Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a cornerstone of the global chip supply, accounting for roughly 70% of the world's foundry production (and more if you're talking only about the most cutting-edge semiconductors).

Considering the Taiwanese firm supplies tech giants like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, and Apple with chips, if there's one company that I don't want to see discuss price increases, it's TSMC.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. In a recent interview with the BBC, TSMC's Chief Financial Officer, Wendell Huang, cited inflation as a reason why the chip maker could be forced to hike prices.

The good news, at least for now, is that TSMC won't be hiking prices (if at all) in the same way that memory manufacturers have been doing for the last couple of years as AI's appetite grows.

Huang explicitly said that TSMC would not suddenly raise prices "fourfold, fivefold" for customers despite inflation causing the company's costs to increase.

TSMC is a publicly traded company, and so it rides the markets with plenty of pressure from shareholders. Indeed, earlier in the day, before the BBC interviewed Huang, TSMC's Chairman and CEO, CC Wei, reportedly told investors that he'd like to mirror his firm's competition and raise prices accordingly.

This is in line with a May report from Commercial Times suggesting that TSMC is planning a 2026 price hike of up to 15% on its 3nm products, some of the most advanced in the world.

TSMC is undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to deliver a lot of chips to some of the most valuable companies in the world, and its impressive stock price reflects that demand.

TSMC has a duty to maximize returns for its investors, and considering it's essentially working at maximum capacity in all of its operational foundries, it only makes sense, from a fiduciary standpoint, to raise prices.

The question of whether or not the AI revolution is a bubble doesn't seem to be playing a role in TSMC's operation. Huang told the BBC that "these [AI] companies are financially very strong with a lot of financial resources, so we believe that they're able to continue to invest."

Windows Central's take on rising TSMC prices

Although TSMC has not committed entirely to a price hike, it seems inevitable that the firm will eventually have to start charging more for its services. What would this move look like across the rest of the tech industry?

Considering TSMC's dominance, particularly in the world's most advanced chips, companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm would immediately be forced to either absorb the raised costs or pass those costs on to customers. I don't want to make any assumptions, but you can probably guess which avenue is more attractive to shareholders.

And I don't think these effects would be felt only in AI markets. Everything from phones to PCs to automobiles with a chip inside would go up in price. Do note that NVIDIA's new RTX Spark platform, announced at Computex 2026 and coming to the Surface Laptop Ultra, is manufactured on TSMC's 3nm process node

Considering how much almost everything already costs in the tech world, this news doesn't give me hope for the future of affordability. It's but another step toward the end of personal PCs, a once-upon-a-time "conspiracy theory" that's not so much of a conspiracy anymore.

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On the back of NVIDIA's groundbreaking RTX Spark announcement, Qualcomm SVP of Computing Kedar Kondap has shared his thoughts on the Windows on Arm space heating up in a Q&A session with media hosted at Computex 2026 in Taipei earlier today.

When asked directly what Qualcomm thinks of NVIDIA entering the PC space, Kondap said the following:

"Welcome to the family. We are, you know, we're excited. When you think about the investments that we've made over the last several years, it's a good endorsement of the fact that there is an ecosystem that's growing outside of x86. We invested many years ago, driving the ecosystem and driving the entire platform story, whether it is getting the printers to work, whether it's getting the software apps to be compatible, whether it is getting the docks and peripherals to work, whether it's getting more than 2,500 games to be compatible with Snapdragon. We led the way in driving that ecosystem, and I think this is positive tailwinds for the entire ecosystem. It will tell us how we're all taking the ball forward in the trajectory that we started."

It's clear that Qualcomm views NVIDIA's entry into the PC space as good for the entire industry. While the company is eager to remind people that Snapdragon is the reason Windows on Arm is in a good place today, it's clear that both companies will benefit from each other pushing the Windows on Arm platform forward.

If anything, it's the x86 chipmakers that should be the most concerned. Windows on Arm is no longer an afterthought for the Windows ecosystem, with hundreds of devices now shipping with an Arm SoC thanks to Snapdragon, and with more on the way from NVIDIA, the platform is only getting stronger with each year.

Kondap was also asked about NVIDIA's claims that their Arm SoC won't have any Windows app compatibility concerns, but it's obvious that Qualcomm was caught off guard by this announcement. "Our partnership with Microsoft has gone on for several years. We launched the first Copilot+ PCs together. We launched the first platforms where the Microsoft OS supported the NPU and supported how this distributed computing work across the different cores ... I'm sure the engagement with Microsoft is strong enough where we've worked with them to build this entire ecosystem to make sure that it's compatible with Snapdragon and the architecture."

It's currently unclear how NVIDIA has solved this app compatibility problem. Windows on Arm PCs powered by Snapdragon chips have been relied on Windows 11's Prism emulation layer to run x86 apps, which works most of the time, except for in a few instances where an older app or newer game may be too complex to run optimally. Time will tell if NVIDIA's chips really are immune to x86 app compatibility issues, or if Qualcomm has some catching up to do.

Overall, NVIDIA entering the PC space with its new RTX Spark SoC is good news for the entire Arm PC industry, and Qualcomm knows it. If NVIDIA's new chips encourage app and game developers to take the Arm architecture more seriously, that will benefit everyone running a Snapdragon PC today.

For now, Qualcomm is happy to continue serving the Windows market with Snapdragon PCs that are available from $300 with the new Snapdragon C all the way up to $1,699 with the highest end Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. It's likely that NVIDIA's chips will be targeting the ultra-premium category, priced much higher than the top end that Snapdragon currently targets.

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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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Early last year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was named "the perfect RPG sequel" in our review and praised for its "near-flawless" performance on PC. Already available for traditional gaming PCs running x86-64 processors from AMD and Intel, the game has since received an ARM64 build via Steam that's compatible with Windows on ARM devices.

Qualcomm's recent Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme processors are part of the latest expansion in the relatively niche device category, delivering a boost to power efficiency alongside a general performance leap in brand-new PCs like the "practically perfect" ASUS Zenbook A16. However, PC gaming on Snapdragon X is still marred by platform distribution problems.

Patch 1.5.3 for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is described as "a purely technical architecture update" that makes a native ARM64 build available to users with compatible hardware and Steam installed. However, players subscribed to Xbox Game Pass are currently unable to access the new build on PC, which still runs on Microsoft's Prism translation layer.

Windows Central's take: Another example of PC Game Pass disparity

Patch release gaps between Steam and Xbox PC aren't a particularly new annoyance, but they still feel like one that shouldn't happen to begin with. Some blame Microsoft's patch submission and analysis process, while others point fingers at the developers.

Realistically, it feels like the former would be the most likely roadblock if the ARM64 build is already out there. ASUS was already demonstrating Kingdom Come: Deliverance II performance in press previews for its MacBook Air-beating Zenbook A16 laptop, presumably with an early look at the native build.

I've maintained a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for years now, happily enjoying the cross-platform benefits across Microsoft's consoles and my PCs. Still, the number of games that natively support Windows on ARM is already small, and arbitrary delays don't help raise awareness of its benefits.

Still, the number of bugs and issues unique to its Xbox PC app is growing tiresome, and I'd like to see more proactive efforts to match Steam's methods to distribute game patches from developers. We've reached out to the game's publisher, Deep Silver, and Microsoft for comments.

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Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processors recently launched inside a range of ARM64-based laptops, and the highly praised ASUS Zenbook A16 stands out as an example of what the Windows on ARM platform offers in terms of power efficiency. Despite the excitement and praise around the MacBook-rivaling Zenbook and its high-end SoC, PC gaming on Snapdragon X still takes a back seat.

It's not that Qualcomm keeps any of its Snapdragon X gaming capabilities a secret. On the contrary, it listed "over 2,400 games available" in pre-release marketing for the X2 Elite chip, but its primary effort remained in appealing to productivity-centric workers. That strategy may have shifted slightly, as a recent collaboration with China-based NetEase games suggests.

A translation of a press release from Qualcomm China (via VideoCardz) claims that 25 titles published by NetEase, including popular team-based hero shooter Marvel Rivals, have been "adapted" for the Snapdragon X platform. Whether "adaptation" refers to native ARM64 support or improved x86-64 emulation with Microsoft's Prism layer isn't clear, but there's one way to find out.

Windows Central's take: Native or nah?

One way to know for sure whether this buddy-up with NetEase points to more natively supported PC games on ARM64 is to fire up the Zenbook A16 and try Marvel Rivals for myself. Sure enough, I was already downloading a handful of games from Steam, the Xbox App, and Epic Games Store for some real-world game tests now that post-launch Adreno graphics drivers have landed in the Snapdragon Control Panel.

Again, it's not like ASUS and Qualcomm never touched on gaming performance in press briefings around its new Zenbook laptop, but it was hardly a lengthy talking point. That, and a somewhat unusual selection of games, including Hollow Knight: Silksong and Diablo IV, were highlighted primarily for their performance against Apple's M5-based MacBook Pro.

