Intel is calling its new Arc G Series processors, announced at Computex, the "next step in handheld gaming." After getting a chance to personally test the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8, I'm inclined to believe the hype.

The closed demo, hosted in part by Intel Fellow (and general PC hardware wizard) Tom Petersen, revealed a lot of additional information about the new chips before I got to choose a device and game.

One thing I picked up on immediately is that these new Intel chips should probably be viewed as an Arc GPU with an integrated CPU, rather than a CPU with an integrated GPU. As Petersen pointed out, this is the first time Intel has created graphics-forward Systems-on-Chip (SoC), and they're built specifically for gaming handhelds.

Gaming on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8

MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ was my first stop on the tour. It's a gorgeous Void Purple color with an oversized screen that extends just a bit out of the bottom of the device to accommodate the 8-inch screen.

MSI's shoulder buttons, triggers, D-pad, and standard buttons felt very crisp and responsive. Despite being larger than Acer's Predator Atlas 8, the Claw 8 EX AI+ wasn't too heavy and fit into my hands quite well.

One area where Acer has MSI beat is its thumbsticks. Despite most of its inputs feeling less snappy (I found the Acer shoulder buttons to be particularly soft), the joysticks felt a lot tighter with less chance of accidental movement.

Acer's Predator Atlas 8 is also a bit more compact, and it doesn't have the lower overhang for the screen despite also having an 8-inch display.

Audio out of both devices was respectable, and neither handheld made much fan noise despite running a rather demanding game.

I was equally impressed with the 8-inch displays, and I'll have to spend more time with the handhelds to really dial in the differences (if there are any). Both 8-inch screens have a 1920x1200 resolution, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and tons of brightness.

Crunching the Intel Arc G Series performance numbers

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and Hogwarts Legacy were the games of choice in the demo room. You might not think that a LEGO game is taxing, but with a recommended requirement of an NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER/AMD RX 6650 XT/Intel Arc B580, it certainly isn't an easy go.

I can attest; I picked up the game before my flight to Taiwan, and my Steam Deck struggles to maintain even 30 FPS in most areas.

That's anything but the case on these new handhelds. The game ran perfectly, holding strong at 100-120 FPS on both systems. Yes, my Steam Deck is showing its age, but Intel had AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme handhelds available to show the direct difference in performance.

How do Intel's new Arc G3 chips compare to AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme?

AMD has had a stranglehold on the gaming handheld market for some time now, but its Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip is starting to show its age in the face of the new Arc G3 chips.

Petersen had plenty of graphs and charts ready to back up his claims, and I'm sharing them here to give you an idea of what sort of performance is expected.

Compared to the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme in the ROG Xbox Ally X, the Arc G3 Extreme chip averages out to being 42% faster at 1080p, with 2x upscaling enabled and both chips at a 35W TDP.

Dropping the Arc G3 Extreme to 17W and leaving the Ryzen Z2 Extreme at 35W, the Intel chip averages out to twice as much performance per watt in tested games. Even at 12W, the Arc G3 Extreme pulls ahead by an average of 37% in the games Intel tested.

This boosted efficiency is exactly what you want in a mobile device. It's even more impressive considering XeSS isn't as energy efficient as AMD's FSR.

While using the new Arc G3 handhelds, the smoothness was remarkable. Intel's intelligent bias control plays a big role in that feeling, focusing mostly on the GPU so that the CPU doesn't suck up all the power.

E-cores are scheduled first, and P-cores get parked when they drop below 13W, making the overall experience much more reliable and with fewer power spikes.

The new Arc G3 chips have all the big XeSS features you want when you're PC gaming. I'm talking about super resolution, multi-frame generation, and ray tracing. Not to mention handheld extras like boosted efficiency, precompiled shaders, configurable TDP, etc.

Pricing remains an issue

The global gaming handheld market is being stomped on by RAM and storage shortages, and what were originally affordable mobile gaming PCs have become expensive luxury items.

👉 Gaming handhelds are the new netbooks — will they suffer the same tragic fate?

Acer hasn't yet set a price for its new Predator Atlas 8 (expected to launch October 2026), but MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is supposed to make its debut at $1,500 in June. I hope that number holds out, despite it already being quite high.

In any case, the handheld market is experiencing some serious friction, and that's a shame considering the advancements in performance I saw at Computex. Intel's Arc G3 chips seem to be the real deal, and I look forward to having more time with them once the MSI and Acer hardware launches.

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It finally happened: NVIDIA officially went public with its RTX Spark consumer processors to take on Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. I say "officially" because I've been hearing rumors about these ARM-based 'N1x' chips for over a year, but multiple announcements at this year's Computex show in Taiwan let the cat out of the bag.

Some of these mobile RTX SoCs are appearing in Windows on ARM laptops at the show, including Microsoft's uncompromising answer to Apple's MacBook Pro, the new flagship Surface Laptop Ultra. Predictably, PCs from other popular brands, like ASUS' 14-inch ProArt P14 and 16-inch P16, are targeting "all-day battery life" in the same way that PCs featuring Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X2 chips do.

In that, the mysterious hype from the past weekend around "a new era of PC" now feels more like a continuation of the Qualcomm-led ARM revival from 2024, which my Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Rubino, called a "great reset" for the industry. Then again, I wouldn't consider Microsoft's previous attempt at a "new era" of Copilot+ PCs a success, but it at least started a wave. And now, NVIDIA wants to ride that wave, bringing its specialized skills along.

My primary takeaway from NVIDIA's announcement was that it focused entirely on high-end laptops targeting "creators, AI developers, and gamers," at least for now. That's what separates it from what Qualcomm has been offering to more everyday consumers, with an exception for the ultra-high-end Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor featured in ASUS' phenomenal Zenbook A16.

So, if the RTX Spark processor can be "the most efficient PC chip ever built", as its marketing lead Mark Aevermann claims, does that include the integrated GPU performing better than anything else in its class? Can it come anywhere close to the desktop RTX 5070, given the matching CUDA core count, or is that a pipe dream reminiscent of the "4090 performance for $549" claims?

That kind of spec scrutiny will likely interest the die-hard enthusiasts and confuse the rest of us. Besides, I'll always take NVIDIA's mobile GPU pontification with a pinch of salt, as it casually oversells the capabilities of its laptop graphics by awarding them the same names as their full-size desktop counterparts. For example, a mobile RTX 5090 is about 50% slower than the desktop version.

Crucially, it hits me that we don't have any hints about fan noise or how long the RTX Spark-based laptop batteries will actually last in real-world testing, never mind what's touted on a spec sheet.

However, I'd generally prefer to remain optimistic, and the Snapdragon X devices that I've tested over the past couple of years certainly lived up to their claims. Either way, Microsoft benefits from the continued development of native ARM64 apps and whatever NVIDIA is doing to back up CEO Jensen Huang's claim that RTX Spark PCs will support "every single application that Windows has ever run."

Therefore, if NVIDIA can match everything Qualcomm has done to date and deliver more performant graphics, this could be a very exciting chapter for Windows on ARM. Although I won't call it "a new era," I'll still be watching the development of RTX Spark closely.

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Intel gave us a hint of its quest for handheld gaming domination at CES 2026, where it stated it was working on two new Panther Lake Systems-on-Chip (SoC) designed specifically for portable handheld gaming.

It was revealed that at least 11 partners, including Acer, MSI, and Microsoft, were working with Intel to design new gaming handhelds around these unnamed, unannounced chips.

Five months later, Intel has now unveiled further details about these new Arc G-Series CPUs just ahead of Computex. While we got a sneak peek at a new Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip due to a leaked MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ listing, Intel has also now made the Arc G3 official.

By all means, this appears to be the upgrade I've been waiting for, and the handheld market, largely dominated by AMD Ryzen, is in for a big shakeup.

Intel is taking a two-pronged approach with its new Arc G-Series chips. The Intel Arc G3 debuts with 14 CPU cores and Arc B370 graphics with 10 Xe cores, while the Arc G3 Extreme arrives with 14 CPU cores and Arc B390 graphics with 12 Xe cores.

The Arc G3 Extreme is really the SoC I'm most excited for. Its Arc B390 integrated graphics first debuted with Intel's high-performance Panther Lake chips (like the Core Ultra X9 388H), featuring 12 Xe GPU cores, a 2.3GHz frequency, and XeSS 3 upscaling capabilities.

XeSS 3 unlocks features like multi-frame generation, super resolution, and low latency, which are all tools that you want in a gaming handheld.

This chip is notably coming to Acer's Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld, also announced today ahead of Computex.

It features an 8-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as up to 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 1TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage.

Intel says it expects devices using its new Arc G-Series chips to begin rolling out in June 2026, "with broader availability through the year." As to how much these devices will cost in a handheld market being decimated by rising memory and storage costs, I can't say.

Windows Central's take

AMD Ryzen has long been the go-to chip for PC gaming handhelds, and although I think there's a future for ARM-based handhelds, it's great to see Intel entering the ring with a dedicated chip focused on maximizing performance for mobile devices.

Of course, how these chips actually perform won't be known until we get our hands on something like the Predator Atlas 8 or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, but I'm confident that the stellar Arc GPU foundation that I've already seen in laptop chips will translate to handhelds.

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Qualcomm is taking aim at the MacBook Neo with a new System-on-a-Chip (SoC) dubbed "Snapdragon C" designed for low-cost devices that are expected to start at $300 later this year. The new Snapdragon C chips focus on power efficiency, quiet thermals, and responsive day to day performance for light productivity workflows and media consumption tasks.

Not much is known about the Snapdragon C chips just yet. We know it will include an NPU of some kind, though no technical details have been provided at current. Qualcomm has confirmed that because of the kind of devices Snapdragon C will be targeting, the chip is not inherently a Copilot+ PC capable one.

That means it either has an NPU that doesn't meet Copilot+ PC requirements, or it supports less than 16GB RAM, which I would say is very likely. I would expect to see Snapdragon C devices with 8GB, or even 4GB of RAM depending on the device, which will help OEMs target that sub $500 price point.

The good news is that Qualcomm is touting all day battery life with Snapdragon C devices, as the chip is super energy efficient, likely due to it being a less powerful chip than those found on Snapdragon X. It supports Windows 11, though it's unclear if these devices will ship with Windows 11 25H2 or 26H1 like the Snapdragon X2 devices do.

Qualcomm hasn't confirmed any other technical details, outside of the fact that Snapdragon C doesn't use Oryon cores . It's unclear what technology the Snapdragon C chips are using, but Qualcomm says it will have more to share later in the year.

Acer, HP, and Lenovo are already on-board to ship Windows 11 devices with Snapdragon C under the hood. These devices are expected to target low-end Chromebook and MacBook Neo-esc devices with viable Windows-powered alternatives.

We don't yet know how the Snapdragon C chips will perform, of course, so it remains to be seen just how good these Windows devices will feel to use. Given that Qualcomm is only touting lightweight productivity and consumption workflows with this chip, performance is likely not going to blow your socks off.

The first Snapdragon C devices are expected to debut "later in 2026," and will join Qualcomm's PC lineup alongside the Snapdragon X2 SoC.

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When Qualcomm announced its first generation of Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC) in 2023, I was perhaps home to one of the most lukewarm opinions here at Windows Central.

I always love to see more competition for Intel and AMD, but the unproven real-world efficiency and performance, along with the push for more AI use via Copilot+, weren't immediately seen as perks.

Well, as it turns out, the Snapdragon X generation of ARM-based PC silicon kicked off somewhat of a revolution for Windows PCs (as my Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino aptly predicted), pushing longtime standards Intel and AMD out of the spotlight where they've lived for years.

It was the Zenbook A14, arriving in early 2025, that I think made our team pause the longest and reconsider where we ranked Snapdragon X laptops. The A14 was incredibly light, incredibly long-lasting, and an incredible value.

I'm not discounting the work ASUS put into the laptop's design, but I don't see how this sort of device would have been possible in 2025 without Snapdragon X.

Snapdragon X2 arrives, and I get my first real taste of Qualcomm's chips

Yeah, I dabbled with Windows on Snapdragon using the first-gen Qualcomm chips, but it wasn't until Lenovo sent me its Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) at the beginning of April that I really got to get a full experience of the new Snapdragon X2 silicon.

Now that my Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) review is published, it's time for me to box the PC back up and return it. But I so don't want to. Let me explain.

Snapdragon X2 Elite performance is better than I expected

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-94) currently sits at the top of our benchmark performance charts, and the X2 Elite (X2E-88) I tested in the Yoga Slim 7x sits just below it.

It bests the Core Ultra 9 285H chip from the Yoga Pro 9i (Gen 10) we tested, as well as the newer "Panther Lake" Intel Core Ultra X7 358H in the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro. The M5 chip in the 13-inch MacBook Air edges out the X2 Elite's single-core score, but Qualcomm's chip easily bests it in multi-core performance.

👉Early benchmarks say it: Qualcomm's Snapdragon Extreme chip is cooking Intel’s top-tier Panther Lake

I know, I know; benchmarks are just a slice of the pie. But for my daily workload, involving high-res photo editing, heavy web browsing, streaming, writing, spreadsheets, video calls, constant Slack use, and a few other random bits, the Snapdragon X2 Elite barely broke a sweat.

The only, and I mean only, time I heard the fans kick on at all was during a Cinebench rendering test using all chip cores. Otherwise, it was completely silent on and off the charger.

That's the other thing — I put up with noticeably slower performance off the charger for years using Intel and AMD chips. That doesn't happen with the X2 Elite.

Snapdragon X2 Elite efficiency changed the way I work

My office desk is where I usually work, either with the laptop I'm currently testing or with a fixed mini PC and docking station setup. I occasionally take a laptop into a different room for a few hours of work when the sun hits right.

Once I discovered that the Yoga Slim 7x was able to last a full workday without needing to be plugged in, on Windows 11's top performance profile to boot, I've been doing a lot more work away from my desk without having to chase around an AC adapter.

As I noted in my review, the Yoga Slim 7x with Snapdragon X2 Elite has a 70Wh battery. I found via the Windows battery report that runtimes averaged out to just more than 14 hours before I plugged in. A week of daily use later, that average has only dropped by about five minutes.

This is as good an estimate as I can give. It's a lot more accurate than a video streaming rundown or a PCMark 10 test; they have their uses, mainly for comparison, but the Windows battery report is really what you should look at.

With that runtime, I can work all day, stream video in the evenings, and plug in overnight to be ready for the next day. Standby battery life is like 350 hours, so even if I do forget to plug in at night, it's not going to be dead when I wake up.

App compatibility issues? What about them?

The main argument I see regarding Windows on Snapdragon/ARM involves app compatibility. Because Qualcomm's chips use an ARM64 architecture, apps designed for x86 chips from Intel and AMD can't natively make the transition.

There are a couple of things that make this issue largely moot. First is individual developer efforts to create native ARM64 versions of their apps. I love to see it, and I hope those developers know that their work is appreciated.

The other is Microsoft's Prism translation layer that allows x86 apps to run on an ARM64 system. Yes, there is sometimes a performance drop because of the required emulation, but I was lucky enough to avoid it altogether.

My main apps, like Slack, GIMP, Spotify, Telegram, and Edge, are all native ARM64 apps. That's again only a small sample, but it's getting tougher to find apps that require emulation unless you're getting into specialized stuff like Adobe Premiere Pro and AutoCAD.

For a fairly casual Windows user like me, ARM64 app compatibility is a complete non-issue. You can see for yourself if the apps you use are native or emulated on the extremely useful WorksOnWOA website.

What about gaming compatibility?

ARM64 still struggles the most with gaming, especially if specialized anti-cheat methods without native support are used. That's a whole other discussion; the Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) isn't a gaming laptop, nor should you try to make it one.

Although the ARM64 gaming experience is coming along nicely, especially with lighter titles, I still recommend buying a gaming laptop with an Intel or AMD chip to avoid issues.

I'm totally sold on Snapdragon X2 and Windows on ARM

Based on a lot of the negativity I see online, I was half expecting to receive the Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) with the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip and immediately begin experiencing issues.

But if you put down two identical laptops, one with Intel/AMD and one with Snapdragon, I wouldn't immediately know which was which. There would eventually be signs, like how snappy the Snapdragon system feels off the charger and how the Windows battery gauge doesn't move.

That's even before I get into device costs. Qualcomm is somehow managing to sell its chips for a lot less than similar Intel and AMD specs, making laptops with Snapdragon X2 some of the best value out there.

Yes, I think the idea that the advent of Snapdragon chips would cause a revolution in Windows PCs was correct. It's just taking a bit longer than expected.

👉 Best Windows on ARM laptops in 2026 — Top-rated picks from Surface, ASUS, HP, and more

I want to know what you think about Snapdragon X2. Have you used one of the new chips? Did you try the first generation? How did it go? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Intel made the first of its "Panther Lake" mobile processors official at CES 2026 with Core Ultra Series 3. Now, the company has revealed follow-up Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" chips, without the Ultra designator or as high a price tag.

Like their full-fledged Panther Lake Core Ultra siblings, the new Core Series 3 chips are built on Intel's 18A process node with proven benefits to performance-per-watt and efficiency.

A hybrid core setup remains intact, with Darkmont Efficient cores and Cougar Cove Performance cores. Intel's X^e3 integrated GPU with up to two cores, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of up to 17 TOPS, are both also on board.

Here's a rundown of the new Core Series 3 mobile chips.

It seems like Intel is primarily targeting budget buyers who don't often upgrade their PC.

Intel compares the new Core Series 3 mobile chips to a five-year-old PC running a Core i7-1185G7, stating that the new hardware can deliver "up to 47% better single thread performance, up to 41% better multi thread performance, and up to 2.8x better GPU AI performance."

Performance gains remain rather impressive even when up against more recent chips; Intel says the new Core 7 360 offers "up to 2.1x faster creation and productivity" compared to the Core 7 150U from 2024.

Intel also shows off newfound efficiency. Compared, again, to the Core 7 150U, the Core 7 360 is shown to use up to 64% less battery when streaming a 4K YouTube video. In Procyon's Office Productivity battery benchmark, the new chip is 52% more efficient.

Intel claims you can expect up to 18.5 hours of Netflix streaming, 12.5 hours of office productivity, and 9.6 hours of a one-to-one Zoom call with AI effects enabled, all on a single charge.

Intel is also making a play for edge devices with Core Series 3

Intel's Core Series 3 mobile chips will get the most attention from me when they're in a laptop, but Team Blue is also clearly targeting edge cases like robotics, point-of-sale (POS), and smart metering.

Intel compares its new chips to NVIDIA's Jetson Orin Nano, claiming that the Core 7 350 delivers "up to 1.5x higher object detection performance, up to 1.9x faster image classification, and up to 2.2x higher performance for video analytics."

For edge cases, Intel adds a Core 5 305 chip with no NPU included to its list.

When is Intel launching new Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" mobile chips?

Intel says its Core Series 3 mobile chips are available starting today, April 16, 2026, in laptops from Acer, HP, Honor, MSI, and more. Here's what Intel lists so far as being available now (or imminently):

• Acer Aspire Go 14
• Acer Aspire Go 15
• Acer Aspire Go 16
• HP Omnibook 5 14
• MSI Modern 14S
• MSI Modern 16S

Other big names like ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung will have PCs with new Intel Core Series 3 later this year.

As for edge systems, Intel says it will begin shipping Core Series 3 beginning in Q2 2026.

Windows Central's take

It's no secret that PC prices are on the rise, making it harder for the average user to find a suitable upgrade path.

Assuming that new laptops launching with Intel Core Series 3 mobile chips will have a noticeable price difference compared to Core Ultra Series 3 configs, I can't help but meet this news with optimism.

With Wi-Fi 7 and dual Thunderbolt 4 support, seemingly excellent efficiency and snappy performance (we'll do our own tests as soon as possible), and availability in many different PCs, Intel could very well be onto something.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 chips aren't mentioned anywhere in Intel's press briefings, but I suspect that these chips are an attempt to claw back some of the value I'm now seeing with laptops like the OmniBook Ultra 14 (G2).

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, due to the state of the PC gaming hardware market, Intel has clarified that it doesn't have plans to retire production of its 13th and 14th Gen Core processors.

In an interview with Club386, Intel VP and GM of Intel's Enthusiast Channel, Robert Hallock, revealed that the company's Raptor Lake chips are "not going away any time soon," and that the aging hardware remains "a big part of our strategy."

These remarks were made in response to a question about Intel's DDR4 strategy. Unless you've been completely ignoring the price of PC hardware, you'll know that RAM prices have skyrocketed of late due to AI firms buying up the world's supply years in advance.

Although DDR5 prices have seen the most sensational rise, DDR4 prices aren't that far behind. The key here is that PC gamers hoping to upgrade their current system often try to reuse as many parts as possible.

Were you to buy one of Intel's latest Arrow Lake-S Core Ultra 200 series processors, including the impressive new 200S Plus chips we reviewed, you'd have to make the jump to DDR5 RAM. With Intel's Raptor Lake chips, that's not necessary; the 13th Gen and 14th Gen processors support both DDR4 and DDR5.

Hallock confirms that "Raptor Lake is a big part of [Intel's] strategy," and that "it's not going anywhere," especially with continued support from hardware vendors. He notes that hybrid DDR4/DDR5 LGA1700 motherboards entering the market recently add to the company's confidence surrounding the older processors.

When pressed about whether or not that means Raptor Lake chips will see an increase in production, Hallock noted that he can't comment on the subject.

Should you buy a 13th or 14th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPU in 2026?

It's crazy that we're discussing something like this, but with RAM prices not expected to drop back to normal in 2026 (and maybe not in 2027, either), having any sort of gaming PC is better than having no gaming PC.

The big question is whether or not Intel's Raptor Lake chips are worth buying in 2026.

Intel's Raptor Lake chips were hit by a serious controversy surrounding instability, resulting in irreversible damage in 2024. However, Intel was able to identify the cause, and by all means, the problem seems to have been solved in chips produced after the fiasco.

How are prices looking? Something like the Core i7-14700KF we reviewed favorably currently sits at about $346.99 at Amazon. More popular amongst gamers is the Core i5-14600KF, which you can usually pick up for about $239.99 at Newegg.

