Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Performance Puts Pressure Back on Intel and Apple

It's important to statement that this was each tested connected nan X2 Elite Extreme configuration, which comes pinch six further CPU cores complete nan modular X2 Elite. There were nary X2 Elite systems to test, truthful we don't cognize what those multi-core scores will be. I've been told that GPU capacity will besides standard up connected nan X2 Elite, but we don't yet cognize really overmuch faster nan X2 Elite Extreme is complete its sibling.

The different caveats? The reference portion connected which each of this was benchmarked is simply a bigger laptop than galore existent Snapdragon X Elite options—a 16-inch laptop pinch a 0.67-inch heavy chassis. That's not overly large, but capacity successful smaller laptops pinch little thermal headroom whitethorn execute differently. Qualcomm did person a fewer different reference designs connected display, specified arsenic a 2-in-1 detachable, mini PC, and all-in-one desktop. These weren't disposable for testing, but were a preview of what to expect adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile these chips motorboat successful existent devices.

Finally, benchmarks are benchmarks. Take each of this pinch a atom of salt. How these chips will impact real-world capacity successful each nan apps you usage each time will beryllium different. We'll person to hold until these processors onshore successful laptops to really accent trial them, and we'll person a amended thought of really they execute against nan competition.

X2 Elite Extreme and X2 Elite Confusion

Between nan X2 Elite Extreme and nan X2 Elite, location are technically 3 circumstantial SKUs. The nonstop spot from nan benchmarking session, nan X2E-96-100, represents nan top-tier capacity successful nan lineup, pinch 18 cores and a dual-core 5-GHz boost. This is nan spot that will beryllium sold arsenic nan X2 Elite Extreme.

Confusingly, location are 2 Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, 1 that besides has 18 cores and 1 pinch 12 cores. The quality betwixt nan 2 18-core models is representation bandwidth. Although each 3 chips person a caller neural processing portion tin of 80 TOPS, nan X2 Elite chips are constricted to 8-channel memory, whereas nan X2 Elite Extreme has integrated 12-channel representation pinch a bandwidth of up to 228 GB per second.

That mightiness sound for illustration a subtle difference, and it will beryllium for astir people, but AI workloads are highly memory-dependent—that little bandwidth will beryllium a bottleneck for anyone tapping retired nan NPU. With nan X2 Elite Extreme configuration, nan attraction seems to beryllium connected speeding up AI workloads, alternatively than much accepted faster CPU aliases GPU performance.

Qualcomm seems to want to push nan attraction of AI successful its top-tier configuration, but truthful far, nan existent jump successful capacity seems for illustration it would beryllium betwixt nan 12-core and 18-core versions of nan X2 Elite. But we'll person to hold until we tin reappraisal these systems successful caller hardware.

Adding different top-tier spot pinch its ain branding is an absorbing move for Qualcomm, particularly since nan institution seems to person nan astir occurrence pinch its mid-tier chips that showed up successful laptops astir $1,000. But it's a strategical move, particularly if nan institution wants to execute its extremity of taking 50 percent of nan Windows PC marketplace stock successful 5 years.