From his return to the PC in 2024, Qualcomm has been looking to win an ultra competitive sector. The results, transported by PCs with Co -Co -Philot+, an exclusive time for their chips, so far they have not been completely conclusive, with a graphic part, which is used for games in particular, which was not necessarily as impressive as expected.
But thanks to its Snapdragon X2 Elite range, presented that night during its summit event, Qualcomm believes that you can finally make a difference with fleas combining power, performance and autonomy. These socates, chips that gather the processor (CPU), the graphic chip (GPU) and the calculation units for the IA (NPU) tasks, could sign the age of maturity and make promises, in particular thanks to the third generation of Coeurs Oryon, for the CPU.
In any case, the San Diego company proclaims it aloud and clear that its new chips are “the processors for the fastest and most efficient windows” never put in the market.
Controlled consumption and a 5 GHz crossed bar
Available in two versions, the X2 Elite (with 12 hearts) and the X2 Elite Extreme (with 18 hearts), the new manufacturer’s new chip is designed for high -level ultrafins “and lasting laptops, which will face MacBook Air.
If the X2 Elite is optimized for performing the tasks generated by local artificial intelligence, Qualcomm has not sneaky into the power of the general, while obviously maintains a very attentive eye to the Watts performance ratio, in other words, the consumption of electricity for a power level. Therefore, compared to the previous model, the X Elite, the X2 Elite, recorded in 3 Nm, ensures 31% more yield for the same electrical consumption, and generally requires up to 43% less energy.
It is also interesting to note that Qualcomm indicates having offered a first symbolism with a arm chip, of the 18 hearts of X2 Elite Extreme, two can exceed the 5 GHz mark. This allows Qualcomm to say that its high -gas chip is up to 75% more efficient than competition for the same energy consumption. The SOC giant for smartphones compares its new monster with two Intel and AMD chips, respectively, the Core Ultra 9 285H and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. But, as often, it will be necessary to take these figures with tweezers. However, one thing is safe, Qualcomm has confidence and hits hard.
The graphic part, which was delayed in the previous generation, seems to catch up. It is given that it is 2.3 times more efficient by watt than the previous generation. The hearts of Gpu Adreno rise in frequency, go to 1.8 GHz in the X2 Elite and 1.85 GHz for the X2 Elite Extreme, allowing Qualcomm to promise three 4K screens and an update rate of 144 Hz.
Finally, as in our smartphones, Qualcomm chips for future PCs are designed to perform as much as possible of AI tasks. The two new chips integrate a NPU that shows 80 tops, unprecedented in laptops for the general public and that would be up to 78% faster than in the previous generation.
After this figure of figure, it seems that the machines that will be equipped with their chips should offer crazy autonomies (Qualcommare speaks of several days, and guaranteeing great fluidity in the uses and multitasking. Also power also to compensate for the software optimization failures that can still be found in a Windows environment encouraged by an ARM chip.
Better software compatibility with the arm
The fact is that the power is not enough if there is no compatibility with the software used daily. On this side also, Qualcomm (and Microsoft) seems to have understood the reasons for the relative failure of the PCs thrown in 2024 with their chips.
Just as Microsoft had to develop a specific version of Windows, the software must be improved to adapt to ARM architecture. Even if it is possible to execute non -optimized programs thanks to a form of emulation … Apple had opened this path with Rosetta 2, when it abandoned Intel processors for their own Siliconus Apple chips in 2020.
In any case, except exceptions, the software designed to convert natively into an ARM PC offers better performance and greater stability in the programs. In this case, Qualcomm has found an ally of size since it was Adobe who took the stage last night, announcing that all his creative suite, the software and images of video retouching, now works natively.
On the video game, you can also feel. If no specific announcement on this side has been made, Qualcomm, however, ensures that the performance has improved greatly. We will judge per piece, particularly by emulation, while the number of native arms games remains relatively small.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite range will be launched in the first half of 2026 in several associate manufacturers of laptops. By then, the Snapdragon Guardian application will also be launched, similar to the Localization d’A Apple application, which, thanks to the 5G and WiFi 7 compatibility, will easily find its device from your smartphone.
Source: BFM TV
