Qualcomm’s latest push into the PC market involves lowering the price of Windows laptops based on its CPUs by introducing a new, lower-end Snapdragon X processor. (It’s just called “Snapdragon X,” appended with no “Plus” or “Elite,” unlike Qualcomm’s earlier efforts). This new chip will also make an appearance in at least one mini desktop PC.
At CES 2025, the company announced the new Snapdragon X processor, which will pave the way for Qualcomm-powered laptops in the $600 range. “Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives,” Qualcomm said in its announcement.
(Credit: Qualcomm)
The Snapdragon X tier joins the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus lines, which arrived last year; those families were designed for laptops in the $1,000-and-up and $800-and-up ranges, respectively. A company stat sheet shows the Snapdragon X tier will consist of a single eight-core chip, dubbed the X1-26-100, which features a maximum multi-core clock speed of 3GHz, and 30MB of cache. That’s a downgrade from the 12 and 10 cores (and higher clock speeds) found in the X Elite and X Plus lines, although a couple of the X Plus chips feature only eight cores, as well.
(Credit: Qualcomm)
Despite the downgrades, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon X tier still offers the same AI-focused performance as its betters, at 45 TOPS. The X chip was also built using a 4-nanometer manufacturing process, and promises to offer superior battery life and CPU speeds over rival processors from Intel and AMD. A company benchmark claims the Snapdragon X chip easily beats Intel’s one-year-old Core 5 120U across a range of tests, including battery life and performance per watt, as well as in AI-powered tasks.
(Credit: Qualcomm)
(Credit: Qualcomm)
Expect laptops carrying the new Snapdragon X chip to arrive through key PC makers, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, starting this month. Despite the arrival of Snapdragon X, we’ve actually seen some existing Qualcomm laptops on discount for as little as $599. So, shopping around, consumers might be able to score better deals on laptops built with the more powerful existing Qualcomm chips.
Qualcomm-based laptops have been arriving since mid-2024 branded as Windows Copilot+ PCs, touting advanced AI processing and CPU speeds. But a key difference is that the company’s laptops run on the Arm architecture, rather than the x86 architecture used by Intel and AMD.
As a result, Qualcomm’s chips for PCs require running Arm-based apps, although the company says dozens of the top software makers have already published native Windows apps. Non-native apps can run in the emulation layer in Windows on Arm called Prism.
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Now Snapdragon Does Desktops?
At CES, the company also teased the arrival of a mini desktop PC that’ll boast a Snapdragon X series chip. “This new form factor ensures there is a design for every consumer, developer, and business need for those who prefer a portable device,” the company said. “Tomorrow, keep an eye on the news for full details.”
The tease comes after Qualcomm actually canceled a developer-focused $899 mini desktop PC called the “Snapdragon Dev Kit” back in October, citing the product failing to meet its standards for excellence.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