Those prices aren't too bad, especially if you're already bringing your own DDR4 RAM and have an LGA 1700 motherboard to go with it (say from a 12th Gen Intel build).

Considering Intel's gaming performance hasn't changed all that much in its newer Arrow Lake desktop chips (aside from the 200S Plus bump), Raptor Lake is probably going to land high on your list, especially if you're on a tight budget.

What are your thoughts on Intel's dedication to keep Raptor Lake alive?

Is Intel's advertising of 13th and 14th Gen chips a way to get rid of leftover stock? How long do you think production will continue on these aging processors? Are you interested in an upgrade involving Raptor Lake? Let me know in the comments section below!

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AMD has officially revealed its new Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition desktop processor, and you'll be able to get your hands on it on April 22.

This is AMD's (and indeed the world's) first desktop processor where both chiplets are equipped with the proprietary 3D V-Cache technology that is so coveted by PC gamers. With 104MB of cache underlying each chiplet, it offers a whopping 208MB total on-chip cache.

What does that mean for you? Well, with more cache, the CPU has more space to store the data it needs to perform as efficiently as possible. As AMD's Senior VP and GM of Computing and Graphics, Jack Huynh, explains in the announcement video, "208MB of cache means more game data, more assets, and more working data sitting right next to the CPU cores."

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition remains a 16-core processor based on the Zen 5 architecture and using the AM5 socket, just like its Ryzen 9 9950X3D sibling that we reviewed favorably here at Windows Central. However, it has jumped up to a 200W TDP compared to the 170W TDP of its sibling.

I don't doubt that this CPU is going to be a monster chip for PC gaming, but AMD isn't hiding the fact that it's also exceptional for demanding workloads that require speedy data access.

AMD claims that compared to the 9950X3D, the 9950X3D2 Dual Edition can deliver between 5% and 10% better performance in creative workloads like DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Unreal Engine, and Chromium.

While the original Ryzen 9 9950X3D was undoubtedly a capable CPU for gaming and for creative workloads, AMD is positioning the 9950X3D2 Dual Edition as the new ultimate choice.

There's not yet any word on the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition's pricing, but the standard Ryzen 9 9950X3D currently sits at around $675.

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Intel's new Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop processors have garnered a lot of attention lately for their snappy gaming performance and phenomenal value, and I know that many PC gamers have been anxiously awaiting their official launch today, March 26.

There's no doubt in my mind that these chips are going to sell fast, and if you're interested, you'll want to nab one before they sell out and prices go up. I bring good news. Antonline has limited quantities of the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus chips available now to buy at $214.99. Should you want integrated graphics, you can also pick up the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus for $229.99.

Intel's new Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop processors are an impressive generational refresh that kind of caught everyone off guard when they were announced.

They arrive as a low-cost alternative to Intel's flagship 200S "Arrow Lake" chips with gamers and creators in mind, and the reception from tech reviewers, including Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson, has been largely positive.

Wilson awarded the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus a Windows Central Best Award in his review, remarking:

The difference between the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus is only a lack of integrated graphics in the latter. That means you'll need to pair it with a dedicated GPU, which most gamers and creators will already plan to do. That saves you some money compared to the 250K Plus, which Antonline also has for sale at launch.

The Core Ultra 5 250K/F Plus comes with 18 cores, 18 threads, and a boost clock up to 5.30GHz. You can see how the chip's performance compares to other CPUs we've recently reviewed in these graphs.

The Core Ultra 5 200K/F Plus is unlocked for overlocking (that's where the 'K' designator comes into play), and it works with the Intel LGA 1851 socket that's already in use by the non-Plus 200S chips. It can be paired with DDR5 RAM up to 7,200MHz.

Antonline will also have the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus for sale soon, should you want to grab the more powerful chip with integrated graphics.

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Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 3 processors leaned towards an ever-growing focus on artificial intelligence when they launched at the beginning of this year, particularly (and unsurprisingly) for the enterprise sector. Alongside the usual performance promises, the company is expanding the security-centric benefits of its vPro platform — just as Intel did with Core Ultra Series 2 — and the improvements will benefit everyday workers and IT teams alike.

Intel vPro is a collection of hardware-level security and stability technologies that appeals to the corporate audience, and any PC with its certification signifies a minimum expectation that usually keeps the admins in your company happy. It's like a stamp of approval that means better security for remote management (and safer data protection in general).

During Intel's recent press briefing, the details of vPro on the Core Ultra Series 3 were an avalanche of acronyms and jargon. Still, the takeaways are fairly simple: the same battery-life benefits of Panther Lake carry over to enterprise laptops, while additions like "Device IQ" collect useful telemetry data from your devices to help apply real-time fixes for practically anything in the background — including problems that can affect your laptop's battery life in the first place.

If your company were to equip your entire team with new, vPro-certified Panther Lake devices, ranging from an entry-level Core Ultra 5 332 to an extreme high-end Ultra X9 388H, you could at least expect the usual generational improvements in battery life and power efficiency — just as you would with its consumer laptops.

Otherwise, the introduction of "TDT-DTECT" and hardware-level BitLocker protection will appeal to your resident admin team and help them protect your devices from external threats (or to you, because your work PC will be more secure). Either way, your next device will be better if it has that vPro branding.

As is the trend for hardware since the AI PC boom triggered by Meteor Lake processors, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 switches to its latest NPU 5 tile, pushing 46 – 50 TOPS on its own. Local AI tasks are generally more secure than anything in the cloud, keeping LLMs and your prompts on your own device, and Panther Lake chips can offer up to 180 total platform TOPS if they utilize every part of the processor.

Security platforms like CrowdStrike already use NPUs to help prevent data leaks, generally offloading heavier threat-detection tasks away from the CPU. In that, they currently seem to have more viable, real-world uses for enterprise customers than for regular consumers, though Copilot+ PC features should continue to expand in regular Windows 11 PCs, with Microsoft offloading more OS tasks to the NPU.

Intel Arc Pro graphics also get an upgrade with this vPro generation, with the Xe3 GPU cores introduced by Panther Lake appearing in new integrated and discrete variants. Yes, businesses will be able to pick up a new Arc Pro B65 or Pro B70 graphics card for their workstations and crunch whatever heavy-duty rendering tasks they might have, but no, we aren't getting any new consumer-grade Intel Arc GPUs yet — I'm waiting patiently.

The list of brand-new features isn't gigantic, but vPro still benefits from Intel's move to Core Ultra Series 3, including support for Wi-Fi 7 and a massive improvement to power efficiency that leads to better overall battery life.

Your resident IT expert will appreciate Intel's "Certified Apps Program," with software curated for vPro, and the intricacies of fleet management improvements should make their lives a little easier through integrations with Microsoft's Intune admin center.

TL;DR: Intel looks to be making great use of the power efficiency and local AI strengths built into its Panther Lake chips within the enterprise sector. If your company upgrades you to vPro-certified running Core Ultra Series 3 chips, then you should be pretty happy.

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Intel is back in the desktop CPU space with another generational refresh, expanding on its Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. A technical duo of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus chips aims to surpass the likes of its last-gen Core Ultra 5 245K and Core Ultra 9 285K — though it's dropping the Ultra 9 variant this time around — and the company wants to appeal to PC gamers again. So, will it work?

Where can you buy Core Ultra 200S Plus?

There aren't many placeholder retail pages for each processor's March 26 launch at the time of writing, but Newegg lists the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, presumably at MSRP. It's the same for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at Newegg. I don't see any reason to doubt that Amazon will list the U7 270K Plus at the same price (if stock is healthy enough) alongside similar Amazon listings for the U5 250K Plus — but I'll update this section whenever I spot some confirmed listings with availability.

What type of motherboard do you need?

Both of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus processors require motherboards with an LGA 1851 socket, which, like most modern examples, has pins on the board rather than on the CPU. You'll need an 800 Series motherboard to use the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus or Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, with an entry-level H810, mid-range B860, or high-end Z890 chipset.

For example, I used Gigabyte's $199.99 – $289.99 Z890 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE motherboard, with the lower price usually tied to sales events. It's a sample that the company provided for previous testing, and one that's likely overkill at its full MSRP, but a great deal for $200. Otherwise, something like MSI's $178.99 – $189.99 PRO B860M-A WIFI is a slightly more affordable option.

CPU coolers are a little more forgiving, as last-gen LGA 1700 brackets are broadly compatible with the new LGA 1851 socket, though a few considerations apply per individual brands. In my case, my personal choice of ARCTIC coolers includes contact frames, like in the $129.99 Liquid Freezer III Pro 360, which makes the installation process a little easier.

Testing the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus leads Intel's marketing for the new 200S Plus processor series, so it makes sense to start at the top. $289 – $299 for a 24-core, 24-thread processor clocking up to 5.5 GHz puts it up against the likes of AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X with its own 12/24-core/thread count and 5.6 GHz max clock speed, but at a much lower MSRP — and still lower than current $373.81 listings for the 9900X on Amazon, etc.

Somewhat comically, Intel pits the U7 270K against AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X, which now sells for around the same price when it's on sale. With today's listings, you could buy a 9700X for $299.65 at Amazon. It's part of why Intel can claim Core Ultra 200S Plus offers "up to 2x performance for creators versus competition", rather than a closer, apples-to-apples comparison.

Running my usual gamut of CPU-centric benchmarks saw a mix of expected results and caveats. Overall, the consensus is very similar to when I tested the Core Ultra 9 285K: Intel hits the top of the board in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024, but AMD pulls ahead in 7-Zip's compression and decompression tests. The goal was always to deliver "significant boosts to multithread performance", and you can clearly see that in synthetic benchmark tests like these.

However, it's important to remember that the U9 285K launched with a $589 – $599 MSRP. That means Intel is beating its own high-end Arrow Lake chips with a refresh that saves you $300. Considerations like these are where the performance-per-dollar appeal hits the hardest, and I'm left rethinking which desktop CPUs to recommend to creators. If the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus maintains sensible pricing, then this could be a spectacular win for Intel.

Testing the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

For another $100 saving, you could pick up the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus with an 18/18-core/thread count and a 5.3 GHz max clock speed, albeit with the same 125W base TDP. Here, current comparisons to AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 9 9900X show much closer results in benchmark testing, but Intel's $189 – $199 MSRP still stands out for its phenomenal value.

If you were budgeting for that amount, you'd be looking at $189 – $279 for a Ryzen 5 9600X — a respectable entry-level CPU that I praised when it launched. Still, unless you have an unwaivering attachment to AMD's chipset and AM5 motherboards, it'll be overshadowed by the Ultra 5 250K Plus and its generous, more appealing pricing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus appear in new, affordable pre-built gaming PCs, regardless of whether Intel Binary Optimization makes a big difference on that front. So many gamers are moonlighting as creators that its appeal for video creation will likely carry over, at least in a much bigger way than the Core Ultra 5 245K tried to be.

Ultimately, this chip is the one that backs up Intel's claims against its competition, as it aggressively tackles AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series with an admirable move towards value for money. It's especially important as your average PC gamer is repeatedly beaten over the head by the ongoing memory and storage crisis; you might only need to commit to a new motherboard.

What is the Intel Binary Optimization Tool?

Putting value aside for a moment, Intel's marketing for the Core Ultra 200S Plus calls them the "fastest desktop gaming processors [it] has ever built". Besides the raw speed upgrades and support for 7200 – 8000+ MT/s memory speeds, this new Intel Binary Optimization Tool (IBOT) is part of what makes the new 200S Plus desktop (and 200HX Plus mobile) processors so interesting.

I had a chat with Rob Hallock, Intel's VP/GM for the Enthusiast Channel Business, to summarize that IBOT is essentially an x86 translation layer that identifies and reorders unnecessary steps of compiled machine code, such as error handlers, without ever editing the original human-written source.

So, if the Core Ultra 200S Plus processors can change the order that they process code, then they can focus on handling the instructions that a game needs processing more urgently, leading to better performance in specific games — a list of which is relatively modest right now, but Intel says it will "continue to explore titles both new and old".

Does IBOT make a difference?

For critical context, Intel's internal testing rig was a Windows 11 25H2 desktop running a third-party (PNY) variant of NVIDIA's top-end GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card — that's currently the best consumer graphics card in the world. It's pretty clear that high-end gaming PCs are where most of the IBOT benefits will be apparent, and even then, an average gain of +8% probably won't be very noticeable.

Out of curiosity, I also tested Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider with a few entry-level (and older) NVIDIA graphics cards. There wasn't any difference in FPS — and I didn't expect any, given the GPU bottleneck — but I had to know. So, yes, it can make a difference on a powerful rig with a defined list of single-player titles, and more should come, but it isn't a magic wand for every PC game.

Multiplayer games are currently not supported, but Intel says it will "work hand-in-hand with devs to ensure enthusiasts can benefit from this technology while enjoying anti-cheat protection". So, while the Core Ultra 200S Plus series is budget-friendly, that isn't necessarily the category that would see the greatest benefits of Intel Binary Optimization — at least not in the earliest days.

I'll check in on these processors in the near future to see how updates might affect the Intel Application Optimization (APO) app and the Intel Platform Performance Package (IPPP) it belongs to, which is an all-in-one package of libraries and frameworks that simplifies new PC builds with IBOT. Acronyms.

Should you buy a Core Ultra 200S Plus processor?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're migrating from another gaming/creation PC

✅ You have a limited budget

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already bought into Core Ultra 200S

Pushing on with Intel Application Optimization is admirable, and as an Arc gaming fan, the Binary Optimization Tool certainly feels promising, but Intel should be lauded primarily for its pricing here. These Core Ultra 200S Plus chips offer tremendous performance at prices that so severely undercut their rivals to a point that it almost feels unsustainable (but hopefully not).

If you already have DDR5 RAM and solid-state storage, you won't have to cough up too much cash for a migration to LGA 1851 motherboards and a multi-generationally compatible CPU cooler. Otherwise, starting from absolute zero will still sting — a little less than some competitors at these prices, but sting nonetheless.

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It's that time of year when Intel refreshes its desktop and mobile processors (for laptops), officially expanding its recently announced Core Ultra 200HX Plus Series range. These "Arrow Lake Refresh" (Series 2) chips are an upgrade to their predecessors rather than an all-new architecture generation, with Panther Lake still positioned as Series 3, and Nova Lake to follow as Core Ultra Series 4.

We'll see two new 200HX Plus processors appearing in brand new gaming laptops from familiar OEMs, including the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Ultra 7 270HX Plus. Both support Intel's new Binary Optimization Tool, acting as a "binary translation layer optimization capability that can improve native performance in select games."

In terms of generational improvements, Intel claims "up to +8% faster gaming performance" with the U9 290HX Plus compared to its previous Ultra 9 285HX processor, which appeared in gaming laptops like MSI's monstrous Raider 18. Elsewhere, you can expect support for Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 5 on the highest-spec workstations launching from today, March 17, 2026.

The Intel Binary Optimization Tool (let's call it IBOT) is the most interesting part since the rest is generally a run-of-the-mill "up to 900MHz die-to-die frequency" spec bump. It works like a code translation layer, much like Microsoft's Prism for Windows on ARM or even Valve's Proton for SteamOS, except it translates x86 instructions to variants that work more efficiently on its microarchitecture.

Intel's VP Rob Hallock says IBOT uses "no AI-generated frames, no skipped work, you just get much, much higher average FPS". So, when the company says its new Core Ultra 200S Plus processors are "optimized for advanced gaming", this is the in-house technology they're referring to, and the reason I'm more interested in this generational refresh.

A handful of gaming hardware manufacturers set to use the new Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Ultra 7 270HX Plus processors include Acer (Predator), ASUS (ROG), Dell (Alienware), HP (HyperX), Lenovo (Legion), and Razer, but you can expect to see more — all with premium price tags. This is Intel's new top-end HX-Series configuration, after all.

🗨️ Are you in the market for high-end laptops?

These chips are exciting for one particular subset of gamers, and it's the polar opposite of the budget-conscious PC gamer that Intel's Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop chips will appeal to. Do these HX-Series processors tickle your fancy at all, or are the types of gaming laptops with price tags in the several-thousand-dollar range outside of your interests? Let me know.

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If you're a newbie getting into the complicated yet magical world of PC-building, it can be terrifying to decide which parts to buy for your first, custom-made rig.

One of the best, budget-friendly PC components to start testing your skills with is the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, a CPU that's perfect for augmenting older PC hardware or building a new PC from scratch that's meant for casual purposes.

If that sounds enticing to you, then you're in luck as the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is on a 34% discount for $184.00 at Amazon.

What makes the AMD Ryzen 9600X processor a worthwhile purchase?

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X comes CPU packed with a ton of advanced tech that fairly punches above its low-end price field.

These specs range from 6 Cores and 12 processing threads based on AMD's "Zen 5" architecture, a base TDP of 65W, a base processor speed of 3.9GHz, 5.4GHz Max Boost, L3 cache with 32MB, and

As a result, this CPU offers single-core performance rates that rival Intel's 13th Gen Core i5-13600K CPU, so you can browse the World Wide Web, complete work assignments with Microsoft Office, or chill out watching streams with no slowdown or bottleneck.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is also valuable for PC gaming, as it can help a PC rig reach 1080p or even 1440p resolutions with 60fps when paired with the right GPU.

In fact, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X's gaming performance is so good that it's even on par with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, which was designed purely for gaming.

Although the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X's performance when used for AI-specific tasks is woefully lacking, as it doesn't feature a neural processing unit to help AI PC process Copilot+ features like Cocreator or Recall properly.

Another drawback of this CPU is that its multi-core performance is worse compared to that of its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. Meaning that the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X will start struggling when it is multitasking many apps/programs at once.

Despite those flaws, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a must-have PC component that we consider one of the best PC CPUs for PCs with RTX 4080 GPUs. Plus, thanks to Amazon's 34% discount, this $184.00 deal is practically a steal for budding PC-builders or folks looking to keep their oldie-but-goodie rigs alive and well.

FAQ

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Intel's Arrow Lake Refresh is real. The company just announced two new Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop processors with spec bumps, along with some interesting architectural tweaks that it says will deliver "value that's hard to beat". Technically, there are three, but the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus just has an extra 'KF' variant that skips integrated graphics.

The chips should launch at "suggested prices" of $199 for the U5 250K Plus and $299 for the U7 270K Plus via Intel's retail partners, starting on March 26, 2026 — just over two weeks from now. Naturally, I expect to see pre-built desktop PCs with the same Core Ultra 200S Plus processors appearing at the same time, but that'll depend on each OEM.

And yes, Intel is proudly marketing itself to the PC gaming category with this Arrow Lake Refresh, rather than focusing on AI as it did during the original Core Ultra 200S reveal in 2024. The company boasts "up to 15% geomean faster gaming performance" over their desktop predecessors, and "up to 103% better multithread performance compared to competing CPUs in their segments".

Those architectural tweaks come via a new Intel Binary Optimization Tool, described with a technical word salad as a "binary translation layer optimization capability that can improve native performance in select games". As an Intel Arc graphics enthusiast, I'll just take it as a welcome hint of its ongoing (if at times quiet) roadmap for Intel gaming platforms.

The new processors use the same LGA 1851 desktop motherboard socket as the Core Ultra 5 245K that I tested a couple of years ago, alongside the benchmark-crushing Core Ultra 9 285K. That means I can still use the same Z890 motherboard as before — or any 800-series board for that matter — and focus instead on the new core count and speed bump.

This Arrow Lake Refresh adds four more of Intel's efficiency cores (E-cores), bringing the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus to 18 total (6 Performance and 12 Efficiency), while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus jumps to 24 (8 Performance and 16 Efficiency). That, and we'll get a 900 MHz speed boost, at least when specifically comparing the new duo to its U5 245K and U7 265K predecessors.

So, we're getting higher speeds with added cores, and a more attractive price point than Arrow Lake's first desktop adventure. That, and native support for DDR5 memory clocked at 7200 MT/s, up from 6400 MT/s (though you can still push for 8000+ MT/s with overclocking). That's cool, but it's probably not a completely thrilling prospect for your average PC gamer suffering the ongoing memory crisis.

Still, I can set aside the idea of quadruple (now 4R CUDIMM) RAM modules and focus more on whether Intel will appeal to PC gamers who may have already passed on the previous generation Core Ultra 200S desktops. DDR5 is the modern standard for memory, and most other components would transfer over from other rigs just fine.

As a secondary consideration, it'll be the motherboard costs that stand out the most, because it's unlikely this Arrow Lake Refresh would appeal to anyone who already bought something like the Core Ultra 5 245K — even if they wanted to push for more supposed gaming benefits. Then again, the new MSRP certainly looks more appealing on the Core Ultra 200S Plus pairing.

I'm interested. Intel is throwing out big claims of "up to 2x performance for creators versus competition" (which I'll test in good time), and its apparent PC-gaming focus certainly caught my attention. I won't speculate too much, but I have my suspicions on where these processors might land in synthetic benchmarks, and it feels like those $199 and $299 price tags could be a big deal.

🗨️ Would you build an Intel gaming desktop PC?

PC gamers have almost certainly been swayed by one particular CPU brand for a while now, but this suggests that Intel might fight back with more affordable pricing. Are you interested in the Arrow Lake Refresh, or are you patiently awaiting Nova Lake?

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Typically, Windows laptops rely on x86 processors from Intel and AMD. In recent years, though, Qualcomm Snapdragon chips have started to gain ground, partly as the industry tries to catch up with the efficiency gains seen in Apple’s M series processors.

Now, Qualcomm is positioning the Snapdragon X2 Elite as a flagship Windows laptop chip, putting it directly up against Intel’s Panther Lake lineup. Early benchmarks suggest Qualcomm could have the edge this time, with the Snapdragon chip pulling noticeably ahead in early testing.

Early Geekbench results put Snapdragon ahead of Intel

Early Geekbench 6 scores for the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme have surfaced online, as reported by PCGuide. The chip appeared in testing inside an ASUS Zenbook A16 laptop.

Geekbench runs a series of simulated workloads and produces a score that can be compared against other processors. The results are split into single-core and multi-core performance.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme scored:

• Single core: 4,033
• Multi core: 23,198

For comparison, Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H scored:

• Single core: 3,066
• Multi core: 17,924

Of course, benchmark results do not always translate directly to real-world performance. Early tests should always be treated cautiously.

