Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon X Chip at CES 2025, Promising Affordable AI-Powered Laptops

I saw how Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series outperforms Intel CPUs -- and I'm blown away by the difference

Follow our CES 2025 live blog for all the biggest tech and gadget news straight from Las Vegas. And be sure to follow Tom's Guide on TikTok for the coolest videos live from the show. Qualcomm has rounded up its lineup of AI-powered Snapdragon X series chips with its announcement of the Snapdragon X, making Copilot+ PCs more affordable. Today, the company showed off the performance of its CPUs compared to Intel Lunar Lake devices, and there's a huge difference in performance. During a demo at CES 2025, Qualcomm gave us a taste of various NPU-powered features Snapdragon X series PCs could do. Most notably, however, the company weighed up the difference in performance, battery, and price of its chips agasint Intel -- and it didn't hold back. According to Geekbench scores from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon model scored 2408 on single-core and 14,129 on multi-core, while the Intel model only had 1,250 single-core and 6,760 multi-core. Clearly, there's a better model here. As pointed out by a spokesperson, the Snapdragon X Elite also offers a 90% performance increase over Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 chips when unplugged, with both machines running on the default Balanced mode. Apparently, this is due to Intel's NPU cores not being as efficient, and this is also taxing on a device's battery life and cooling. We've noted the differences in chipsets before, as I tested the Acer Swift 14 AI with Intel Lunar Lake and Snapdragon, with the latter being the clear winner. In the demo shown, Qualcomm offered a side-by-side comparison of a Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite and an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V. While I'm not too surprised by the scores Qualcomm boasted, it's the more affordable Snapdragon X chip that will be the CPU to look out for, especially if it offers performance gains over Intel's chips. Unfortunately, these results weren't shown off, but its AI capabilities are still impressive. Qualcomm also gave us a look at different NPU-powered software in action, with music being a focus, allowing users to isolate vocals and different instruments instantly in YouTube videos. The Snapdragon X series could also simulate sounds for different instruments in real time with little-to-no latency. More impressively, this can be done using the lower-end Snapdragon X chip, meaning this AI software can be used in devices ranging from $600. More NPU-powered experiences are set to arrive, too, including multiple apps such as Zoom, Blender, Cephable, Capture One, djay Pro and plenty more. While Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips continue to impress, Intel Core Ultra 200H and HX Series chips have arrived, and their performance looks promising. Once we get our hands on Snapdragon X-powered machines (such as the recently announced Lenovo mini PCs), we'll have a better idea of how Qualcomm compares to its competition in our testing. In the meantime, check out the very best of CES 2025.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X arrives at CES 2025, and I'm excited about how this CPU could seriously heat up competition with budget laptops and Copilot+ PCs

However, the low price is key here, promising to deliver Copilot+ PCs at around $600 Qualcomm has revealed a new Snapdragon chip to power more affordable Copilot+ PCs at CES 2025. The new CPU is simply called the Snapdragon X - sitting underneath the Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite SoCs - and it's designed to enable laptop makers to sell AI notebooks in the $600 range. Qualcomm had already primed us for the arrival of this vanilla chip, but this is its official revelation at CES. The 8-core CPU has the same NPU (with 45 TOPS) required to qualify as the engine of a Copilot+ PC, and Qualcomm claims that the processor "delivers up to 163% faster performance at ISO-power than our competitors." More broadly, Qualcomm asserts that: "Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives." We're told that laptops with the vanilla Snapdragon X chip will be on shelves in early 2025, so presumably in the next month or two. Leading laptop makers will support the chip, as you might expect, which includes Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo portables, in the $600 price bracket as mentioned. Coming back to the performance claim Qualcomm aired above, the comparison is made against an Intel Core 5 120U - a Raptor Lake-U CPU from a year ago. It's something of an odd choice, given that the Snapdragon X is a Copilot+ PC targeted SoC, and has that beefy NPU - and the Intel processor doesn't - but it's more about the laptop price bracket than anything else (and Lunar Lake doesn't have an affordable equivalent, not yet anyway). The Snapdragon CPU is clearly nicely power-efficient compared to that Intel chip, but this is just one benchmark, and as ever, first-party claims in press releases like this need to be taken with a good handful of seasoning. That said, it's no surprise that a piece of Snapdragon X silicon would do well in terms of efficiency, as the rest of the family does a very good job on this front. The key element here is the price, though. When Copilot+ PCs first emerged, they were exclusively Arm (Snapdragon) machines, and they were also very pricey. Over time, with the Snapdragon X Plus, those price tags came down (to more like $800), and with this new vanilla Snapdragon X, these AI laptops are now going to become truly affordable (and perhaps feature more heavily on our list of the best laptops). Remember, if these Copilot+ PCs emerge at around $600, when they go on sale down the line - during this Black Friday (it'll be here before you know it) for example - we could see some really tempting bargains. Whichever way you dice it, this is a win for the consumer, and these much more affordable Arm-based laptops are doubtless part of Microsoft's bold predictions for the success of Copilot+ PCs.

