Qualcomm has announced its latest processors, the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, claiming them to be “the fastest and most efficient processors for Windows PCs.” The company asserts that these new 3nm chips deliver a performance increase of up to 31 percent in CPU capabilities when compared to the previous Snapdragon X Elite, while drawing the same amount of power. Alternatively, the chips can operate using 43 percent less power and boast GPU performance improvements of up to 2.3 times, enabled by a new 1.85GHz GPU.
These processors feature a third-generation Oryon CPU, which includes configurations of up to 18 cores, with 12 cores capable of running at speeds of up to 4.4GHz; two of these can reach 5GHz. In addition, Qualcomm has introduced an 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU designed for artificial intelligence tasks, claiming it provides a 37 percent performance increase alongside a 16 percent reduction in power consumption.
Qualcomm describes this upgrade as a “legendary leap in performance,” particularly highlighting that the Elite Extreme version may achieve “up to 75 percent faster CPU performance” under identical power conditions. However, no explicit competitor or comparison chip is mentioned in the release, raising questions about the context of these claims. The company also suggests that these enhancements could lead to “multi-day battery life,” a claim made last year concerning the Snapdragon X Elite.
Last year, user experiences reported battery life of 14 to 18 hours, which could translate to what Qualcomm defines as “multi-day” usage. Gaming performance on Arm architecture is expected to improve due to a new 18MB high-speed cache, labeled “Adreno High Performance Memory.” Looking ahead, Qualcomm notes that these new laptops are anticipated to be available in the first half of 2026, differentiating this release timeline from previous launches when devices were available shortly after announcements.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/785068/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-x2-elite-and-extreme-for-windows-pcs