Looking at the hardware itself, though, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme features an 18-core design, while Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H uses 16 cores. In this particular test, the Snapdragon chip was running at around 4.45GHz, while the Intel chip was recorded at roughly 4.0GHz; however, as PCGuide mentions, Intel does advertise 5.1GHz on its official website.

There are still some growing pains with ARM on Windows. Not every Windows app is built for it yet, although PRISM emulation has come a long way, and native ARM support is increasing.

One limitation is drivers. Unlike apps, old drivers cannot be emulated, which means some hardware or software may not work if it does not have an ARM-compatible driver.

This affects certain games that rely on kernel level anti cheat systems, such as Riot’s Vanguard used in Valorant. Without native ARM support for those drivers, the game simply will not run. You can actually look up if your game or app works on Qualcomm chips via the site Works on Windows on Arm.

But all of this is becoming a trope these days as generic rehash arguments against Qualcomm. Indeed, back in June of 2025, we reported how "100 of the most popular Windows apps are now Arm-native, and users are spending upwards of 90% of their time in non-emulated apps." Microsoft went on to boast about those numbers later in September, but for some reason, people who have never touched a Qualcomm PC are convinced "there are issues" for regular users. Funny how that is.

🗨️ Where do you think this chip race goes next?

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is already posting early numbers that put real pressure on Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake chips, and it’s setting the stage for one of the most interesting CPU battles we’ve seen in years. Qualcomm momentum, Intel’s response, and what these early benchmarks actually mean for real‑world laptops — there’s a lot to unpack.

So tell us: are you buying the early ARM lead, or do you think Panther Lake closes the gap once final silicon lands?

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AMD is in good company at MWC Barcelona (formerly Mobile World Congress) this year, even if that company is mostly focusing on the enterprise scene rather than average consumers like me. Just like its Ryzen PRO 8000/8040 Series desktop processors from 2024, and the Ryzen AI PRO 300 mobile chips that followed later that year, it's announcing another AI PRO range for 2026.

Unsurprisingly, it's moving into "the AI PC era for business" with a bump up to AMD Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series mobile and desktop processors, including a new Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475 mobile workstation chip with an XDNA 2 NPU handling AI tasks on Windows with up to 60 TOPS of local processing power.

That's far above the 40 TOPS requirement for a Copilot+ PC certification. On the desktop side, businesses will be able to get their hands on a new range of Zen 5 processors that hit a slightly lower 50 TOPS with their own NPU chiplet, which is still much higher than its previous-gen, consumer-grade Ryzen 8000G desktop APUs, which ran at around 16 TOPS.

If this all sounds familiar to those waiting for AMD's Ryzen AI 400 Series, codenamed 'Gorgon Point', that's for a good reason. These are essentially the same chips as the consumer side, but with an added layer of enterprise-grade security, remote management add-ons, and stability guarantees. So, regular folk will still get the 60 TOPS XDNA 2-based NPU on consumer-grade laptops this year with current-gen, RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 800M Series graphics chiplets.

What exactly is AMD launching?

Again, these processors are built for AMD's commercial audience, but it's always interesting to see what it's doing with its Zen 5 architecture — now delivering 6 mobile chips and 3 desktop chips (technically 6 if you count the energy-efficient 'GE' variants). It's the mobile workstation (laptop) side that earns the 60 TOPS NPU for local AI work, paired with LPDDR5X memory clocked up to 8355 MT/s.

The Ryzen AI PRO desktop chips stick with AMD's '5 PRO' and '7 PRO' rankings, leaving the '9 PRO' and '9 HX PRO' to the mobile side. That, and the trio of APUs comes with 65W TDP as standard, while the lower-power 'GE' models stick to 35W. Each processor uses the same 50 TOPS NPU, which is a big jump from previous-generation desktop chips like the Ryzen 7 8700G I tested in 2024.

🗨️ Anyone out there using these chips?

On the bright side, it's not like I'll never see these chips in real life, as enterprise-grade PCs from the likes of Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer will start appearing in Q2 2026. Realistically, they'll only get a passing glance from me at trade shows, but again, it's interesting to see what AMD does on both the consumer and commercial sides.

That, and local AI is more interesting to me than anything in the cloud — shout out to Blender, Audacity, and Davinci Resolve for actually making practical use out of NPUs. The good news is that Ryzen AI 400 Series consumer laptops (and mini PCs) are set to launch earlier in Q1 2026, and you can believe I'll be putting on my polite email-writing hat when those samples start appearing.

I'm wondering if any of our readers use processors like these in their professional lives. And if not, would you like to?

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Intel's foray into hybrid-core processors could be coming to an end. A job listing posted on LinkedIn shows that the company is hoping to hire a senior CPU verification engineer to join its "Unified Core" team that is based in Austin, Texas. The listing is no longer accepting applications, and it was only live for about three days.

According to the job listing, Intel is hoping to land a new engineer who "will be responsible for driving and executing the functional correctness of CPU logic designs through rigorous pre-silicon verification methodologies."

This signals that Intel is still a few years away from launching a Unified Core CPU, which has been rumored to be coming after Razer Lake (which itself is expected to be the successor to the upcoming Nova Lake generation).

A verification engineer's job begins far ahead of any sort of consumer-facing news, so it's not a stretch to believe that a potential shift back to a Unified Core architecture would arrive in 2029 or 2030.

What's the difference between Unified Cores and Hybrid Cores?

Intel's current hybrid core architecture got its public unveiling in 2021 with the announcement of 12th Gen Alder Lake chips. With Performance cores and Efficient cores, Intel's hybrid approach was very similar to ARM's big.LITTLE architecture.

The Performance cores draw more power and mainly tackle big tasks in the foreground, while the Efficient cores use less power and handle background tasks. In some cases, like for Intel's Xeon lineup mainly used in servers and datacenters, chips were built entirely from Performance or Efficient cores.

Under this architecture, Intel's multi-threaded throughput improved, as did efficiency when handling background tasks. This setup also allowed Intel to boost core counts, which is why something like Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K desktop chip has a whopping 24 cores (8 P cores and 16 E cores) and 24 threads.

Of course, splitting an architecture into Performance and Efficient cores required additional management, which was granted in the form of Intel's Thread Director. It keeps Intel chips humming along with strong multi-threaded power, but it also adds complexity that can sometimes get in the way of demanding tasks like gaming.

A return to a Unified Core setup would solve some of that complexity, and reduced scheduling overhead is always a good thing. With a single unified core type, Intel would also have more room for additions like larger cache, larger NPUs, and larger iGPUs.

AMD does something similar with its Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, which use the same architecture and have the same IPC, but are tuned up or down depending on what's needed.

What do you think about Intel's potential return to a Unified Core architecture?

Are you looking forward to an Intel Unified Core architecture? Will it help the company compete with AMD's desktop chips? Let me know in the comments section!

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Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" chips made their official debut at CES 2026, and laptops featuring the chips have now launched. Coinciding with the release, Intel has delivered a new Intel Graphics Driver (32.0.101.8425/32.0.101.8362) for its Arc A-series and B-series discrete GPUs, as well as Core Ultra CPUs featuring integrated Arc graphics.

The biggest news coming out of this driver update is the addition of Intel XeSS 3 Multi Frame Generation (MFG) support. While XeSS Frame Generation has been around for a while with a 1:1 framing setup, XeSS 3's MFG can insert up to three AI-generated frames between two "real" frames. It's the same type of technology available with NVIDIA's DLSS 4; AMD's FSR 4 so far does not offer MFG.

It's important to note that it's not just the latest Panther Lake chips that can now harness XeSS 3 MFG. The update extends to integrated graphics in Meteor Lake, Lunar Lake, Arrow Lake-S, and Arrow Lake-H mobile chips, effectively giving the older platforms a significant boost in the gaming department.

"Panther Lake" seems like the exact boost that Intel needed

The review embargo for Intel's next-gen Core Ultra "Panther Lake" Series 3 mobile CPUs has come and gone, and the general temperature around the new chips is quite warm. With excellent efficiency, solid performance on and off the charger, and a significant upgrade for the integrated graphics, it certainly appears that Team Blue has come up with a big win.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade arriving with Panther Lake is the move to Intel Arc B-series Xe3 integrated GPUs, including the Arc B370 and Arc B390. Thanks to the separation of the GPU tile from everything else, Intel can scale up the graphics independently from the rest of the chip.

As former Windows Central laptop expert Zachary Boddy wrote after they got an inside look at the Intel factory in Chandler, AZ, last year, the Panther Lake iGPU's new third-gen Xe cores bring "upgraded ray tracing cores, improved vector engines, increased memory bandwidth and reduced memory bottlenecks, massively enhanced platform tuning to better allocate and use GPU resources, and other advancements."

Boddy got the chance to test XeSS 3's MFG at the Intel Tech Tour, noting that they were "more impressed than with NVIDIA's implementation of the feature," mainly due to its responsive feel. As Boddy points out, games that already support XeSS 2 will immediately support MFG via XeSS 3, with the switch being controlled via the Intel Graphics Software app. Once you have the new driver installed, you should have roughly 45 games ready to test out with MFG.

Meanwhile, rumors suggest that AMD could stick with RDNA 3.5 graphics until 2029, leaving RDNA 5 reserved for "premium" devices. Is this Intel's opportunity to take over the mobile GPU market?

Are you excited to test out Intel's new XeSS 3 Multi Frame Generation? Have you already seen what it can do? Let me know in the comments below!

AMD’s GPU roadmap chatter just took an interesting turn, with early RDNA 3.5 being used up to 2028 and beyond. None of this is locked in — and the details are still foggy at best, but the leaks line up with AMD’s slower, more deliberate cadence in recent years.

Recently, AMD has had a lot of success in the gaming market thanks to the rather wide adoption of its RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture. Laptops, sure, but the gaming handheld sector is where it's really noticeable. From the ROG Xbox Ally to the Legion Go 2 to the MSI Claw A8, an AMD Ryzen CPU and RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU are working behind the scenes to deliver solid performance.

RDNA 3.5 graphics arrived with Strix Point and Strix Halo in 2024, and it's going forward with the upcoming Gorgon Point Ryzen AI 400 series of chips revealed at CES 2026. As with any chip, GPU included, you can usually expect at least plans for an upgrade in the near future.

That might not be the case for AMD if a recent leak turns out to be true, and the AMD laptop or gaming handheld you buy a few years down the line could have the same graphics as one you purchased in 2024.

The rumor stems from known leaker Golden Pig Upgrade and was picked up by @Kepler_L2 on X, who added some extra information. As always, treat this information with caution.

An unofficial, AI-generated chart shows that AMD plans to keep RDNA 3.5 going beyond 2028. In contrast, the chart shows how much progress Intel is making with its Xe integrated graphics, eventually ending in an NVIDIA collaboration that is the result of a partnership announced in 2025 to build x86 CPUs fused with RTX GPUs.

Kepler_L2 adds that AMD plans to divide its APUs into two forks. One fork will continue to use RDNA 3.5 for the next few years in products that don't require high-performance integrated graphics. Think regular consumer laptops where the iGPU isn't doing much more than power a display, or gaming laptops that have a separate and discrete GPU.

The other fork involves "premium" iGPU products that will get the new RDNA 5 architecture. What exactly those "premium" products entail remains unclear. They could be AMD's rumored Medusa Halo platform expected in 2027, or they could be something else entirely.

Keep in mind that the next Xbox platform is said to be a "premium" experience running Windows, albeit with the feel of a console, thanks to features like Xbox Full Screen Experience. It's hard to imagine the next Xbox not arriving with FSR 4, AMD's upscaling equivalent to NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS, which is so far only available on RDNA 4 hardware but will continue with RDNA 5.

On another note, seeing the word "premium" and thinking "gaming handheld" doesn't really sit right, especially when Intel just blew everyone away with graphics performance in its Panther Lake mobile chips.

As I've suggested in the past, gaming handhelds are quickly going the way of netbooks in that they're climbing in price to the point that you're almost better off buying a gaming laptop instead. If AMD is indeed reserving RDNA 5 for more expensive products, Intel has a major opportunity to nab the handheld market.

It’s still far too early to treat any of this as more than directional noise, but the emerging picture suggests AMD is thinking well beyond its current lineup. The rumors offer a glimpse at how long and complex the GPU development cycle has become. As always, the real story will unfold in the gaps between these leaks — and AMD’s next official roadmap update

(via 128KB)

Do you think these leaks will turn out to be true? If so, how will AMD's decision affect the handheld and laptop markets? Let me know in the comments section!

Processors like AMD's new Ryzen 7 9850X3D spark up conversations about binning and the broader concepts of silicon manufacturing that essentially make this a "super" 9800X3D, but most gamers don't care about the specifics. For most, they want to know why the "50" in its name means it costs $30-40 more.

But that's really what this is. It's the tuned-up version, or the "shiny" edition, if we borrow some gaming verbiage. Before we ever had a sneak peek into its specs, I knew this was never going to appeal to people who already bought a 9800X3D, but it's going to change the conversation for people who were considering one. Let's see where it lands in my testing.

How much does the Ryzen 7 9850X3D cost?

This review was made possible thanks to review samples provided by AMD. The companies had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

The 9850X3D now stands as the fourth chip of its kind in AMD's Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 Series, alongside the 9800X3D, 9900X3D, and 9950X3D.

AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D specs are almost identical to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D APU (SoC), with the same core/thread count, L3 cache size, and 120W TDP.

It's launching at $499 MSRP, which is $20 higher than the 9800X3D started at, for a 400 MHz bump to its maximum clock speed.

However, the 9800X3D has dropped to $469 since its November 2024 launch, widening the gap with the 9850X3D's launch price to $30.

Surging component prices driven by AI demand might prevent the gap from widening further, as the 9800X3D has recently only seen increased value when retailers bundled it with compatible motherboards and RAM.

How fast is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D?

Besides its impressive single-core performance, there weren't any other surprises from the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in my usual testing gauntlet, and it placed about 5% higher than the 9800X3D in synthetic productivity benchmarks. The creator-centric Ryzen 9 9900X still pulls ahead, currently selling for $382 at Newegg, proving the 9900X is a bargain for anyone who isn't explicitly interested in building a gaming rig first.

My results show a nice 25-30% lead for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D over the last-gen gaming hero, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which still sells for $399 at Newegg when the 7800X3D is discounted. If you're already bored with that chip, you could sell it and upgrade to the 9850X3D if you really wanted to, but Ryzen 5000 Series enthusiast owners will see the best gaming upgrades by jumping "two" generations (never mind the 8000G).

Is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D good for gaming?

AMD still officially pits the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 9850X3D against Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K, which is an absolute productivity monster with a price hovering around $579.98 at Newegg right now, but the 285K disappoints in gaming tests. To that end, it almost feels cruel to compare when Intel doesn't necessarily have a modern horse in the desktop gaming race, and the 13th/14th Gen Core i9 crashes soured its previous generations.

As for the 9800X3D vs. 9850X3D conversation, AMD's in-house tests show a 3% average uplift, with Baldur's Gate 3 and Counter-Strike 2 enjoying the best improvements while Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are barely noticeable. Given the productivity scores I collected a couple of days before the 9850X3D's release slightly exceeded AMD's reference scores, there's no reason for me to doubt its gaming charts, but future testing can clarify.

So yes, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is great for gaming. In fact, it's basically trying to usurp its binned sibling's throne as the new best gaming CPU, but that position will be decided by ongoing pricing between it and the 9800X3D. These chip refreshes are always strange to explain to newcomers, and the 9850X3D especially so, since you're only really getting a 400MHz bump over the 9800X3D, but the price is right (for now).

Should you buy the Ryzen 7 9850X3D?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're building a high-end gaming PC

✅ You're upgrading from an older AM4 build

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already have a Ryzen 7 9800X3D

❌ You're still on a high-end 7000 Series CPU

AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D is almost a 9800X3D 2.0, a special edition of sorts that gives you slightly better performance at a modest price. I predict the gap will remain worth it for a while, but the later months of 2026 might see that change, especially if enterprise AI continues to gouge prices for the everyday PC gamer. For now, it's easy to recommend over the 9800X3D, because I doubt anyone building a system around this chip is worried about spending an extra $30.

However, I tentatively stand by my darling 9800X3D as my editor's choice, keeping all my fingers crossed for some genuine price drops as the 9850X3D slides in to try and take its place. More choices are great for us builders; it's just that these two are so close that it's hard to separate them. If you're upgrading from a Ryzen 7 5800X3D or an Intel Core i5-13/14600K, then go for the 9850X3D — just prepare for a shock when you need a new motherboard and RAM.

As part of AMD's CES 2026 presentation, a new Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor was revealed. Just a couple of weeks after its initial unveiling, AMD has shared pricing and launch date info.

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is officially expected to launch at $499, and you'll be able to buy it starting on January 29. It's well worth noting that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is still widely available at $469 and is extremely popular.

I'm expecting there to be quite a bit of noise surrounding the new chip's launch, and not just because 42% of polled Windows Central readers said — at the time of the initial CES unveiling, when pricing wasn't yet known — they're interested enough in the new chip to buy it instead of the 9800X3D.

The 9850X3D looks a lot like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The new CPU is thus being likened by some to a "binned" 9800X3D, which essentially means that it's the older chip with slightly superior tuning.

It's hard to argue with that sentiment when the specs are so similar. Like the 9800X3D, the 9850X3D has eight Zen 5 cores, 16 threads, a 104MB cache, and a 120W TDP. The only major difference is a buff to the chip's boost clock from 5.2GHz to 5.6GHz, which allows AMD to call it the new fastest gaming CPU on the market.

According to AMD's own performance charts, the 9850X3D will push average performance to 27% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K when playing at 1080p. The older 9800X3D in the same scenario hits a 24% average, a difference of only 3%. It will be very interesting to see how actual performance differs once reviewers get their hands on the product.

The new 9850X3D arrives using the same AM5 socket as the 9800X3D, making it easy to upgrade. However, the mild performance increase suggests AMD isn't targeting users who already have a 9800X3D.

Regardless, I'm curious to see how the 9850X3D affects the 9800X3D's future. A price difference of $31 isn't a lot, especially if the real-world performance gap proves to be wider than expected.

AMD extends an olive branch for those struggling to find affordable RAM

Part of the magic of AMD's second-gen 3D V-Cache setup — the engineering that delivers such a huge boost when gaming — is that it relies less on high-performance RAM to deliver high frame rates.

AMD reminds us in its press release that the performance difference between DDR5-4800 RAM and DDR5-6000 RAM is less than 1%, tested in more than 30 games. With high-end DDR5 RAM now costing more than most of us are willing to pay, it's just another reason why the 9850X3D (and its other modern X3D siblings) are generally so coveted by enthusiasts.

Assuming we can get our hands on the 9850X3D when it launches, we'll be sure to compare its direct gaming performance with the 9800X3D. I wouldn't mind poking around with the RAM speed claims, either.

Are you happy with the $499 price AMD has set for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D? Let us know in the comments below!

PC building has been all but ruined by sky-high memory and storage prices, but there are still some bundled gems to be had that won't break the bank.

The latest I've spotted includes an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, an ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus Wifi motherboard, and 32GB (2x16GB) of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 RAM.

If you were to buy these parts separately, you'd realistically be looking at a total cost of $1,118.99, and that's with other ongoing discounts. Newegg puts the bundle's regular value at $1,208.98, but it has dropped the price to just $938.99. That's a total savings of about $270.

As an added bonus, Newegg is throwing in a free Corsair M75 wireless RGB gaming mouse, which regularly costs $129.99.

This is one great bundle for PC builders

The discounted bundle price effectively removes most of the bloated cost of the RAM. Corsair's Vengeance RGB kit is one of the best you can buy, especially if you're a fan of customizable lighting, so it's not like Newegg is just throwing in any memory it can find.

The ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus Wifi motherboard is no slouch, either. It's a great choice for high-performance builds thanks to a sturdy 16+2+1 power stage setup, easy overclocking tools, USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, dual PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, and much more.

The bundle also, of course, delivers to you what I (and many others) consider to be the absolute best CPU for PC gaming. AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D is what I have in my system, and I have absolutely no regrets. My colleague, Senior Editor Ben Wilson, sums it up quite well in his 9800X3D review:

"AMD continues the theme with its second generation of 3D V-Cache to deliver unparalleled gaming performance and middling productivity. Thankfully, most gamers do not care about the benchmark-breaking number crunching as long as they get their framerate boosts, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers that sweet extra FPS."

With RAM, motherboard, and CPU handled, all you really need to do is add a graphics card, some storage, a power supply, and a case to complete your build. Although SSD prices are also on the rise, it's not too late to find a decent deal, and I've put together a quick guide with recommended storage starting at $0.08/GB.

And if you'd rather splurge on a complete gaming system, Newegg is also currently home to some deep discounts on pre-built gaming PCs.

FAQ

Intel has moved its 12th Gen "Alder Lake" processors, which launched in 2021, into a discontinuance period that will eventually wrap up in 2027. The move arrives in the form of two official Product Change Notifications (PCN) at Intel's site, which lay out the schedule.

The Product Discontinuance Program, encompassing Core, Celeron G, and Pentium Gold, began on January 6, 2026, for tray (the products served to OEMs) and boxed (the products served to consumers) Alder Lake CPUs.

The cutoff date for new demand for tray CPUs is April 10, 2026, meaning these chips won't be available for OEMs after that date. A full discontinuance for orders on tray and box chips is July 24, 2026, which is the same day that Intel is cutting off cancellations and returns for any orders. Intel will completely shut down Alder Lake shipping on January 22, 2027, effectively killing the generation.

Here's a look at the full list from Intel's support page:

Alder Lake was a great generation, but did it push Intel past AMD?

Intel's 12th Gen "Alder Lake" CPUs represented a significant and positive shift for Team Blue.

These chips, built on the Intel 7 process — otherwise known as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin (10ESF) — garnered plenty of praise from reviewers for their newfound performance and value, not to mention the move to modern PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support.

