ?

    VRAM

    15.0%

    1.0

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    ?

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 7.4
    4K

    Score components:

    40.0%

    10

    Floating-point performance

    35.0%

    ?

    VRAM

    20.0%

    1.0

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    ?

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • No image
No image

Best prices in UK

    N/A~ £260

Best rankings

?

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).
All: ranking among all products in the database.

Verdict

The Qualcomm Adreno 506 is a mid-range integrated mobile graphics card built on the Adreno 500 architecture and commonly found in the Snapdragon 625 and 626 chipsets. It features a clock speed of 650 MHz and is manufactured using a 14nm FinFET process, which provides a significant boost in power efficiency and thermal management compared to older 28nm alternatives. The GPU supports modern APIs including OpenGL ES 3.1+, Vulkan 1.0, and DirectX 12, while delivering roughly 120–130 GFLOPS of performance to comfortably handle 1080p Full HD displays. Its primary advantages include excellent energy efficiency for long gaming sessions and a high price-to-performance ratio for mid-tier devices. However, its main drawbacks are its inability to handle high-end 3D gaming at maximum settings and its lack of support for FP64 high-performance compute tasks.

Technical Specifications of graphics card Qualcomm Adreno 506

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of technical performance for products in the Graphics cards category across these key areas: Performance, Memory, Platform & Features, Connectivity & Media, Power & Cooling, Design.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

?

Performance

24.0%

?

Memory

12.0%

?

Power & Cooling

11.0%

?

Platform & Features

5.0%

?

Design

4.0%

?

Connectivity & Media

3.1
Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a technical score of 3.08 points, which is lower than that of 99.2% of products in this category.
User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

0.0

User reviews

30.0%

1.0

Popularity

?
Popularity
What it is: An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you prefer a graphics card that has already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
1.0
Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a popularity of 1 points, which is lower than 57.7% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price

What it is: An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.

When it matters: When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.

Score components:

60.0%

3.1

Overall score

40.0%

9.2

Price

4.9
Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a quality-to-price ratio of 4.9 points, which is lower than 98.4% of products in this category.
3DMark Time Spy benchmark score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Time Spy, a synthetic DirectX 12 test often used as a quick gaming-performance reference.
When it matters: When you need a fast rough performance sort before digging into game-specific reviews and frame-rate data.

Importance: LOW

?
3DMark Port Royal score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Port Royal, a synthetic test focused on ray tracing performance.
When it matters: When ray tracing matters in the games you actually play and you want one quick way to separate stronger and weaker RT cards.

Importance: LOW

0 points
Qualcomm Adreno 506 scores 0 points in 3DMark Port Royal, which is lower than 83.2% of graphics cards and equal to 16.8% of graphics cards.
PassMark (G3D) result
What it is: Overall GPU performance score in PassMark G3D benchmark
When it matters: When you need one broad score to sort cards into rough performance tiers.

Importance: LOW

847 points
Qualcomm Adreno 506 scores 847 points in PassMark G3D, which is lower than 99.3% of graphics cards.
PassMark (DirectCompute) result
What it is: PassMark score for DirectCompute performance tests
When it matters: When compute workloads matter alongside gaming performance.

Importance: LOW

?
Floating-point performance
What it is: Theoretical floating-point compute performance of the GPU.
When it matters: When rendering, AI, or heavy compute work needs strong single-precision throughput.

Importance: LOW

130 TFLOPS
Qualcomm Adreno 506 delivers 130 TFLOPS floating-point performance, which is higher than that of 99.5% of graphics cards.
Show more
VRAM
What it is: Total video memory available on the graphics card
When it matters: When you play at high settings, use texture mods, or work with large creative projects.

Importance: HIGH

?
Memory type
What it is: Type of graphics memory used (GDDR6, HBM2e, etc.)
When it matters: When memory technology is part of the buying decision because it affects bandwidth class, power use, and product positioning.

Importance: LOW

N/A
GDDR version
What it is: Generation of GDDR memory used by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you want to separate older memory generations from newer ones before comparing bandwidth, power behavior, and market tier.

Importance: LOW

?
Memory bus width
What it is: Width of the memory interface bus in bits
When it matters: When you care about steadier performance at higher resolutions, heavier texture settings, or ray-traced workloads that stress memory traffic.

Importance: HIGH

64 bit
Qualcomm Adreno 506 uses a 64 bit memory bus, which is narrower than that of 97.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 2.8% of graphics cards.
Maximum memory bandwidth
What it is: Maximum data transfer rate between GPU and its memory
When it matters: When 4K gaming, ray tracing, or creator work can choke a slower memory subsystem.

Importance: HIGH

?
Show more
PCI Express (PCIe) version
What it is: Version of PCI Express interface supported
When it matters: When you are pairing the card with an older motherboard and want to avoid leaving bandwidth or future compatibility on the table.

