Snapdragon X Elite: Everything you need to know about Qualcomm's Laptop processor

Introduction

Qualcomm has been a key player in setting new benchmarks with its Snapdragon processors. The latest addition to its lineup, the Snapdragon X Elite is set to target the laptop processor market coming June. This new system-on-chip touts significant gains in CPU and graphics performance over the competition, optimized for AI workloads. Let’s take a deeper look at the specs, benchmarks, and potential of Qualcomm’s first purpose-built laptop chip.

What is Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X?

The Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X is a cutting-edge processor designed for laptops, representing Qualcomm’s move into the PC market. The Snapdragon X Elite boasts the custom-integrated Qualcomm Oryon CPU, promising up to twice the CPU performance of competitors while consuming significantly less power.

This chip incorporates the Qualcomm AI Engine, capable of running generative AI models with over 13 billion parameters on-device, delivering a remarkable 4.5 times faster AI processing than its rivals.

Snapdragon X Elite features the Qualcomm Oryon 3.8GHz CPU with 12 high-performance cores and Dual-core boost (4.3GHz). Compared to an x86 processor from the likes of Intel and AMD (Qualcomm doesn’t specify), this processor delivers up to 2X better CPU performance. The 4.6 Teraflops Qualcomm Adreno GPU is said to be 2X faster and comes with triple UHD monitor support.

Laptop processor built for AI

Snapdragon X Elite features the industry-leading Qualcomm AI Engine with an integrated Qualcomm Hexagon™ NPU, delivering transformative experiences for creativity, video conferencing, security, and productivity assistants.

Snapdragon X Elite is capable of running generative AI LLM models over 13B parameters on-device with blazing-fast speeds. It also includes the updated dual Micro NPU inside the ultra-low power Qualcomm Sensing Hub for enhanced security, login experience and privacy, including the ability to wake the device when in sleep mode.

Sensitive data can stay on your laptop for increased security with intelligence at the edge. The Qualcomm AI Engine supports Windows Studio Effects and many other AI-accelerated applications and experiences, to make possibilities endless.

What are Oryon Cores?

Qualcomm Oryon is the code name of the CPU cores inside Snapdragon’s elite X SoC. Oryon is a significant departure from Qualcomm’s previous strategy of licensing cores from Arm.

Previously, Qualcomm would license its cores from Arm, using cores like the Cortex-X4, Cortex-A720, and Cortex-A520 when it comes to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. These are off-the-shelf cores and are why you’ll see similar configurations from the likes of MediaTek. There are no more Cortex cores when it comes to Snapdragon X, as Qualcomm is designing the cores itself.

In this way Qualcomm has more control over the development process by designing its own cores. This gives the company the flexibility to make major changes to the cores, ultimately allowing it to compete more effectively with other chipmakers, particularly Apple with its line of custom chips.

When should we expect the first laptops to arrive with Snapdragon X SoCs?

That implies Windows on Arm will power some notable laptops right away, and Qualcomm is even better off since it’s expected that there won’t be an Intel variant of either of them. Currently, Qualcomm has only announced the Elite Snapdragon SoC. However, Qualcomm might announce more later this year.

How powerful is the Snapdragon X Elite?

Benchmarks indicate that the Snapdragon X Elite appears to outperform the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and Intel’s latest Meteor Lake CPUs. Qualcomm conducted these benchmark tests in a sanitized testing environment during a benchmarking session.

However, it’s important to note that these numbers may vary from real-world usage in actual consumer hardware. other words, we have a rough idea of how the Snapdragon X Elite performs, but it’s hard to say with certainty if its the x86 killer that everyone wants it to be.

Conclusion

In summary, the Snapdragon X Elite shows strong potential based on Qualcomm’s claims and initial benchmark results. However, real-world performance in consumer laptops remains to be seen when models hit the market in mid-2024. If Qualcomm and its OEM partners can deliver on promises of powerful and efficient performance while providing a full Windows experience, the Snapdragon X Elite may indeed prove to be a true competitor to x86 laptop chips. Only reviews of retail devices will determine how successfully it can challenge Intel and AMD’s dominance.