Qualcomm has expanded its Snapdragon laptop chip lineup with the introduction of the Snapdragon X Plus. Positioned below the flagship Snapdragon X Elite, the X Plus is designed for slightly more affordable mainstream laptops. Utilizing the same 4nm process and Arm-based Oryon CPU architecture as its sibling, the X Plus features 10 CPU cores and reduced clock speeds, resulting in a balance between performance and cost-effectiveness. Notably, the X Plus retains the same 45 TOPS of machine learning performance as the X Elite, meeting Microsoft’s suggested requirements for running elements of Copilot AI on-device. Qualcomm claims significant power efficiency improvements, with the X Plus delivering up to 37% faster CPU performance than the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H when operating at the same wattage. It is also said to outperform the Apple M3 processor by 10% in multi-threaded CPU tasks. Despite impressive benchmark scores, the true test will come when the X Plus is integrated into retail hardware and interacts with Windows, which has historically faced challenges with Arm-based silicon compared to Apple’s macOS. However, Qualcomm’s recent collaborations with major players like Google to enhance Chrome performance on Snapdragon PCs may alleviate these concerns. The Snapdragon X Plus is expected to appear in retail devices in the second half of 2024, offering a promising option for mid-range laptops with improved performance and efficiency.
Qualcomm Expands Snapdragon Laptop Chip Lineup with Snapdragon X Plus