Overnight, I'll be testing more well-known titles, like Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, to see what the experience is like in 2026. If there are any other games (or apps, for that matter) that you'd like tested on the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-96-100) processor, then let me know in the comments. I already spent a couple of evenings playing Retro Rewind from Steam on the Zenbook A16, but a video store simulator is hardly a stress test, is it?

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When Apple introduced its new MacBook Air 15 with M5 chip on March 3, 2026, I knew it'd only be a short while before it began seeing serious competition from new Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 silicon.

ASUS has now launched its new Zenbook A16 for 2026, a laptop that Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson tested and reviewed thoroughly, only to have a hard time finding any faults.

👉 I tested ASUS' Zenbook A16 with Qualcomm's incredible Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme CPU, and I'm convinced: This is everything a flagship Windows laptop should be

I've put together this comparison between the Zenbook A16 and the MacBook Air 15 based on design, display, features, performance, and battery life to help you make the right decision.

How do ASUS Zenbook A16 and MacBook Air 16 specs compare?

Before I get into a more detailed explanation of the similarities and differences between the Zenbook A16 and MacBook Air 15, here's a table with raw specifications.

It's worth noting that ASUS lists a Zenbook A16 model (UX3607QA) sporting a last-gen Snapdragon X (X1-26) chip starting at 16G of RAM and 512GB of storage. This model is perhaps arriving later on in different markets.

The UX3607OA model I compare in the table above is the one that's arriving first for US markets.

Is the ASUS Zenbook A16 lighter than the MacBook Air 15?

Despite having a larger display, a larger battery, and overall slightly larger dimensions, the ASUS Zenbook A16 weighs less than the MacBook Air 15. It's not exactly a close margin, either, with the A16 coming in at 2.65 pounds (1.2kg) and the MacBook Air 15 weighing 3.3 pounds (1.51kg).

I also want to note that the Zenbook A16's footprint isn't wildly larger than the Air 15. The Z-height (thickness) is really the biggest difference, with Apple's laptop maintaining its lead at 0.45 inches (1.15cm) compared to 0.54-0.65 inches (1.38-1.65cm).

ASUS uses a "Ceraluminum" material for its chassis, and it's basically a magnesium alloy that's super light but durable. The MacBook Air also uses an aluminum base that's plenty rigid and refined.

Looking at ports, the Zenbook A16 easily bests the Air 15. The ASUS PC comes with dual USB4, USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2), native HDMI 2.1 out, an SD 4.0 card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The MacBook Air 15 offers just two Thunderbolt 4/USB4 and a 3.5mm audio jack. That means that the Air 15 can only run up to two external displays, topping out at 4K@144Hz. With native HDMI and dual USB4, the A16 will offer better external screen support.

Both ASUS and Apple make excellent keyboards, and this area should come down to personal preference. One area where the MacBook Air 15 definitely pulls ahead, however, is with its pointer.

Apple's Force Touch trackpad uses haptics to simulate the feel of a click; this hardware is almost always preferable compared to traditional touchpads with moving parts below.

That's what the Zenbook A16 uses, and while its touchpad is certainly big enough with good accuracy, it's really the only downside we noted in our Zenbook A16 review.

Both laptops feature a six-speaker audio system, but only the MacBook Air 15 adds Dolby Atmos tuning. The webcams are similar with 1080p video capabilities, but because the Zenbook A16 is running Windows 11, its camera adds an IR sensor for facial recognition through Windows Hello. On the MacBook Air, it's fingerprint Touch ID or passwords.

And finally, both laptops feature cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. ASUS pairs it with Bluetooth 5.4, whereas the MacBook Air 15 gets newer Bluetooth 6.

TL;DR: Both laptops are impressively thin and lightweight; the MacBook Air 15 is thinner, but the Zenbook A16 is lighter. The A16 has a better selection of ports and facial recognition abilities, whereas the MacBook Air 15 has a better touchpad.

Does anyone prefer LED at 60Hz compared to OLED at 120Hz?

With the ASUS Zenbook A16, you're getting a 16-inch OLED display with a sharp 2880x1800 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and optional touch functionality.

It's a screen with 500 nits maximum base brightness, climbing all the way to 1,100 nits with HDR enabled. That makes it certified for VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000, and a killer display for creators.

The MacBook Air has a 15.3-inch display with a slightly sharper 2880x1864 resolution, which works out to a higher pixels-per-inch amount due to its smaller dimensions. However, the display tops out at a measly 60Hz and doesn't have optional touch functionality.

It also doesn't get nearly as bright, often falling short of the advertised 500 nits brightness in SDR and HDR content.

TL;DR: With an OLED panel, twice as fast a refresh rate, far more brightness, and touch or non-touch options, the ASUS Zenbook A16's display is an easy winner compared to the MacBook Air 15.

Does the ASUS Zenbook A16 have better battery life than the MacBook Air 15?

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chips are a rather significant upgrade over the first-gen Snapdragon X silicon, and that applies to performance and efficiency.

We tested the X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-94) chip in the Zenbook A16 for our review. It has 18 cores and a 4.7GHz maximum boost frequency. The Zenbook A16 is also available with the higher-tier X2E-96 chip with a higher boost frequency and a locked 48GB of LPDDR5x RAM. It costs $1,999.99 direct from ASUS.

If you want more power, it's available, but the X2E-94 chip we tested is impressive. In Geekbench 6, the X2 Elite Extreme hit 3,806 single-core and 22,872 multi-core scores. The M5 in the MacBook Air 15 hit 4,191 single-core and 17,276 multi-core scores.

Apple maintains single-core dominance, but not by a whole lot anymore. And multi-core isn't even close. We plan to test the GPU after the A16's launch when better drivers are available.

This is but a brief look at synthetic performance, and yet it suggests that Snapdragon X2 could be the true turning point for Windows on ARM that we've been waiting for.

Improved efficiency is another key ingredient in Qualcomm's latest silicon. During testing of the Zenbook A16, we basically used it for constant web browsing and some occasional photo editing and spreadsheets.

Windows 11's battery report estimates about 16 hours of life based on that type of use. In PCMark 10's local video playback test, the laptop ran for 20 hours and 30 minutes.

Streaming 4K video from YouTube with the screen set at about 65% brightness and volume at 10% resulted in 14 hours and 13 minutes of battery life.

Our friends at Tom's Guide ran a similar test on the MacBook Air 15 during its review process. With continuous web surfing and the display at 150 nits brightness, the MacBook Air 15 lasted 15 hours and 37 minutes.

That's roughly the same as what you can expect from the Zenbook A16, and it's a testament to the efficiency upgrade Qualcomm has promised from its X2 hardware.

TL;DR: The X2 Elite Extreme chip falls short of single-core performance compared to Apple's M5, yet it delivers superior multi-core performance. Efficiency is essentially the same between the two laptops.

ASUS Zenbook A16 (2026) vs. MacBook Air 15: Which should you buy?

There's one important aspect I haven't yet discussed: pricing. The Zenbook A16 makes its debut in the US for $1,599.99 at Best Buy. This price lands you the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-94) System-on-Chip (SoC), 48GB of LPDDR5x-9600 RAM, a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and the usual 2.8K OLED display.

The MacBook Air 15 M5 starts at a lower $1,299 price at Best Buy, although it has just 16GB of RAM and half as much storage at 512GB.

Bumping the MacBook Air 15 M5 up to 24GB of RAM (still half as much as the Zenbook A16) and a 1TB SSD pushes the price to $1,699, a full $100 more than the ASUS laptop.

So while you can land a MacBook Air 15 M5 for a lower introductory price, Apple's laptop does become more expensive than the Zenbook A16, even without matching memory amounts.

With pricing and everything else I've covered above in mind, it quickly becomes evident that the ASUS Zenbook A16 is going to provide stiff competition for the MacBook Air 15.

If you're a regular Windows user, the choice is clear: the Zenbook A16 should be your next laptop. It's a tougher decision for regular macOS users. If you're beholden to Apple's OS, you're probably sticking with the MacBook anyway. But if you're considering a switch to Windows 11, the Zenbook A16 should be the best way to make an easy transition.

I dare say that the MacBook Air is no longer the best lightweight laptop on the market. The Zenbook A16 offers so much more for a lower price, and in this economy, that's perhaps the most important feature.

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ASUS already demonstrated the appeal of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors with last year's beloved Zenbook A14, and it remains one of our most highly-recommended Windows laptops for its all-around quality. Well, it's back again, and this time, it's bringing a 16-inch Zenbook A16 variant that promises to be even better.

Powered by the all-new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and alternatives with a lower-spec Snapdragon X chip, Qualcomm's "fastest and most efficient processors" promise to supercharge ASUS' flagship laptop. That, and you'll get Windows 11 26H1 pre-installed with Microsoft's modern features, so it should stand out as an attractive, flagship-grade PC. Here's what I think.

How much does the Zenbook A16 cost?

