The performance question of the flagship smartphones of the past often arises for those who plan to buy a device in the secondary market or want to evaluate the relevance of their gadget. Xiaomi Mi 8, released in 2018, has long been considered the benchmark for price-quality, offering top-end “iron” at an affordable price tag. Today, a few years after the release, interest is shifting from marketing promises to real numbers that show synthetic benchmarks.
Synthetic tests like the AnTuTu Benchmark provide an objective view of CPU power, GPU speed and RAM speed. For the Mi 8, these numbers are a passport for its ability to run modern applications and games. In this article, we will look at what you can expect from this legendary device in current versions of tests.
Now, it's worth noting that the numbers can vary depending on the operating system version and battery status, but the underlying potential of the device lies in the hardware platform, and let's dive into the specifications to see where those numbers come from.
Architectural features of the Snapdragon 845
The heart of the Xiaomi Mi 8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. It's a 10-nanometer chipset that was once installed in all the top Android flagships. It consists of eight cores: four productive Kryo 385 Gold cores and four energy-efficient Kryo 385 Silver. This big.LITTLE architecture allows the device to save charge in the idle and give maximum power in heavy tasks.
The graphics processing is being taken over by the Adreno 630 accelerator, which was one of the most powerful mobile GPU solutions available at the time of its release, providing support for modern graphics APIs and high frame rates in games, and it is the CPU and GPU that form the lion’s share of the final score in benchmarks.
⚠️ Attention: Real performance may be reduced by overheating, and if you test in a hot room or in the sun, the results may be lower than reported due to trotting.
An important component of the system is also the Snapdragon X20 LTE modem, which provides high data transfer speeds, which indirectly affects the speed of content loading in online tests.
Technical nuances of the process technology
Test results in different versions of AnTuTu
Users are often confused about the numbers, as the scoring algorithms in AnTuTu are regularly changed. With the release of new versions of the application (V8, V9, V10), developers change the weight of different parameters, which makes the same phone can show different results. For Xiaomi Mi 8, the situation looks like this.
In popular versions of the benchmark (V8 and V9), the smartphone consistently scored from 280,000 to 310,000 points. This was a great result for 2018, putting the device on a par with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and OnePlus 6. The graphics subsystem in these tests showed a confident 90,000 to 100,000 points, which allowed you to launch PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 at high settings.
With the introduction of the AnTuTu V10, the scale of scores has changed dramatically: modern algorithms are more demanding on the speed of artificial intelligence and the quality of rendering. The new Mi 8 benchmark scores between 240,000 and 265,000. It doesn't mean that the phone is weaker, it just changes the way it's evaluated.
Below is a table showing the approximate score distribution by subcategory in the current version of the test for a 6GB RAM configuration:
| Category of test | Approximate score | Impact on overall outcome |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (Processor) | ~95 000 | High. |
| GPU (Graphic) | ~85 000 | High. |
| MEM (Memory) | ~45 000 | Average. |
| UX (User Experience) | ~30 000 | Average. |
The impact of RAM on productivity
Xiaomi Mi 8 was released in several versions, differing in the amount of RAM: 6 GB and 8 GB. Type of memory is LPDDR4x, which is the standard for flagships of the period. The difference in RAM volume directly affects the subsection of MEM in the benchmark and multitasking in real life.
The 6GB version provides a comfortable experience for most applications and stable FPS in games. However, with active multitasking (for example, switching between heavy play, a navigator and a browser with a dozen tabs), the system can more often unload background applications, which can slightly reduce the score in the category UX (User Experience).
The 8GB RAM modification gives a small boost in synthetic tests, but its main value is evident in heavy-use scenarios. App cache runs faster and switching between tasks is instantaneous. For gamers who stream the game or keep Discord and browser open, the 8GB version will be preferred.
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Before running a heavy test in AnTuTu, close all background applications and clear RAM through the built-in MIUI accelerator.
Comparison with modern counterparts and competitors
To understand the Xiaomi Mi 8’s place in the current landscape, it needs to be compared to newer devices. Against the backdrop of budgeters from 2023-2026, such as the Redmi Note 12 or the Realme C-series, the 2018 flagship still looks confident thanks to a powerful processor. However, modern mid-budget chips, such as the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 or Dimensity 8300, have already bypassed it by a half to two times.
In terms of direct competitors at the time, the Mi 8 often outperformed the Samsung Galaxy S9 with less aggressive trotting and better cooling. Compared to the iPhone 8 Plus (Apple A11 Bionic), the Mi 8 won multithreaded tasks with 8 cores, but could be inferior in optimizing individual applications.
Today, the Mi 8 only makes sense as a second device or phone for a child/teen. For core tasks in 2026, its performance may not be enough for heavy-duty gaming innovations like the Genshin Impact at maximum settings, where the device will run to the limit of its capabilities.
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In 2026, Xiaomi Mi 8 is at the level of a confident budget segment, inferior to modern “middle-class”, but remaining above frankly weak entry-level devices.
MIUI optimization and firmware impact
The MIUI (or HyperOS in later versions) software shell plays a critical role in how many points a smartphone will show. Chinese firmware versions (CN ROM) often perform better in benchmarks due to the lack of pre-installed Google services and excess “junk”, but they are less adapted to the global user.
Global Stable firmware provides better compatibility, but can be more difficult for the system. The result is also influenced by the Android version. Android 10 or 11 for the Mi 8 is more optimal than trying to install custom builds based on Android 12-13, which can be unstable and give drawdowns to FPS.
Device owners are advised to periodically clean the cache and check for security updates, and sometimes security patches contain driver patches that can positively affect the stability of the GPU.
☑️ Pre-test check
Gaming performance and heating
The Adreno 630 graphics chip is still capable of running popular online shooters. In PUBG Mobile, the device keeps 40-50 FPS stable at medium graphics settings. In Call of Duty Mobile, you can count on 60 FPS with the right settings. However, long gaming sessions reveal the weak spot of the smartphone - heating.
The body of the Mi 8 is made of glass and metal, which helps to remove heat, but also makes the phone hot in the hands. When you reach critical temperatures, a protective mechanism (trottling) is activated, which reduces the frequency of the processor, at which point you can notice a drop in FPS and micro-freeze.
⚠️ Warning: Do not charge your phone while passing tests or heavy games.The combination of charging and loading on the processor causes critical heating and can damage the battery.
For comfortable play, it is recommended to remove the case if it is dense and does not conduct heat well, or use external cooling (cooler), which will allow the processor to work longer at maximum frequencies without resetting the clock.