Galaxy S25 Ultra Cooling System Tested: Performance vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max And OnePlus 13

Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset undoubtedly is one of the groundbreaking features of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, marking a major leap forward. This is the first instance of a 3nm chip getting added to an Android flagship and the anticipation around it is immense. 

However, with the increase in power comes a pressing challenge for Samsung which is the effective cooling to prevent overheating. To tackle this, Samsung has introduced a vapor chamber that is 40% larger than that of the S24 Ultra. 

For the GPU stress test, the well-known 3D mark benchmark was used, especially the Wildlife Extreme Stress test. Unlink other gaming benchmarks that only capture initial performance, this test runs for a full 20 minutes. It allows us to observe how performance fluctuates as the chip heats up, offering a more realistic assessment. 

Initially, the S25 Ultra impresses with a score of around 6,200 points, outpacing competitors such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, after just three to four minutes, a significant drop in performance could seen because of thermal throttling. 

The performance stabilizes at around 3,000 points which is a major decline from its initial score, which surely is also a letdown. In comparison, the OnePlus 13, also features the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. 

It starts along with a similar initial score but maintains a much higher performance level. This represents a 50% improvement in sustained performance over the Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

The reasons behind this discrepancy remain unclear but two possibilities emerge. Either the cooling system in the Galaxy is inadequate, or Samsung has implemented stricter software limits to avoid overheating. 

The S25 Ultra only marginally surpasses the previous S24 Ultra in terms of sustained performance. Notably, it also records the lowest stability score, which indicates a major drop from its initial performance to its lowest point.