How much hotter is Exynos 2600 in Galaxy S26 compared to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?

In tests, Exynos 2600 heated up 6°C faster within 3 minutes of playing Asphalt Legends, reaching 45°C, while Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 stayed below 36°C.

Why does Galaxy S26 on Exynos 2600 throttle during gaming?

Due to excessive heat output, the processor reduces clock speeds for cooling, causing FPS to drop from 113 to 80 in 10 minutes during Asphalt Legends tests.

Does Exynos 2600 support high FPS in games?

Many games, like CoD Mobile, artificially cap Galaxy S26 to 60 FPS, while Snapdragon flagships deliver 90–120 FPS.

← All news

Hardware

Samsung Exynos 2600 Still Overheating: Galaxy S26 Tests Disappoint

June 20, 2026

Photo: Android Authority

Quick answer

Samsung's Exynos 2600 in the Galaxy S26 shows elevated heat output and premature throttling during gaming loads, lagging behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

The new flagship Samsung Galaxy S26, powered by the Exynos 2600 processor, has faced criticism from testers over thermal management issues. Android Authority conducted a series of tests, including running popular games, and found that the Exynos 2600 heats up faster and throttles more aggressively than competitors using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

In tests with Asphalt Legends, Genshin Impact, and CoD Mobile, the Galaxy S26 Plus with Exynos 2600 showed average temperatures 3–7°C higher than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Even in idle mode, the device reached 30°C, while rivals stayed below 29°C. Under load, Exynos 2600 hit 45°C, triggering aggressive frequency drops.

Performance differences became especially noticeable during extended sessions. In a 13-minute Asphalt Legends test, average FPS dropped from 113 to 80—a 29% decline. By contrast, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 maintained stable performance even at higher graphics settings.

The issue is compounded by some games artificially capping Galaxy S26 to 60 FPS, while Snapdragon flagships deliver 90–120 FPS. This may stem from incomplete optimization or deliberate limits, but users ultimately lose out on performance.

Experts note that while Exynos 2600 doesn’t suffer critical failures, it still lags behind Qualcomm in thermal efficiency. Whether Samsung will address these issues with a future custom GPU remains uncertain.

Common questions

How much hotter is Exynos 2600 in Galaxy S26 compared to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?: In tests, Exynos 2600 heated up 6°C faster within 3 minutes of playing Asphalt Legends, reaching 45°C, while Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 stayed below 36°C.
Why does Galaxy S26 on Exynos 2600 throttle during gaming?: Due to excessive heat output, the processor reduces clock speeds for cooling, causing FPS to drop from 113 to 80 in 10 minutes during Asphalt Legends tests.
Does Exynos 2600 support high FPS in games?: Many games, like CoD Mobile, artificially cap Galaxy S26 to 60 FPS, while Snapdragon flagships deliver 90–120 FPS.

Dzen feed: /feed/dzen.xml · RSS: /feed.xml