Snapdragon X chip unveiled at CES 2025 for more affordable Copilot+ laptops and even mini PCs -- what we know so far

CES 2025 is giving us a peek at AI computing to come, as Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon X platform to join its Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips to bring Copilot+ PCs down to the $600 range. The new CPU is set to arrive on a new range of Copilot+ PCs in early 2025, with Acer, ASUS, Dell Technologies, HP and Lenovo on board. Not only is it aimed at budget laptops, but it will also deliver the world's first mini desktop PCs powered by Snapdragon X chips. This Snapdragon X chip comes packed with an 8-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU, 45 TOPS NPU performance and an integrated GPU (here's hoping Qualcomm stepped up its graphics game). Qualcomm claims it offers 167% faster performance than its competitors, along with better power efficiency -- up to 2.2x better than an Intel Core 5 120U, Qualcomm claims. While we have yet to test it out, it means we can expect the same great performance, battery life and other Copilot experiences we've seen in Snapdragon-powered laptops, such as the Dell XPS 13. However, instead of seeing a $1,000 price, Copilot+ PCs will become more affordable. Currently, there are more than 50 NPU-powered AI experiences native to Snapdragon that Windows 11 can utilize, which includes popular VPNs, security and cloud storage apps. We're hoping to see more apps like Music AI's Moises Live app tale advantage of Snapdragon and its NPU. "The Snapdragon X Series portfolio offers the most powerful, intelligent, and power-efficient processors for Windows in their class, making Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon the ultimate choice for users who want a laptop that can do it all," said Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager, Mobile, Compute, & XR (MCX) at Qualcomm. "Our ecosystem of partners continues to build on Snapdragon to deliver innovative form factors and premium AI experiences that enable everyday PC users who want a laptop that can keep up with their busy lives." So far, Snapdragon has taken AI PCs by storm thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus CPUs, and this new Snapdragon X addition looks to give budget laptops, mini PCs and more a boost in AI performance. What these devices will be? Apparently, it won't be long until we find out. There's plenty going on at CES 2025, and we're here on the ground covering it all. Stay tuned for more Snapdragon-powered devices to come.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X will make the $600 Copilot+ PC a reality in 2025