The ASUS Zenbook A16 (UX3607OA) starts at $1,599 $1,699 at Best Buy (ASUS points to Best Buy pricing errors for its unexpected $100 increase) as an exclusive touch screen model. You can pick up a non-touch Zenbook A16 for $1,999 at ASUS' eShop, though it uses the same Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme X2E-94-100 processor and 48GB of LPDDR5X-9600 memory (RAM).

In the United Kingdom, the non-touch Zenbook A16 starts at £2,099.99 at the respective ASUS eShop. Wherever you buy the X2 Elite Extreme models, you'll always get a 16-inch OLED panel with a 3K (2880 x 1880) display at a 16:10 aspect ratio that can switch between 60Hz and 120Hz.

All models include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless networking and devices, along with 2x USB-C 4.0 ports that support display output and power delivery. Plus, a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port handles common dongles and drives, while HDMI-out 2.1 connects to more traditional external monitors, and a full-size SD card reader handles common memory cards.

Finally, a built-in 1080p (FHD) webcam supports Windows Hello for secure face logins with a microphone for voice calls, all within a "Zabriskie Beige" chassis coated in ASUS' custom Ceraluminum (magnesium-aluminum) material, weighing 2.87 lbs (1.30 kg) with the touchscreen or 2.64 lbs (1.20 kg) without.

What about Windows 11?

Our sample with an X2 Elite Extreme X2E-94-100 chip comes with Windows 11 Home for ARM64 in both the US and the UK. However, a more powerful Zenbook A16 can be configured for $1,999.99 (not yet listed post-launch) is expected to appear at the ASUS eShop, with a bump to the X2 Elite Extreme X2E-96-100, which should offer around a 300 MHz increase in its boost frequency, and comes with Windows 11 Pro.

For this review, we tested two Zenbook A16 (UX3607OA) models: one US-built touchscreen model (photographed) and one UK-built, non-touch model (described). ASUS provided both samples, though it had no input, nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

Is the Zenbook A16 well made?

After testing a collection of 14-inch laptops, I was convinced it was the perfect form factor. That's generally because it comes with a certain weight expectation, and a 16-inch laptop is often so much heavier that it can feel almost inconvenient when I have to throw one in a bag and travel.

There's a fine line between reasonable and lightweight, and many casual onlookers see Apple's 15-inch MacBook at 1.51 kg as the benchmark. In that, ASUS went even further and somehow managed to make my 16-inch Zenbook A16 weigh just 1.2 kg. Make no mistake, that's firmly in the lightweight category.

Natural skepticism has many, myself included, initially thinking that ASUS must have made some cuts to the Zenbook's internals to make it the same weight as the excellent Intel Lunar Lake-based Zenbook S 14 I've traveled with until now. On the contrary, I couldn't find anything detrimental about its featherweight chassis, one coated in ASUS' lavish and unique Ceraluminum material.

You can expect the same quality from the Lumina OLED display in the Zenbook A16 as you would with any other that uses the same panel, though the HDR-capable screen still looks great when I enable the feature for the first time. ASUS claims a peak brightness of 1,100 nits, and colorimeter testing showed a maximum of around 500 nits without HDR.

Otherwise, an automatic switch between 60Hz and 120Hz happens when you switch between AC and battery power, but you can permanently force the smoother option with a tweak in Settings if you want to. The bundled MyASUS app includes color profiles for creators, but the "Normal" setting scored 100% accuracy for sRGB and Display P3 anyway, so I never feel the urge to switch.

Does the Zenbook A16 have a good keyboard?

The Zenbook A16's backlit keyboard feels good, with a respectable 1.3 mm key travel distance and otherwise unremarkable design. It's mostly a sharp-edged, square affair that matches the rest of the laptop, and the function keys are mostly pedestrian. Exceptions include MyASUS on F11 and ASUS' "ScreenXpert" monitor management app on F12. No numberpad, but zero complaints.

An 18 cm glass-covered touchpad dominates the lower portion of the laptop, with invisible gesture points to control functions like volume and screen brightness. Despite not being a haptic touchpad, it's still a satisfying option that never caused any annoyances during my time with it. Defined physical edges also keep the Zenbook away from the "invisible" touchpads I always disliked.

How fast is the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme?

Improvements in the availability of native ARM64-based Windows apps mean that even benchmarking apps can skip Microsoft's Prism x86-64 translation layer to show off some proper scores. We already knew that the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme was dominating its competitors in pre-release testing, but it's another thing to see the results firsthand.

Per-app tests and gaming experiments with Qualcomm's Adreno GPU can come later, using post-launch driver updates to provide a more realistic view of what consumers can expect. Still, synthetic CPU testing is hard to resist, and comparing the Zenbook A16 against the M5-based 15-inch MacBook Air and M4 Pro-based 16-inch MacBook Pro tested by Tom's Guide shows exciting numbers.

It's one thing to see a new Windows laptop predictably outrank another, but sure enough, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme just edges past Apple's M4 Pro in multi-core testing, and flies past the standard M5 chip. Then again, it's admirable to see the Zenbook A16 pull ahead of Intel's latest "Panther Lake" Core Ultra X9 388H CPU, appearing in ASUS' recent Zenbook Duo.

Comparing the scores of first-generation Snapdragon X Elite processors in Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7 and, to a lesser extent, the Surface Pro 11, shows how much of an incredible jump the new X2 Elite Extreme provides. A Cinebench 2024 test even has the Zenbook A16 passing HP's "insanely powerful" ZBook Ultra 14 with AMD's Strix Halo chip, the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395. Impressive.

Does the Zenbook A16 have good speakers?

For such a skinny laptop, the audio quality is surprisingly great. There's a six-speaker array inside, with two tweeters for high-end sounds and four woofers to cover the lower frequencies of bass. Without getting into the weeds, I can attest that I happily had Spotify playing throughout my day and enjoyed a few YouTube videos in my downtime. It all sounds great, and I'm left captivated. Great speakers.

The built-in webcam and microphone are decent, too. I've paid a lot of money for external cameras and mics over the years, even if only to avoid the usually lackluster options on laptops. Windows Studio Effects handles portrait blur better than Google Meet, and the pairing generally looks better than some creator-centric laptops that I've tried in the past.

Besides, if I wanted to use a dedicated replacement, I'm hardly struggling with connectivity. Two USB-C 4.0 ports on the left side and a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 on the right cover common dongles for mice and keyboards at the very least. Plus, HDMI-out 2.1 means my older monitors still work, and a full-size SD card is there for whoever needs that. Good news for photographers.

There's a 3.5mm combo audio jack if you want to get really old-school with wired headphones, or you can lean on Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless options. This variant of the Zenbook A16 also supports Wi-Fi 7, if you have a compatible router at home. I'm still using Wi-Fi 6E, but I'll never turn my nose up at future-proofing because I'll upgrade my mesh system at some point.

So, to ASUS' credit, it's implementing all the modern technologies on offer with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chips, like USB 4 and Wi-Fi 7, without cutting out long-standing necessities like a USB-A port or opting for a proprietary charger. A beefy 130W charging brick is included, but the business end is still USB-C, so you could fall back on a lower-powered alternative if you accidentally traveled without it.

Does the Zenbook A16 have good battery life?

Once it's fully charged, ASUS claims around 21 hours of battery life with constant, offline video playback, or around 12 hours of constant web browsing. My workflow is certainly closer to the latter, and a Windows 11 battery report estimates I could expect around 16 hours. I ran experiments, and PCMark 10's local video playback test saw the Zenbook A16 last for 20 hours and 30 minutes.

After a full charge, a constant 4K video stream from YouTube with the screen at 65% (around 200 nits) and the volume at 10% delivered 14 hours and 13 minutes of battery life before it switched off, and that's without energy-saving mode. So, while 21 hours is certainly possible, the Zenbook A16 still realistically hit around 10 – 16 hours of battery life in my usual workflow at 60Hz.

Should you buy the ASUS Zenbook A16?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want one of the best Windows laptops around

✅ You need something lightweight and portable

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You only need a basic web browsing machine

ASUS is on a winning streak with its latest Zenbook range, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors are an absolutely perfect pairing. Just like the A14 before it, the A16 will stand as one of the absolute best Windows laptops you can buy. Any apprehension about Windows on ARM64 is a low-effort excuse, especially when the raw horsepower behind the X2 Elite Extreme would effortlessly run traditional x86-64 apps under Microsoft's Prism.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

HP introduced one of my most anticipated laptops of the year at CES 2026, and the new OmniBook Ultra 14 (G2) with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite chip is now finally available to buy directly from Best Buy.

Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino went hands-on with the new OmniBook Ultra 14 (G2) ahead of its launch, and he found that the updated version for 2026 is thinner, lighter, and more durable than the 2024 model with Intel Core Ultra that we reviewed favorably.