Alder Lake brought the "big.LITTLE" hybrid design principle that had so far only been seen in Arm-based chips (like Apple's M1) into Intel's arsenal, splitting cores into Performance and Efficient for improved efficiency and power. This hybrid design is still in use by Intel today.

It wasn't all good news, however. AMD had launched its initial Ryzen 5000 chips — including the Ryzen 9 5950X — about a year earlier, and they were mighty impressive.

We polled Windows Central readers shortly after the 2021 Alder Lake launch and review period to gauge their opinion of Intel's newfound competitiveness. Only 42.7% of readers thought that Alder Lake would compete closely with AMD and Apple, with another 28.9% believing that Intel still lagged behind its competitors. A close 28.2% of readers believed that Intel's Alder Lake had pulled it into the lead over AMD.

Of course, AMD unveiled the awesome Ryzen 7 5800X3D about six months after Alder Lake made its debut, and it still sells quite steadily on second-hand markets.

Intel hit a rough patch after instability issues were found to be cooking 13th and 14th Gen chips, and its move to Core Ultra largely failed to excite the PC market.

Looking forward, Intel's next-gen "Panther Lake" chips for mobile devices are headed our way in early 2026, with desktop versions under the "Nova Lake" name expected late 2026.

(via Videocardz)

What do you think about Intel pushing its 12th Gen "Alder Lake" CPUs into end-of-life territory? A natural move due to age or a preemptive strike? Let us know in the comments section!

AMD launched its FSR "Redstone" update in December 2025 as part of the AMD Adrenalin 25.12.1 driver package, bringing to a close months of speculation after the upgraded upscaling tech was first revealed at Computex 2025.

As expected, AMD's ML-powered FSR Redstone update launched with availability only for its latest Radeon RX 9000 graphics cards using the RDNA 4 architecture. PC gamers using AMD's older RDNA 3 GPUs were largely left out in the cold, watching as adopters of the newer hardware got to test out new FSR Upscaling, Frame Generation, Ray Regeneration, and Radiance Caching techniques.

Why didn't AMD launch Redstone on its older hardware? It all comes down to performance. The new ML-powered techniques are designed specifically for RDNA 4's newfound AI performance, just like NVIDIA's latest AI-powered DLSS 4.5 improvements are largely reserved for its latest RTX 5000 Blackwell GPUs.

In a recent interview at CES 2026 with PC World, AMD's Senior VP of GPU Technologies and Engineering, Andrej Zdravkovic, reiterated that the full set of Redstone features will remain closely linked to RDNA 4.

Zdravkovic explains that the latest Redstone features simply don't perform as they should on older AMD GPUs. Subext? It's not a case of barring older hardware to drive sales of the latest Radeon RX 9000 cards.

Zdravkovic adds that while some of the Redstone features are useful and can actually be performed on some of AMD's older cards, internal testing reveals that "the net result is not going to improve the experience."

When pressed about PC enthusiasts forcing the latest FSR updates onto unsupported GPUs, Zdravkovic has a very reasonable response.

Zdravkovic is then asked about AMD releasing a Redstone "Beta" that works on older AMD RDNA 3 GPUs, which would give gamers more control over their system. He responds, "That's currently not in the plan, but thanks for the hint. We may want to think about something like that, provide that to people who want to play with that."

That doesn't sound much like a door slamming shut, does it?

(via Tom's Hardware)

Do you think AMD will ever release an official FSR Redstone update for RDNA 3 GPUs? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below!

Qualcomm is starting 2026 the same way it ended 2025: fast, confident, and very aware that the Windows PC world is shifting under everyone’s feet. At CES 2026, the company officially unveiled Snapdragon X2 Plus, the newest member of the Snapdragon X2 Series and the chip that’s poised to matter far more to everyday buyers than the flagship X2 Elite or the monster‑tier X2 Elite Extreme announced in September.

I had the chance to see early X2 Plus laptops in person during a press preview in New York City back in early December. Qualcomm let us run live benchmarks on pre‑production hardware, and—much like last year’s X Plus rollout—the numbers lined up almost exactly with what the company is now publishing.

Qualcomm has earned a reputation for giving reviewers honest, reproducible performance data, and the X2 Plus continues that trend (I even had one major OEM tell me this off the record, noting how Qualcomm always delivers on time and never overpromises; and yes, that was shade thrown at Intel).

And that’s important, because this chip is aimed squarely at the mid‑to‑upper‑range Windows laptop market. In this segment, most people actually buy PCs, where businesses refresh fleets, and where OEMs need predictable performance and efficiency.

The X2 Plus is the platform that will show whether Qualcomm’s momentum in 2024 and 2025 was a flash in the pan or the beginning of a long‑term shift toward Arm‑based Windows machines.

From what I’ve seen so far, it’s the latter.

A “Plus” chip that feels a lot like an Elite

Qualcomm is shipping two versions of the X2 Plus: a 10‑core model and a 6‑core model. Both use the same 3nm process node as the X2 Elite, the same Oryon CPU architecture, the same Adreno X2‑45 GPU family, and—crucially—the same 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU. That last part is what makes this chip feel far more premium than its branding suggests.

The 10‑core version is the one most people will see in higher‑end ultrabooks and business machines. It hits up to 4.0GHz, carries 34MB of cache, and runs the GPU at a healthy 1.7GHz. The 6‑core version keeps the same peak frequency but trims cache and GPU clocks to hit more affordable price points. Both support up to 128GB of LPDDR5x memory and 152GB/s of bandwidth—numbers that matter more than ever as AI workloads scale.

This isn’t a “lite” chip. It’s a slightly leaner X2 Elite, and in some cases, it behaves like one.

Performance that punches above its weight

Qualcomm’s own numbers show the X2 Plus delivering up to 35% faster single‑core performance and up to 17% faster multi‑core performance than the previous‑generation Snapdragon X Plus. That’s a solid generational jump, but the more interesting story is how it stacks up against the competition.

In the NYC preview, we ran Geekbench 6.5 on the 10‑core model. The results matched Qualcomm’s claims: the X2 Plus outperformed Intel’s Core Ultra 7 265U and 256V processors at the same power levels, sometimes dramatically so. Qualcomm’s own ISO‑power comparisons show the X2 Plus delivering up to 3.5× the CPU performance of Intel’s Ultra 7 265U and up to 52% faster multi‑core performance than the Ultra 7 256V—while the Intel chips needed 4× to 4.6× more power to hit their peaks.

But here’s where we need to hedge. Intel is about to launch its Core Ultra 3 “Panther Lake” processors, built on the new Intel 18A process and featuring upgraded P‑cores, E‑cores, LP E‑cores, a significantly improved Xe3 GPU, and a fifth‑generation NPU.

Intel has been making real gains in efficiency and graphics performance, and Panther Lake is expected to push that further. So while the X2 Plus clearly beats some current Core Ultra 2 chips, the competitive picture will evolve quickly once Panther Lake laptops hit shelves in the coming weeks and months.

Still, Qualcomm’s advantage in sustained performance on battery remains a differentiator. In my hands‑on time, the X2 Plus behaved like the X Elite: no thermal drama, no sudden drops when unplugged, and no need for fans to spin up aggressively. That consistency is something Intel and AMD still struggle with in thin‑and‑light designs.

AI performance: Qualcomm keeps its lead (for now)

If there’s one area where Qualcomm continues to run laps around the competition, it’s the NPU (neural processing unit). The X2 Plus uses the same 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU found in the X2 Elite, and the benchmark results reflect that.

In UL Procyon AI Computer Vision, the X2 Plus scored 4193 — more than double the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and over six times the Ultra 7 265U. Geekbench AI told a similar story, with the X2 Plus hitting 83,624 versus Intel’s 48,041 and 13,615.

Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake chips (aka Core Ultra 3) will include a new NPU rated around 50 TOPS, which will close the gap somewhat, but Qualcomm still holds the advantage in raw throughput and efficiency. And with Windows 11 leaning harder into on‑device AI — Cocreator, Automatic Super Resolution, Studio Effects, and the new wave of agentic AI features—OEMs want an NPU that can handle real workloads without spiking power draw.

For now, Qualcomm is still the company delivering that.

Battery life and real‑world behavior

Qualcomm is promising multi‑day battery life again, and based on what I saw in New York, that’s not marketing fluff. The X2 Plus reference designs ran cool, quiet, and consistently, even under sustained load. Qualcomm says the chip uses up to 43% less power than the previous generation while delivering higher performance, and the idle‑normalized power numbers back that up.

This is the kind of efficiency that changes how people use their laptops. It’s also the kind of efficiency that OEMs love, because it gives them more thermal headroom to build thinner, lighter designs without sacrificing performance

Why the X2 Plus matters more than the X2 Elite

The Snapdragon X2 Elite (and especially Elite Extreme) is the halo product—the one that grabs headlines and pushes the envelope. But the X2 Plus is the chip that will actually reshape the Windows PC market.

Most people don’t buy $1,500 laptops. Most businesses don’t deploy $2,000 ultrabooks. The X2 Plus is designed for the $799–$1,299 range, where volume lives and where Qualcomm can make the most significant impact (see the success of the ASUS Zenbook A14, one of our favorite laptops of 2025).

And it arrives at a moment when the PC industry is dealing with rising component costs, especially DRAM shortages and price spikes driven by AI data center demand. LPDDR5x is getting more expensive, not less, and OEMs need platforms that can deliver strong performance without requiring exotic cooling or high‑wattage designs. The X2 Plus fits that need perfectly.

It also brings Snapdragon Guardian remote manageability — out‑of‑band updates, lock‑and‑wipe, device tracking — to mainstream machines. That’s a huge deal for IT departments, as that's Intel's vPro playground right now, and removes one of the last barriers to Arm adoption in enterprise.

Concerns (and possible criticisms) of the Snapdragon X2 Plus?

I'm writing this to be even-handed, but honestly, there's not a lot of cons with the X2 Plus, at least not on paper, but here are a few.

Windows on Arm has improved dramatically, but some niche apps, older enterprise tools, and GPU‑heavy creative workflows may still run inconsistently under emulation (though this is really becoming the rare exception these days).

Gaming support is better than ever, yet anti‑cheat and certain titles remain question marks, although, again, Qualcomm and Microsoft are actively fixing this, and Fortnite is now in the can. And because the 6‑core X2 Plus has a slower GPU and lower multi‑core performance, there’s a real risk of OEMs muddying the waters with confusing configurations.

The competitive picture is also shifting fast. The X2 Plus clearly outperforms several current Intel Core Ultra 2 chips, but Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra 3 “Panther Lake” processors promise big jumps in efficiency, NPU performance, and especially graphics.

Add rising LPDDR5x memory prices and supply constraints heading into 2026, and some X2 Plus laptops could end up more expensive or under‑specced than buyers expect. These aren’t deal‑breakers, but they’re the practical realities that will shape how well the X2 Plus lands once devices hit shelves. And to be fair, the RAM situation affects AMD and Intel as much as Qualcomm.

Availability and what comes next

Qualcomm says the first Snapdragon X2 Plus laptops will ship in the first half of 2026, with announcements expected from all the major OEMs (many of which are being announced this week during CES 2026, including HP, Lenovo, and ASUS). Based on what I saw in New York, there will be a healthy mix of thin‑and‑lights, 2‑in‑1s, business ultrabooks, and even a few fanless designs.

But the bigger story is that Qualcomm now has a full stack: X2 Elite Extreme at the top, X2 Elite for premium ultrabooks, and X2 Plus for mainstream machines. I think this also means we should expect a more entry-level "Snapdragon X2" later this summer, possibly at Computex 2026. That would give Qualcomm an impressive range of price-per-performance offerings, and a slightly larger range than the original Snapdragon X series.

And with Intel preparing to launch Panther Lake and AMD readying its next wave of Ryzen AI chips, 2026 is shaping up to be the most competitive year for Windows laptops in a decade.

My personal experience with these new Intel, Qualcomm, and recent AMD chips is that we're all winners. This is some impressive silicon, including some serious GPU power, which may let enough people unshackle themselves from the increasingly cost-prohibitive NVIDIA.

The difference now is that Qualcomm isn’t the underdog anymore. It’s a real contender—and with the X2 Plus, it’s aiming directly at the heart of the market.

Is Snapdragon X2 Plus the moment Arm laptops finally break into the mainstream, or are you still waiting to see how Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake chips shake out before making the jump? I saw these machines running live in New York and came away impressed, but the real test will be how OEMs execute and how Windows handles the next wave of AI features.

Drop your thoughts below.

Are you ready to buy an Arm‑powered Windows laptop in 2026, or does x86 still have your trust? And if you’ve already used an X Elite machine, I’m especially curious how your real‑world experience lines up with Qualcomm’s claims. Let’s get into it!

Intel has a huge presence at the Consumer Electronics Show, and it makes sense — Intel's next-generation silicon will power millions of brand-new Windows laptops this year.

Those chips fall under the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 umbrella, which Intel officially unveiled at CES 2026. Previously known as "Panther Lake," the latest from Intel represents a massive leap forward for the company in performance, efficiency, graphics, and AI.

We already knew about all of that, though. I wrote extensively about all there is to know about Intel Core Ultra Series 3 late last year, so Intel is focusing on the branding and the newly announced laptops from its partners at CES. You can check Windows Central for the latest news on the latter; this article will explain everything you need to know about the former.

Naming is simplified, but can still be confusing

Intel Core Ultra Series 3 will be the Intel platform of choice for laptops, tablets, handhelds, mini PCs, and more for manufacturers in 2026, and it's all designed to be scalable and modular. Of course, Intel is also competing with AMD's new Ryzen AI 400 series and Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 series.

I won't deep dive into Panther Lake and why this generation is so big for Intel, but the focus on disaggregation means Intel can be a lot more flexible. Broadly speaking, Panther Lake is divided into three tiers: low core count, high core count, and high core count with a powerful GPU.

That flexibility also gave Intel an opportunity to somewhat simplify its naming with this latest generation. Intel Core Ultra Series 2 was actually split between the cutting-edge V-series Lunar Lake released in the first half of the year, and the more traditional H, HX, and U-series Arrow Lake released in the latter half of 2025; in 2026, it'll all be Panther Lake.

Intel will likely release more configurations as the year progresses, but right now, there are 14 confirmed Intel Core Ultra Series 3 SKUs. Here are some tips to navigate the new naming scheme.

• Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is still divided into the classic 5, 7, and 9 families, with each family going up in price, performance, and features. For example, the Core Ultra 5 322 would be found in entry-level, value-driven devices, while the Core Ultra 9 386H would be found in high-end laptops that need top-notch performance.
• Family numbers will be followed by a 300 number, with higher numbers usually notating faster clock speeds, more cache, or other improvements. For example, the Core Ultra 5 325 and Core Ultra 5 335 are both 8-core chips, but the latter is clocked higher.
• Within each family, you'll see no suffix or an H suffix, with the H suffix being for SKUs with higher core counts. For example, the Core Ultra 7 365 and Core Ultra 7 366H are very similar overall, but the former has 8 cores while the latter has 16 cores.
• It's worth mentioning that Intel has confirmed the HX suffix isn't dead, and will likely be used with even more powerful configurations for gaming laptops and high-end workstations later this year.
• Finally, Intel is introducing a new X prefix for its most powerful configurations with the latest 12-core Intel Arc B390 GPU. For example, there's the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, which you'll find in premium devices that don't have discrete GPUs.

It may seem confusing at first glance, but this is definitely a far more straightforward naming scheme than last year. If you're comparing the Intel Core Ultra 5 332 to the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, you can tell that the latter is a more capable, higher-end chipset with a powerful GPU and more CPU cores.

Stay tuned for more coverage on Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (especially as we actually begin getting these laptops in our hands).

What do you think about Intel Core Ultra Series 3? Is Intel onto a real winner with this generation? Let us know in the comments below!

There's no other way to say it: AMD had a great year in 2025. With record-setting revenue, multi-billion dollar AI compute deals, and the launch of FSR Redstone as better competition for NVIDIA's DLSS, AMD padded its CPU supremacy by launching the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D.

These chips were more powerful follow-ups to the processor that every PC gamer wants, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which launched late-2024.

Although the Ryzen 9000 X3D lineup seemed complete, AMD has now unveiled the Ryzen 7 9850X3D at CES 2026. It slots into the lineup between the aforementioned Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Ryzen 9 9900X, featuring 8 cores, 16 threads, a 5.6GHz boost clock, 104MB of combined L2 and L3 cache, and a 120W TDP.

Yes, it's nearly identical to the 9800X3D — AMD says it's essentially a fine-tuned 9800X3D, and only the boost clock is slightly (0.4GHz) higher. According to AMD's own benchmarks, you can expect roughly a 3% average boost in performance from the 9850X3D compared to the 9800X3D.

AMD plans to launch the chip in Q1 2026, but there's not yet any pricing info. Considering the 9800X3D currently costs about $469 ($10 below MSRP), I can't see the new 9850X3D costing much more when the performance difference is so small.

AMD's new "Gorgon Point" processors aren't just for laptops

AMD's Ryzen AI 400 series chips, otherwise known as "Gorgon Point," have officially been revealed.

There are seven new chips in total, starting with the Ryzen AI 5 430 and climbing all the way to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 with 12 Zen 5 cores, 24 threads, 5.2GHz boost clock, 16 RDNA 3.5 graphics CUs, and an XDNA 2 NPU with 60 TOPS of power.

Rather than being restricted to laptops, AMD says these chips are also arriving as socketable desktop CPUs in consumer and commercial Copilot+ PCs. The chips are expected to arrive in laptops, desktops, and other form factors in Q1 2026.

New Ryzen AI Max+ chips have the coveted Radeon 8060S GPU

AMD has also padded its Ryzen AI Max+ series of mobile processors, which was first introduced last year at CES 2025.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ and Max+ Pro were touted as being "faster than an RTX 4090" thanks to their dedicated memory architecture that allows up to 96GB of system RAM to be used on the integrated GPU, all with a 256GB/s bandwidth. We tested the Pro version of the chip to great effect in our HP Z2 Mini (G1a) review.

One issue with the lineup was that you needed to splurge on the 16-core chip if you wanted to land the powerful integrated Radeon 8060S GPU with 60 TFLOPS of power and 40 graphics CUs.

That's now changed with the introduction of the Ryzen AI Max+ 392 and Ryzen AI Max+ 388. Both chips feature the same Radeon 8060S GPU, albeit with fewer cores (12 and 8, respectively).

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is still readily available for less than MSRP (about $469), potentially putting the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in a tough spot at launch. At what price would the new chip have to launch to attract buyers? Let us know in the comments below!

Qualcomm is starting 2026 the same way it ended 2025: fast, confident, and very aware that the Windows PC world is shifting under everyone’s feet. At CES 2026, the company officially unveiled Snapdragon X2 Plus, the newest member of the Snapdragon X2 Series and the chip that’s poised to matter far more to everyday buyers than the flagship X2 Elite or the monster‑tier X2 Elite Extreme announced in September.

I had the chance to see early X2 Plus laptops in person during a press preview in New York City back in early December. Qualcomm let us run live benchmarks on pre‑production hardware, and—much like last year’s X Plus rollout—the numbers lined up almost exactly with what the company is now publishing.

Qualcomm has earned a reputation for giving reviewers honest, reproducible performance data, and the X2 Plus continues that trend (I even had one major OEM tell me this off the record, noting how Qualcomm always delivers on time and never overpromises; and yes, that was shade thrown at Intel).

And that’s important, because this chip is aimed squarely at the mid‑to‑upper‑range Windows laptop market. In this segment, most people actually buy PCs, where businesses refresh fleets, and where OEMs need predictable performance and efficiency.

The X2 Plus is the platform that will show whether Qualcomm’s momentum in 2024 and 2025 was a flash in the pan or the beginning of a long‑term shift toward Arm‑based Windows machines.

From what I’ve seen so far, it’s the latter.

A “Plus” chip that feels a lot like an Elite

Qualcomm is shipping two versions of the X2 Plus: a 10‑core model and a 6‑core model. Both use the same 3nm process node as the X2 Elite, the same Oryon CPU architecture, the same Adreno X2‑45 GPU family, and—crucially—the same 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU. That last part is what makes this chip feel far more premium than its branding suggests.

The 10‑core version is the one most people will see in higher‑end ultrabooks and business machines. It hits up to 4.0GHz, carries 34MB of cache, and runs the GPU at a healthy 1.7GHz. The 6‑core version keeps the same peak frequency but trims cache and GPU clocks to hit more affordable price points. Both support up to 128GB of LPDDR5x memory and 152GB/s of bandwidth—numbers that matter more than ever as AI workloads scale.

This isn’t a “lite” chip. It’s a slightly leaner X2 Elite, and in some cases, it behaves like one.

Performance that punches above its weight

Qualcomm’s own numbers show the X2 Plus delivering up to 35% faster single‑core performance and up to 17% faster multi‑core performance than the previous‑generation Snapdragon X Plus. That’s a solid generational jump, but the more interesting story is how it stacks up against the competition.

In the NYC preview, we ran Geekbench 6.5 on the 10‑core model. The results matched Qualcomm’s claims: the X2 Plus outperformed Intel’s Core Ultra 7 265U and 256V processors at the same power levels, sometimes dramatically so. Qualcomm’s own ISO‑power comparisons show the X2 Plus delivering up to 3.5× the CPU performance of Intel’s Ultra 7 265U and up to 52% faster multi‑core performance than the Ultra 7 256V—while the Intel chips needed 4× to 4.6× more power to hit their peaks.

But here’s where we need to hedge. Intel is about to launch its Core Ultra 3 “Panther Lake” processors, built on the new Intel 18A process and featuring upgraded P‑cores, E‑cores, LP E‑cores, a significantly improved Xe3 GPU, and a fifth‑generation NPU.

Intel has been making real gains in efficiency and graphics performance, and Panther Lake is expected to push that further. So while the X2 Plus clearly beats some current Core Ultra 2 chips, the competitive picture will evolve quickly once Panther Lake laptops hit shelves in the coming weeks and months.

