Snapdragon X Elite beats Apple M2 Max & Intel i9 in new ARM's race for Windows laptops

Qualcomm has unveiled its new flagship laptop processor, the Snapdragon X Elite, which it claims outperforms both Apple's M2 Max and Intel's Core i9-13980HX in single-threaded performance, while also offering significantly better performance per watt.

The Snapdragon X Elite is powered by Qualcomm's new custom Oryon CPU, which features 12 cores and a clock speed of up to 4.3GHz. Qualcomm claims that the Oryon CPU is up to 2x faster than Intel and AMD laptop CPUs, and 50% faster than Apple's M2 Max.

In addition to its CPU performance, the Snapdragon X Elite also features a powerful new Hexagon NPU, which is capable of running machine learning models with over 13 billion parameters directly on the device. This makes the Snapdragon X Elite ideal for AI-powered workloads such as image processing, video editing, and natural language processing.

Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon X Elite will be available in Windows laptops starting in mid-2024. If Qualcomm's claims are accurate, the Snapdragon X Elite could represent a major shift in the Windows laptop market, as it would show that ARM-based processors are now capable of competing with and even surpassing Intel and AMD CPUs in terms of performance.

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What this means for consumers

If the Snapdragon X Elite lives up to its promises, it could mean big things for consumers. Windows laptops with Snapdragon X Elite processors could offer significantly better performance and battery life than current laptops with Intel or AMD CPUs. They could also be thinner and lighter, making them more portable.

In addition, the Snapdragon X Elite's powerful NPU could open up new possibilities for AI-powered applications on Windows laptops. For example, laptops with Snapdragon X Elite processors could be used to edit videos, photos, and documents much faster than current laptops. They could also be used to develop and run new AI-powered applications, such as virtual assistants and chatbots.

Of course, it's still too early to say for sure how well the Snapdragon X Elite will perform in real-world use. However, Qualcomm's claims are certainly promising, and it will be interesting to see how Windows laptops with Snapdragon X Elite processors compare to current laptops with Intel or AMD CPUs.

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