Today, Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon X chipset at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, finally entering the budget-friendly laptop space with Snapdragon X systems. Qualcomm's latest chipset is expected to make Copilot+ computing more accessible than ever as it targets the $600 bracket. The Snapdragon X processor is the entry-level chip of the Snapdragon laptop line which kicked off with the Snapdragon X Elite in June 2024. The Snapdragon X will join the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core, Snapdragon X Plus 10-core, and Snapdragon X Elite to round out Qualcomm's line of AI PC chipsets. The Snapdragon X is the fourth laptop processor from Qualcomm, bringing Copilot+ PCs to the $600 range, making AI PCs more affordable and accessible than ever. The Snapdragon X will feature the same Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with 45 TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) as the Snapdragon X Elite. The Snapdragon X chipset will feature 8 CPU cores alongside the Hexagon NPU and a Qualcomm Adreno GPU. Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon X can offer 63% better performance at ISO power compared to the Intel Core 5 120U. Qualcomm also claims the Intel Core 5 120U would require 168% more power at ISO performance than the Snapdragon X. However, Qualcomm is basing these claims on a custom Snapdragon X laptop compared to the consumer-level Dell Inspiron 14 (7440 2-in-1), so real-world results may vary. Snapdragon X systems will be designed mostly for creating presentations, web browsing, and streaming content, making them ideal choices for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers alike. Not only will the Snapdragon X chipset launch on budget-friendly laptops, but it will also appear on mini desktops PCs in the $600 range. Qualcomm expects the Snapdragon X Series to appear on computers from manufacturers like Asus, Acer, Dell, and Lenovo in laptop and mini-PC desktop formats. The mini PCs expected to feature the Snapdragon X chipset will be the first desktops powered by Snapdragon processors after Qualcomm canceled the Snapdragon X Elite dev kit mini-PC last year. In a statement provided to the press ahead of the official announcement, Qualcomm's Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager, Mobile, Compute, and XR said, "The Snapdragon X Series portfolio offers the most powerful, intelligent, and power-efficient processors for Windows in their class, making Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon the ultimate choice for users who want a laptop that can do it all. "Our ecosystem of partners continues to build on Snapdragon to deliver innovative form factors and premium AI experiences that enable everyday PC users who want a laptop that can keep up with their busy lives." Obviously, we will have to wait until we can get our hands on a Snapdragon X processor to confirm Qualcomm's performance claims, but the Snapdragon X may be the chip that finally makes AI PCs affordable to most consumers. Of course, Qualcomm's claims are based on a custom-built platform that will not be available to consumers, which makes it hard to take the company's performance claims at face value. We'll have to reserve judgment on the Snapdragon X until we get to test it ourselves later in 2025.

Qualcomm teases mini desktop PC, announces 8-core Snapdragon X chip to bring Arm-powered Windows CoPilot+ laptops down to ~$600

Qualcomm launched a new 8-core Snapdragon X model here at CES 2025 in Las Vegas as it looks to reduce the pricing of Arm-based Windows CoPilot+ laptops based on its platform down to the $600 price range to help penetrate the lucrative high-volume mainstream segment of the market. That broadens the company's approach to the mainstream segment further in the wake of its Snapdragon X Plus chips that brought pricing down to the $799 range. Despite the new chips' lower price point, the company isn't skimping on performance; in single- and multi-core Geekbench, Qualcomm claims to offer 163% and 157% faster performance, respectively, at the same power level as a competing Intel chip, or use 168% and 240% less power to deliver the same level of performance. The company also teased that it would announce the world's first Snapdragon mini desktop PCs tomorrow. The launch comes as Qualcomm fights to gain more market share in the PC market from x86 industry stalwarts Intel and AMD with its Windows laptops, a task that, given recent market share reports, will require both an extended period of time and a broader range of price points. However, the company says it is off to a solid start, with Snapdragon processors comprising 95% of the shipping Windows CoPilot+ PCs, with sales in 20 countries addressing over 60% of the total addressable Windows market. The Qualcomm X1-26-100 slots in as the lowest-tier 'Snapdragon X' model, joining the other three platforms already available, like the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. The chip is an eight-core processor fabbed on the TSMC 4nm process node that boosts up to 3.0 GHz in all-core workloads, with the slightly lower CPU clock speed being the key differentiator compared to the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus processors. The chip wields 30MB of total cache and delivers up to 1.7 TFLOPS of performance from the Adreno GPU, with up to 45 TOPS of performance coming from the AI-focused Hexagon Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The processor supports LPDDR5x-8448 memory that provides up to 135 GB/s of memory throughput across a 16-bit memory bus. Qualcomm says it has five laptop OEMs, including Dell and Lenovo, bringing new notebooks to market with the chip under the hood. Qualcomm and Intel have been engaged in a tit-for-tat benchmark war, and today's launch is no exception. Qualcomm claims that Snapdragon X outperforms Intel's 10-core Core 5 120U in the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme GPU benchmark by 319% at the same power level, and that the Intel chip requires 258% more power to deliver the same level of performance. Notably, this synthetic benchmark often doesn't correlate directly to real-world gaming performance, and Snapdragon PC chips have struggled with teething issues with many games that aren't yet optimized for Arm-based processors. That means that Intel holds the compatibility lead in gaming. Qualcomm also says its chip outperforms the 120U by 2.2X in performance per watt in the web browser benchmark Speedometer, and by 2.8X the performance per watt in the Procyon productivity suite, which encompasses performance in a range of office applications. Battery life is the key selling point of the Arm-powered Snapdragon platform, and Qualcomm says it delivers anywhere from 35% to 106% more battery life than a Core 5 120U-equipped laptop in a range of benchmarks, including streaming, web browsing, office applications, and Teams video calls. Being a CoPilot+ PC platform, AI is also a central focus of Qualcomm's performance claims, including a claimed 5.6X advantage in the Procyon AI Score and a whopping 17X advantage in performance-per-watt during the test. That's possible because Snapdragon X uses its power-efficient NPU for AI tasks while the Intel processor relies upon the decidedly less performant and efficient integrated GPU. As highlighted in another slide, Intel's 120U and AMD's Ryzen 5 7540U, the latter of which was curiously left out of Qualcomm's other benchmarks (Qualcomm clearly has Intel in the crosshairs), don't have an NPU that can run the Procyon AI test. Leading performance and battery life in any given laptop price tier is usually a winning combination, but the advancement of the Arm-compatible software ecosystem looms large as Qualcomm's primary barrier to wider adoption. In partnerships with Microsoft and a wide range of ISVs ,Qualcomm is working to defray compatibility concerns and ensure that applications not only run on Arm, but that they also run at their full performance potential. To that end, the company says that it has expanded the roster of Arm-native applications to include 20 of the top VPNs, 50 of the top security and cloud applications, along with new music Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and Virtual Studio Technology (VST) applications. The company also now has 50 native NPU-powered applications that look to capitalize on the AI potential of CoPilot+ PCs. The Snapdragon X platform will launch globally beginning in January 2025, and as you'd imagine, we'll have systems in for review in short order.