Still, Qualcomm’s advantage in sustained performance on battery remains a differentiator. In my hands‑on time, the X2 Plus behaved like the X Elite: no thermal drama, no sudden drops when unplugged, and no need for fans to spin up aggressively. That consistency is something Intel and AMD still struggle with in thin‑and‑light designs.

AI performance: Qualcomm keeps its lead (for now)

If there’s one area where Qualcomm continues to run laps around the competition, it’s the NPU (neural processing unit). The X2 Plus uses the same 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU found in the X2 Elite, and the benchmark results reflect that.

In UL Procyon AI Computer Vision, the X2 Plus scored 4193 — more than double the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and over six times the Ultra 7 265U. Geekbench AI told a similar story, with the X2 Plus hitting 83,624 versus Intel’s 48,041 and 13,615.

Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake chips (aka Core Ultra 3) will include a new NPU rated around 50 TOPS, which will close the gap somewhat, but Qualcomm still holds the advantage in raw throughput and efficiency. And with Windows 11 leaning harder into on‑device AI — Cocreator, Automatic Super Resolution, Studio Effects, and the new wave of agentic AI features—OEMs want an NPU that can handle real workloads without spiking power draw.

For now, Qualcomm is still the company delivering that.

Battery life and real‑world behavior

Qualcomm is promising multi‑day battery life again, and based on what I saw in New York, that’s not marketing fluff. The X2 Plus reference designs ran cool, quiet, and consistently, even under sustained load. Qualcomm says the chip uses up to 43% less power than the previous generation while delivering higher performance, and the idle‑normalized power numbers back that up.

This is the kind of efficiency that changes how people use their laptops. It’s also the kind of efficiency that OEMs love, because it gives them more thermal headroom to build thinner, lighter designs without sacrificing performance

Why the X2 Plus matters more than the X2 Elite

The Snapdragon X2 Elite (and especially Elite Extreme) is the halo product—the one that grabs headlines and pushes the envelope. But the X2 Plus is the chip that will actually reshape the Windows PC market.

Most people don’t buy $1,500 laptops. Most businesses don’t deploy $2,000 ultrabooks. The X2 Plus is designed for the $799–$1,299 range, where volume lives and where Qualcomm can make the most significant impact (see the success of the ASUS Zenbook A14, one of our favorite laptops of 2025).

And it arrives at a moment when the PC industry is dealing with rising component costs, especially DRAM shortages and price spikes driven by AI data center demand. LPDDR5x is getting more expensive, not less, and OEMs need platforms that can deliver strong performance without requiring exotic cooling or high‑wattage designs. The X2 Plus fits that need perfectly.

It also brings Snapdragon Guardian remote manageability — out‑of‑band updates, lock‑and‑wipe, device tracking — to mainstream machines. That’s a huge deal for IT departments, as that's Intel's vPro playground right now, and removes one of the last barriers to Arm adoption in enterprise.

Concerns (and possible criticisms) of the Snapdragon X2 Plus?

I'm writing this to be even-handed, but honestly, there's not a lot of cons with the X2 Plus, at least not on paper, but here are a few.

Windows on Arm has improved dramatically, but some niche apps, older enterprise tools, and GPU‑heavy creative workflows may still run inconsistently under emulation (though this is really becoming the rare exception these days).

Gaming support is better than ever, yet anti‑cheat and certain titles remain question marks, although, again, Qualcomm and Microsoft are actively fixing this, and Fortnite is now in the can. And because the 6‑core X2 Plus has a slower GPU and lower multi‑core performance, there’s a real risk of OEMs muddying the waters with confusing configurations.

The competitive picture is also shifting fast. The X2 Plus clearly outperforms several current Intel Core Ultra 2 chips, but Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra 3 “Panther Lake” processors promise big jumps in efficiency, NPU performance, and especially graphics.

Add rising LPDDR5x memory prices and supply constraints heading into 2026, and some X2 Plus laptops could end up more expensive or under‑specced than buyers expect. These aren’t deal‑breakers, but they’re the practical realities that will shape how well the X2 Plus lands once devices hit shelves. And to be fair, the RAM situation affects AMD and Intel as much as Qualcomm.

Availability and what comes next

Qualcomm says the first Snapdragon X2 Plus laptops will ship in the first half of 2026, with announcements expected from all the major OEMs (many of which are being announced this week during CES 2026, including HP, Lenovo, and ASUS). Based on what I saw in New York, there will be a healthy mix of thin‑and‑lights, 2‑in‑1s, business ultrabooks, and even a few fanless designs.

But the bigger story is that Qualcomm now has a full stack: X2 Elite Extreme at the top, X2 Elite for premium ultrabooks, and X2 Plus for mainstream machines. I think this also means we should expect a more entry-level "Snapdragon X2" later this summer, possibly at Computex 2026. That would give Qualcomm an impressive range of price-per-performance offerings, and a slightly larger range than the original Snapdragon X series.

And with Intel preparing to launch Panther Lake and AMD readying its next wave of Ryzen AI chips, 2026 is shaping up to be the most competitive year for Windows laptops in a decade.

My personal experience with these new Intel, Qualcomm, and recent AMD chips is that we're all winners. This is some impressive silicon, including some serious GPU power, which may let enough people unshackle themselves from the increasingly cost-prohibitive NVIDIA.

The difference now is that Qualcomm isn’t the underdog anymore. It’s a real contender—and with the X2 Plus, it’s aiming directly at the heart of the market.

Is Snapdragon X2 Plus the moment Arm laptops finally break into the mainstream, or are you still waiting to see how Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake chips shake out before making the jump? I saw these machines running live in New York and came away impressed, but the real test will be how OEMs execute and how Windows handles the next wave of AI features.

Drop your thoughts below.

Are you ready to buy an Arm‑powered Windows laptop in 2026, or does x86 still have your trust? And if you’ve already used an X Elite machine, I’m especially curious how your real‑world experience lines up with Qualcomm’s claims. Let’s get into it!

True to its word, AMD has deployed its FSR "Redstone" update to the public in the second half of 2025, with just a couple of weeks left in the year. It arrives as part of the AMD Adrenalin 25.12.1 driver package, and it's also available for developers in a new Redstone SDK.

AMD first mentioned "Redstone" as an upgrade to FSR 4 at Computex 2025, promising major machine learning upgrades to Super Resolution and Frame Generation.

Now that it's here, I must admit that it's a tad confusing. Along with the major Redstone updates (which only work on certain AMD GPUs), AMD has also rebranded some of its technologies. Here's what you need to know.

What is AMD FSR Redstone?

FSR is essentially AMD's answer to NVIDIA DLSS. They're both upscaling technologies that rely on AI to make your games run smoother, look better, and hit higher frame rates. Whereas NVIDIA has stuck with DLSS over the years, AMD is still organizing its naming conventions.

With this update, Redstone has become the umbrella term for all of AMD's ML-powered upscaling techniques. That means FSR 4 has been renamed as "FSR Upscaling," falling under the Redstone name as just another technique.

AMD has also cut the official "FidelityFX Super Resolution" moniker down to simply "FSR," bringing it in line with what we've all been calling it all along anyway.

With the Redstone launch, AMD says that more than 200 games now support "one or more" Redstone features. These include FSR Upscaling, FSR Frame Generation, FSR Ray Regeneration, or FSR Radiance Caching. Beyond that, there are 32 games — including Arc Raiders, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and Cyberpunk 2077 — confirmed to support FSR Frame Generation.

What about FSR Ray Regeneration? As far as I can tell, only Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 supports the feature. AMD's FSR Radiance Caching is still in its infancy, with AMD noting that it will come to developers sometime in 2026.

Unfortunately, this update is only available for owners of AMD's latest Radeon RX 9000 graphics cards that use the RDNA 4 architecture. There are some inferior FSR 3.1 fallbacks for Upscaling and Frame Generation on older hardware, but Ray Regeneration and Radiance Caching are strictly reserved for the latest AMD GPUs.

How does AMD FSR Redstone perform?

Our friends at PC Gamer were quick to test out AMD's Redstone update first-hand on a Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU.

The TL;DR? AMD's new Frame Generation is a big upgrade, pushing it up to compete with NVIDIA's DLSS. It still lacks 3x and 4x generation ala DLSS, but it's certainly better than it used to be. And although Ray Regeneration is only available in one game, it also seems to be a win.

AMD still has a long way to go if it wants to surpass NVIDIA's DLSS tech, but this seems like a solid step in the right direction for Radeon. I just wish it were all available on older AMD GPUs.

Another day, AI-driven demand continues to affect hardware pricing. AMD has reportedly informed its partners that GPU costs are set to rise due to higher DRAM prices, with increases expected to be at least 10 percent. The shift is linked to memory supply being redirected toward AI datacenters, which is putting pressure on component availability and pushing costs upward.

RAM pricing is already climbing, and that impact is now moving into the consumer graphics card market. There are still some solid GPU deals available during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it may be worth watching current discounts before pricing adjustments reach retail.

Why the price hike?

AMD cards rely on GDDR6 memory, and that memory is becoming more expensive due to demand from large AI datacenters. It is reasonable to expect NVIDIA and Intel to face similar pressures, which could lead to comparable pricing changes across the board. Console hardware is also being speculated as a possible area of impact, with Xbox pricing potentially increasing according to Moore's Law Is Dead, which could mean Sony could face similar conditions next year if current reports prove accurate.

Right now, it could be a sensible moment to upgrade a GPU, whether you favour AMD or NVIDIA, since current pricing may not last once the next wave of stock arrives at a higher cost.

With pricing expected to rise once current batches sell through, it puts many PC gamers in a tough spot, myself included. Deciding whether to upgrade now or hold out and hope for better conditions later. If you were already shopping for a new card, the deals available today might be the safest window before adjusted pricing lands.

Some people will wait to see how far prices climb or whether competition helps steady the market. Others will grab something now to avoid paying more for the same level of performance in a few weeks.

More Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• The very best Black Friday deals from all categories
• Mini PC deals: up to 47% off tiny PCs
• GPU deals: early price drops on NVIDIA RTX before they go up
• Microsoft Surface deals: save up to $500 on premium PCs
• Xbox accessories: best deals on gadgets for your Xbox Series X|S and PC
• Gaming laptop deals: the best laptops for the best price
• Xbox controllers: our top picks for best controller deals
• Samsung monitors: the best Samsung display deals we've found

PC maker TUXEDO has announced that its upcoming Snapdragon X Elite powered Linux notebook has been canceled. The company says it found development to be too challenging, noting that the Snapdragon X Elite SoC was "less suitable for Linux than expected."

TUXEDO is a brand that specialized in Linux PCs. The company makes both laptops and desktop PCs that are fully compatible with Linux, and its planned Snapdragon X Elite notebook was supposed to be the company's first ARM-based Linux device.

Unfortunately, the device has now been put on hold. "Development turned out to be challenging due to the different architecture, and in the end, the first-generation X1E proved to be less suitable for Linux than expected," the company says. "In particular, the long battery runtimes—usually one of the strong arguments for ARM devices—were not achieved under Linux. A viable approach for BIOS updates under Linux is also missing at this stage, as is fan control. Virtualization with KVM is not foreseeable on our model, nor are the high USB4 transfer rates. Video hardware decoding is technically possible, but most applications lack the necessary support."

The laptop was in development for a little over 18 months, but the company says pouring anymore time into the project makes little sense given how old the Snapdragon X Elite now is. "We would be offering you a device with what would then be a more than two-year-old Snapdragon X Elite (X1E)."

The company says it will evaluate the viability of a Linux-based laptop with Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite SoC, but hasn't made any firm commitments. "If it meets expectations and we can reuse a significant portion of our work on the X1E, we may resume development. How much of our groundwork can be transferred to the X2E can only be assessed after a detailed evaluation of the chip."

It's an unfortunate development for Linux fans who were hoping to see a Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptop from TUXEDO. It's unclear if or when development on such a device will resume, but given how difficult TUXEDO has found it to bring up support so far, it's unlikely to be anytime soon.

In the meantime, there are countless Windows 11 laptops powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite, including Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7 and Dell XPS 13. These PCs have been widely regarded as excellent, thanks to Qualcomm's efficient chip design that results in all day battery life without sacrificing performance.

Qualcomm has since announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite, which is the successor to the company's first-gen PC chips. These chips will be more powerful, with better GPU performance and more cores to boot.

Back in May 2025, Qualcomm released the Adreno Control Panel into beta for developers, a graphics utility software specifically designed for Snapdragon X Elite devices as a way to optimize game performance.

Now, several months later, Qualcomm has finally released the Snapdragon Control Panel for anyone with a Snapdragon X Series device to take advantage of.

If you're excited to check it out, then you can download the latest version of Snapdragon Control Panel at Qualcomm's website.

RELATED: Best Windows on ARM latpops

According to a Qualcomm press release, the new Snapdragon Control Panel adds a few new features and improves others:

• Automatically detect games and modify settings to optimize quality and performance.
• Optimize game settings and keep drivers up to date.
• Experience better performance and support for more games with downloadable graphics drivers and AVX2 emulation.
• Play Fortnite and enjoy improved anti-cheat compatibility on Snapdragon X Series devices.

More specifically, when it comes to game optimization settings, Snapdragon Control Panel provides access to settings like "super resolution, framerate cap, anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, level of detail and texture filtering." Qualcomm also promises that more settings options are in the works.

In order to get Snapdragon PCs compatible with Fortnite, Qualcomm says it not only, "worked with developers to provide Kernel Level Anti-cheat support for Windows on Snapdragon," but is also working with the following anti-cheat providers for anti-cheat in other games:

• Tencent’s Anti-Cheat Expert (ACE)
• Roblox’s Hyperion
• Denuvo by Irdeto
• InProtect GameGuard
• BattleEye
• Uncheater

Could Snapdragon join the growing army of handheld gaming PCs?

Qualcomm has been having an excellent past few years as it continues to release and announce powerful chips, like the upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme.

But the chip manufacturer has shown time and time again that it isn't just content with producing SoCs for Windows on ARM business laptops; it also wants to make headway when it comes to gaming on Windows Snapdragon devices.

Whenever I talk with someone about Snapdragon laptops, I often get a mixed bag of responses. Some people tell me how much they love their laptops, while others are completely baffled to learn Qualcomm's chips dapple the market.

The one negative I repeatedly hear is that Snapdragon laptops don't really offer the best graphics performance — of course, this is by design since these laptops are typically intended to exchange GPU performance for long-lasting batteries, steady CPU performance, and lightweight frames.

And wouldn't you know it, that tradeoff sounds curiously similar to the kind of tradeoffs you get with a Windows gaming handheld PC. After all, devices like Xbox Ally X and Steam Deck don't have the most powerful internals, but they have still been optimized as portable gaming machines.

With all of Qualcomm's effort put into improving the gaming experience on Snapdragon PCs, I really won't be surprised if we get the news in another year or two that a Snapdragon handheld has entered the market. We'll have to wait and see how things go.

For now, enjoy your newfound freedom in Snapdragon Control Panel as you take advantage of the new anti-cheat compatibility in games like Fortnite or fine-tune settings on a per-game basis to get them running their best on Snapdragon PCs.

Qualcomm Snapdragon FAQ

In two recent public Geekbench listings, we’ve finally got a glimpse at Intel’s Core Ultra 300 Panther Lake chips running in real laptops. The entries were spotted and reported by VideoCardz, which highlighted the two different Geekbench result pages. One shows an AI test using the ONNX CPU backend, and the other shows an OpenCL test focused on GPU compute.

The laptops in question are the unreleased Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro (likely an update of our reviewed Galaxy Book5 Pro) with the Core Ultra 5 338H, and the refreshed ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with the Core Ultra X7 358H.

These listings give us the first proper confirmation of Intel’s naming scheme, core layouts, and Xe3 integrated GPU configurations for the upcoming Panther Lake lineup, aka Core Ultra Series 3.

Before getting into the details, it’s worth explaining how Intel’s hybrid cores work in simple terms. P-cores are performance cores for heavy workloads, E-cores are efficiency cores for lighter or background tasks, and LP-cores are low-power cores designed to save battery during basic everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro leak confirms the Core Ultra 5 338H

The Core Ultra 5 338H is a 28W-class chip with 12 cores total (4P + 4E + 4LP). The Geekbench listing shows two clusters as 4 cores and 8 cores, and it reports a base clock of 1.90 GHz.

The test was run using the ONNX framework on the CPU backend, so the AI results come from CPU processing rather than the NPU. The scores include 4,136 for single precision, 1,764 for half precision, and 7,612 for quantized workloads in Geekbench AI 1.4.

The system was equipped with 32 GB of memory and was running Windows 11 Pro. These results give an early look at CPU-side AI behaviour for Panther Lake, but they don’t reflect NPU or GPU performance. AI benchmarks are also difficult to compare across devices, so this is best seen as an early snapshot rather than a complete performance picture.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 leak reveals the higher-end Core Ultra X7 358H

The Core Ultra X7 358H is a beefier 28W-class chip with 16 total cores (4P + 8E + 4LP). The boost clock is listed as up to 4.7 GHz, with a base of 1.90 GHz. The GPU details show a Xe3 iGPU with 12 graphics cores, and Geekbench reports 96 compute units, which lines up with 12 Xe3 cores multiplied by 8 units each. The iGPU can also access up to 16 GB of system memory in the test, which is common for integrated graphics.

We've previously written about Intel's ongoing ARC graphics and how it'll change with Panther Lake.

The only performance results available for this listing come from the OpenCL GPU compute test, not the CPU. The OpenCL scores vary across the different runs, with results of 52,014, 51,968, 51,331, and 46,171. These numbers give a general idea of where the new Xe3 iGPU lands in Geekbench’s compute test.

VideoCardz also compared the scores against other entries in the same benchmark. In this specific OpenCL test, the results place the X7 358H’s integrated GPU close to the RTX 3050 Laptop. It also comes in above the Intel Arc A550M, and ahead of the Arc 140T integrated graphics listed for Arrow Lake. These comparisons reflect only the scores reported in Geekbench.

FAQ

AMD's third-quarter financial results for 2025 are in, and they're looking good for the NVIDIA and Intel competitor almost entirely across the board. In the age of astronomical AI-related spending, it's great to see Team Red making headway with its consumer graphics card and processor business, and not just AI chips.

Not only did AMD's revenue grow in the third quarter, but it broke a record at $9.2 billion with a gross margin of 52%. That revenue represents a 36% year-over-year increase, which AMD Executive Vice President Jean Hu says "generated record free cash flow."

With $1.3 billion in operating income and $2 billion of net revenue, diluted earnings per share work out to $0.75. Looking at the results with a non-GAAP eye — which can often give a better picture of core operations — AMD says its gross margin was 54% and diluted earnings per share were $1.20.

Before these earnings were made public, I probably would have placed my bet on AMD's specialized AI chips — known as Instinct — making the most money for the company. That is, however, not the case at all.

AMD says its data center segment's revenue was $4.3 billion, a 22% increase compared to the third quarter of 2024. The company says this growth was, unsurprisingly, driven by its specialized EPYC CPUs and Instinct MI350 GPUs.

It's the client and gaming segment that shows the most growth, and it's not close at all. Third-quarter revenue from this segment was $4 billion, which is an increase of 73% compared to the previous year.

Client revenue alone broke an AMD record at $2.8 billion, an increase of 46% year-over-year. AMD says these record sales were driven by its consumer Ryzen CPUs and "a richer product mix."

Considering the almighty AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D — widely considered the best CPU for PC gaming and a nice upgrade over its predecessor, the 7800X3D — and its other new X3D siblings launched at the end of 2024, it's pretty clear that the demand for AMD's coveted CPUs is only climbing.

Ryzen is undoubtedly a hot buy, but it was AMD's Radeon gaming GPUs that grew the most in the third quarter. Gaming revenue hit $1.3 billion in the third quarter, which was a 181% year-over-year increase.

AMD has positioned itself on the launch pad ... will it take off?

AMD's third-quarter 2025 results are impressive, but, of course, it's not always easy to maintain such a performance.

"Our record third quarter performance and strong fourth quarter guidance marks a clear step up in our growth trajectory as our expanding compute franchise and rapidly scaling data center AI business drive significant revenue and earnings growth," said Dr. Lisa Su, alluding to some of the deals AI has coming its way in the next few years.

NVIDIA has propelled itself to the top of the world market charts with its specialized AI GPUs, recently blowing past a $5 trillion valuation as the first ever company to do so. AMD undoubtedly wants some of the action.

AMD notes that its AMD AI platform is gaining interest, alluding to the massive OpenAI partnership worth tens of billions of dollars announced in early October 2025. It involves 6 gigawatts of AMD's Instinct AI GPUs powering OpenAI's next-gen infrastructure; the first gigawatt is set to deploy in the second half of 2026.

Of course, the current tensions between the US and China are getting in the way of Instinct AI GPU sales to one of the largest AI markets in the world, but AMD has priced that into its expectations.

AMD expects that fourth-quarter revenue will be somewhere around $9.6 billion, another increase compared to the third quarter, and that "does not include any revenue from AMD Instinct MI308 shipments to China."

Business is indeed taking off for AMD, and it's great to see that it's not just all AI-related revenue. There are serious concerns about a growing AI bubble that wants to wipe out the stock market should it ever burst, but it looks like AMD's more traditional money makers — GPUs and CPUs — would act as great insulators against the storm.

(via PC Gamer)

FAQ

AMD's Adrenalin software support center for its Radeon graphics received a significant update on October 29 as part of its regular release schedule.

The 25.10.2 update appears to be rather standard at first glance, with newfound support for Battlefield 6 (DX12) and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (DX12), new support for the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330's integrated Radeon 820M graphics, expanded Vulkan support, several bug fixes, and more.

What makes this update stand out is tucked away at the bottom of AMD's Adrenalin update notes. It's the first update to arrive with no listed support for Windows 10 systems.

According to AMD, this update is only designed to work with Windows 11 version 21H2 or later. For the record, 21H2 was Windows 11's first official release in 2021, so it's not exactly a matter of age. Regardless, we all knew this type of thing was coming after Microsoft sent Windows 10 to an early grave on October 14, but it's still a bit jarring to see.

