The A17 Pro chipset has proven itself to be a formidable force in the tech world, powering last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with impressive gaming capabilities. Apple took many by surprise with its recently unveiled iPad mini 7, which also houses this powerful processor, albeit with a slight modification: a 5-core GPU instead of the usual 6-core. Thankfully, this alteration has done little to hinder its gaming performance. Two popular games, Honor of Kings and Genshin Impact, were used to put this compact device through its paces, achieving nearly 60 frames per second (FPS), a testament to its capability.
The iPad mini 7 effortlessly handles both titles, with power consumption peaking at just 6.1 watts and maintaining impressive thermal performance. Thanks to its larger form factor compared to a phone, the A17 Pro has more room for heat dissipation, which is crucial for performance. According to tests conducted, each game was played at the highest graphical settings for 20 minutes, with the tablet set to a display brightness of 350 nits and Wi-Fi turned on.
In the case of Honor of Kings, a game that, while popular, is less graphically demanding than others, the iPad mini 7 achieved a smooth average framerate of 59.5 FPS with a modest power draw of just 5 watts. The temperature remained comfortably within a safe zone at 39.8 degrees Celsius. Genshin Impact, known for its detailed graphics, pushed the tablet a bit further; however, it maintained a respectable 58.9 FPS. This did result in some micro-stutters, and a slight hike in power usage to 6.1 watts, which raised the device’s temperature to 42.7 degrees Celsius.
These results underscore the iPad mini 7’s ability to deliver robust gaming performance. There is anticipation around whether it can handle AAA titles that have previously been run on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s also a pleasant surprise to see that Apple has priced this latest gadget reasonably, with the 128GB, Wi-Fi-only model available for $499.99, making it an attractive option for tech enthusiasts and casual gamers alike.
