Why is the CPU frequency of Xiaomi 5, which costs 1999 yuan, so low?

The three versions of Xiaomi 5 all have the same processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. The reason why the standard version has a lower main frequency is that its processor frequency is forcibly locked at 1.8GHz, while the high-end and premium versions are both full 2.15GHz.

In fact, this situation is not uncommon. Many mobile phones have used this method to distinguish between high, medium and low-end products.

Why is the CPU frequency of the 1999 yuan standard version of Xiaomi 5 so low? It's simple

So is frequency locking just to distinguish high, medium and low gears? Of course not, so why do we need to lock the frequency? Because there is a lack of literature, today we will analyze several possibilities.

The first situation may be that some chips with poor physical condition appear in the processor production process, such as high heat and unstable current.

Once this type of chip appears, it cannot be guaranteed to function at its best under high load. Therefore, in this case, in order to reduce losses, manufacturers will often lock it at a lower frequency to prevent these chips from being overused, thus ensuring that these non-premium processors can continue to work stably.

Of course, this is just one of the possibilities. Another possibility is that the manufacturer screens out processors with good physical properties through assembly line testing and does not perform frequency locking, while the rest are all frequency locked.

Although the two situations sound similar, there are actually some differences. The first situation shows that the processors of the Xiaomi Mi 5 priced at RMB 1,999 are not good products, while the second situation does not mean that the processors of the standard Xiaomi Mi 5 are not suitable for higher frequencies, and there is still a chance that there are good products.

The reason why the high-end version is expensive is because of the increase in other costs such as labor for screening and identification of high-quality products.

So in this case, the standard version of Xiaomi 5 may also be locked at a low frequency. The reason for this speculation is that it is unlikely that a whole batch of processors will be authenticated. If you really go through the trouble of testing, production capacity is one aspect, and the so-called cost-effectiveness will not exist.

This is probably the basic situation. Even if it is not the real fact, the actual situation should not be too far off.

Many people have said that low-frequency processors are castrated versions, but that is a bit too much. The so-called low frequency is nothing more than lowering the frequency of the same processor and locking it.

Referring to some previous mobile phones in the same situation, I believe that in the future there will be powerful friends who will provide methods for software unlocking frequency. By then, it will be obvious which of the two situations just mentioned is true.

But in essence, there should be no essential difference between the three versions of Xiaomi 5. Games that the high-end version can play will not be a big problem for the standard version either. Games that the standard version cannot play will probably be played by the high-end version too. The difference between them is nothing more than speed.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.