The big attraction here is the Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-90) System-on-Chip (SoC) with 18 cores, a boost clock up to 5GHz, and an integrated GPU that hits a 1.7GHz clock speed. Can't forget the NPU that hits 80 TOPS of power for local AI tasks; that's higher than any other NPU from Intel or AMD.

We've already seen how the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip beats Apple's M5 in three major benchmarks, and it's overall a massive upgrade over the last-gen Snapdragon X1 Elite in terms of efficiency and performance.

The 14-inch laptop weighs only 2.83 pounds (1.28kg) despite a sturdy aluminum chassis with 11 MIL-STD-810 durability certifications, and it measures just 0.42 inches (1.06cm) thin. This is peak modern HP design language in full effect, with a lattice-free keyboard and oversized haptic touchpad providing cutting-edge input.

Best Buy has set the introductory price for the OmniBook Ultra 14 (G2) at $2,049.99. The model includes a gorgeous 14-inch 3K OLED touch display that can reach up to 1,100 nits brightness, 32GB of LPDDR5x-9523 RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD. Yes, this laptop is going to absolutely rip.

I'm personally far more excited for the Snapdragon X2 Elite version of HP's OmniBook Ultra 14 (G2), but I know the same doesn't apply to everyone.

HP is also offering a version of its new laptop with Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" chips direct from its own website. Starting at $1,699.99, you can get a Core Ultra 7 365H CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, and the same 14-inch 3K OLED touch display.

You can configure models with up to a Core Ultra X9 388H CPU, 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 2TB of M.2 SSD storage space, but prices climb quickly.

An Intel model similar to the Elite X2 config, with Core Ultra 9 386H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD costs about $2,339.99, making Qualcomm's option the far more affordable choice when hardware is on par.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

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?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC) kicked off a renaissance for Windows PCs when they launched in 2024, and the company announced the Snapdragon X2 as a successor in 2025.

We've had to wait patiently since the second-gen announcement for the PCs powered by X2 chips, and they're still expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Windows Central's Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino got an early look at the new chips late last year, running some benchmarks to discover just how much faster the new X2 Plus was compared to Intel's Core Ultra 7 265U and Ultra 7 256V.

At that time, several big questions remained. How would the Snapdragon X2 hardware compare to Apple's M5? How would it compare to Intel's impressive new Intel Series 3 "Panther Lake" Core Ultra chips?

Hardware Canucks got its hands on a sample unit from Qualcomm and was allowed to run tests with the understanding that the drivers are early, the firmware is beta, and Windows itself still isn't optimized for the new hardware. This also isn't Qualcomm's flagship chip; it's the X2E-88 that's one step down from the top (that'd be the X2E-96-100, aka the Elite Extreme).

Nevertheless, the results are impressive.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite beats Apple's M5 in three major tests

Cinebench tests performed by Hardware Canucks put the X2 Elite (X2E-88) at a 1,432 multi-core score running at 31W. The Apple M5 running at 26W puts up a score of 1,153.

Notably, Intel's "Panther Lake" Core Ultra X9 388H scored 972 in the same multi-core test, while AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scored 925.

Turning to single-core performance, the Apple M5 jumps ahead with a score of 200 compared to the X2 Elite's 146. The X2 Elite otherwise bests the latest chips from Intel and AMD.

In Blender 5.01 tests, it took the X2 Elite just 3:31 to complete frame rendering, compared to the 5:33 time posted by the Apple M5. The X2 Elite also easily beat the Intel Ultra X9 388H and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

In Handbrake, the X2 Elite wrapped up the test in 3:29, while it took the Apple M5 5:14. Same story for Intel and AMD — the X2 Elite is way ahead.

With the hardware by all means looking like a huge step forward compared to the first-gen Snapdragon X chips, it's largely going to be up to Microsoft to deliver a stellar "Windows on Snapdragon" experience in support.

👉 Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. X Elite: How do the new ARM64 chips compare to the old?

We already know that Windows 11 version 26H1 is arriving as an exclusive for Snapdragon X2 (and maybe NVIDIA N1) ARM-based chips later this year to coincide with the hardware launch. Microsoft has stated that 90% of users employ apps natively compiled for ARM already, but there remains work to be done regarding gaming support (especially anti-cheat) and specific GPU-heavy workloads.

What do you think about these early benchmark results? Are you concerned about battery life results when they become available? What would convince you to switch to an Arm‑powered Windows laptop?

Let me know in the comments!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

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!

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!

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.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme promise power and efficiency that set a new bar for Windows laptops. The latter "could be the most significant leap for high-end Windows PCs in a decade," according to our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino. Those chips could redefine mobile computing, even for those who game on PCs.

Benchmarks run in real time by the press proved promising. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is particularly interesting due to its single-core, multi-core, and GPU performance numbers. Rubino shared an in-depth breakdown, which is worth diving into. The main takeaway is that these chips could be outstanding.

But benchmarks and even real-world performance mean very little if your favorite games and programs are unavailable. Microsoft and Qualcomm have worked for years to improve Windows on ARM (also known as Windows on Snapdragon). The results of those efforts are obvious when it comes to apps. Now, gaming is catching up.

According to Qualcomm, as reported by VideoCardz, more than 90% of the most played Windows games will run at launch on laptops powered by the new Snapdragon X processors. Those games will take advantage of the up to 2.3x higher gaming performance of the chips, as well as platform improvements.

Qualcomm just released its Snapdragon Control Panel, which helps optimize the performance of games and keep drivers up to date.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite supports AVX2 emulation, which is essential for certain games to run through Microsoft's Prism Emulator.

Qualcomm has also worked with developers and Microsoft to provide kernel-level anti-cheat support on Windows on Snapdragon. Qualcomm is also working with anti-cheat providers to add support for more games.

Back in September, Microsoft said 90% of the time users spend on Windows 11 on Arm is on native applications. For a growing number of users, compatibility is no longer an issue, and PCs powered by Snapdragon chips can be presented alongside competing products powered by Intel or AMD.

That's great for creators and general users, but gaming on Windows 11 on Arm has been a different story. Driver releases have been inconsistent, integrated graphics have been underpowered, and many of the most popular games have not been available at launch — until recently.

Between graphics improvements seen in the Snapdragon X2 chips, growing anti-cheat support, better driver updates, and expanded emulation, Windows on Snapdragon could be at a turning point for gaming. The joint efforts of Microsoft, Qualcomm, and game developers have opened the doors for new types of gaming devices.

Our Gaming and News Editor, Rebecca Spear, said she wouldn't be surprised if we see a Snapdragon-powered gaming handheld sometime in the next year or two. In the immediate future, gamers will have some new laptops to enjoy. The Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme are expected in the "first half" of 2026, though we could see some devices shown off at CES in January.

FAQ

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

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.

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.

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.

While checking what's on sale at Best Buy today, I noticed that one of the laptops we've reviewed and gave a high score to here at Windows Central was on a clearance sale, reducing its price by quite a bit.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 usually has an MSRP of $859.99, but with this clearance discount, you can grab it for just $687.99 at Best Buy — that's $172 off on a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop while stock lasts.

Solid performance and long battery life make this laptop perfect for everyday usage

In our own Zac Bowden's review, he stated that he was "impressed by the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 and its Snapdragon X Plus chip. It's a capable midrange Windows on Arm laptop with a gorgeous screen, great keyboard and trackpad, and excellent performance and efficiency for the price."

He ended up scoring this laptop four out of five stars and marked it as one of the best laptops available for purchase right now.

Being able to use this device as a laptop, a tablet, or in tent mode like a propped-up tablet makes it a truly versatile piece of tech that can fit a number of use cases and scenarios.

This laptop is powered by a Snapdragon X Plus processor, and as is usually the case for these kinds of devices, it offers long battery life and solid performance in a slim frame.

In our own testing, it managed to last for up to 15 hours and 37 minutes while running basic office tasks. That's more than long enough to make it through a busy school day or workday. Plus, the lightweight nature makes it easier to travel with than some other laptops out there.

Just last month, I wrote about my smooth experience using two different Snapdragon X-powered laptops while on a long-distance work trip from the USA to Taiwan and back. These devices lasted through my super-long workdays without being too heavy to tote around.

If you want to grab one of the best gaming laptops while it's at a great discount, don't miss out on this Lenovo 14" IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 clearance sale at Best Buy.

Last week, I flew a total of 13,528 miles going to and from Taiwan for Computex 2025. Before my departure, Qualcomm was kind enough to send me two Snapdragon-powered laptops, so I brought the HP OmniBook X 14 (X Elite) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (X Plus) with me and used them throughout my work trip.

While these Windows laptops offer different use cases, the experience proved that laptops with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X chips are the perfect travel companions for personal or business use. Here's why.

What to know about these Snapdragon X laptops

The HP OmniBook X with a Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD has an MSRP of $1,449.99 at HP.com, but at the time of writing, it was on sale for $1,049.99. Strangely enough, reducing your configuration to 512GB brings the price up to an MSRP of $1,699.99 at HP. I'm not sure if that's a mistake, but it's a chance to save some money.