The previous AMD Adrenalin update, version 25.10.1, launched on October 9, 2025, with full Windows 10 and Windows 11 support. It's amazing what just a couple of weeks can do.

AMD's older RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 graphics cards are also being dropped

As mentioned, AMD's Adrenalin 25.10.2 update has added game support for Battlefield 6 and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. However, the new game support only extends to AMD's Radeon RX 7000 and RX 9000 GPUs.

That means that AMD's RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 graphics cards — including the likes of the RX 6800 and RX 5700 XT — won't have access to the new game support despite the overall Adrenalin update applying to those generations.

AMD also states that its expanded Vulkan extension support is now being limited to RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 GPUs. If I were planning to retire support for my older GPUs, this is how I'd do it — one step at a time.

Also included in the package is the "initial introduction" of Work Graphs support for AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs. Work Graphs are a relatively recent feature for graphics APIs that can help with GPU autonomy, essentially removing a huge burden from the CPU.

AMD's Adrenalin 25.10.2 update squashes a lot of bugs, but several remain

It wouldn't be a driver update without some bug fixes, and AMD has a number of notes regarding specific game and hardware issues. Here's a full list of the fixed issues from AMD's notes:

• Intermittent application crash may be observed while playing The Last of Us Part II on Radeon™ RX 7900 series graphics products. 
• Intermittent application crash may be observed while playing FBC: Firebreak on some AMD Ryzen™ processors such as the Ryzen™ AI 300 series and the Ryzen™ 8000 series. 
• Corruption (missing scan travel lines) may be observed while playing GTFO™ on Radeon™ RX 7000 series graphics products. 
• Stutter may be observed while playing games with some VR headsets at 80Hz or 90Hz refresh rate on some AMD Radeon™ Graphics Products such as the Radeon™ RX 7000 series. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to change the refresh rate as a temporary workaround.
• Intermittent application crash may be observed while playing NBA 2K25 in MyCareer mode on Radeon™ RX 9070 series graphics products. AMD is actively working on a resolution to be released as soon as possible.
• Stutter may be observed While playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on some AMD Radeon Graphics™ Products such as the Radeon™ RX 9000 and 7000 series. 
• Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Serious Sam 4 on Radeon™ RX 6000 series graphics products.
• Shadow corruption on left eye is seen while playing VTOL VR on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products.
• CVE-2023-4969 (RDNA only), CVE-2024-21969 (RDNA only), CVE-2024-36323, CVE-2024-36325, CVE-2024-36333, CVE-2025-61964, CVE-2025-61965, CVE-2025-61966, CVE-2025-61967, CVE-2025-61968

Some bugs are still present in the update, but AMD is aware.

To do with Battlefield 6, there remains a nasty issue with "intermittent application crash or driver timeout" when playing on an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mobile CPU, and there's another bug causing "texture flickering or corruption" that may appear when playing the game with AMD's Record and Stream features enabled.

Here's a full list of the known issues still plaguing AMD's software:

• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while loading a saved game in Cyberpunk 2077 with Path Tracing enabled. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Battlefield™ 6 on AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Roblox Player (Car Zone Racing & Drifting) when task switching between media on Radeon™ RX 7000 series products. 
• Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Battlefield™ 6 with AMD Record and Stream on some AMD Graphics Products.
• Radeon Anti-Lag 2 option may not be available while playing Counter-Strike 2 (DX11) with Radeon Anti-Lag 2 enabled on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 9070 XT. Users experiencing this issue are recommended to use the Vulkan API as a temporary workaround.

You can download the AMD Adrenalin 25.10.2 driver for Windows 11 directly from the AMD website.

(via Neowin)

Windows 10 End-of-Life: FAQ

If you buy a laptop powered by an AMD processor (CPU) in 2025, there's a good chance it's running Strix Point hardware based on the company's Zen 5 architecture.

AMD Ryzen AI 300 silicon (aka Strix Point) was unveiled at Computex 2024, heralding a new era of mobile AI performance for AMD, and the chips have made their way into quite a few Windows laptops. In the Strix Point family are also AMD's Z2 Extreme chips designed for gaming handhelds, including the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and the Xbox Ally X.

AMD's subsequent Computex 2025 presentation was mostly filled with its new Radeon graphics cards and Ryzen Threadripper chips, leaving its mainstream mobile CPU segment to coast along for another year.

That's expected to change in 2026, although I can't say for sure when and where AMD will be unveiling its next generation of mobile CPUs. As it stands now, I'm still working with leaks and rumors, so take all information herein with some caution.

Here's everything I know about AMD's upcoming Gorgon Point mobile APUs.

AMD's Gorgon Point lineup leaked in 2025

The biggest source of information regarding AMD's upcoming Gorgon Point mobile CPUs comes from a leaker (via PCGamer), who exposed some internal slides from a closed partner meeting in March 2025.

X user harukaze5719 is who originally posted the captured slides; the X post was removed not long after. However, the slides were picked up by many outlets and reported on before being deleted.

The biggest news is likely to be that AMD Gorgon Point is slated for a 2026 launch. However, those who were expecting a big change might be let down by the leaked information.

AMD's Gorgon Point chips look a lot like Strix Point. Here's a comparison between the top AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX chips from both generations, based on the info from the leak.

Gorgon Point appears to be using the same 12 cores split up between Zen 5 and Zen 5c, as well as the same RDNA 3.5 GPU and XDNA 2 Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks.

AMD does seem to deliver gains in the max boost clock and NPU TOPS areas based on this information, but I wouldn't expect any major changes in any chip in terms of integrated GPU power.

Roughly three months after the initial Gorgon Point leak, Videocardz reported on information from a shipping manifest website that showed some of AMD's next-gen chips.

The leaked manifests seem to confirm that new 10-core and 12-core Ryzen CPUs are in the works, and they're expected to launch at a 28W TDP.

It also appears that AMD wants to add some extra chips on the lower end of the lineup. A Gorgon Point Ryzen 3 option is listed on the leaked slide.

AMD Gorgon Point: FAQ

Apple revealed its new M5 silicon for MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro on October 15, 2025, roughly three weeks after Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme ARM-based chips for Windows PCs.

I'm not expecting to see any of Qualcomm's next-gen X2 Elite and Extreme chips arrive in PCs until early next year, and Apple is remaining tight-lipped regarding any performance benchmarks before the M5 officially arrives in the MacBook Pro 14 October 22.

Regardless, I've put together an early comparison of the Apple and Qualcomm chips, including some early leaked benchmark numbers.

Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. Apple M5: CPU performance

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite platform is divided into three parts. There's the flagship X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-96-100) System-on-Chip with 18 cores, clock speed up to 5GHz, GPU clock up to 1.85GHz, and 228GB/s memory bandwidth.

One step down is the X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) with the same 18 cores but a lower 4.7GHz clock speed and 1.7GHz GPU clock. Then there's the X2 Elite (X2E-80-100) with 12 cores, 4.7GHz clock speed, and 1.7GHz GPU clock. Both of the X2 Elite chips offer up to 152GB/s memory bandwidth.

The new Apple M5 is home to just one chip for now; if Pro and Max versions are on the way, Apple still hasn't made anything official. Like the X2 Elite chips, Apple's M5 is built using 3nm technology.

👉 Related: Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs. Apple M4

Apple lays claim to "the world's fastest performance core" in the M5, and there are up to four of them in the 10-core CPU option (the other six cores are of the efficiency type). Compared to the M4, Apple says this combination delivers up to 15% faster multithreaded performance.

The M5's memory bandwidth hits 153GB/s, which is 1GB/s faster than the X2 Elite chips and 75GB/s slower than the X2 Elite Extreme.

A recent Geekbench leak (via Tom's Hardware) shows the M5 in a MacBook Pro ahead of the X2 Elite Extreme chip for single-core workloads. The M5 hit 4,253 in the leaked single-core result, higher than the 4,080 score that Qualcomm provided.

However, the X2 Elite Extreme comes out ahead in multi-core testing, hitting a score of 23,491 compared to the M5's 17,862. The performance difference there is mainly based on the X2 Elite Extreme's extra 8 CPU cores, so this result is a lot closer than I imagine Qualcomm would like it to be.

Qualcomm has mainly provided X2 Elite Extreme performance numbers at this point, which makes it hard to compare the non-Extreme versions of the chip. However, it's safe to assume that the M5 will maintain its single-core supremacy while inching closer to overtaking multi-core performance.

Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. Apple M5: AI performance

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips kicked off the Copilot+ PC era thanks to the inclusion of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with enough power to run local AI tasks smoothly.

With the new X2 Elite and Elite Extreme chips, the NPU has improved greatly, hitting 80 TOPS compared to 45 TOPS in the older hardware. That bump essentially prepares the chip for the future of local AI tasks, inside and outside of Copilot+.

Qualcomm shows off a Procyon AI Computer Vision score of 4,151 for the X2 Elite Extreme, besting Apple M4's score of 2,121.

But Apple has also improved its 16-core Neural Engine for the M5. It's optimized for Apple Intelligence tools, and it complements the Neural Accelerators in the CPU and GPU.

Apple hasn't yet provided numbers I can use for comparisons, so this section will have to wait for post-launch benchmarks. However, I do know that the M4 boasted 38 TOPS of power for AI, so the M5 should surpass that.

Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. Apple M5: GPU performance

Qualcomm has buffed its integrated Adreno GPU for the X2 Elite chips, significantly boosting the frequency and, in turn, performance.

For the X2 Elite Extreme, Qualcomm used 3DMark's Solar Bay benchmark — which tests performance in ray-traced games — to test. The chip hit a score of 90.06. To compare, Apple's last-gen M4 scored 62.7 in the same test.

Within the Windows world, the X2 Elite Extreme's new GPU, combined with increased ARM compatibility in popular anti-cheat systems, has the potential to make gaming a whole lot easier on the next generation of Snapdragon laptops.

According to Apple, the M5 represents "the next big leap in AI performance" for its custom silicon. Thanks to a redesigned 10-core GPU architecture and a Neural Accelerator within each core, it's touted as being capable of delivering more than four times the peak GPU compute power than the M4.

Buffed M5 shader cores are also expected to boost graphics performance by about 30% compared to the M4, and a new ray tracing engine should boost performance by up to 45%. That puts it roughly in line with the X2 Elite Extreme's early benchmark numbers.

External display support continues to favor Qualcomm. The M5 in the MacBook Pro can support up to dual 6K@60Hz displays, each running on Thunderbolt 5. It can also run one 6K@60Hz display and one 4K@144Hz display at the same time using Thunderbolt and HDMI. For one display, the ceiling is 4K@240Hz or 8K@60Hz.

The X2 Elite series can run up to three 4K displays each at 144Hz, or three 5K displays each at 60Hz.

Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. Apple M5: More to come

I plan to revisit this comparison once more information becomes available, but for now, it's looking like the flagship X2 Elite Extreme has some serious competition from Apple's baseline M5 chip.

It will be interesting to see how Apple's M5 Pro and Max versions, if they do arrive, compare as well to these chips, and I'm also looking forward to the potential of Qualcomm releasing something more powerful than the X2 Elite Extreme.

Intel maintains a sizable presence in the United States, especially in Oregon and Arizona. I travelled to the latter for Intel Tech Tour 2025, where Intel shared a bevy of announcements near its absolutely massive Ocotillo campus.

I was able to take a tour of this campus, and most notably Fab 52 — the latest (and largest) addition packed with the most cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication technology in the world. It's this foundry that will produce Intel's next-gen processors using the new 18A processing node.

2026 could be a big year for Intel if its ambitions with Fab 52 are realized. Here's what you should know about Intel 18A, and I'll also share my experience strolling through the impressive Fab 52.

The heart of Intel Panther Lake is 18A

I've spent some time breaking down Intel's next-gen Panther Lake mobile chips, and explained what you need to know about the new Intel Arc graphics being paired with them. I skimmed over Intel 18A, though, and why exactly it's important.

If you weren't aware, one of the most important metrics for gauging the progression of semiconductor fabrication is the size of individual transistors, measured in nanometers. The smaller the size, the more densely you can pack transistors. The more densely you can pack transistors, the more transistors you can have. The more transistors you can have, the better your chip's performance and efficiency (largely speaking).

Intel 18A is a 2nm-class processing node, which is on the cutting edge of what modern semiconductor fabrication can achieve. That's important, but Intel 18A is special because it finally debuts two unique technologies in chips that are actually going to reach consumers — RibbonFET and PowerVia.

First, RibbonFET is set to replace the "FinFET" transistor design that has been the standard for over a decade. While the latter uses vertical "fin" transistors with the gate (which controls the flow of electricity through the transistors) set on top, RibbonFET uses a new, flexible and scalable "ribbon" design with a gate that wraps completely around the transistors. This design allows for more precise control, less power leakage, superior performance-per-watt, and helps support more densely packed transistors.

PowerVia is a similarly crucial advancement. Traditional chips weave together signal and power routing for transistors through the front of the chip die, but this can lead to congestion and performance degradation as transistors become more densely packed. With Intel 18A, chips can now route power to transistors through the backside of the die, leaving the front reserved just for signal input/output.

The result of these two technologies is significantly improved performance, efficiency, and consistency with intense, high-power workloads (like artificial intelligence). Intel 18A can also be paired with other Intel processing nodes thanks to Intel's more modular Foveros-3D advanced packaging, which can stack multiple, separate chiplets on the same die.

Intel Panther Lake is the first platform to be built using Intel 18A, and takes full advantage of these upgrades. As production scales up, too, we could see other partners turn to Intel for their semiconductor needs — and it's all happening inside Fab 52.

Fab 52 is alive, and I went aside to see what it's all about

Intel's Ocotillo campus is massive. Constantly growing since it first opened in the 1990s, this campus is built on over a square mile of land with its own 12-acre water treatment and recycling plant, and Fab 52 — the latest addition — is large even by Ocotillo standards.

Four years of construction required thousands of workers and tens of billions of dollars of investment. Intel had to excavate the equivalent of over 400 Olympic pools filled with soil and rock, and poured over 600,00 cubic meters of concrete — so much concrete that Intel built its own mixing plant on-site — reinforced by over 75,000 tons of steel.

It wasn't just about erecting the largest building possible; Intel had to carefully plan how and where to reinforce the ground to support the impossibly heavy Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) machines that are crucial for Intel 18A. These machines are so heavy it apparently takes three Boeing 747 cargo planes to transport just one to Arizona, and Fab 52 uses moveable bridge cranes built into its ceiling for construction and maintenance.

I got to see these EUVs in person, but I couldn't just stroll in. I had to leave my phone and all electronics behind (not just for Intel's security, but also because any wireless signal can interfere with the absurdly precise and delicate tools inside the foundry), and I had to don a hair net, gloves, and shoe covers before I was even allowed to enter the clean room where I was properly gowned in a full-body suit, hood, boots, protective goggles, and a second pair of gloves.

Enter the foundry, and you may note the aggressively "average" feeling of the air, as Intel carefully manages the temperature, humidity, and even air mixture. Dedicated air extraction towers cycle the air in the foundry six times a minute, apparently, and the air is thousands of times cleaner than even your average surgery operating room. You may also note the strange, yellow-green hue of the lighting, which is apparently an additional precaution to protect Intel's chips from the effects of some spectrums of light (similar to a dark room for developing older film).

I remember being mesmerized by the literal miles of track suspended from the ceiling, on which hundreds of automated robots carry silicon wafers and dies from tool to tool and building to building, the rows of extraordinarily advanced equipment, and the knowledge that the foundry is constantly under construction inside and out. Intel carefully considers which tools to replace or upgrade on a daily basis, ensuring that every foundry and building plays a role.

I won't even pretend to fully understand how exactly humanity managed to make rocks think, but I did learn a lot about semiconductor fabrication during my time with Intel in Arizona. I'm excited to see just how good Panther Lake ends up being, and it'll be especially interesting now that I've seen where Panther Lake chips are born.

Intel Tech Tour 2025 may have been all about new mobile chipsets and artificial intelligence on the surface, but dig a little deeper, and you'll uncover Intel's ambitions for more capable integrated GPUs in our laptops.

I spent time with Intel in Chandler, AZ to learn more about the upcoming Panther Lake family of next-generation chips, including the brand-new Intel Arc B-Series iGPU that's being paired with them.

Intel isn't just touting a sizeable performance increase year-over-year when gaming or spinning up sizeable AI LLMs with Panther Lake — it's also debuting new features and advancements as part of XeSS 3, which also debuts with Panther Lake. Here's what you need to know.

Intel Arc B-Series comes to mobile hardware

I've already broken down everything you need to know about Panther Lake itself, and I even got a tour of the factory that's making it possible. It's worth taking some extra time to highlight the GPU-specific improvements Intel is delivering with Panther Lake.

For one, Intel has detached the GPU tile from everything else, allowing the company to scale up the graphics independently of the rest of the chipset. Intel is going to refer to Panther Lake's GPU as "Intel Arc B-Series," which may sound familiar — because that's the current generation of Intel's desktop-bound GPUs.

Panther Lake utilizes brand-new, third-generation Xe cores, though, so it's actually a new architecture. Intel even admitted during its keynote that it knows the naming scheme is a little odd, but it's the end result that matters.

With Xe3, Intel focused on end-to-end optimization for consistency and efficiency. The new Xe3 cores aren't a massive departure from the last generation, but you do get upgraded ray tracing cores, improved vector engines, increased memory bandwidth and reduced memory bottlenecks, massively enhanced platform tuning to better allocate and use GPU resources, and other advancements.

You'll be able to get Panther Lake with up to 12 Xe3 cores and 12 ray tracing cores, and Intel promises more than 50% greater performance compared to Lunar Lake and more than 40% improved performance-per-watt than Arrow Lake. Microarchitecture improvements mean you can see even greater gains with some games or artificial intelligence workloads, with less stuttering and faster load times.

Throw in an upgraded media display engine with support for more codecs, Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) 1.5 support, and other AI-specific optimizations that result in up to 120 TOPS of computational power, and Intel Arc is looking pretty good inside Panther Lake. Intel teased during the Tech Tour that Panther Lake (and the new Arc GPU) is going to appear in PC gaming handhelds, too, so I'm excited to see what that looks like.

Intel also told me it's still committed to Arc moving forward, even with the news that Intel and NVIDIA are teaming up to jointly develop x86 processors fused with RTX GPUs.

New XeSS features that take advantage of Xe3 cores

Intel Panther Lake isn't just about the hardware, as the supporting software, firmware, and other platform features are also expanding, and that includes the arrival of XeSS 3. The equivalent of NVIDIA DLSS but for Intel Arc graphics, XeSS 2 already offers AI-powered Super Resolution upscaling, single Frame Generation, and Low Latency features.

Now, XeSS 3 is here with Intel's take on Multi-Frame Generation, which can use one natively rendered frame to generate up to three additional, artificial frames. We've already seen this feature with NVIDIA's DLSS 4, and can as much as quadruple your framerates without a significant decrease in visual fidelity or stability.

I saw XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation in action with Painkiller and was even able to play myself, and I found myself more impressed than with NVIDIA's implementation of the feature. Multi-Frame Generation inherently introduces additional motion latency (because each artificial frame is created ahead of time), and it's most noticeable with high-speed games that require fast movements and reactions, like competitive shooters.

Just in my limited hands-on, though, it felt to me like Intel's Multi-Frame Generation was slightly more responsive than NVIDIA's. More than that, though, is the fact that all XeSS 2-supported games will immediately support Multi-Frame Generation through XeSS 3, which will be controlled independently through the Intel Graphics Software app.

Intel's latest Arc GPUs also support Cooperative Vectors through DirectX XII Ultimate, an AI-accelerated rendering technique that can use small neural networks (powered by Intel Xe3's upgraded AI engines) across shading stages and reduce the load on the GPU.

Finally, Intel is debuting Precompiled Shader Distribution, an automatic service that collects and compiles the latest shaders for games, stores them in the Intel cloud, and then loads those shaders seamlessly when you boot up a game — ideally saving you time and GPU resources.

I recently enjoyed a trip to Arizona for Intel Tech Tour 2025, a sizable event pulling together dozens of press members, analysts, and content creators to witness the unveiling of Intel's next generation mobile chips.

Intel Panther Lake is here, and it's the first platform built on the 2nm Intel 18A processing node — made possible by the cutting-edge tools and equipment inside Fab 52, the latest addition to Intel's massive Ocotillo campus in Chandler, AZ.

Panther Lake promises to bring the fight straight to AMD and Qualcomm with faster, smarter, longer lasting, and more modular chipsets than ever — able to scale across workloads and hardware form factors like never before. Here's everything you need to know about what will be known as Intel Core Ultra (Series 3).

More modular and scalable than ever before

Intel is clearly betting big on Panther Lake, which lays the foundation for the direction all of Intel's products are heading in the future. But what makes Panther Lake special?

A new, more modular and scalable packaging, next-gen compute cores built on Intel's latest process, more capable Intel Arc Xe3 integrated GPUs, and upgrades across the board to Intel's AI engine, image signal processing and media engines, memory bandwidth, and connectivity.

I'll dedicate separate articles to my tour of Fab 52 and in-depth breakdown of the Intel 18A processing node, and to my detailed explanation on Panther Lake's graphical capabilities with Xe3 and new XeSS 3 features. For now, let's focus on Panther Lake itself.

Intel's Panther Lake uses an advanced System-of-Chips (SoC) design that embeds and stacks multiple interchangeable chiplets, allowing Intel to support a multitude of configurations on the same platform. This generation is even more modular thanks to a separated GPU tile.

Panther Lake's greatest upgrades are due to Intel 18A, which Intel claims is one of the most advanced semiconductor processing nodes on the planet thanks to two new technologies. RibbonFET and PowerVia fundamentally change how the transistors and the chips themselves are laid out to massively improve efficiency and scalability, and Intel is the only company delivering both — right here in the United States.

Intel detailed three different configurations, but didn't share exact specs like clock speeds or individual SKUs. The 8-core configuration is almost certainly intended for portable ultrabooks, while the standard 16-core configuration seems geared toward powerful laptops with discrete GPUs (thanks to the extra PCIe lanes). Finally, the 12Xe configuration feels aimed at users who need as much graphical oomph as possible without relying on a discrete GPU.

