Nexus 5 first benchmarks surface: top-shelf performance

The Nexus 5 is out and so are the first performance tests. It is no secret that the Snapdragon 800 system chip is the exact same silicon powering the latest flagships including the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the LG G2. Just how powerful is the Nexus 5, though, and where exactly does it fit in the Android landscape? Only benchmarking can tell and what it tells is that the Nexus 5 is among the top performers out there.

The first official benchmark results measure CPU performance of the Krait 400 cores and there are four of them in Snapdragon 800. The test is Sunspider benchmark and Google’s Nexus 5 scores admirably in the top places. Another test that confirms its speedy processor is Octane where the Nexus 5 scored a very high 3907 points, but sadly we could not compare the results from Octane with other devices as we can with Sunspider.

The remaining two tests have actually surfaced earlier (they were likely done on non-final prototypes, so take them with a grain of salt) and they measure graphics, but this time around we put them in the context of other devices. This shows how well the Nexus 5 will handle games in comparison with the top-shelf smartphones of today.

The first test we have the results from is the Basemark X benchmark. It is a stressful gaming test including particle effects, advanced lighting effects and post processing. The test is close to a real game (a very, very graphically intensive one) and is built on the Unity 4.0 engine.

The second test is the well-known GFXBench in its latest and most demanding T-Rex graphical test. Here again, the Nexus 5 scores an excellent 23 frames per second, very close to that coveted 30fps smooth gaming framerate. The only handset that outdoes it here is the Note 3, but matching the powerful iPhone 5 is quite a feat for the affordable Nexus.

All in all, the Nexus 5 is obviously a solid no-compromise device when it comes to performance and you can easily play the latest and most demanding game on it. How do you like what you see?

reference: GigaOm