Qualcomm today announced its newest chips for Windows PCs at the Snapdragon Summit. They’re introducing two powerful options, the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, built to compete with Apple’s most recent chips in terms of speed and performance.
Qualcomm announced that the new chips won’t be available until the beginning of next year, so it will be several months before consumers can try them out. The company says these chips are a significant upgrade over the original Snapdragon X Elite, thanks to a new 3nm manufacturing process that should make them more power-efficient.
The new Snapdragon X2 Elite comes with either a 12- or 18-core processor, combining 6 high-performance cores with up to 12 efficiency cores, and can reach speeds up to 4.7GHz. According to Qualcomm, it’s up to 31% faster than the original Snapdragon X Elite while using 43% less power. This means improved performance and better battery life.
The new Snapdragon X2 Elite also boasts significant improvements in graphics and AI processing. Qualcomm claims the updated GPU delivers 2.3 times better performance and efficiency compared to the previous generation, though the overall processing power hasn’t been revealed. The AI processing unit (NPU) has also been upgraded, now capable of 80 TOPS – a substantial increase from the original’s 45 TOPS – allowing for more demanding AI tasks to be handled directly on the device.
| Feature | Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme | Snapdragon X2 Elite (88) | Snapdragon X2 Elite (80) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Number | X2E-96-100 | X2E-88-100 | X2E-80-100 |
| Architecture | ARM64 | ARM64 | ARM64 |
| Total Cores | 18 | 18 | 12 |
| Prime Cores | 12 | 12 | 6 |
| Multi-Core Max Frequency | 4.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
| Boost Frequency | 5.0 GHz Single-Core / 5.0 GHz Dual-Core | 4.7 GHz Single-Core / 4.7 GHz Dual-Core | 4.7 GHz Single-Core / 4.4 GHz Dual-Core |
| Performance Cores | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Performance Cores Max Frequency | 3.6 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| Total Cache | 53 MB | 53 MB | 34 MB |
| GPU Part Number | X2-90 | X2-90 | X2-85 |
| GPU Max Frequency | 1.85 GHz | 1.70 GHz | 1.70 GHz |
| API Support | DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0 | DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0 | DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0 |
| TOPS (INT8) | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Micro NPU | Dual Micro NPU on the Qualcomm Sensing Hub | Dual Micro NPU on the Qualcomm Sensing Hub | Dual Micro NPU on the Qualcomm Sensing Hub |
| Memory Type | LPDDR5x | LPDDR5x | LPDDR5x |
| Max Capacity | 128+ GB | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Configured Capacity | 48 GB | Device-Specific | Device-Specific |
| Transfer Rate | 9523 MT/s | 9523 MT/s | 9523 MT/s |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| Bandwidth | 228 GB/s | 152 GB/s | 152 GB/s |
The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme offers similar graphics and AI performance to the regular X2 Elite, but its CPU is significantly faster – up to 75% better than competing chips when using the same amount of power. It’s the first Arm-based chip to reach speeds of up to 5GHz, and it also has faster memory access with a bandwidth of 228GB/s.
Qualcomm claims its new X2 Elite Extreme chip is built for demanding tasks, offering top-tier performance, long-lasting battery life, and incredibly fast AI capabilities. It’s being presented as a strong competitor to Apple’s newest M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, and will come with at least 48GB of RAM, with options for even more – up to 128GB or higher.
I’ve been following the chip wars closely, and it’s clear Qualcomm isn’t *just* focused on Apple’s Silicon. Intel and AMD are both developing powerful mobile chips – the Arrow Lake and Strix Point – and Qualcomm seems pretty confident that their new Snapdragon X2 Elite will outperform those competitors, both in terms of speed and how efficiently it uses power.
Qualcomm anticipates its new X2 Elite chips will power many different Windows devices, from versatile 2-in-1s like the Surface Pro to slim laptops, powerful workstations, and compact mini PCs. There’s even a chance we’ll see traditional desktop towers running on Snapdragon processors, especially with the high-performance Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip.
As a researcher, I’ve been really impressed with the initial performance of these new Snapdragon chips. Qualcomm is making a strong push to demonstrate that their processors are a viable option for Windows PCs handling demanding, professional tasks. Interestingly, they didn’t unveil a more affordable version of the X2 chip at this launch – it seems we’ll have to wait until 2026 for that.
Qualcomm is about to release new Snapdragon PC chips, and the first computers powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite will be available in the first half of 2026. We might even see these new devices as early as CES 2026. Microsoft plans to update its Surface Pro (12th generation) and Surface Laptop (8th generation) with these new Snapdragon X2 chips next year.
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2025-09-24 23:46