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon X CPUs for Affordable PCs at CES 2025

Qualcomm says Snapdragon X CPU-powered PCs will arrive in early 2025 Qualcomm on Monday unveiled its latest Snapdragon X platform for budget PCs at CES 2025. The company's latest octa-core CPUs are designed to compete with affordable chips from Intel and AMD, while offering support for AI features via a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) and improved battery efficiency. The new Snapdragon X platform is expected to power computers that are priced under $600 (roughly Rs. 51,400), which should bring down the cost of Arm-based Windows laptops by a considerable amount. The newly announced Snapdragon X platform (X1-26-100) is designed for affordable computers, and features eight Oryon CPU cores with a peak clock speed of up to 3GHz. This is lower than the Snapdragon X Plus (up to 3.4GHz) and Snapdragon X Elite (up to 3.8GHz), for midrange and high-end laptops, respectively. The 4nm chipset supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM, with 135GB/s memory bandwidth. It features a Qualcomm Adreno GPU that supports up to three external displays at 4K/ 60Hz. It supports Windows 11 along with Copilot+ features that are available on more expensive PCs. Qualcomm has also equipped the Snapdragon X CPUs with a Hexagon NPU that is capable of delivering 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI performance. As a result, we can expect to see more affordable Copilot+ PCs in the coming months, and these will compete with similarly priced processors from Intel and AMD that lack a dedicated NPU. The Snapdragon X platform will also support features available on Qualcomm's more expensive chips, such as instant wake and standby efficiency. The company claims that it offers up to two times longer battery life and up to 163 percent faster performance than competing processors. Besides, it supports 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4, USB 4 Type-C connectivity. Customers can expect PCs equipped with the Snapdragon X platform from OEMs like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus in "early 2025". Qualcomm also says that these devices are expected to be priced around $600 (roughly Rs. 51,400), which should make Copilot+ PCs more accessible in the coming months.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chip will power more affordable Copilot+ PCs

Qualcomm has launched a new platform that will put Copilot+ PCs in reach of more people. Snapdragon X, the latest addition the brand's Snapdragon X Series that also include the X Elite and the X Plus, comes with Qualcomm's 8-core Oryon CPU and an integrated Adreno GPU. The company says it can run up to 163 percent faster than its competitors' comparable platforms, that its neural processing unit can run AI tasks on device more efficiently and that it enables a lengthy (even multi-day) battery life. There are apparently over 60 computer models powered by the platform in development and in production at various manufacturers already, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo. These companies are expected to launch the first batch of Snapdragon X products early this year, with more than 100 models coming by 2026. The devices will be priced in the $600 range, making them a viable option for a lot of people looking to buy a new computer. They won't be just laptops either -- Qualcomm says buyers can expect Snapdragon X-powered mini PCs, as well, and will announce more details soon. The company believes Snapdragon X devices will be a "good solution for students, freelance workers and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop."