If you want to save even more, you can go with a configuration that utilizes a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for $899.99 at Best Buy.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 with its Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is a bit more affordable, selling for $859.99 at Lenovo.com.

I'll talk more about what makes each of these devices such good travel laptops, but first, take a gander at their specs.

Windows on Snapdragon makes for excellent travel companions

Thanks to their smaller 14-inch displays and slim, lightweight designs, both the HP OmniBook X and Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 were very convenient to travel with.

I easily packed both into my previously reviewed, carry-on Waterfield Air Porter Backpack (designed specifically for airplane storage) during my flights, and they easily fit on my Delta tray tables, so I could type while in transit.

Then, while at Computex, I was also able to take one laptop at a time to my appointments in my inconspicuous computer bag that I love so much. It sells for $39.99 on Amazon, in case you're interested.

As previously noted, these are both Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered laptops, which means they are Windows on ARM devices. Contrary to the outdated compatibility opinions some people have, these laptops are fantastic and were able to run all of the programs I needed for work, as well as after-work entertainment.

In case you didn't already know, Snapdragon X laptops are lauded for their battery life, and I was able to take full advantage of this while running around Taipei all week. I never got close to running out of juice, even though my work days were longer than eight hours each day.

I'll go over specific pros and cons for each device in the next section, but to sum up, Snapdragon X laptops are ideal work trip companions since they are slim, lightweight, and offer fantastic battery life.

You just need to choose a configuration and model that best suits your needs.

The HP OmniBook X 14 gives MacBook Air a real rival

The HP OmniBook X 14 came out in June 2024, but it's still a fantastic laptop, and one of the best MacBook Air M3 and Surface Laptop competitors on the market.

It ran smoothly and worked quickly with every application and task I set it to, from editing images in Photoshop to streaming Netflix.

I love how sleek and understated the chassis looks, since it never draws attention to me when I'm in formal settings. Some might find the design a little boring, though.

The configuration I used houses a Snapdragon X Elite chip, which is Qualcomm's latest flagship laptop processor, since the company hasn't launched a new one this year.

While performing some HP OmniBook X 14 performance testing, our sister site Tom's Guide compared it to the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 and found that the Snapdragon-powered laptop offered better multicore scores and a better display color gamut.

It even lasted up to 16 hours and 22 minutes in their testing, which was roughly an hour and 12 minutes longer than the MacBook Air 13.

Meanwhile, the 16GB of RAM and ample 1TB SSD perfectly suit this device and my storage needs.

I enabled Windows Hello when I first set up the OmniBook X, and it always detected me with the webcam quickly and easily. It's a simple thing, but one that I appreciated when listening to different speakers and taking notes.

As with most HP laptops, it does feature a controversial USB-A drop-jaw port design, but this also allows the OmniBook X to be thinner than other laptops. There are also two USB-C ports that support Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 for your added convenience.

One thing I found strange was that the display only goes back as far as 130 degrees. As it is, it reaches a somewhat abrupt stop and makes me worried that I might press too hard and break it.

While I wish the display could go back a little further, this won't be a big issue for most people.

Speaking of the panel, it's a little odd that HP doesn't offer a configuration with an OLED display. However, as it stands, the 2.2K IPS touchscreen panel offers very crisp detail with a respectable color gamut that I appreciated using when working in Photoshop.

Before I move on to the other laptop, I'll quickly say that the keyboard and touchpad are spacious and feel great to use.

The function row is also full of useful quick options, but I do wish the delete key wasn't quite so close to the power button. I ended up pressing it by accident a few times. Still, I could probably get more used to this placement over time.

You should buy this if ...

✅You want a lightweight AI laptop with long battery life

This Copilot+ PC and AI laptop offers reliable performance in a lightweight and slim design. Its long battery life makes it an ideal travel device for busy people on the go.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You need a laptop that offers more power or has a better screen

Snapdragon laptops aren't all-out powerhouses, so if you need to use graphically intensive software locally on your device, then this isn't the laptop for you. Additionally, if you want an OLED display, you'll have to go with another device.

The good and bad of Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1

My colleague, Zac Bowden, previously wrote a Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 review, so you can check out his full insights if you want more details on its performance. I'll largely just talk anecdotally about how useful this laptop was on my trip.

Unlike the OmniBook X, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is a more versatile device that can be used as a traditional laptop but can also be folded back into a tablet.

I personally like standing it up in tent mode so I can conveniently interact with the screen while seated at a desk. If you'd like, you can even pay Lenovo a little extra to get the Base Pen 3, a stylus that works with the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1.

I found the OLED touchscreen to be both very responsive to my finger swipes and beautiful to look at. As with most 2-in-1s, the keyboard deactivates when folded back, so I can't accidentally send inputs when in tablet mode.

While this laptop does not support Windows Hello with its webcam, it does have a fingerprint reader for quick biometric login. This feature worked beautifully each time I used it, so I could get back to work as soon as possible.

This laptop utilizes the Snapdragon X Plus with 8 cores, which is a step down from the flagship X Elite seen in the OmniBook X. Even so, this laptop was able to keep up with my busy workdays and didn't have a problem accessing the software I needed.

It offers 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB SSD, which is a good amount for most work and personal needs.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is a little bit thicker and slightly heavier than the OmniBook X, but it also offers more ports and is thus more useful connection-wise.

There are three display connection areas in the form of two USB-C ports and an HDMI 2.1 port. On top of that, there are two USB-A ports, a microSD slot, and a headphone jack at my disposal.

So, when I was back in my hotel room and needed to plug in my external SSD, recharge my wireless Sony ANC headphones, and connect a wireless mouse, I found this laptop more suited to the task.

During performance testing in our review, this laptop earned scores that prove that "it's excellent for productivity-based workflows such as Office, online meetings, email, and entertainment."

Meanwhile, in our battery life testing, the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 lasted 15 hours and 37 minutes, which is more than long enough for an average workday. I'm not surprised, given that it was able to keep up with me while I bustled around Computex.

You should buy this if ...

✅You're looking for a relatively thin AI laptop with long battery life and a good range of ports

While there certainly are more compact and slim AI laptops on the market, the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 provides a lot of conveniences that some other devices don't offer. You'll easily be able to connect multiple displays and accessories to this laptop, and it will last all day too.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You specifically want a laptop with Windows Hello camera support

Having the fingerprint reader is useful, but if you'd rather have a laptop that unlocks via facial recognition, then this might not be the device for you.

Which of these Snapdragon X laptops should I get?

I can easily recommend both the OmniBook X and the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 thanks to their fantastic battery life, reliable performance, and relatively compact sizes.

That said, I recommend the HP OmniBook X 14 for busy people on the go, who just need a simple, slim, and lightweight laptop that can keep up with long workdays and trips.

Meanwhile, if you want a more affordable Snapdragon-powered laptop that offers a better range of ports and also can function like a tablet, then you should go with the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1.

Of course, you can always check out our list of the best Windows on ARM laptops if neither of these fits the bill.

Computex 2025 wrapped up on May 23 after a week of countless new product announcements from major tech players. However, one exception stands out: Qualcomm.

Qualcomm's AI-heavy Computex 2025 presentation notably avoided discussing the next generation of Snapdragon X chips. Instead, it went heavy on AI capabilities with its available hardware. AI performance numbers, AI integration plans, AI and Windows on Snapdragon ... you get the point.

It's no secret that Qualcomm didn't create its Snapdragon X platform as a one-and-done offering, so the lack of news regarding a new generation of hardware was particularly noticeable.

Qualcomm's side doesn't seem concerned with the delayed announcement scheduling. It has its annual Snapdragon Summit planned for September 2025, and it's now clear that Qualcomm is saving its next-gen chips for the occasion.

But why an extended delay between the next generation of Snapdragon X chips?

Qualcomm's 'tick-tock' Snapdragon X release cycle explained

I don't blame you if you haven't been closely monitoring the world of Snapdragon X computing.

To put things into perspective, it's been roughly a year and a half since Qualcomm announced "the most powerful computing processor it has ever created for the PC," the Snapdragon X Elite.

The new System-on-Chip (SoC) was eventually introduced alongside its sibling Snapdragon X Plus chip on May 20 at Computex 2024. This marked the official start of Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative that has now grown to include select AMD and Intel CPUs with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of more than 40 TOPS.

In the interim, Qualcomm has expanded its Snapdragon X chips with new SKUs mainly intended for budget systems. However, they've all been built on the same first-gen platform. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch are perfect examples.

Waiting until the Snapdragon Summit 2025 in September for a "Snapdragon X2" — the unofficial name — reveal, with what I assume is another few months of waiting for an official launch, will have us well into 2026 before PCs are available with the chips.

Considering both AMD and Intel work on a yearly release schedule, Qualcomm's lack of information regarding "Snapdragon X2" at Computex 2025 could be seen as a misstep.