Importance: LOW

?
PCIe lanes
What it is: Number of PCI Express lanes used for communication
When it matters: When limited lane width could bottleneck the card in some systems.

Importance: LOW

?
DirectX version
What it is: Highest supported DirectX API version
When it matters: When you play newer Windows games that depend on the latest graphics features.

Importance: LOW

12.1
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports DirectX 12.1, which is older than on 77.4% of graphics cards and equal to 4.4% of graphics cards.
Vulkan version
What it is: Highest supported Vulkan API version
When it matters: When modern games, emulators, or creative apps lean on Vulkan support.

Importance: LOW

1.0
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports Vulkan 1.0, which is older than on 99.2% of graphics cards and equal to 0.2% of graphics cards.
OpenGL version
What it is: Highest supported OpenGL API version
When it matters: When older games or pro apps still depend on OpenGL compatibility.

Importance: LOW

3.2
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports OpenGL 3.2, which is older than on 99.7% of graphics cards and equal to 0.1% of graphics cards.
Show more
Max displays supported
What it is: Total number of external displays supported simultaneously
When it matters: When you run a multi-monitor desk for sim racing, trading, or editing.

Importance: LOW

1
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports up to 1 displays, which is fewer than 99.9% of graphics cards and equal to 0.1% of graphics cards.
Max digital resolution
What it is: Maximum supported digital display resolution
When it matters: When you plan to drive 4K or 8K panels at their native resolution.

Importance: LOW

1920x1080
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports a maximum digital resolution of 1920x1080, which is lower than that of 100% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.1% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort outputs
What it is: Number of DisplayPort video outputs
When it matters: When your setup needs several high-refresh monitors without adapters.

Importance: LOW

?
DisplayPort version
What it is: Version of DisplayPort standard supported
When it matters: When your monitor setup depends on newer DisplayPort features for higher refresh rates, higher resolution, or better cable flexibility.

Importance: LOW

1.2
Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports DisplayPort 1.2, which is older than on 93.9% of graphics cards and equal to 5.1% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort link rates
What it is: Supported data link rates for DisplayPort connections
When it matters: When you are pushing high resolution and refresh rate over DisplayPort.

Importance: LOW

?
Show more
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
What it is: Typical power consumption under full load (TDP)
When it matters: When you need a realistic idea of power draw before choosing a PSU or case.

Importance: MEDIUM

?
Power consumption while under peak load
What it is: Peak power draw of the graphics card under maximum load.
When it matters: When transient-heavy gaming loads could stress your power supply.

Importance: LOW

?
Recommended PSU wattage
What it is: Recommended wattage of the system power supply
When it matters: When you are checking whether your current power supply is enough.

Importance: LOW

?
Board power limit
What it is: Maximum configurable power limit for the GPU board
When it matters: When you care about how far the card can be pushed through tuning or factory power settings.

Importance: LOW

?
PCIe power spec
What it is: PCIe power delivery specification followed
When it matters: When you are checking whether the slot and external cables match the card's intended power-delivery standard.

Importance: LOW

?
Show more
Size
What it is: Physical size of the GPU card
When it matters: When you need the card to fit a compact case without blocking nearby hardware.

Importance: LOW

?
Length
What it is: Physical length of the GPU card
When it matters: When front radiators or drive cages leave only limited GPU clearance.

Importance: LOW

?
Height
What it is: Physical height of the GPU card
When it matters: When side panels, brackets, or tight case layouts reduce vertical clearance.

Importance: LOW

?
Slot width
What it is: Number of PCIe slots occupied by the card
When it matters: When you need room for another PCIe card or better airflow under the GPU.

Importance: LOW

?
Weight
What it is: Total weight of the graphics card
When it matters: When sag, bracket support, or shipping stress matters in your build.

Importance: LOW

?
Show more

Qualcomm Adreno 506 vs the average graphics card

  • 88 more compute units
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has more compute units than the average graphics card (128 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
    What it is: Total number of shader multiprocessors or compute units
    When it matters: When you want a better sense of the GPU's overall parallel hardware resources before relying on game benchmarks alone.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has more compute units than the average graphics card (128 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.128 vs 40
  • 5.66x higher compute throughput
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher compute throughput than the average graphics card (130 TFLOPS vs 22.98 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has compute throughput of 22.98 TFLOPS.
    What it is: Theoretical floating-point compute performance of the GPU.
    When it matters: When rendering, AI, or heavy compute work needs strong single-precision throughput.

