Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus Boosts Performance And Efficiency For Windows AI PCs
Qualcomm is expanding its latest-generation Snapdragon chip line for Windows laptops with the Snapdragon X2 Plus, and with the new addition comes the promise of a "legendary leap in performance." It slots underneath the existing Snapdragon X2 Elite that was unveiled several weeks ago and fleshes out Qualcomm's arsenal for its continued Arm-based assault on Windows PCs that are currently dominated by x86 silicon from AMD and Intel.
Speaking of the X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, here's a quick look at some live benchmarking of the higher end silicon at CES...
The effort by Qualcomm to infiltrate Windows PCs has predominantly been targeted at laptops (it does have an interest in desktops PCs, though), and the Snapdragon X2 Plus is its latest salvo. Qualcomm's offering two SKUs to get the X2 Plus party started, including the 10-core X2P-64-100 and 6-core X2P-42-100. It's possible that more models will follow, considering four SKUs comprise the previously Snapdragon X Plus lineup, but we'll have to wait and see.
For now, we get two. The 10-core model is made up of 6 Prime cores with a 4.04GHz single-core boost frequency and 4GHz max multi-core clock speed, and 4 Performance cores with a 3.4GHz max multi-core clock. It also wields 34MB of total cache, an Adreno GPU that can crank to 1.7GHz, and a dedicated hexagon NPU delivering up to 80 TOPS of AI muscle. Other features include support for up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory at 9,523 MT/s on a 128-bit bus for up to 152GB/s of memory bandwidth.
The 6-core model, meanwhile, consists solely of Prime cores at the same boost and multi-core frequencies (4.04GHz and 4GHz, respectively), while reducing the total cache to 22MB and dialing back the GPU clock speed to 900MHz. Otherwise, it has the same NPU and same memory support.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus Performance Claims
According to Qualcomm, third-generation Oryon processor in 10-core form delivers up to 35% faster single-core performance than the previous generation, and does it while consuming 43% less power. It's also claiming up to 17% faster multi-core performance, up to a 29% GPU performance boost, and up to a not-insignificant 78% boost to NPU performance compared to last-gen.
The 6-core chip comes with similar performance uplift claims across the board, save for a 10% jump in multi-core CPU performance (compared to 17% on the 10-core model), and curiously enough, a 39% GPU performance uplift versus 29% on the higher-end SKU, though we suspect Qualcomm got those figures backwards on its slide presentation.
Among all those figures, the power consumption claim is key because of the inherent advantage of Arm-based systems as it applies to battery life. While it will vary by laptop model—a lot of factors go into battery life, which obviously includes battery capacity—Qualcomm is touting not just all-day battery life, but multi-day usage before needing to recharge.
Qualcomm isn't solely focused on battery life, though. Related, it's also claiming key advantages over both Intel and AMD in performance per watt, saying the competitors require up to 4.6x power to reach peak performance levels. It's reminiscent of Apple touting power and efficiency margins for its M-series silicon.
For AI workloads, Qualcomm claims its Snapdragon silicon boasts the fastest NPU for laptops in its class, a claim rooted in in-house run UL Procyon AI Computer Vision and Geekbench AI benchmarks, as shown above.
"Modern professionals and creators want to do more, create more, and push the limits
of generative AI and all-day performance. Snapdragon X2 Plus platform delivers the
power, efficiency and intelligence to surpass their ambitions, making each experience
more responsive and personal," said Kedar Kondap, SVP and GM of computing and
gaming at Qualcomm.
Look for Qualcomm's OEM partners to implement its Snapdragon X2 Plus silicon sooner than later for the next batch of Copilot+ PCs.
