Testing the Helio X30 chipset on the Meizu Pro 7 Plus

Meizu Pro 7 Plus is the first smartphone to utilize the latest Helio X30 chip by MediaTek. It has a powerful deca-core processor and PowerVR graphics. Meizu has added 6 gigabytes of RAM, more than enough for smooth multi-tasking.

The 10-core processor has two powerful Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.6GHz, four energy-efficient yet powerful enough A53 cores running at 2.2GHz, and four super lightweight A35 ones ticking at 1.9GHz. The GPU in charge of graphics is PowerVR 7XTP series - Apple has picked a similar one for the iPhone 6s in its A9 chip.

Traditionally, we start our benchmarking routine with some Geekbench tests on the processor, but our unit is running on a pre-release Flyme version, and it didn't allow the app to finish its calculations - so we didn't get a final score. Once we get our hands on the retail firmware we will update this section.

Other than Geekbench, all other tests were able to complete their routines. The GPU chosen for the Helio X30 isn't of the latest generations and while it was once a flagship-grade, it's now more of a mid-range performer. Considering the QHD screen on the Pro 7 Plus we weren't sure what to expect, but luckily there are no reasons for worries.

The 1080p offscreen GFX tests show the PowerVR 7XTP GPU is noticeably weaker than the current Adreno 540 by Qualcomm, but very close to its previous Adreno 530 model available in the Snapdragon 820 generation and on par with the Mali-T880MP10 found in the Meizu Pro 6 Plus.

GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5
  60
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  59
• Nokia 8
  57
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  50
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  50
• OnePlus 3T
  49
• Sony Xperia XZs
  42
• LG G6
  41
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  40
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  37
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  34
• Huawei P10 Plus
  28
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  28
• Meizu Pro 5
  25
• Meizu Pro 6
  18
• Huawei P9 Plus
  18

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5
  41
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  41
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  39
• Nokia 8
  39
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  36
• OnePlus 3T
  33
• Sony Xperia XZs
  32
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  29
• LG G6
  26
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  25
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  22
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  22
• Huawei P10 Plus
  19
• Meizu Pro 5
  14
• Meizu Pro 6
  11
• Huawei P9 Plus
  10

There are apps that will run on the native 1440p resolution, so we also ran the onscreen GFX benchmarks. The Pro 7 Plus GPU is as capable here as the Adreno 530 and the Mali-T880MP10 from the last year's flagships, though the current top-of-the-line crop offers double the performance.

GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5
  56
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  56
• OnePlus 3T
  48
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  47
• Sony Xperia XZs
  40
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  36
• Nokia 8
  33
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  27
• Meizu Pro 5
  25
• LG G6
  24
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  23
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  23
• Huawei P10 Plus
  19
• Huawei P9 Plus
  19
• Meizu Pro 6
  18
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  18

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  41
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  41
• OnePlus 5
  40
• Sony Xperia XZs
  34
• OnePlus 3T
  33
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  23
• Nokia 8
  18
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  15
• Meizu Pro 5
  14
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  13
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  13
• Huawei P10 Plus
  12
• LG G6
  12
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  12
• Meizu Pro 6
  11
• Huawei P9 Plus
  11

We can draw the same conclusions from the compound GPU tests by BaseMark - the Pro 7 Plus has a capable GPU, it's just not an equal to the best on the market.

Basemark X

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S8
  42370
• OnePlus 5
  38844
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  38541
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  38507
• Nokia 8
  37593
• OnePlus 3T
  36958
• Sony Xperia XZs
  33815
• Huawei P10 Plus
  30602
• LG G6
  30507
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  28480
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  27600
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  23513
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  22472
• Meizu Pro 5
  20038
• Meizu Pro 6
  15209
• Huawei P9 Plus
  15058

Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S8
  1189
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  861
• Nokia 8
  855
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  842
• OnePlus 5
  796
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  733
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  642
• OnePlus 3T
  641
• Sony Xperia XZs
  623
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  616
• LG G6
  541
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  517
• Meizu Pro 5
  409
• Huawei P9 Plus
  214

While we couldn't run CPU tests, the compound apps AnTuTu and BaseMark OS II 2.0 succeeded and include those numbers in their final scores. The Meizu Pro 7 Plus once again did well, on par with the 2016 top phones, but not as good as the 2017 contenders and the GPU is what drags its score down.

AnTuTu 6

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5
  180331
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  177326
• Nokia 8
  175872
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  174435
• OnePlus 3T
  165097
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  144223
• LG G6
  143639
• Sony Xperia XZs
  133574
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  129229
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  128719
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  128498
• Huawei P10 Plus
  126252
• Meizu Pro 6 Plus
  113397
• Meizu Pro 6
  99195
• Huawei P9 Plus
  97392
• Meizu Pro 5
  67531

Basemark OS 2.0

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5
  3601
• Xiaomi Mi 6
  3547
• Nokia 8
  3503
• Samsung Galaxy S8
  3376
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
  3174
• Huawei P10 Plus
  2940
• OnePlus 3T
  2678
• Huawei Mate 9 Pro
  2496
• Sony Xperia XZs
  2386
• Meizu Pro 7 Plus
  2380
• LG G6
  2126
• Huawei P9 Plus
  2099
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (E8890)
  2050
• Meizu Pro 6
  1919
• Meizu Pro 5
  1837

The Meizu Pro 7 Plus and its Helio X30 isn't topping any benchmark charts, but this doesn't mean it can't offer flagship-grade performance. It's 10-core processor is overequipped for the years to come and is as flagship as it can get, never mind the core count. It's energy-efficient, too, thanks to the 10nm manufacturing process, so this time around we don't mind having so many CPU cores.

The GPU seemed like the weak spot of the Meizu Pro 7 Plus and its Helio X30 chip, but it actually isn’t. It may not have the same theoretical performance as the current competition, but it's capable of handling any demanding 3D game or high-res movie, hassle-free, no matter the resolution. We can't say it's as future-proof, but with the current 2-3 year lifespan of most smartphones, we are not sure that's an issue.

The phone keeps the metal shell quite cool even at peak performance for half an hour, which is great, and the 10nm process of the Helio X30 surely contributed to that.

Finally, in real-life performance the Meizu Pro 7 Plus feels as snappy as the vanilla Android-sporting Nokia 8, and noticeably snappier than the most recent Galaxy S8 series. Meizu's Flyme seems light on system resources, at least lighter than the S8 generation. So, whether its Android, some office app, or a top 3D game - the Pro 7 Plus handles everything smoothly.

We are sure you are eager to learn everything about the Meizu Pro 7 Plus, especially the battery life, so stay tuned for our upcoming review!