    Importance: LOW

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher compute throughput than the average graphics card (130 TFLOPS vs 22.98 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has compute throughput of 22.98 TFLOPS.130 TFLOPS vs 22.98 TFLOPS
  • 30 °C lower load temperature
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower load temperature than the average graphics card (37 °C vs 67 °C). The average graphics card has a load temperature of 67 °C.
    What it is: GPU temperature measured while the graphics card is under load.
    When it matters: When you care how hot the GPU runs during long gaming or render sessions.

    Importance: LOW

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower load temperature than the average graphics card (37 °C vs 67 °C). The average graphics card has a load temperature of 67 °C.37 °C vs 67 °C
  • 2.04x cheaper
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 is cheaper than the average graphics card (£260 vs £530).
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 is cheaper than the average graphics card (£260 vs £530).£260 vs £530
  • 88 more compute units
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has more compute units than the average graphics card (128 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
  • 5.66x higher compute throughput
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher compute throughput than the average graphics card (130 TFLOPS vs 22.98 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has compute throughput of 22.98 TFLOPS.
  • 30 °C lower load temperature
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower load temperature than the average graphics card (37 °C vs 67 °C). The average graphics card has a load temperature of 67 °C.
  • 74.1% lower boost clock speed
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 2,505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,505 MHz.
  • 40 fewer ray tracing cores
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
  • 66.1% lower base clock speed
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
  • 176 fewer TMUs
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (8 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
  • No CUDA support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support CUDA, the average graphics card does.
  • 96.8% lower pixel rate
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (5.2 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 163.2 GPixel/s.
  • 75.5% lower texture rate
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (93.2 GTexel/s vs 381.2 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 381.2 GTexel/s.
  • 144 fewer AI cores
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer AI cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
  • 99.5% lower FP32 performance
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower FP32 performance than the average graphics card (0.1 TFLOPS vs 22.57 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.57 TFLOPS.
  • 96.3% lower PassMark score
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower PassMark score than the average graphics card (847 points vs 22,653 points). The average graphics card has a PassMark score of 22,653 points.
  • 99.6% lower FP16 performance
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower FP16 performance than the average graphics card (0.1 TFLOPS vs 29.725 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP16 performance of 29.725 TFLOPS.
  • 4,256 fewer FP32 units
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer FP32 units than the average graphics card (96 vs 4,352). The average graphics card has 4,352 FP32 units.
  • 75% lower FP64 performance
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower FP64 performance than the average graphics card (0.1 TFLOPS vs 0.48 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP64 performance of 0.48 TFLOPS.
  • 100% lower INT8 performance
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower INT8 performance than the average graphics card (0.1 TOPS vs 242 TOPS). The average graphics card has INT8 performance of 242 TOPS.
  • 192 bit narrower memory bus
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (64 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
  • 62.9% slower VRAM clock
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower VRAM clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 1,750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1,750 MHz.
  • 2.8x larger process node
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (14 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
  • No DLSS support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support DLSS, the average graphics card does.
  • No ray tracing
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support ray tracing, the average graphics card does.
  • No FSR support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support FSR, the average graphics card does.
  • 8 older
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 was released earlier than the average graphics card (2015 vs 2023).
    December 2015
  • No AI upscalers
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support AI upscalers, the average graphics card does.
  • No mesh shaders
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support mesh shaders, the average graphics card does.
  • No XeSS support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support XeSS, the average graphics card does.
  • Older Vulkan version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older Vulkan version than the average graphics card (1 vs 1.4).
  • No DirectStorage support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support DirectStorage, the average graphics card does.
  • Worse SAM support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 offers worse SAM support than the average graphics card (no vs yes).
  • Older OpenCL version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older OpenCL version than the average graphics card (2 vs 3.0).
  • Older shader model
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older shader model than the average graphics card (5 vs 6.8).
  • Older DirectX version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older DirectX version than the average graphics card (12.1 vs 12 Ultimate).
  • No sampler feedback
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support sampler feedback, the average graphics card does.
  • Older OpenGL version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older OpenGL version than the average graphics card (3.2 vs 4.6).
  • No AV1 encoding
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
  • 3 fewer displays supported
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports fewer displays than the average graphics card (1 vs 4). The average graphics card supports 4 displays.
  • No AV1 decoding
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support AV1 decoding, the average graphics card does.
  • No DSC support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support DSC, the average graphics card does.
  • No VRR support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support VRR, the average graphics card does.
  • Older DisplayPort version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older DisplayPort version than the average graphics card (1.2 vs 1.4a).
  • Narrower encode codec support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports narrower hardware encode codec support than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9).
  • Narrower decode codec support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports narrower hardware decode codec support than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265/VP9 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9/MPEG-2/VC-1).
  • Lower display resolution
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports a lower maximum digital resolution than the average graphics card (1920x1080 vs 7680x4320). The average graphics card supports a maximum digital resolution of 7680x4320.
  • Older HDCP version
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 supports an older HDCP version than the average graphics card (2.2 vs 2.3).
  • No HDMI output
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not include HDMI output, the average graphics card does.
  • Not VR ready
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 is not VR ready, while the average graphics card is.
  • No overclocking support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support overclocking, the average graphics card does.
  • No dual BIOS
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not include dual BIOS, the average graphics card does.
  • No fan stop
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support fan stop, the average graphics card does.
  • No backplate
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not include a backplate, the average graphics card does.
  • No RGB lighting
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not include RGB lighting, the average graphics card does.
  • 74.1% lower boost clock speed
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 2,505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,505 MHz.
    What it is: Maximum boost frequency the GPU can reach under load
    When it matters: When you want a rough idea of peak advertised frequency, while knowing real sustained clocks still depend on cooling and power limits.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 2,505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,505 MHz.650 MHz vs 2505 MHz
  • 192 bit narrower memory bus
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (64 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.
    What it is: Width of the memory interface bus in bits
    When it matters: When you care about steadier performance at higher resolutions, heavier texture settings, or ray-traced workloads that stress memory traffic.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (64 bit vs 256 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 256 bit.64 bit vs 256 bit
  • 40 fewer ray tracing cores
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
    What it is: Number of dedicated ray tracing processing cores or units
    When it matters: When you care about ray-traced lighting, reflections, and shadows in newer games.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.0 vs 40
  • 66.1% lower base clock speed
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
    What it is: Base operating frequency of the GPU core under standard conditions
    When it matters: When you want to understand the card's guaranteed starting frequency instead of looking only at optimistic boost figures.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (650 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.650 MHz vs 1920 MHz
  • 2.8x larger process node
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (14 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
    What it is: Size of the manufacturing process in nanometers
    When it matters: When process node differences may affect power, heat, and overall efficiency.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (14 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.14 nm vs 5 nm
  • 176 fewer TMUs
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (8 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    What it is: Total count of texture mapping units on the GPU
    When it matters: When texture-heavy gaming performance matters and you want extra hardware context behind texture-rate claims.