With New Snapdragon X Chip, Qualcomm Targets $600 Windows Laptops

Qualcomm's latest push into the PC market involves lowering the price of Windows laptops based on its CPUs by introducing a new, lower-end Snapdragon X processor. (It's just called "Snapdragon X," appended with no "Plus" or "Elite," unlike Qualcomm's earlier efforts). This new chip will also make an appearance in at least one mini desktop PC. At CES 2025, the company announced the new Snapdragon X processor, which will pave the way for Qualcomm-powered laptops in the $600 range. "Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives," Qualcomm said in its announcement. The Snapdragon X tier joins the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus lines, which arrived last year; those families were designed for laptops in the $1,000-and-up and $800-and-up ranges, respectively. A company stat sheet shows the Snapdragon X tier will consist of a single eight-core chip, dubbed the X1-26-100, which features a maximum multi-core clock speed of 3GHz, and 30MB of cache. That's a downgrade from the 12 and 10 cores (and higher clock speeds) found in the X Elite and X Plus lines, although a couple of the X Plus chips feature only eight cores, as well. Despite the downgrades, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon X tier still offers the same AI-focused performance as its betters, at 45 TOPS. The X chip was also built using a 4-nanometer manufacturing process, and promises to offer superior battery life and CPU speeds over rival processors from Intel and AMD. A company benchmark claims the Snapdragon X chip easily beats Intel's one-year-old Core 5 120U across a range of tests, including battery life and performance per watt, as well as in AI-powered tasks. Expect laptops carrying the new Snapdragon X chip to arrive through key PC makers, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, starting this month. Despite the arrival of Snapdragon X, we've actually seen some existing Qualcomm laptops on discount for as little as $599. So, shopping around, consumers might be able to score better deals on laptops built with the more powerful existing Qualcomm chips. Qualcomm-based laptops have been arriving since mid-2024 branded as Windows Copilot+ PCs, touting advanced AI processing and CPU speeds. But a key difference is that the company's laptops run on the Arm architecture, rather than the x86 architecture used by Intel and AMD. As a result, Qualcomm's chips for PCs require running Arm-based apps, although the company says dozens of the top software makers have already published native Windows apps. Non-native apps can run in the emulation layer in Windows on Arm called Prism. Now Snapdragon Does Desktops? At CES, the company also teased the arrival of a mini desktop PC that'll boast a Snapdragon X series chip. "This new form factor ensures there is a design for every consumer, developer, and business need for those who prefer a portable device," the company said. "Tomorrow, keep an eye on the news for full details." The tease comes after Qualcomm actually canceled a developer-focused $899 mini desktop PC called the "Snapdragon Dev Kit" back in October, citing the product failing to meet its standards for excellence.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Platform for Copilot+ PCs announced

Qualcomm has introduced Snapdragon X Platform, the 4th platform to join the Snapdragon X Series compute portfolio, promising performance, multi-day battery life, and Copilot+ PC experiences for even more users globally, after the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core was introduced last year. Utilizing the power of an 8-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Snapdragon X will offer essential performance to the next-generation of PCs, said Qualcomm. This platform promises up to 163% faster performance at ISO-power than the competitors who also require 168% more power at ISO-performance, the Snapdragon X processor balances performance and built-in intelligence with a 45 TOPS NPU that runs Copilot+ PC experiences more efficiently. With an integrated power efficient GPU, Snapdragon X supports dynamic graphics ideal for creating presentations, web browsing, or streaming content. Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives. Windows 11 on Snapdragon momentum continues to grow with more than 50 NPU powered AI experiences native on Snapdragon. Native apps now include 20 of the most popular VPNs, 50 of the most popular security apps and cloud storage apps, and new music Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and Virtual Studio Technology (VST) Instruments. Native app development has increased 3x over the past year, with companies like Music AI launching the Moises Live app exclusively for Snapdragon and its NPU, said Qualcomm. Devices powered by Snapdragon X are expected to be available from leading OEMs including Acer, Asus, Dell Technologies, HP and Lenovo in early 2025 enabling Copilot+ PCs in the USD 600 (Rs. 51,405 approx.) range.