Whatever configuration or SKU Intel releases, though, every Intel Core Ultra chip built on this platform will benefit from the same suite of improvements and features.

The best of Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake in one

Intel impressed us with Lunar Lake, or Core Ultra 2V-series, an 8-core x86 platform that delivered stellar efficiency and reliable performance to thin and light Windows 11 laptops. Intel then followed that with Arrow Lake, a diverse family spanning mobile and desktop form factors.

We've been a big fan of Lunar Lake, which sits nicely between Qualcomm's efficient Snapdragon X series and AMD's highly capable Ryzen AI series, and the Arrow Lake series offered much more computational power at the expense of AI smarts (with a considerably weaker NPU).

Panther Lake aims to combine the best of Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake, at least with mobile hardware, scaling from ultraportable notebooks to powerful gaming laptops and creator workstations — all connected by Intel's growing artificial intelligence ambitions.

Major semiconductor advancements and a plethora of microarchitecture improvements lead to more than 10% improved single-thread performance versus Lunar Lake and more than 50% improved multi-thread performance versus Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake with similar power draw (or more than 30% lower power with similar performance). In general, Intel promises up to 10% lower power consumption compared to Lunar Lake and up to 40% lower power consumption compared to Arrow Lake.

Intel even hinted that these gaps may be even larger once Panther Lake devices actually hit users' hands, thanks to ongoing improvements to features like Intel's Thread Director and Power Management.

All I can say for certain is that Panther Lake will have to compete with Qualcomm's newly announced Snapdragon X2 series, which boasts even greater gen-over-gen improvements. It'll be interesting to see if Intel's 18A investments will pay off with Panther Lake, which is expected to start appearing in new hardware in early 2026.

For desktop users, you'll have to wait longer for Intel Nova Lake, the desktop counterpart to Panther Lake that we're expecting to see later in 2026. Intel is confident about Nova Lake after the disappointing launch of Arrow Lake on desktop, as it'll benefit from all the same 18A node advancements as the mobile-oriented Panther Lake.

If you're affected by Windows 10's imminent end-of-life and are considering a new laptop, it may be worth waiting a few more months to see what Intel, Qualcomm, and (possibly) AMD will accomplish with their next-gen chips.

Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip on September 24 at its annual Summit in Hawaii, and the press — including our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino — attended a live benchmarking session to analyze performance.

The second-generation ARM64-based chips from Qualcomm provide strong competition for Apple's M4 series of chips, which are also based on the ARM architecture.

While I won't have any real-world performance numbers until laptops with the X2 Elite Extreme chip launch early next year, I can provide details as to how they're expected to compare against the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon Systems-on-Chip (SoC) are designed to incorporate a processor (CPU), graphics (GPU), and Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and that's what I've focused on in this comparison.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs. Apple M4: CPU performance

Qualcomm uses a "reference design" laptop with 48GB of embedded RAM for these tests, so it's worth noting that the X2 Elite Extreme that OEMs use in their own laptops might differ depending on thermal and power designs.

Nevertheless, the X2 Elite Extreme's Oryon CPU comes out ahead of the Apple M4 — tested in a 14-inch MacBook Pro in this case — when benchmarked using Geekbench 6.5.

The X2 Elite Extreme scored 4,080 points compared to the M4's 3,872 points for single-core, and Qualcomm's chip also came out ahead of the M4 in multi-core, scoring 23,491 points compared to the M4's 15,146.

It's worth pointing out that the standard M4 has either 8 or 10 CPU cores, while the X2 Elite Extreme has 18 cores. It's unclear which version Qualcomm used for its comparison.

Apple's M4 Pro is likely a better comparison to the X2 Elite Extreme, sporting either 12 or 14 CPU cores. That pushes its Geekbench 6.5 multi-core score to around 22,500 points, which is still about 1,000 behind the Qualcomm chip.

For Geekbench 6.5 single-core, the M4 Pro usually hits around 3,800-3,900 points. The X2 Elite Extreme remains out front with a score of 4,080.

Apple's top-tier M4 Max chip with 14 or 16 CPU cores can achieve multi-core Geekbench 6.5 scores beyond 25,000 points, placing it well ahead of the X2 Elite Extreme's 23,491 posting.

However, the X2 Elite Extreme continues to best the M4 Max in single-core, where Apple's chip generally tops out at about 3,850-3,900 points.

TL;DR: Qualcomm's X2 Elite Extreme beats the Apple M4 and M4 Pro in Geekbench 6.5 tests. It also bests the M4 Max's single-core benchmark, though the M4 Max comes out ahead in multi-core testing.

What about Cinebench?

Qualcomm also provided some benchmark numbers for Cinebench 2024, which again measure single- and multi-core CPU performance.

In Qualcomm's reference laptop, the X2 Elite Extreme hit a 162 single-core score and a 1,988 multi-core score.

Using similar performance ranges for Apple's full line of M4 chips, I can see that the X2 Elite Extreme comes in below single-core scores by about 10-15 points.

Multi-core results are a different story, with the X2 Elite Extreme besting the 10-core M4 and 14-core M4 Pro, only falling behind the 16-core M4 Max by about 60 to 70 points.

TL;DR: Qualcomm's X2 Elite Extreme falls slightly behind the M4 lineup in single-core Cinebench 2024 scores, but bests the 10-core M4 and 14-core M4 Pro in multi-core results. The 16-core M4 Max remains at the top for multi-core scores.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs. Apple M4: NPU performance

The NPU is designed specifically to run AI locally, and it's becoming ever more important as AI PC features ramp up.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme features an NPU with 80 TOPS of power, which is currently unmatched by Intel, AMD, and Apple. M4 chips have an NPU with 38 TOPS of power.

Using the Procyon AI Computer Vision benchmark, Qualcomm showed off a score of 4,151. Apple's M4 managed a score of 2,121.

In Geekbench AI 1.5, the X2 Elite Extreme topped out at a score of 88,919. The M4 generally sits at around 52,000.

TL;DR: The NPU in the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme with 80 TOPS easily beats the NPU of 38 TOPS in Apple M4 chips.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs. Apple M4: GPU performance

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme contains an integrated Adreno GPU that has received a substantial upgrade compared to the first-gen X Elite chips. It's more than twice as strong as its predecessor, and it now supports ray tracing.

Qualcomm's testing using a reference laptop shows the X2 Elite Extreme hitting a 90.06 score in 3DMark's Solar Bay benchmark (great for testing ray tracing), trouncing the Apple M4's score of 62.7.

The M4 Pro with a 20-core GPU, however, hits about 126.1, keeping it ahead of the X2 Elite Extreme. The Apple M4 Max GPU with either 32 or 40 cores remains the top dog.

Turning to 3D Mark's Steel Nomad Light test, Qualcomm posts a high score of 42.61. The standard M4 chip won't touch that; however, the M4 Pro with 20-core GPU bests it with a 58.1 score.

TL;DR: The X2 Elite Extreme's integrated GPU bests that of the Apple M4, but M4 Pro and M4 Max chips score higher in Solar Bay and Steel Nomad Light benchmarks.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs. Apple M4: Major takeaways

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme demonstrates a massive upgrade over the original X Elite lineup, and it's now better positioned than ever to take on the awesome M4 lineup from Apple.

These early performance numbers show the X2 Elite Extreme ahead of the M4 and M4 Pro in terms of CPU performance, with the M4 Max retaining its title in multi-core performance.

Qualcomm now has the most powerful NPU for local AI work at 80 TOPS, easily besting the 38 TOPS in the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max.

And for the GPU, the X2 Elite Extreme beats the M4 but falls behind the M4 Pro and M4 Max in the 3DMark results provided. I'll have more information to share once we can actually test the X2 Elite Extreme first-hand.

It's well worth noting that Apple plans to launch its next-gen M5 chips around the same time as the X2 Elite Extreme hits markets next year, providing a whole new set of numbers to pore over.

Hungry for more information? Check out my Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. X Elite comparison to see how the two generations compare.

Qualcomm’s big bet on Windows PCs just got a lot more interesting. Announced last week, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is the company’s new flagship laptop processor, and today we have the first official benchmark data. If these numbers hold up in shipping devices, the X2 Elite Extreme could redefine what we expect from premium Windows laptops — delivering desktop-class performance while still sipping power for all-day battery life.

A clean sweep across CPU, GPU, and AI benchmarks

Last week, during Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit, the media were treated to an hour-long session detailing reference-design laptops running production-ready versions of its flagship Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme laptop processor, now with 18 cores and the ability to hit 5.0GHz, a first for Arm-based processors, according to Qualcomm.

Like the original Snapdragon X Elite announcement two years ago, these benchmarks were run in real-time by the press so that we could see the range of the results and repeatability. And like two years ago, I have little reason to doubt the numbers, although it should be noted that when these chips hit real consumer PCs in 2026, thermal configurations by OEMs can result in differing numbers.

Indeed, like the original Snapdragon X Elite chips, laptop makers could opt for fanless designs, passive cooling (no fans, open vents), or active cooling with one or even two fans along with various heat sinks and vapor chambers.

Likewise, in conversations with Kedar Kondap, SVP & GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, I was told that we should also expect the performance of the X2 Elite Extreme to behave the same on battery as when plugged in, something that has challenged AMD and Intel laptops in the past.

Getting to the benchmarks themselves, Qualcomm’s charts paint a clear picture: the X2 Elite Extreme isn’t just competitive — it’s dominant in nearly every metric.

So, let's take a closer look!

Single-core performance

In Geekbench 6.5 single-core, the X2 Elite Extreme posts a score of 4,080, edging out Apple’s M4 (3,872) and leaving AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (2,881) and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V (2,919) far behind.

Qualcomm claims up to 41% faster single-core performance versus rivals, which is critical for everyday responsiveness, app launches, and lightly threaded workloads.

While Qualcomm did not list the M4 Pro from Apple (in its 14 CPU core configuration), that chip is known to score around ~3,900–4,000 on Geekbench 6.5, which is just behind Qualcomm's claimed 4,080 for the X2 Elite Extreme.

Of course, the M4 Pro peaks at 4.5GHz, which, while no slouch, is far behind Qualcomm's 5.0GHz speed for two of the prime cores found on the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.

Also, as noted above, the new X2 Elite Extreme is 39% faster on single core than the original Snapdragon X Elite, which first shipped in June 2024.

The bottom line: Peaking at 5.0GHz results in some powerful results for Qualcomm in a category that usually Intel and Apple take the lead in.

Multi-core performance

The multi-core story is even more dramatic. With a Geekbench 6.5 multi-core score of 23,491, the X2 Elite Extreme nearly doubles the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (11,386) and comfortably outpaces Apple’s M4 (15,146) and AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 370 (15,443). Qualcomm’s claim of “2x faster CPU performance” versus Intel’s top mobile chip is backed by these numbers — a rare feat in the laptop space.

What about Apple's M4 Pro? Apple's 14-core chip yields a score just under 23,000 at ~22,544 on Geekbench 6.5, which is still about 1,000 points less than what Qualcomm is claiming on its reference laptop, where it scored an impressive 23,491. Of course, Qualcomm is clearly benefiting from four more cores (18) versus Apple's 14 and the ability for two of those cores to peak at 5.0GHz.

And compared to last year's Snapdragon X Elite (12-cores), the new X2 Elite Extreme is now 50% faster on Geekbench multi-core, which is no doubt due to the faster chip performance and six additional cores.

The bottom line: 18 cores in an Ultrabook-form factor is a lot, especially when two of those cores peak at a record-setting 5.0GHz (for Arm64).

GPU performance

Integrated graphics have long been a weak spot for Windows laptops, but the X2 Elite Extreme’s Adreno GPU changes that. In 3DMark Solar Bay, it scores 90.06, up to 61% faster than the next-best competitor. That’s a huge win for creators, casual gamers, and anyone relying on GPU acceleration for video editing or 3D work.

When combined with the just-released anti-cheat features with Arm64 support in the Windows Insider builds, there's a good chance that gaming could get a massive boost on the X2 Elite Extreme, not to mention performance for Adobe video editing apps.

The bottom line: The X2 Elite Extreme has a significantly better GPU, making it potentially an excellent gaming machine.

AI/NPU performance

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping result comes from the Procyon AI Computer Vision benchmark. The X2 Elite Extreme’s NPU hits 4,151, compared to Apple’s M4 (2,121), AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (1,742), and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 185H (719).

Qualcomm touts up to 5.7x AI performance, which could be transformative for on-device AI workloads — from real-time translation to generative image creation — without hammering the battery.

The original Snapdragon X Elite, announced in late 2023, featured an integrated Hexagon NPU rated at up to 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) for AI workloads — already a strong figure for a Windows laptop chip. With the new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, Qualcomm has pushed that ceiling dramatically higher, delivering 80 TOPS in the refreshed NPU.

That’s nearly double the AI throughput of its predecessor and a primary reason the X2 Elite Extreme dominates the Procyon AI benchmark results, outperforming Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro (~2,200–2,300), as well as the latest Intel and AMD offerings.

This leap in TOPS means the X2 Elite Extreme can handle far more complex on-device AI tasks — from real-time vision processing to generative media creation — without relying on the cloud, all while maintaining the power efficiency ARM designs are known for.

Of course, there are unlikely many apps that can leverage 80 TOPS at the moment, but such a raised ceiling gives developers much more runway to experiment with heavy localized AI processing, something we haven't seen too much of yet.

The bottom line: Qualcomm, again, leads the way for AI PCs.

Under the hood: a new architecture for Windows laptops

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is built on Qualcomm’s latest Oryon CPU cores, paired with an upgraded Adreno GPU and a next-gen Hexagon NPU. The architecture emphasizes:

• High IPC (instructions per cycle) for both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks.
• Advanced power gating to shut down unused cores and subsystems instantly.
• Unified memory architecture for faster data sharing between CPU, GPU, and NPU.
• 3nm process
• 3rd Gen Oryon cores (up from first gen)
• 12 Prime Cores (4.4 GHz) + 6 Performance Cores (3.6 GHz)
• Up to 5.0 GHz dual-core boost
• 53 MB total cache
• GPU: DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0, Enhanced GMEM, Ray tracing improvements
• 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU
• LPDDR5x-9523 MT/s
• 228 GB/s Bandwidth

This isn’t just a speed play — Qualcomm is betting that its ARM-based design can deliver desktop-class performance at mobile-class power draw, enabling thin, fanless designs or ultra-light laptops with battery life measured in days, not hours.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is its memory‑in‑package design, a departure from the off‑package RAM used in other X2 Elite variants. Qualcomm is using a System‑in‑Package (SiP) approach here, integrating the RAM directly alongside the CPU, GPU, and NPU on the same substrate.

This proximity slashes latency and boosts bandwidth — up to 228 GB/s compared to 152 GB/s on the off‑package models — while also enabling a unified memory architecture similar in concept to Apple’s M‑series chips, where CPU and GPU share the same pool for faster, more efficient data access.

The Extreme configuration shown by Qualcomm includes 48 GB of embedded RAM, though OEMs can choose different capacities, and that memory can be flexibly allocated between system tasks and graphics workloads. For high‑end Windows laptops, this design means more consistent performance under load, better efficiency in compact chassis, and the potential for sleeker devices without sacrificing capability.

Why this matters for Windows PCs

For years, Apple’s M-series chips have been the benchmark for performance-per-watt in laptops, leaving Intel and AMD scrambling to catch up. Qualcomm’s X2 Elite Extreme is the first Windows-focused processor that appears to match — and in some cases exceed — Apple’s performance while promising the kind of battery life ARM designs are known for.

Granted, the first-gen Snapdragon X processors already were catching up to Apple, but this next gen, built on new Oryon 3 cores, looks to be a much stronger outing that also leaves Intel and AMD in the dust in all three categories (CPU, GPU, and NPU).

The road ahead

Benchmarks are one thing; real-world performance is another. Qualcomm’s numbers are impressive, but the proof will come when retail devices hit shelves and reviewers like me put them through diverse workloads.

Still, if these results hold (and I have little reason to doubt that they won't), the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme could be the most significant leap for high-end Windows PCs in a decade — not just catching up to Apple, but setting a new bar for what portable computing can be.

Sure, Apple will have the M5 series coming out around the same time as Qualcomm's X2 Elite Extreme, and I wouldn't be surprised if it rivals or beats Snapdragon's performance. But really, such a win means very little, as it is Intel and AMD that are Qualcomm's real competition, and, at least there, it seems to have solidified its position as the best CPU, GPU, and NPU for premium lightweight Windows laptops.

Being able to run neck and neck with Apple's 5th-gen processors on only its 2nd-gen outing says Qualcomm is here to play for keeps.

Additional things to watch? How do Qualcomm's other X2 chips (X2 Elite) and forthcoming X2 and X2 Plus (not yet announced, but presumed) compare to Apple's chips? I suspect Apple will still lead in efficiency, but Qualcomm will still leave Intel and AMD scrambling.

When does Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme release?

As usual, there is a lag between when Qualcomm announces its chips and when they hit laptops you can actually buy.

Here, the company notes the "first half" of 2026 for the new Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. Still, all the rumors I hear suggest we'll see some real hardware from OEM partners at CES in January 2026 in Las Vegas, which means shipping devices could land as early as February or early March. Qualcomm is optimistic we'll see those devices closer to the beginning of 2026 instead of June.

You can't shop for a new PC or components these days without tripping over some sort of AI branding or feature, but actual customers might not be as interested as you expect.

A recent report from Digitimes seems to confirm that, at least when it comes to desktop PC users, Intel's newer AI processors equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) aren't as popular as older models lacking any built-in AI abilities.

The report, which mentions "supply chain sources," says that Intel plans to increase the prices of its 13th Gen Raptor Lake chips by "more than 10%" due to continued demand, even as Intel's newer Core Ultra processors are readily available.

Intel's Raptor Lake desktop chips debuted in 2022 with six initial chips, and the company continued to populate the list of processors up until 2023 with the Core i9-13900KS.

These price changes are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025. The report doesn't specify exactly which chips will see the price increase, but it does mention a price range of about $150 to $160, which will climb to about $170 to $180.

Looking at Raptor Lake prices at the time of writing, that price hike will likely fall on 13th Gen Core i3 and Core i5 desktop CPUs.

Should Intel decide to raise prices on the more powerful hardware, something like the Intel Core i7-13700K currently sells for about $345, while the Core i5-13400 sells for about $199. Those could climb to about $380 and $220, respectively, if the particular chips are included in the hike.

Why is Intel raising prices of its older CPUs?

Intel's decision to raise prices of its aging 13th Gen desktop CPUs might come as a surprise, but it makes more sense within the scope of the company's entire CPU portfolio and the current consumer market.

The Digitimes report suggests that the consumer reception to AI PCs hasn't been nearly as hot as expected. Intel put a lot of emphasis on AI and productivity performance for its newer "Arrow Lake" chips, and it didn't exactly work out as expected.

Intel execs haven't been shy about calling out the failures of the Arrow Lake generation. Intel CFO David Zinsner stated recently that the company "fumbled the football" with Arrow Lake:

Even Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan has publicly stated that the Arrow Lake processors aren't competitive, aligning with Zinsner's acknowledgement that the chips fell short in terms of both pricing and performance.

With Intel's older Raptor Lake chips offering such a solid value and a familiar "Core i" branding, it's no wonder that more people are turning away from Core Ultra and its AI enhancements.

Intel's troubles have escalated to the point that the US government recently purchased a 9.9% stake in Intel in exchange for an $8.9 billion investment.

Are Intel's 13th Gen "Raptor Lake" chips still relevant today?

Intel definitely cooked up some magic with its 13th Gen processors, and I'm not exactly shocked by the confirmation that there's such high continued demand as Intel's newer CPUs fail to offer substantial improvements to gaming performance.

As I mentioned, Intel went all-in on productivity performance and AI for its Core Ultra chips, so those who are gaming or who simply don't care about AI should find that the Raptor Lake hardware is still totally relevant (aside from the lessened iGPU support, which matters less for gamers with a discrete GPU).

Windows Central Editor-in-Chief reviewed the Core i5-13600K, calling it at the time "the best mid-range desktop CPU, without question."

Former Windows Central Senior Editor Rich Edmonds reviewed the Core i7-13700K, stating at the time that it's "a workhorse for gaming and getting all your work done on time."

(via Tom's Hardware)

Apple and Intel were once closely tied. Intel powered Apple’s line of Mac devices, and for years, the partnership looked solid.

Their history actually dates back to the 1990s with the secret Star Trek project, an early attempt to get Mac OS running on Intel processors. That effort never launched, but the two companies finally came together in 2005 when Steve Jobs announced at WWDC that Apple would transition from PowerPC to Intel chips. At the time, Intel’s processor roadmap looked far stronger, marking a major shift in Apple’s computing strategy.

Now, years after their split, Intel appears to be seeking Apple’s help once again.

In 2006, Apple launched its first Intel-based Macs. The iMac and MacBook Pro both shipped with Intel’s Core Duo processors, and by August of that year, Apple had already completed the transition across its entire Mac lineup.

Things looked strong for the partnership, but Apple was already planning ahead. In 2008, it acquired P.A. Semi for $278 million to develop custom ARM-based chips for mobile devices. This move marked the start of Apple’s long-term strategy to reduce its reliance on external chipmakers.

By 2010, Apple had introduced the A4 processor in the original iPad. It was a single-core chip running at 1GHz, a modest start that would see rapid improvement in the years that followed. By 2015 and 2016, Apple’s A9 series had arrived, and this is where the relationship with Intel began to show strain.

The relationship strain and the final break

Apple had already begun looking elsewhere to meet its LTE demands, turning to Qualcomm for support. By 2018, Intel struggled to keep up with Apple’s performance requirements.

In 2019, Apple acquired the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion. The deal gave Apple control over a key iPhone component, and later that year, Intel sold the rest of its modem business to Apple.

The real breaking point came in 2020 with the announcement of the M1 chipset. It was Apple’s first ARM-based processor for Macs, and it proved to be a breakthrough. The M1 was so successful that Apple fully discontinued the use of Intel processors in 2021.