Qualcomm's management doesn't feel the same way.

Speaking with Laptop Mag at Computex 2025, Qualcomm's GM of mobile, compute, and XR, Alex Katouzian, said:

"I'm not worried about our competitors coming out with something. [...] We're sustained in performance-per-watt, and we have relationships that are strong across retail and commercial, and we have marketing campaigns that are now very much concentrated on Snapdragon."

Katouzian further shored up the argument by pointing out that Snapdragon X devices haven't been available on the market since the initial 2023 announcement:

"We introduced our solution at Computex that would already have designs that we launched in May with Microsoft last year. And so, we're only in the market for nine months. I think a platform such as X Elite, X Plus, X — it needs more than nine months to become mature in multiple designs and SKUs."

These arguments might not be quite what you want to hear, but they're valid. Anyone who can't stand the current trend of releasing new, incrementally better hardware yearly is probably nodding their head.

Katouzian explained to Laptop Mag that Qualcomm is targeting a "tick-tock" release cycle akin to what Apple used to do with its iPhones.

"I think it's OK to come in as a tick-tock. We come in and then four months from now we're going to introduce our next-generation solution, and then it'll ramp into market early 2026. As long as people and OEMs understand that this continuous advantage is coming, I'm OK."

It's important to point out that the Snapdragon X SoC lineup isn't sitting dormant.

New PCs are launching all the time with the first-gen chips inside, and they continue to put up a strong fight in terms of efficiency, performance, and pricing compared to their closest competitors.

'Snapdragon X2' needs to make an impression at Snapdragon Summit 2025

With Qualcomm's decision to mainly reiterate its market standing and advancements during its Computex 2025 keynote, it leaves Intel, AMD, and even Apple open to pull ahead.

Intel has its next-gen "Panther Lake" mobile CPUs slated for a 2026 launch, and they're expected to significantly boost efficiency and performance, with new integrated Arc GPU capabilities.

Apple is also expected to debut its M5 chip sometime in 2025, and it'll be interesting to see how the design has been influenced by the push for AI computing.

Much of the hype surrounding Snapdragon X has died down since launch despite Qualcomm's aggressive ad campaign, and the company needs to make a big impression later this year when it finally unveils the next generation of SoCs.

I don't doubt that it has what it takes to pull this off, and I'm rooting for Qualcomm to once again make big waves in the PC world.

Move over Mac vs PC, a new battle is taking center stage. A series of ads from Qualcomm places the company's Snapdragon X processors squarely against the best from Intel.

"Here's a little intel on what's really inside," jabs one of the ads comparing a PC powered by Snapdragon to one powered by an "unnamed" CPU (that's clearly Intel).

One ad from Qualcomm focuses on figures, such as the fact that Snapdragon X chips run "at max performance" while Intel chips drop off in performance when unplugged.

That claim has merit, though some context is needed. While there are some PCs powered by Intel chips that drop performance to "as little as 55%," it's common to see much smaller dips.

That same ad highlights the long battery life of PCs powered by Snapdragon as well.

Another ad is more direct in highlighting the 55% performance claim, showing spouses, soldiers, and CEOs only committing 55% effort.

The final ad drives home the same point, showing how PCs running at 55% performance when unplugged would affect office producitivy.

Best Windows laptops: Is Snapdragon making a push?

People have dreamed of powerful and efficient computing for years, and many assumed ARM64 architecture would make those types of devices possible. The dream became a reality with the Snapdragon X series of chips.

The Snapdragon X Elite blew previous ARM64 chips away. The Snapdragon X Plus also delivered a nice midrange option that was also far beyond previous offerings.

Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden said the following about the Snapdragon X Elite in our ASUS Vivobook S 15 review:

"So, does the Snapdragon X Elite live up to the hype? In short, it absolutely does. This chip is a beast, outputting incredible performance that you can feel in almost every task. Whether browsing the web with lots of tabs, multitasking through lots of open apps, rendering video and audio, hosting a podcast, or even some gaming, the Snapdragon X Elite can do it all."

For a while, PC manufacturers were hesitant to fully embrace PCs powered by ARM64 processors. But things have changed.

The list of the best Windows on Arm laptops now includes devices from Microsoft, Samsung, HP, and ASUS. And of course, those PCs are all powered by Snapdragon chips (though we could see ARM64 CPUs from NVIDIA at some point).

Consumer-focused Surface devices, including the newly announced Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch run on Snapdragon chips. Microsoft's flagship computers, the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 also have Snapdragon X chips inside.

There are versions of the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 with Intel chips, but those PCs are built for business users.

Microsoft has put extensive effort into optimizing Windows 11 for PCs powered by Snapdragon chips. Developers and major corporations have also optimized programs, greatly expanding the library of the best native Windows on Arm apps.

Looping back to the ads from Qualcomm, that company's Snapdragon chips are the star of the show here. Any efforts from Microsoft would fall short without chips like the Snapdragon X Elite.

Now that Windows PCs powered by Snapdragon chips are in the spotlight, Qualcomm seems eager to show its processors can go toe-to-toe with Intel CPUs.

Anyone paying attention to tech prices in recent weeks has undoubtedly noticed a rise across many popular sectors.

The global market shakeup is largely caused by US President Trump's tariffs, which put a tax on select imported goods, and is being felt by many consumers, and there's unfortunately no end in sight.

Laptops are some of the first products to be affected, which begs the question: Should you buy a new laptop now?

Should you buy a new laptop before prices increase due to tariffs?

Whether or not you should buy a new laptop now depends on a few factors.

Do you plan to upgrade or buy new in the next year or two? Yes, I recommend shopping now.

You likely have a few weeks, at most, before some prices really start to climb once retailers have cleared out stock that arrived before the tariffs were in place.

Acer's CEO and Chairman, Jason Chen, already announced a flat 10% price increase on its laptops to counteract the 10% tariff on Chinese imports enacted by President Trump, and prices from other brands seem to be creeping up much faster than usual.

Laptop update cycles follow CPU updates, and there isn't expected to be new performance hardware from Intel or AMD until 2026. If you buy a modern Intel or AMD PC now, you won't be surprised with an updated version in just a few weeks.

Qualcomm, however, is expected to unveil its new Snapdragon chips this year, and we'll likely see those laptops on sale by the holiday season. I'm also hoping to see new Surface PCs in Fall 2025.

If, on the other hand, you purchased a new laptop in the last year or two — laptops usually have a five-year lifespan, more if you baby your tech — you don't need to worry as much.

There's one exception: those who have AI computing ambitions should shop for a laptop with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 TOPS of power to handle Copilot+ AI tools built into Windows 11.

Laptops with Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips, Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (excluding H and HX-series), and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips hit that mark.

Forecasting the effects of tariffs on tech prices

A report from the Consumer Technology Association's (CTA) one-year forecast for consumer technology, as reported by TechCrunch, is grim.

With a theoretical 10% or 20% tariff on all imports, as well as a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, the CTA saw laptop prices rise by 46%. Gaming consoles were next at 40%, and phones went up by 26%.

Putting that into perspective, even a 20% increase in laptop pricing would drive a $1,200 model, which roughly sits near the middle of the market, up to $1,440.

A 46% increase, as theorized by the CTA, would push the $1,200 model up to $1,752 and out of the price range of most consumers.

Of course, there's so far no 60% tariff on imports from China, although there is still the threat of a 25% tariff on processors coming into the US.

There's also President Trump's "Liberation Day" on April 2, 2025, which could bring any number of new tariffs and regulations. As Bloomberg reports, it's already causing stock markets to drop.

Trump's goal with the potential chip tariff is to force companies to move more manufacturing hubs to the United States, where Intel and TSMC already have ground. However, this return won't be felt anytime soon.

TechCrunch's report also mentions a presentation given by Brian Comiskey at CES 2025, in which he explained how AI-powered features are playing into the situation.

The rise of AI hardware in consumer laptops might not seem like a big deal to everyone, but the CTA foresees newfound demand for cutting-edge PCs that can handle tools like Copilot+.

Which laptop brands offer the best value?

The current laptop market is home to countless affordable and budget laptops, but they're not all made the same.

If you're looking for the best value possible, it's likely that you'll have to make some compromises. Reading laptop reviews is usually the best place to discover those compromises.

Want a great display, maybe with an OLED panel? Acer's Swift Edge 16, which I reviewed, is a prime example.

Acer is generally the go-to brand for affordable laptops, but in the case of the Swift Edge 16, its OLED display is the main selling point that pulls away from battery life and overall hardware build quality.

The other major laptop brands also have more affordable laptops available.

HP's "Essential" lineup of laptops is home to plenty of sub-$1,000 PCs, with prices dipping as low as $300 with discounts.

Dell's Inspiron and the rebranded "Base" laptops (expected to be arriving soon) are in the same category, offering many sub-$1,000 models.

For Lenovo, it's the IdeaPad brand that gets the most attention from value-conscious shoppers, and ASUS has its Vivobook series with competitive pricing.