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon X Platform, expanding affordable AI-powered PC options - SiliconANGLE

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon X Platform, expanding affordable AI-powered PC options Qualcomm Technologies Inc. today announced the Snapdragon X Platform, the fourth platform to join the Snapdragon X Series compute portfolio, that has been designed to deliver performance, multiday battery life and Copilot+ PC experiences. The Snapdragon X Platform features an eight-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU and a 45 trillion-operations-per-second NPU that Qualcomm says delivers 163% faster performance at ISO power than competitors while consuming significantly less energy. The X Platform also features an integrated power-efficient graphics processing unit that supports dynamic graphics, making it suitable for creating presentations, web browsing or streaming content. Qualcomm is pitching Snapdragon X as an ideal solution for students, freelance workers and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop. Alongside the announcement made at the CES consumer electronics show this week in Las Vegas, Qualcomm also unveiled mini PCs powered by the Snapdragon X Series platform. The new devices coming to market that are powered by the chip include the Lenovo Group Ltd. ThinkCentre neo 50q QC and Lenovo IdeaCentre and Mini x (1L, 10). Qualcom says they're the first commercial and consumer desktop AI PCs powered by Snapdragon X Series processors with Copilot+ PC experiences. The ThinkCentre neo 50q QC features 45 TOPS of NPU power to deliver exceptional performance for demanding projects while maintaining power efficiency. The other PC, the IdeaCentre Mini x, integrates Snapdragon X Plus to enhance productivity and streamline workflows, making it an ideal choice for professionals and creatives seeking smarter workplace solutions. Additional devices powered by the Snapdragon X Platform are expected to be available from manufacturers that include Acer Inc., ASUSTek Computer Inc., Dell Technologies Inc. and HP Inc. later this year. Qualcomm also took the opportunity to highlight the growing momentum of Windows 11 on Snapdragon, emphasizing its integration with advanced AI capabilities powered by the Snapdragon platform. Windows 11 on Snapdragon now supports over 50 neural processing unit-powered AI experiences, including popular virtual private networks, security apps and cloud storage applications. The growth in support for Windows on Snapdragon has seen a threefold increase in native app development within the past year. Notable innovations highlighted by Qualcomm include the Moises Live app, a music-focused Digital Audio Workstation and Virtual Studio Technology tool, which debuted exclusively on Snapdragon-powered devices that leverage the platform's AI-optimized NPU for enhanced performance. "The introduction of Snapdragon X further reinforces a new wave of PC innovation and enables the latest technologies to be brought to a broader range of Copilot+ PCs," Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president of Windows + Devices at Microsoft, said in a statement. "With Snapdragon X, customers will continue to experience leading performance and battery life, access more innovative AI experiences and have more form factors to choose from when deciding what Copilot+ PC best fits their needs."

Qualcomm brings its Snapdragon X chips to mid-range Windows laptops and desktops | TechCrunch