    Importance: HIGH

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (8 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.8 vs 184
  • No CUDA support
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support CUDA, the average graphics card does.
    What it is: Supports CUDA parallel computing platform
    When it matters: When your apps or AI tools specifically depend on the CUDA software stack.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 does not support CUDA, the average graphics card does.
  • 96.8% lower pixel rate
    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (5.2 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 163.2 GPixel/s.
    What it is: Number of pixels the GPU can render per second
    When it matters: When you play at high resolutions or care about older raster-heavy games.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Qualcomm Adreno 506 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (5.2 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 163.2 GPixel/s.5.2 GPixel/s vs 163.2 GPixel/s

Graphic comparison of Qualcomm Adreno 506 and other products in the Graphics cards category

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Third-party reviews

What customers like about Qualcomm Adreno 506?

  • Excellent thermal management; users report it remains cool (under 37°C) even during long gaming sessions.
  • Great price-to-performance ratio for mid-range devices like the Redmi Note 4 and Moto G5.
  • Highly power-efficient thanks to the 14nm FinFET manufacturing process.
  • Reliable performance for 1080p (Full HD) displays and casual mobile gaming.
  • Superior performance compared to its predecessor (Adreno 505) and contemporary competitors like the Mali-T830 MP2.

What customers dislike about Qualcomm Adreno 506?

  • Strictly a mid-range solution; struggles with high-end, demanding 3D games on maximum settings.
  • Aging architecture that cannot keep up with newer generations (like the Adreno 600 series) in modern benchmarks.
  • Performance is notably lower than enthusiast or flagship-tier GPUs, making it unsuitable for VR or 4K playback.
  • Users note that while 4GB of RAM is sufficient for standard gaming, the GPU can still face bottlenecks in hardware-intensive 'hardcore' scenarios.

Expert reviews

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laptopmedia.com
24/08/2017
Summary of the review
L
laptopmedia.com
04/09/2017
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L
laptopmedia.com
01/09/2017
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T
techcenturion.com
20/11/2019
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L
laptopmedia.com
24/08/2017
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T
techcenturion.com
10/06/2018
Summary of the review
P
pcmasters.de
28/03/2019
Summary of the review
B
bouyguestelecom.fr
15/06/2019
Summary of the review
X
xataka.com
26/09/2016
Summary of the review
P
profesionalreview.com
05/08/2018
Summary of the review
L
laptopmedia.com
04/09/2017
Summary of the review
X
xataka.com
29/06/2017
Summary of the review
N
nextgentech.it
26/04/2026
Summary of the review
T
tweakers.net
29/05/2018
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