If you're simply in search of the best possible hardware no matter the price, our guide to the best Windows laptops can help.

And if it's an AI PC you want, my guide to the best AI laptops has more great hardware to consider.

Are you worried about tech prices?

I'm curious to know if our readers are concerned with rising tech prices, and I'd like to know if you're considering buying a new laptop now to replace something that's starting to show its age.

Let me know your thoughts in our new comment section below!

It’s been a long wait, but after years of user complaints about Windows Search's shortcomings, the OS is finally introducing a brand-new, AI-driven, NPU-powered system search engine based on semantics rather than keywords.

One of the ‘big three’ Windows AI features (including Recall and Click to Do), Semantic Search is a comprehensive system overhaul of how to find documents, images, file names, or even system settings.

However, there is one caveat: The new Semantic Search feature, now rolling out with Windows Update KB5053656 (Preview Release channel, OS Build 26100.3624), is only available to current Qualcomm Snapdragon X-series laptops like the Surface Pro 11 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7x.

Don’t worry; Microsoft says “support for AMD and Intel" is "coming soon" to join the best Copilot+ PCs out there.

Microsoft announced this update to the Windows Insider Release Preview channel just a few days ago, and it is likely a significant talking point at Microsoft’s forthcoming AI event.

Windows 11 'AI edition:' A work in progress

Microsoft introduced improved Windows Search last October, allowing users to leverage descriptive queries to locate settings and content. The update leverages the NPUs inside Copilot+ PCs, which are designed to have at least 40 TOPS for AI workloads and are available across File Explorer, Settings, and the universal Windows Search pane.

With AI-driven Semantic Search, you can describe the document or image you’re searching for, and Windows will locate it for you—no need to remember exact file names anymore.

Essentially, the system search in Windows 11 is now “smart,” a feature that has been long-awaited due to Apple’s popular Spotlight tool in macOS. While not AI-driven, Spotlight does allow Mac users to utilize natural language support and contextual understanding, making it superior to regular Windows Search. However, it likely trails the new NPU-powered Semantic Search, as NPUs are faster and more efficient.

Microsoft explains how the system works:

"To improve your search results, Copilot+ PCs perform semantic indexing along with traditional indexing. Supported file formats include .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, .xlsx for documents and .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .ico for images. Semantic indexing makes your searches more powerful since items that are close and related to your search terms would also be included in your search results. For instance, if you searched for pasta you might also get results for lasagna, including images that contain pasta or lasagna.

All data gathered from semantic indexing is stored locally on your PC. None of it is ever sent to Microsoft or used to train AI models. Semantic indexing is enabled by default on Copilot+ PCs. If you want to disable indexing and searching for specific locations or file types, you can do so by selecting the appropriate options under Settings > Privacy & Security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options."

Copilot+ PCs hit the market last June, but the launch lacked standout features tied to the branding. Senior Editor Zac Bowden labeled the rollout a "total disaster," with the absence of must-have exclusives being a key factor.

That narrative could shift as Microsoft enhances Windows Search and File Explorer with AI, potentially addressing long-standing frustrations.

Indeed, as noted above, Microsoft is set to take the stage next Friday, April 4th, at 9:30 AM ET (live streamed). The company will discuss consumer AI and Copilot, likely hinting at more extensive plans for its OS and connected systems. I'll be at the event to cover any breaking news.

Microsoft may also announce its new, slightly smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop editions, which are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors. We exclusively reported that these PCs were coming back in January. These editions align nicely with the latest Windows 11 KB5053656 update now rolling out to Windows Insiders (Release Preview).

A general rollout of this OS update for non-Windows Insiders is expected in the coming weeks.

Qualcomm-based Snapdragon X PCs have a new compatible app in two: Google Drive for Desktop. Initially announced as a beta in November 2024, Google has now given the Arm64-based app the green light for public distribution.

As noted on its blog, Google says the popular cloud-based storage service (akin to Microsoft’s OneDrive) is now ready to download for ‘Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.’

While general availability starts today, users may face a ‘gradual rollout’ of up to 15 days

Anyone previously enrolled in the Google Drive (Arm64) beta will be automatically upgraded to the public-release version, so there is no need to uninstall and redo the setup.

Those with Qualcomm-based laptops can navigate to Google's Drive page to download the app.

Google Drive was the missing app for many

Although Qualcomm and its partners have done a remarkable job of getting nearly all of the most popular apps compatible with Arm64 on Snapdragon X PCs, Google’s Drive app would not work in emulation. The app is critical for those who rely on Google Workspace in a corporate environment where access to cloud service is often mandatory.

While being in beta since last year was a great sign, only users who went out and looked for the beta could leverage it, as Google didn’t make it widely available or obvious to download (unless you searched Google and read my articles on it).

Google Drive allows users to store files, documents, photos, videos, and more online, which can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Some of its key features include:

• Free and Paid Storage: Google Drive, Gmail, and Photos offer 15 GB of free storage, with more space available through Google One plans.
• Collaboration: Integrated with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for real-time file creation and editing.
• File Sharing: Share files and folders easily via links or permissions.
• Automatic Backup: Backs up files and folders from devices for safekeeping.

With today’s announcement, many who want to switch to a Qualcomm-based Windows laptop will lose one more point. In our testing, Qualcomm-based laptops often outperform Intel in power and efficiency (not to mention price).

Other major apps recently added to Arm64 include Telegram, Vivaldi browser, Davinci Resolve, Adobe Illustrator, and Slack. For even more, see our list of the best Windows on Arm apps.

Indeed, Qualcomm has a dedicated page set up to track all the major apps that are now Arm64-compatible, noting how “Based on research from Microsoft, 90% of the total app minutes people spend today have native versions.” While there are likely a few outliers, most people should be fine with a Snapdragon X PC in 2025.

Recently, Qualcomm announced its new graphics driver beta program for Snapdragon X Elite laptops (see our how-to for more information). Users can download the most recent driver that supports more video games, fixes issues with current games, and offers general improvements. That drive will eventually ship through Windows Update for all, but it's worth signing up for and installing for those who want immediate fixes and more compatibility.

Plenty of news regarding GPUs and the tech behind them has come out of GDC 2025, and Microsoft has now announced an update to DirectX Raytracing (DXR) at its DirectX State of the Union presentation.

Microsoft Principal Program Manager Cassie Hoef posted more information about the DirectX Raytracing 1.2 update in Microsoft's Dev Blogs, stating:

"This update promises groundbreaking performance improvements and breathtaking visual fidelity, marking another milestone in our mission to deliver immersive, realistic experiences to gamers everywhere."

The update will affect Microsoft's partners like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, who rely on Microsoft's tools to implement the latest tech into their hardware and games.

Also shared by Microsoft is more information regarding cooperative vectors and neural rendering, which I wrote about following the GDC Advanced Graphics Summit hosted earlier this week.

DirectX Raytracing (DXR) — What is it?

DirectX Raytracing (DXR) is an add-on for DirectX 12 that was introduced by Microsoft at the same GDC conference in 2018.

The API is what allows modern GPUs to power ray tracing via DirectX without getting in the way of standard rasterization, with performance being shared between the two methods.

The new DXR 1.2 is set to add "game-changing performance boosts" on the backs of two new technologies.

Here's how Microsoft explains them:

• Opacity micromaps significantly optimize alpha-tested geometry, delivering up to 2.3x performance improvement in path-traced games. By efficiently managing opacity data, OMM reduces shader invocations and greatly enhances rendering efficiency without compromising visual quality.
• Shader execution reordering offers a major leap forward in rendering performance — up to 2x faster in some scenarios — by intelligently grouping shader execution to enhance GPU efficiency, reduce divergence, and boost frame rates, making raytraced titles smoother and more immersive than ever. This feature paves the way for more path-traced games in the future. 

The standout number here is the 2.3x performance jump in path-traced games using DXR 1.2 opacity micromaps.

Path tracing is a more intensive and complex version of ray tracing, and it understandably requires a lot more power from your GPU even compared to normal ray tracing. This level of performance boost isn't minor.

The other big performance jump is the "up to 2x faster" rendering performance thanks to shader execution reordering.

Not only does it improve efficiency and boost frame rates, it's also expected — according to Microsoft — to raise the appeal of path tracing in games due to the reduced performance costs.

Microsoft says NVIDIA is already on board with driver support for its RTX GPUs (going back to RTX 20-series), while it's still working with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm "to ensure widespread adoption."

DXR 1.2 also comes to PIX on day one

PIX is a DirectX 12 tool used by game developers to debug and tune performance. It's set to receive DXR 1.2 support from day one.