Qualcomm is making a move for the mid-range PC market with a new system-on-chip. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon X, the latest chip in its Snapdragon X Series of PC processors. The company claims that the chip, built on a 4nm fabrication process, delivers up to "multi-day" battery life and robust performance at an affordable price point. There are still a few software compatibility issues to be worked out with Windows on Qualcomm's chip architecture. Still, that hasn't stopped the company from forging ahead with new processors in a bid to gain on rivals AMD and Intel. Qualcomm has a long way to go: According to one recent industry report, Qualcomm captured just 0.8% of the PC market in Q3 2024. The company said Snapdragon X will power a range of Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft's Windows 11 machines with AI-powered tools and applications, set to launch in Q1 and priced at around $600. Packing Qualcomm's Oryon CPU with 8 cores clocked up to 3GHz, Snapdragon X also has a neural processing unit (NPU), which supposedly accelerates AI workloads. Other highlights include Bluetooth 5.4 compatibility, support for Wi-Fi 7, and the ability to power up to three external UHD (4K) monitors running at 60Hz. PC manufacturers that adopt Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Platform, a new hardware reference program, will also get additional tech such as Qualcomm's A/V suite and proprietary image processing. Expect to see Snapdragon X in laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo in the coming weeks. "There are over 60 Copilot+ PC designs powered by Snapdragon now available or in development," Peter Burns, senior director of product marketing at Qualcomm, wrote in a blog post provided to TechCrunch last week. "[And in] 2024, we saw a remarkable 3X increase in native Windows apps for Snapdragon." Qualcomm last year abruptly canceled its Windows-based mini PC, but the company said during CES that it'll help bring to market desktops powered by its Snapdragon X Series processors in 2025. A few of these desktops will come from Lenovo. The company's new ThinkCentre neo 50q QC, and IdeaCentre Mini x (1L, 10) both sport Snapdragon X Series processors, albeit different SKUs. The ThinkCentre neo 50q QC comes with the Snapdragon X Plus or Snapdragon X, depending on the configuration, while the IdeaCentre Mini x (1L, 10) has the Snapdragon X Plus. The Snapdragon X Plus launched last spring, following the Snapdragon X Elite in October 2023. Qualcomm introduced a less powerful, cheaper variant of the X Plus in September. "The all-new mini and tiny desktop PCs mark a significant milestone in our PC journey," Burns wrote. "Developers building applications on Windows on Snapdragon desktops can now take advantage of new design options and unprecedented power efficiency, enabling them to create more efficient and powerful applications with NPU-accelerated features."

Qualcomm Is Gunning For The Ultra-Affordable $600 Laptop Segment With Its 8-Core Snapdragon X; New SoC Sports Same Capable NPU As Faster Chipsets

The Snapdragon X Elite and the Snapdragon X Plus are found in notebooks sporting a higher price bracket, which limits Qualcomm's options when tapping into the ARM-based market. Thankfully, the San Diego firm was well aware of the competition, which is why, at the CES 2025 trade show, the company has unveiled a new chipset called the Snapdragon X, and it will be found in machines stamped with a $600 price tag. Last year, we reported that Qualcomm had clear intentions of partnering with various OEMs to introduce an affordable model, so let us dive into the specifications real quick. One of the biggest differences between the Snapdragon X and the other SKUs is the core count. You now get an 8-core configuration with four performance and four efficiency cores, with a maximum clock speed of 3.00GHz, coupled with 30MB of total cache. In the specifications sheet below, Qualcomm has not listed the boost clock speed, meaning that the Snapdragon X will be limited to 3.00GHz, affecting both single-core and multi-core performance. The Adreno GPU used in the Snapdragon X has a maximum TFLOPS of 1.7, similar to the lower-end Snapdragon X Plus. However, when talking about on-device AI capabilities, the Snapdragon X punches above its weight class as the Hexagon NPU flaunts 45 TOPS, along with support for high-speed LPDDR5X RAM, up to 64GB. The latest silicon can also be paired with a PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD, with the entire package commanding sufficient bandwidth to support up to three 4K 60Hz external monitors. The Snapdragon X also supports cellular connectivity thanks to the Snapdragon X65 5G modem and Wi-Fi 7. Like the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus, Qualcomm has leveraged TSMC's 4nm 'N4P' process for the new silicon, delivering an incredible 'performance per watt' metric that will ensure that notebooks featuring the SoC last for significantly longer. What is remarkable to see is notebook models like the 2-in-1 Lenovo Ideapad 5x powered by the Snapdragon X Plus and sporting 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD listed on Amazon for just $659, suggesting that future Snapdragon X laptops could be sold for as low as $550 in the coming months. Of course, where Qualcomm has breached the pricing obstacle, it has yet to cross the app compatibility bridge, a feat that Apple has scaled when it first announced its family of Macs powered by the M1.