A modern smartphone is a pocket computer, the power of which directly depends on the combination of central and graphic processors. When it comes to running demanding games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile at maximum settings, it is the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that takes on the main load of rendering 3D graphics. However, manufacturers often keep silent about the specific model of the video core, limiting themselves to the name of the platform, such as Snapdragon or MediaTek.
Knowing the exact model of the graphics accelerator is necessary not only for gamers, but also for application developers, as well as enthusiasts who want to overclock the device or install custom drivers. Unlike desktop PCs, where the video card is a separate device, in mobile gadgets Adreno, Mali or PowerVR e are built directly into the system-on-chip (SoC) crystal. This complicates diagnosis, but does not make it impossible.
There are several identification methods: from using specialized utilities to viewing system logs through a computer. Each of them has its own nuances and accuracy. Below we will examine in detail the methods that will help you unlock the technical potential of your device.
Using specialized diagnostic utilities
The easiest and most reliable way to get comprehensive information about hardware is to install a third-party application from the store Google Play. These apps collect data from kernel system files and output them in an easy-to-read format. The utility CPU-Zhas remained the leader in this niche for many years. After installation and launch, go to the System or Devicetab, where the GPU Renderer field will indicate the exact model of your video core.
Another powerful tool is the application AIDA64. It provides more detailed information, including frequencies, temperatures and supported versions of graphics APIs such as OpenGL ES and Vulkan. In the section Display you will see not only the name of the chip, but also the screen resolution, pixel density and the current load on the GPU in real time.
⚠️ Attention: Some Chinese smartphone brands may modify system reports, replacing real GPU data in simple benchmarks. For maximum reliability, use complex utilities like DevCheckthat read data directly from drivers.
If you want to go deeper into technical details, pay attention to the application 3DMark. Although its main function is performance testing, it shows the full specification of the GPU, including the number of shader units and the type of memory used. This is especially useful when comparing the performance of different models before purchasing. Device Info it shows the full specification of the GPU, including the number of shader units and the type of memory used. This is especially useful when comparing the performance of different models before purchasing.
Analysis of the processor through the SoC model
Since the graphics processor in smartphones is non-removable and is part of a single-chip system, knowing the model of the main processor, you can determine the GPU model with 99% probability. The architecture of modern chipsets is strictly standardized: the company Qualcomm always uses cores Adreno, MediaTek relies on solutions ARM Mali or IMG PowerVRand Samsung in its Exynos often uses graphics ARM Mali or your own developments.
To find out the SoC model without installing unnecessary apps, go to the phone settings. The path may vary depending on the shell, but usually it looks like this: Settings → About phone → Device information. Find the line Processor or Chipset. If it says, for example, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, then you automatically know that graphics are running inside Adreno 740.
For those who do not wants to remember correspondence tables, there are online chipset databases. Just enter the name of the processor into a search engine to get the full specification. Below is a table of correspondence between popular platforms and their graphics accelerators, which will help you quickly navigate.
| SoC manufacturer | Platform model | Graphics processor (GPU) | Architecture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Adreno 750 | Accelerated ray tracing |
| MediaTek | Dimensity 9200+ | ARM Mali-G715 | Immortalis |
| Samsung | Exynos 2200 | AMD RDNA2 (Xclipse 920) | Hybrid |
| Tensor G3 | ARM Mali-G715 | MC10 | |
| Unisoc | Tiger T616 | ARM Mali-G57 | MP1 |
Why does Samsung use AMD?
In Exynos 2200 and newer chips, Samsung has implemented graphics architecture from AMD, which allows the use of ray tracing technologies previously only available on PCs and consoles. This gives a significant increase in the realism of lighting in games.
Viewing information through the engineering menu
The Android operating system hides a special service menu intended for engineers and testers. It allows accessing deep settings of the radio module, display and, what is important for us, information about the components. It is accessed by dialing a special code in the Phone application. However, the set of commands highly depends on the processor manufacturer.
For devices based on MediaTek the most universal code is ##4636##. After entering this combination, the menu Testingwill open. Select item Phone information or Statistics. In some firmware, you can find a detailed log of GPU operation here, although more often this section shows data on cellular communications. More advanced codes, such as ##8351##can activate a debug mode, allowing you to see details through the logs.