Investments offer hope for Intel’s future

It’s no secret that Intel has struggled in recent years. Between 2021 and 2024, it lost market share to AMD and missed out on the AI boom dominated by Nvidia. During this period, Intel’s stock declined by more than 30%.

Even Intel’s leadership has been blunt about the situation. CFO David Zinsner admitted the company “fumbled the football” with its Arrow Lake CPUs, and CEO Lip-Bu Tan has warned there are no quick fixes for Intel’s problems.

Still, it’s not all bad news. SoftBank recently invested $2 billion in Intel, while the U.S. government acquired a 9.9% stake worth $8.9 billion. Nvidia has also invested $5 billion, giving it a 4% share in the company.

Now, according to reporting from Bloomberg, Intel has even approached Apple about a potential investment and closer collaboration. Talks are still in early stages, and there’s no guarantee of a deal, but it shows how far Intel is willing to go to secure its future.

Qualcomm just announced its second-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chips for laptops during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, and there are some interesting comparisons to be made to the first-gen X Elite hardware.

I'm focusing on the X2 Elite (X2E-88-100 and X2E-80-100) chips and the X Elite (X1E-84-100, X1E-80-100, and X1E-78-100) chips for this comparison.

Yes, Qualcomm also announced an X2 Elite Extreme version, but I'm waiting for some hard performance numbers before writing a separate comparison. There's also a first-gen X Elite (X1E-00-1DE) chip that was for developer kits, which I've likewise omitted.

I've separated the X2 Elite and X Elite comparison into CPU, GPU, NPU, memory, storage, and just about everything else for easier reading.

Qualcomm X2 Elite vs. X Elite: Oryon CPU

Qualcomm's Systems-on-Chip (SoC) are designed to package a complete computing setup into one small piece of hardware.

Each chip includes a Qualcomm Oryon processor (CPU), Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics (GPU), a Qualcomm Hexagon Neural Processing Unit (NPU), memory (RAM), and more.

I'm starting this comparison by looking at how the Snapdragon X2 Elite's Oryon CPU has evolved compared to the first-gen X Elite chips.

Qualcomm's original Snapdragon X Elite Oryon CPUs feature 12 cores, 42MB of cache, and max multi-core frequencies that top out at 3.8GHz, boosting up to 4.2GHz in the X1E-84-100 model. These use a 4nm process.

The most notable change in the X2 Elite's CPU architecture, aside from the new 3nm process that lowers power consumption and boosts performance, is the arrival of new Oryon Prime cores.

They're joined by Oryon Performance cores, which, despite the name, aren't as powerful.

Qualcomm says that the new core setup is "tuned to provide premium responsiveness and user experiences in everyday workloads with extreme power efficiency."

The more powerful Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) features 18 total cores, split with 12 Prime cores and 6 Performance cores. The Prime cores can hit a 4.0GHz multi-core frequency, temporarily boosting up to 4.7GHz for both single- and dual-core workloads.

The Performance cores seemingly do not include boost capabilities, hitting a maximum 3.4GHz multi-core frequency.

I've done my best to lay out the performance specs for both generations of Elite chips, using the "Performance cores" section in the table below for the first-gen X Elite's cores.

The new Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) features a significantly larger cache at 53MB compared to other chips. Even the X2 Elite (X2E-80-100) falls to 34MB, coming in below the original X Elite lineup's 42MB cache.

You'll also notice that Qualcomm is no longer measuring multi-thread frequencies, turning instead to multi-core frequency thanks to the new X2 Elite architecture.

Qualcomm says that the X2 Elite platform "boasts up to 31% faster performance at ISO power" while pulling up to "43% less power than the previous generation."

Qualcomm X2 Elite vs. X Elite: Adreno GPU

As with the Oryon CPU architecture, Qualcomm has made changes to the architecture of the integrated Adreno GPU.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88) features the same X2-90 GPU as the flagship X2 Elite Extreme, although it's clocked slightly lower at 1.70GHz (compared to 1.85GHz).

The X2 Elite (X2E-80) has a different X2-85 integrated GPU, but it clocks the same as the one in the X2E-88 chip at 1.7GHz.

Although Qualcomm doesn't include TFLOPS measurements for the updated Adreno GPUs in the X2 Elite chips, the significantly higher frequencies should indeed translate to a significant power boost.

API support for the first-gen X Elite chips includes DX12, and it appears that Qualcomm has expanded that to DX12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenCL 3.0 for the X2 chips.

External display support has been upgraded to include up to triple 5K@60Hz or triple 4K@144Hz displays. The first-gen X Elite's Adreno GPU topped out at triple 4K@60Hz or dual 5K@60Hz.

Qualcomm states that its "new Qualcomm Adreno GPU architecture offers a 2.3X increase in performance per watt and power efficiency over the previous generation," although the company could be referring only to the X2 Elite Extreme chip.

I'll know more once we have raw performance numbers to look over.

Qualcomm X2 Elite vs. X Elite: Hexagon NPU

The chip's NPU is designed specifically to handle local AI work, reducing the need to reach out to the cloud when tapping AI for help.

The original Snapdragon X Elite chips introduced the world's first NPU powerful enough to run Copilot+ AI tools on Windows 11 at 45 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second), and the X2 Elite's NPU is once again the most powerful in the world for laptops.

Qualcomm has bumped the NPU up to a whopping 80 TOPS across all the new X2 Elite chips (including the X2 Elite Extreme), so there's really no competition between the two generations.

👉 Related: Best Copilot+ PCs

Qualcomm states that the new NPU is "built to run multiple intelligent experiences concurrently with faster responsiveness and reduced latency," likely owing to the 64-bit architecture and "increased memory access."

If you want the most powerful AI laptop from, well, an AI standpoint, Qualcomm's X2 Elite chips are the best out there before getting into assistance from discrete graphics.

Qualcomm X2 Elite vs. X Elite: Memory & storage

Memory support has been buffed in the X2 Elite chips.

Both the X2E-88 and X2E-80 rely on LPDDR5x-9523MT/s RAM with a 128-bit bus width and 152GB/s bandwidth. The maximum capacity has also been increased to 128GB.

The first-gen X Elite chips all use slower LPDDR5x-8448MT/s RAM with a 16-bit bus, working out to 135GB/s bandwidth. Capacity hits a ceiling at 64GB for the first-gen chips.

Storage support has also been upgraded for the new generation. Whereas first-gen X Elite chips relied on NVMe over PCIe 4.0, the X2 Elite chips now support dual NVMe PCIe 5.0.

The UFS version remains the same at 4.0 for removable flash storage, and the SD standard has been upgraded to SDUC with SD Express as well as SDXC with UHS-I.

Qualcomm X2 Elite vs. X Elite: Everything else

I've so far mainly pointed out the differences between Qualcomm's first- and second-gen Elite chips, but there are a bunch of specs that haven't changed between generations.

The X2 Elite chips continue to offer up to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless connectivity; both generations use the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 system.

Qualcomm upgraded its cellular modem to the newer Snapdragon X75 5G system, but peak download and upload speeds remain at 10Gbps and 3.5Gbps, respectively.

USB support also remains the same with USB4 at 40Gbps, with a maximum of three of these ports in one PC.

One thing that has changed with X2 Elite is the addition of "Snapdragon Guardian Technology." It's a subsystem out-of-band management tool that "combines hardware, software, and cloud services," making it much easier for users to manage their PC from "virtually anywhere."

Today at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, the company finally unveiled its next-generation wave of Arm-based PC chips. This time, we're getting two high-end system-on-a-chips (SoCs) in the form of a Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme with even more performance designed to rival Apple's latest silicon.

Qualcomm has confirmed that these new chips won't launch until early next year, meaning we still have a number of months to wait before we can get our hands on this latest Snapdragon silicon. For now, the company has outlined how these chips are a huge improvement over the original Snapdragon X Elite, built on a new 3nm process that should make these chips more efficient.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite now features both 12- or 18-core configurations, with 6 performance cores and up to 12 prime cores, with a boost frequency up to 4.7GHz. Qualcomm says the X2 Elite boasts up to 31% faster performance at ISO power, while pulling 43% less power than the original Snapdragon X Elite. That translates to better overall performance and efficiency.

It's the same story in the GPU and NPU department. Qualcomm says the X2 Elite brings a 2.3X increase in performance per watt and power efficiency over the last gen Adreno GPU, though the company hasn't shared total TFLOPS output just yet. The NPU has also been upgraded, now sporting 80 TOPS of compute power compared to the 45 TOPS of the original generation. That should enable more complex and intensive AI compute workloads on device.

Be sure to check out our in-depth comparison between the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite, where we break down all the technical differences and improvements. Below, you'll find a spec table for all the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, including the X2 Elite Extreme:

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme shares many of the same specs with the standard X2 Elite when it comes to GPU and NPU, but the CPU boasts up to 75% more performance than the competition at ISO power. It can boost up to 5GHz, which the company says is a first for an Arm-based chip. It also has a higher memory bandwidth of 228GB/s.

Qualcomm says the X2 Elite Extreme is designed for "expert-level workloads with ultimate performance, multi-day battery life and blazing fast AI-processing power," positioning it as a viable alternative to Apple's latest M4 Pro/Max silicon, with a minimum of 48GB RAM and support for more than 128GB if configured.

Of course, it isn't just Apple Silicon that Qualcomm is interested in competing with. Both Intel and AMD have high-end mobile chips in the form of Arrow Lake and Strix Point, and Qualcomm is confident that its new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips will beat its x86 competition in performance and efficiency too.

Qualcomm expects these new X2 Elite chips to ship in a wide variety of Windows hardware, including 2-in-1's like the Surface Pro, thin and light laptops, workstation-grade laptops, and mini PCs. It's also possible that with chips like the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, we'll even see desktop tower PCs with a Snapdragon processor.

These new Snapdragon chips have come swinging right out of the gate. Qualcomm clearly wants the world to know that its chips are worth considering if you're looking for a Windows PC that's capable of professional grade resource intensive workflows. Notably, Qualcomm didn't announce a lower-tier model of the X2 at this event, as that's likely being saved for 2026.

If you've been waiting for Qualcomm to refresh its Snapdragon PC chips, the wait is almost over. The company says to expect the first Snapdragon X2 Elite-based PCs to ship in the first half of 2026, with the first devices likely being unveiled at CES 2026 if not sooner. Microsoft intends to ship its own updated Surface Pro 12th Gen and Surface Laptop 8th Gen with the Snapdragon X2 wave of silicon sometime next year.

The combination of an AMD processor and an NVIDIA graphics card is currently the best option for PC gamers, and Best Buy is making it easy to shop for new hardware without paying full price.

There's a wide range of AMD-powered laptops and desktop PCs currently on sale, and while there's one model that stands out — the Gigabyte AERO X16 on sale for $1,349 — I highly recommend having a look at my alternative options, especially if you're shopping for a pre-built desktop.

My favorite AMD gaming laptop deal

This AERO X16 model that I'm highlighting is not only great for gaming. The powerful AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU and the NVIDIA RTX 5070 Laptop GPU will do a bang-up job of editing, designing, and any other creative tasks, and with 32GB of upgradeable RAM, you shouldn't run into any memory problems.

Yes, RAM is accessible (an increasingly rare feature in laptops), and so is the 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The laptop actually has two M.2 slots for storage, so you can immediately pop in a second drive for bulk storage of your games and files.

The Ryzen CPU has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of up to 50 TOPS of local AI power. That makes this a Copilot+ PC with full access to all of the AI tools now built into Windows 11.

Turning back to gaming, the laptop's RTX 5070 Laptop GPU will handle even the most demanding titles thanks to DLSS 4 and its Multi Frame Generation magic. You might not be able to max out some in-game settings, but you'll still get a very enjoyable experience.

The PC comes with the right ports to connect to an external display, but the built-in 16-inch QHD+ screen with a 165Hz refresh rate will deliver a great picture on the go.

Although I haven't personally tested Gigabyte's AERO X16, Best Buy's 55 customer reviews have it sitting at a 4.7-star rating. That's not bad at all, and the $300 discount makes it look even better.

If you'd like to spend less, Gigabyte's AERO X16 with similar specs, save for a bump down to an RTX 5060 Laptop GPU, is also $300 off. That drops the price to $1,199 for a limited time.

More great AMD gaming deals live now at Best Buy

If Gigabyte's AERO X16 isn't quite what you're looking for, I've rounded up a couple of additional AMD gaming laptops as well as two AMD-powered gaming desktops that are on sale at Best Buy.

Why shop at Best Buy?

Best Buy is one of the largest electronics retailers around, and like its competitors, it too has a membership program that grants subscribers some nice perks.

While the gaming PCs I've rounded up above do not require any sort of extra membership to receive the discount, signing up for a free My Best Buy plan can get you free standard shipping where it would otherwise not be available.

The My Best Buy Plus plan costs $49.99 per year, but it adds free two-day shipping, exclusive member pricing on select items, exclusive access to certain deals and promos, and an extended 60-day return window.

If you're a real fan of Best Buy, there's also a Total membership that costs $179.99 per year. The Total membership gets you everything from the Plus tier, and it adds additional protection plans, 24/7 tech support, VIP member support, and discounted tech repair prices.

In a surprise move, long-time rivals Intel and NVIDIA have announced a joint partnership that will see both companies build new x86 products that fuse Intel CPUs with NVIDIA GPUs dubbed "Intel x86 RTX SOCs."

NVIDIA says the partnership is still in early stages, but that it includes a roadmap with multiple new generations of chips in the works. The partnership will also see NVIDIA buy $5 billion in Intel stock at $23.28 per share, which should help the company in its foundry ambitions against TSMC.

The new Intel x86 RTX SoCs will come with an x86 CPU that is tightly integrated with NVIDIA's RTX GPUs via NVLink. This means the processor will have both CPU and GPU units merged into one compact chip package, similar to AMD's APUs.

In fact, this isn't the first time Intel has partnered up to make CPUs fused with GPUs. In 2017, Intel partnered with AMD to create something similar with its Kaby Lake-G chips, which were fused with an AMD Radeon GPU. The difference is that this time, the chips will share the same memory pool for increased performance.

These chips will benefit power users and gamers who are looking for smaller PCs or laptops for creative or gaming tasks. AMD has taken the handheld and laptop gaming market by storm in recent years, and today's partnership announcement between Intel and NVIDIA seems like an attempt to fight back against AMD's popular and powerful APUs that have made gaming on the go viable.

In addition to the consumer chips, NVIDIA also says that the partnership will also see Intel fabricate custom x86 data center CPUs for NVIDIA, which will aid them in their AI and enterprise efforts. NVIDIA also says this partnership does not impact its work on Arm-based chips.

Intel is yet to comment on the partnership, but NVIDIA says that there's no timeline for when the first Intel x86 RTX SoCs will be on the market. Given the usual long lead times for CPU and GPU development, it will likely be at least a year before we hear anything more about a real-life product that consumers can buy.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan are expected to hold a press conference later today, where they will discuss the partnership in more detail.

via Tom's Hardware

AMD's Ryzen 9000 series of desktop processors was officially revealed in June 2024, with the company offering an initial collection of four flagship chips on the Zen 5 architecture.

AMD then added new Ryzen 9000 X3D CPUs with the unique 3D V-Cache — including the awesome Ryzen 7 9800X3D that's immensely popular amongst PC gamers — in early 2025, but it's been about six months since the chips found any new company.

That changes with AMD's recent and quiet release of two new Ryzen 9000 desktop processors (via Tom's Hardware).

The new CPUs, named AMD Ryzen 5 9500F and Ryzen 7 9700F, notably have the "F" designator. That's unlike any other chips so far included in the Ryzen 9000 series.

Whereas even AMD's X3D processors include integrated Radeon graphics, these new F-class chips do without. That means they must be paired with a discrete graphics card to function.

The Ryzen 7 9700F comes with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock up to 5.5GHz, all while running at a base TDP of 65W.

Comparing the 9700F to AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X, it seems like they're the same, other than the lack of discrete graphics in the former. Clock speeds are the same, cache is the same, and they're both unlocked for overclocking.

The Ryzen 5 9500F is slightly different than its Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 5 9600 siblings. While it has the same 6 cores and 12 threads, it has lower maximum base and boost clocks than the 9600X. It also falls behind the 9600 with its 5GHz max boost (compared to 5.2GHz).

The new Ryzen 5 9500F comes packaged with one of AMD's Wraith Stealth air coolers, which is only otherwise available with the Ryzen 5 9600.

Both new CPUs understandably use AMD's latest Zen 5 architecture and fit into an AM5 motherboard socket. It appears that the Ryzen 7 9700F will be available in North America, while the Ryzen 5 9500F will see a global release.

AMD continues to produce Zen 3 and 4 chips for OEMs

The new Ryzen 5 9500F and Ryzen 7 9700F aren't the only new chips that AMD has recently added to its repertoire. The older Zen 3 and Zen 4 platforms are also getting some love with quiet additions.

X user @harukaze5719 recently spotted listings on Danawa — a Seoul-based comparison and shopping site — with some other new AMD info regarding South Korean availability.

Listed are the Ryzen 5 7400F, Ryzen 5 7400, and the aforementioned Ryzen 5 9500F.

Focusing on the Ryzen 5 7400, it's worth pointing out that this might be the only time AMD has launched an F-series chip after its standard counterpart. The Ryzen 5 7400F launched earlier this year.

Perhaps most interesting is the Ryzen 5 7400's 22MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. That falls out into 16MB of L3 and the usual 6MB of L2.

Compare that to the Ryzen 5 7400F's 32MB of L3 and 6MB of L2 (for a total of 38MB), and it seems like AMD has decided to cut the biggest chunk of cache in half for the new 7400 chip.

With the already released Ryzen 5 7400F seeing availability only in the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China regions, it makes sense that the Ryzen 5 7400 will follow suit.

AMD wasn't satisfied with only adding new Zen 4 and Zen 5 chips. It's been about nine years since AMD introduced Zen 3, and the architecture that simply won't quit also just received a new chip in 2025.

Spotted by X user @momomo_us, the Ryzen 5 5600F is headed to the Asia Pacific and Japan region. It joins its global sibling, the Ryzen 5 5600, which launched in 2022.

The Ryzen 5 5600F features 6 cores, 12 threads, a boost clock up to 4GHz, and a 3GHz base clock. Its L2 and L3 caches combine for 35MB, and it runs at a 65W TDP.

It's essentially a nerfed version of the Ryzen 5 5600, coming in with lower max and base boost clocks. Interestingly, both the 5600F and 5600 lack integrated graphics; talk about a confusing naming scheme.

In any case, AMD's refusal to let its older generations wither is notable. AMD's Ryzen 5000 series now has more than 20 different CPUs using a mix of Vermeer and Cezanne silicon, and Zen 3 has been on the go for nine years.

When NVIDIA and AMD launched their most recent graphics cards, they both came with features only available with the latest hardware.

In NVIDIA's case, that meant that DLSS 4's Multi Frame Generation was only available on RTX 5000 cards, while Enhanced Frame Generation only made it back to 40-series hardware.

For AMD, it meant that FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 4.0 was only available for RDNA 4 GPUs, including the flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT. Those with an RDNA 3 GPU or older were out of luck.

Well, that just changed thanks to the hard work of some enthusiastic Radeon owners and a leaked set of Int8 files used for FSR (via Wccftech).

This all began when AMD accidentally released the entire source code for FSR 4 on GitHub last month. The blunder was quickly discovered and nabbed by savvy users, and until now, the story has mostly been cold.

That is, until posts recently began popping up on the Radeon subreddit containing proof that FSR 4 was running on GPUs that it technically shouldn't run on.

Reddit user AthleteDependent926 created the post that kicked off a lot of experimentation, and it's causing a lot of excitement amongst AMD Radeon GPU owners.

How is AMD's FSR 4 running on old GPUs that don't technically support it?

AMD's FSR 4 is currently officially limited to the latest RDNA 4 GPUs due to their FP8 support. The lack of FP8 support on RDNA 3 (and older) cards was a major block unless a user was running Linux, where it could be forced; Windows users were left out completely.

AMD's accidental GitHub leak contained files that allowed savvy users to compile their own DLL for FSR 4.

Rather than using FP8, a custom FSR 4 DLL using Int8 files was produced, making it compatible with RDNA 2 and 3 GPUs as well as some NVIDIA RTX 30-series cards. Windows users, by employing Optiscaler (which is a handy way to replace upscalers in games), have reported success in replacing FSR 3.1 with FSR 4.

The results I've found on Reddit are quite impressive, although running FSR 4 on older cards isn't perfect. As AthleteDependent926 explains:

Reddit user nuubcake11 followed up the original post with some testing in Cyberpunk 2077.

Running the game on an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX of the RDNA 3 generation with FSR 4 enabled "is working via Optiscaler."

With FSR 3.1.5 enabled, the user saw roughly 84 FPS at 1440p with all settings maxed and ray tracing enabled. Switching to the custom version of FSR 4, frame rates dropped to about 79 FPS.

Losing single-digit frames seems to be a common experience, but users seem to be happy with the tradeoff. FSR 4 removes most of the shimmering in small details.

Another gamer tried Cyberpunk 2077 on an RX 6800 XT from the RDNA 2 generation using CachyOS and FSR 4. As they noted, FSR 4 was able to "come out superior" with sharper images, although performance was a bit weird.

RDNA 2 hardware seems to add some ghosting issues when running on Windows, so it seems like RDNA 3 is still the best way to go if you don't have one of the latest RDNA 4 cards.

What exactly is AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution?

FSR is AMD's answer to NVIDIA's DLSS, in that it upscales graphics and adds frame generation capabilities.

While AMD relied on advanced spatial upscaling algorithms for versions up to FSR 3, FSR 4 made the jump to machine learning.

This change has contributed greatly to FSR's abilities, and FSR 4 is indeed a big improvement compared to FSR 3. You can see in the video below how much of a difference there is.

AMD has not officially announced that it's bringing FSR 4 to its older AMD Radeon hardware, and that makes sense considering the performance tradeoffs that most users are seeing with this unofficial port.

Whether or not AMD takes a different stance now that this unofficial FSR 4 workaround is out in the wild, I guess we'll have to wait and see.