Getting a more affordable processor than the Snapdragon X Elite is a big deal for ARM-powered Windows machines. Introducing Qualcomm’s latest announcement, the Snapdragon X Plus! The Snapdragon X Plus is based on the same Oryon CPU that powers its predecessor, the Snapdragon X Elite. However, it features 10 cores instead of 12 and a slightly slower clock speed of 3.4GHz compared to 3.8GHz on the X Elite. Despite these differences, the Snapdragon X Plus still outperforms Apple’s M3 chip in a multi-threaded CPU benchmark. Furthermore, it remains significantly more power efficient than traditional x86 chips by consuming approximately 54% less power at peak performance than the Intel Core Ultra 7155H. Qualcomm emphasizes that the Snapdragon X Plus matches the X Elite in terms of NPU performance, which is crucial as “AI PCs” continue to gain prominence in the Windows ecosystem. Although Qualcomm refrains from explicitly stating so, the company suggests that the Plus will make this technology accessible to “even more users,” implying a more competitive price point for the chip. While no specific laptops have been officially announced to feature the Snapdragon X Plus (or X Elite, for that matter), Qualcomm anticipates more information to be revealed in “mid-2024.” It is widely anticipated that Microsoft will be among the first to embrace the new Snapdragon chips in its upcoming Surface hardware announcements.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus: A More Affordable Cousin to the X Elite