Device on Qualcomm often respond to code ##6484## (CIT menu) that used in smartphones Xiaomi i Poco. In this menu, you can run display and graphics tests, during which the name of the video core and its current frequency are displayed on the screen. This is a convenient way to check the performance of the GPU without installing software.
⚠️ Attention: Be extremely careful in the engineering menu. Changing settings in sections marked as RF (Radio Frequency) or Band Selectionmay lead to loss of connection or incorrect operation of the Wi-Fi module. Change only those parameters whose value you know 100%.
It is worth remembering that on many modern shells, such as OneUI from Samsung or new versions MIUI, access to the classic engineering menu using USSD codes can be blocked by the manufacturer for security reasons. In this case, you will have to resort to methods using a computer.
Identification via USB debugging (ADB)
For users advanced in technical matters, the most accurate method is to use the toolkit Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method allows you to request information directly from the system kernel, bypassing the restrictions of the user interface. You will need a computer with ADB drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on your smartphone.
Connect your phone to the PC with a cable, open a command line or terminal in the folder with the ADB utility and enter the command to get a list of graphic extensions. This will produce a huge list of supported functions, at the beginning of which the renderer is usually indicated:
adb shell dumpsys SurfaceFlinger | grep "glRenderer"An alternative option is to use the command getprop, which displays all system properties of the device. You can filter the necessary information using the following command:
adb shell getprop | grep "gpu"The result of the execution will be a line like [ro.hardware.egl]: [adreno] or a more detailed description of the model. The good thing about this method is that it works even on devices with an unlocked bootloader, where other methods may fail due to root permissions.
If the ADB command returns an empty result, try adding the -e flag to explicitly specify the device if multiple gadgets are connected: adb -e shell getprop.
Visual analysis through developer settings
In the standard Android settings there is a hidden section for developers, which contains tools for graphics debugging. To activate it, you need to quickly click on the build number in the section About phone7 times. After the item appears For developers in the main settings menu, scroll down the list to the block Hardware acceleration of rendering.
Here you will not see the model name directly, but you will be able to evaluate GPU operation. The function Show surface updates highlights green areas of the screen that are redrawn by the GPU. This helps you understand how efficiently your application is using GPU resources. If the entire screen is constantly flashing green, then the GPU is working at maximum load.
There is also an item in this section Enable 4x MSAA (smoothing). Activating it forces the GPU to process the image in higher quality, which immediately reveals the weak points of the video core: the device may start to heat up or produce low FPS in the interface. This is a kind of stress test showing the real capabilities of your Adreno or Mali.
☑️ Activating developer mode
Frequently asked questions about Android GPUs
Users often confuse the concepts of RAM and video memory, and also do not understand why the phone's specifications do not indicate the amount of GPU memory. Let's look at the most popular questions that arise when diagnosing the graphics subsystem.
Is it possible to increase the video memory on an Android smartphone?
No, this is not possible in hardware. The GPU in phones uses some of the device's random access memory (RAM) as video memory dynamically. You cannot allocate a fixed amount like you can on a PC with BIOS. The system itself decides how much memory to allocate for game textures at the time of load.
Why is it written in games "Unknown GPU"?
This often happens in old versions of games or benchmarks, the database of which has not been updated for a long time. If you see a new device, for example, on a chip, and the game was released a year ago, it simply does not recognize the code of the new video core. This usually does not affect performance. Dimensity 9300, and the game was released a year ago, it simply does not recognize the code of the new video core Immortalis-G720. This usually does not affect performance.
Does the Android version affect the performance of the GPU?
Yes, directly. New versions of Android bring updated drivers and support for new API versions, such as Vulkan 1.3. On an older Android 10, a modern GPU may not reach its full potential in the latest games that require up-to-date rendering libraries.
What is a GPU driver and can it be updated separately?
The GPU driver in Android usually comes as part of a system firmware update. However, starting with Android 10, Google introduced a mechanism Project Mainlinethat allows you to update some components, including GPU drivers, through the Play Store, regardless of updating the entire system.
The accurate GPU model is critical for compatibility with console emulators (Yuzu, AetherSX2), which require specific graphics driver support for correct work.