Samsung Galaxy S5 Active review: Combat ready
Combat ready
Synthetic benchmarks
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (MSM8974AC). Some clarification is due since not all 801 chipsets are created equal. The MSM8974 is the base Snapdragon 800 chipset, while MSM8974AB overclocks the GPU and gets the Snapdragon 801 badge.
The MSM8974AC goes a step further and clocks the CPU higher too. Also worth pointing out, on the KitKat software, Samsung has removed the benchmark detection and overclocking, so if the Galaxy S5 doesn't trounce the Galaxy Note 3 it's because it's showing real performance.
GeekBench 3 and AnTuTu 4 are benchmarks which put to the test the hardware combo inside the smartphone. GeekBench 3 is more CPU-intensive, whereas AnTuTu 4 is a compound benchmark - testing CPU, GPU, memory performance, etc. Unsurprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active performed on par with its regular sibling.
GeekBench 3
Higher is better
-
Oppo Find 7a
3093 -
Galaxy S5 (S801)
3011 -
Galaxy S5 Active
3010 -
Sony Xperia Z2
2856 -
LG G3
2687 -
LG G Pro 2
2585 -
LG Nexus 5
2453 -
HTC One (M8)
2367 -
LG G2
2243 -
Motorola Moto X
2123 -
HTC One mini 2
1526 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
1359
AnTuTu 4
Higher is better
-
HTC One (M8)
37009 -
Galaxy S5 Active
36162 -
Galaxy S5 (S801)
36018 -
LG G2
35444 -
Oppo Find 7a
33344 -
Sony Xperia Z2
33182 -
LG G3
30482 -
LG G Pro 2
29603 -
LG Nexus 5
25097 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
19896 -
Motorola Moto X
19031 -
HTC One mini 2
17883
Basemark OS II is another all-round benchmark. It gives an overall score along with single-core, multi-core, and math performance, among others. We focus on the overall and CPU scores. Once again, the newcomer showcased similar performance as the SM-G900.
Basemark OS II
Higher is better
-
LG G3
1151 -
LG G Pro 2
1140 -
LG G3 (anti-cheat)
1132 -
HTC One (M8)
1126 -
Galaxy S5 Active
1107 -
Galaxy S5 (S801)
1082 -
Sony Xperia Z2
1080 -
Oppo Find 7a
1057 -
HTC One mini 2
517 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
434
Next up we have GFXBench's 2.7 T-Rex and 3.0 Manhattan. In 1080p offscreen mode the GPU is tasked with performing graphical computations in 1920 x 1080px resolution. The Galaxy S5 Active did a stellar job in both T-Rex tests, though its results were slightly lower than those of the regular version.
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
-
HTC One (M8)
28.4 -
Oppo Find 7a
28.4 -
Galaxy S5 (S801)
27.8 -
LG G3
27.6 -
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
27.5 -
Sony Xperia Z2
27.2 -
LG Nexus 5
23 -
LG G Pro 2
22.9 -
LG G2
22 -
Motorola Moto X
16 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
5.8 -
HTC One mini 2
5.8
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (onscreen)
Higher is better
-
HTC One (M8)
30.1 -
Oppo Find 7a
28.8 -
Sony Xperia Z2
28.7 -
Galaxy S5 (Snapdragon 801)
28.1 -
Galaxy S5 Active
27.7 -
LG G Pro 2
24.1 -
LG Nexus 5
24 -
LG G2
23.1 -
LG G3
20.6 -
HTC One mini 2
11 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
10.9
The more demanding Manhattan benchmark saw the newcomer post similar scores as the SM-G900.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
-
LG G3
11.9 -
Galaxy S5 (Snapdragon 801)
11.8 -
Galaxy S5 Active
11.7 -
Sony Xperia Z2
11.7 -
Oppo Find 7a
11.4 -
HTC One (M8)
11.1 -
LG G Pro 2
8.7 -
HTC One mini 2
1.7
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
-
Sony Xperia Z2
12.2 -
HTC One (M8)
11.9 -
Galaxy S5 (S801)
11.7 -
Galaxy S5 Active
11.7 -
Oppo Find 7a
11.4 -
LG G Pro 2
9.2 -
LG G3
7.4 -
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
4.1 -
HTC One mini 2
3.8
BrowserMark 2.1 looks at HTML 5 performance, while Mozilla's Kraken 1.1 is JavaScript-centric. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active posted a flagship-worthy result on both occasions.
BrowserMark 2.1
Higher is better
-
Galaxy S5 (S801)
1398 -
LG G Pro 2
1346 -
Oppo Find 7a
1327 -
Galaxy S5 Active
1319 -
LG Nexus 5
1286 -
LG G3
1254 -
Sony Xperia Z2
1224 -
HTC One (M8)
1069 -
HTC One mini 2
945
Kraken 1.1
Lower is better
-
Galaxy S5 (S801)
6043 -
Galaxy S5 Active
6341 -
LG G Pro 2
6578 -
Oppo Find 7a
6660 -
Sony Xperia Z2
7041 -
LG Nexus 5
7148 -
LG G3
7610 -
HTC One (M8)
10296 -
HTC One mini 2
15684
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active performed in accordance with the high expectations towards it. The smartphone is one of the most powerful Android devices available today and has the benchmark scores to show for it.
Reader comments
- Rcr. 0725
- 14 Jan 2023
- sBS
Do you have available lcd touch screen replacement for Samsung Galaxy s5 active
- Pyona
- 19 Oct 2022
- fmK
I had one, but now it has a problem of screen saver. But i cant find it here in Malawi. But am still in love with it. I will definitely need one.
- Beintrinsic
- 06 Oct 2016
- gmG
I can't get an s5active in Ontario...😣