Is Qualcomm Prepared to Dominate Windows Laptops? This Generation Marks a Shift, and Here’s What You Should Know When You Begin Your Search, Based on What We Currently Understand.
Qualcomm, a prominent name behind the scenes in mobile devices, is known for its popular Snapdragon chips that power numerous top-tier Android phones. However, since shifting its focus to laptops several years ago, its Windows laptop CPUs have faced significant performance and compatibility challenges. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite chips, unveiled in late 2023 and early 2024, aim to correct this trajectory and set new standards for notebook processing performance in terms of speed, efficiency, and AI acceleration.
Microsoft and Qualcomm have recently introduced the Windows Copilot Plus PC branding in tandem with new laptops featuring these chips, providing an opportune moment to delve into the chips’ offerings, availability, and their implications for the latest generation of computers powered by them.
What Do the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite Chips Represent?
The Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite represent a series of systems-on-chip, integrating a significant portion of the components necessary for a computer’s operation into a single package. This approach is not uncommon, as many Intel, AMD, and Apple chips also incorporate graphics processors, memory controllers, and more within the same chip as the CPU. Recently, they have also included neural processing units on the chip.
What sets the Snapdragon chips apart is their use of an ARM-based architecture, as opposed to the x86 architecture that has dominated personal computing for decades until Apple introduced its own ARM-based M-series chips. One challenge with previous ARM-based laptops has been that many popular programs are not designed for this architecture, instead being coded for x86. This necessitates either different low-level code or a translation layer, such as Apple’s Rosetta, to function on ARM architectures.
This has presented issues in the past; some applications simply did not work, while others performed poorly. There is no guarantee that compatibility issues won’t arise with these new chips as well. However, Microsoft has made efforts to ensure compatibility and fast performance with the new Snapdragon X chips for hundreds of popular apps, utilizing a specialized emulator called Prism to run non-native applications.
Lets see the table comparision:
| Oryon CPU cores | CPU total cache | CPU max multithread frequency | CPU dual-core boost frequency | Adreno GPU (TFLOPS) | Hexagon NPU (TOPS) | Memory Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon X Elite X1E-00-1DE | 12 | 42MB | 3.8GHz | 4.3GHz | 4.6 | 45 | LPDDR5x-8448 |
| Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | 12 | 42MB | 3.8GHz | 4.2GHz | 4.6 | 45 | LPDDR5x-8448 |
| Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 | 12 | 42MB | 3.4GHz | 4.0GHz | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x-8448 |
| Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 | 12 | 42MB | 3.4GHz | None | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x-8448 |
| Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 | 10 | 42MB | 3.4GHz | None | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x-8448 |
Aside from the ARM distinction, the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips share many similarities with contemporary laptop chips. They incorporate between 10 and 12 high-performance CPU cores (the current generation being Oryon). They support rapid, low-power LPDDR5x memory and feature an integrated GPU—currently Adreno. Similar to the latest chips from competitors, they also include a dedicated NPU designed to handle basic AI-powered tasks with less power consumption compared to using the CPU and GPU. Software reallocates relevant workloads from the CPU and GPU to the NPU to conserve power.
Qualcomm has emphasized the performance of its components. The company asserts that its Hexagon NPU is the “world’s fastest NPU for laptops,” rated at 45 tera-operations per second (TOPS). It’s important to note that discrete graphics processors available in laptops can offer higher TOPS but at a significantly higher power draw.
The company claims that the Oryon CPU surpasses Apple’s M3 chip in a MacBook Pro in terms of multithreaded CPU performance by 28%. It also asserts that it is faster in both single-threaded and multithreaded performance than AMD’s Ryzen 9 7940HS and Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H when operating at the same wattages. When Apple launched its M1 chips, it made comparable claims regarding performance and efficiency. Therefore, if Qualcomm’s chips meet these expectations, they could represent a significant advancement for mainstream laptops.
What Additional Features Accompany the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite Chips?
Beyond the performance they deliver, these chipsets also incorporate a range of technologies. The Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus support UFS 4.0 and PCIe 4.0 storage, as well as SD 3.0 media. They enable multi-monitor setups up to 4K@60Hz with a maximum of three displays. Additionally, they support 4K HDR encoding and decoding and feature an image signal processor capable of handling camera recording up to 4K video, along with dual 36-megapixel sensors or a single 64-megapixel sensor.
These chips also include hardware for high-speed connectivity: up to three USB4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and 10Gbps 5G cellular via the Snapdragon X65 modem. The extent to which these features will be available in your laptop depends on the device manufacturers and their hardware selections. This leads us to the next significant question.
What kind of computers will have Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips?
By focusing on high performance at low wattages, Qualcomm’s chips are designed for machines intended for mobile productivity—those capable of handling moderately heavy workloads while remaining untethered from the power outlet throughout the workday. The AI capabilities of these chips receive particular emphasis and are a central component of Microsoft’s Copilot Plus initiative.
These laptops typically feature more portable form factors (no large 17-inch models here) and more premium designs. While Snapdragon chips may eventually find their way into budget laptops, currently, they are primarily appearing in models priced over $1,000.
As these chips are poised to reach consumers in mid- to late June, it won’t be long before we truly witness their capabilities.