Microsoft outlines a number of new tools for PIX:

• PIX API Preview: A brand-new API giving developers programmatic access to PIX functionality and data via a D3D12-like API, available in C++, C# and Python. A private preview is coming in April 2025.
• Custom Visualizers: Building on announcements over the past year, we announced new functionality to give unprecedented customization while viewing buffers, meshes, and textures inside the PIX UI.
• PIX UX Refresh: A modernized, more intuitive, and more discoverable user experience is coming to PIX in April 2025! The many improvements include a new Visual Studio-like layout editor system, unlocking more PIX UI customization than ever before.

Microsoft shares key uses for neural rendering

It's no secret that Microsoft has been working with NVIDIA to bring neural rendering and cooperative vectors to DirectX.

More information was shared at GDC 2025 earlier in the week, this specific quote coming from Direct3D development manager Shawn Hargreaves:

"Microsoft is adding cooperative vector support to DirectX and HLSL, starting with a preview this April. This will advance the future of graphics programming by enabling neural rendering across the gaming industry. Unlocking Tensor Cores on NVIDIA RTX will allow developers to fully leverage RTX Neural Shaders for richer, more immersive experiences on Windows."

Microsoft showed off how these technologies will directly affect game development and play:

• Neural Block Texture Compression is a new graphics technique that dramatically reduces memory usage, while maintaining exceptional visual fidelity. Overall, our partners at Intel shared that by leveraging cooperative vectors to power advanced neural compression models, they saw a 10x speed up in inference performance.
• Real-time path tracing can be enhanced by neural supersampling and denoising, combining two of the most cutting-edge graphics innovations to provide realistic visuals at practical performance levels.

So, how long do developers have to wait to get their hands on DXR 1.2?

Not long at all. Microsoft says the full package with DXR 1.2, PIX updates, and cooperative vectors is coming to a preview Agility SDK toward the end of April.

Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X platform aren't marketed as gaming machines. But there are more uses for graphics horsepower than just gaming.

For the best performance, you also need drivers. In the case of Snapdragon X, the best drivers aren't pre-installed by default, and they aren't delivered through Windows Update right now.

What you need to get is the Qualcomm beta graphics driver. The performance gains are night and day, and whether you want to play a game or run Blender, it's the smart move to get this driver installed.

Here's how you go about it.

Why you NEED the Qualcomm beta driver

For gamers, getting the latest drivers is second nature. That's also true of Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs.

The simple truth is that without the beta Qualcomm graphics driver, you're leaving performance on the table.

In a recent test of gaming performance on a Snapdragon X Plus laptop, I saw gains of up to 20 FPS and better overall stability just by installing this driver.

The same is true of non-gaming applications such as Blender. With a more tailored driver, you're getting better performance.

There is one caveat, though. Not all Snapdragon X series chips and PCs are always compatible with the latest drivers.

For example, at the time of writing, the current release isn't compatible with the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. So always check the release notes first.

How to download and install the Qualcomm beta graphics driver

The graphics driver from Qualcomm is currently a beta product, as such there are some small hoops to jump through.

The first is that you have to sign up to use Qualcomm Software Center, which takes nothing more than an email address and a password.

Once you're registered, hit this link to get to the latest version of the Windows Graphics Driver. Check the release notes first, to ensure there are no deal breaking issues or compatibility woes. Remember, as good as this driver is, it's still a beta product.

Once you're happy, download the file. It'll come as a zip archive, so you'll need to extract it to run the installer.

Running the installer is the final step, just as with any Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA graphics driver. It'll be installed on your system, recognize the hardware, and then start to do its magic.

Regular graphics driver updates are something Qualcomm will have to start ramping up as it continues to compete against the long-standing trio. Eventually you'd assume it won't be a beta, but for now, if you're serious about graphics on your Snapdragon X PC, follow these steps and reap the rewards.

Uploading its beta v31.0.96.0 driver, Qualcomm is "committed to continuously improving your experience" with a trio of newly supported games, upgrades to existing titles, and a batch of stability fixes for ARM64-native Windows 11 apps like Adobe Photoshop and Blender.

Playing PC games on Windows PCs running Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors has been a mixed bag since the first batch of laptops, led by the launch of ASUS' Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ PC.

Early performance varied from passable to shockingly impressive in examples like Zac Bowden's review of the Vivobook S15, so it's great to see Qualcomm using these driver updates to improve the experience and support popular PC games like the "perfect sequel" of Kingdom Come Deliverance II.

If your Windows PC has a Snapdragon X Elite chip and not the Snapdragon X Plus (an important distinction), you can manually download the driver from Qualcomm's software center here.

Creators will benefit from the update, too, particularly if you use Adobe's suite in your daily workflow with apps like Lightroom on a Snapdragon X Elite PC with 16GB of RAM.

Patch notes: Games enabled

• Kingdom Come Deliverance II
• Helldivers
• Palworld
• Jagged Alliance 3
• World War Z
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• BodyCam
• Cities: Skylines II
• Forge of Empires
• Core Keeper
• Satisfactory
• Tiny Glade
• Genshin Impact

Improved performance for existing games

• Left 4 Dead 2
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla
• Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
• The Sims 4
• Borderlands 3

Bug fixes for Windows 11

• Fixed corruption in WPS during zoom.
• Fixed Adobe Scene Edit Detection corruption.
• Improved performance in Adobe Photoshop.
• Fixed crashes in Adobe Lightroom on 16GB devices.
• Fixed cube rendering issues in Blender App.
• Fixed crash seen in Football Manager 2022 game during screen recording.
• Fixed AV1E MVHV failures.
• Fixed black screen issue during video playback in VLC Player.

Moving closer to Qualcomm's goals

We have always remained realistic when discussing the topic of gaming on Snapdragon X Elite laptops, but it doesn't stop ARM64 gaming performance improvements from being exciting.

Epic Games and Qualcomm are already pairing up to solve the issue of missing anti-cheat support and allow the phenomenally popular Fortnite to come to Snapdragon X laptops, so seeing similarly successful games like the crossplay-enabled Palworld come to the platform is encouraging.

Native ARM64 builds would always be better for gaming performance. Still, updates like these bring us closer to running these titles "just fine" using x64 emulation, as Qualcomm boasted in the early days of Windows on Snapdragon.

Selfishly, my long-term dream for Qualcomm is to see it partner with PC gaming handheld OEMs similar to the recently-announced Android-based devices running Snapdragon G chips and succeed in this evolving market.

The rapid progression of Intel's XeSS 2 upscaling technology and its competitors have legitimized the concept of AAA gaming in ultra-portable form factors with low-power processors running at maximum efficiency — whether Qualcomm can offer a comparable suite for PC gaming is up for debate, but more competition is always good.

One of my favorite laptop series is HP’s EliteBooks. While technically for business and enterprise HP’s designs, build quality and features always impressed me, which is why I ranked its EliteBook 1040 as the best business laptop for 2024 — it’s the one I use regularly.

Today, HP just announced its new EliteBook 6 G1q 14” Notebook Next Gen AI PC and it can be configured with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X processor, Snapdragon X Plus, and up to Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78100).

That also means optional 5G WWAN, which is something I prefer to have in my laptops.

So, why am I excited about this one?

HP’s new EliteBook designs are some of my favorites. Its using this new anti-smudge aluminum that feels soft and smooth while also not getting direct. HP also rounded the edges all around the device so there are no sharp points to dig into your hands. The result is a laptop that just feels … welcoming.

HP also reworked its keyboard with “Durakeys” and if it’s anything like the higher-tier EliteBook 1040 G11, I’m all for it, as it’s super comfortable to type on.

Ports are plenty with two USB4 with USB Type-C 40Gbps (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4); two USB Type-A 5Gbps (1 charging,1 power); one HDMI 2.1, one stereo headphone/microphone combo jack; RJ45 Ethernet (nice) and an optional Nano SIM slot for that 5G service.

HP at least gives you one Type-A on each side, which is great for accessories, but the Type-Cs are all on the left, which is a bummer.

Combined with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processors, which I’ll still argue feel more responsive for everyday tasks like Office work and web browsing (especially in Microsoft Edge), the 56WHr battery model should get some solid all-day battery life especially when combined with the modest 14-inch WUXGA 1920x1200 anti-glare panel (which only peaks at 300 nits).

Those specs are hardly ‘sexy,’ but mass-distributed laptops for work need to be affordable and power efficient. Plus, you could bump the display to a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) NeoLED panel with 400 nits of brightness and 100% color gamut, along with a powerful Snapdragon X Elite processor.

RAM tops out at 64GB LPDDR5X along with HP’s famed 5MP IR webcam, and up to 1TB of storage.

Yeah, the EliteBook 6 G1q 14 is a very modest laptop (hence its “6” designation, which is middle of the road, according to HP’s new branding), but for those of us who just want long battery life, and a fast and zippy laptop for office productivity this is one I’m eager to get my hands on.

We don’t have any information on when the EliteBook 6 G1q 14 will release or its price point, but HP’s EliteBook 6 series usually begins around the $1k range, but that was with Intel — Qualcomm tends to have lower prices, so it’s something we’ll keep an eye on.

At GDC (Game Developers Conference) Qualcomm announced its three new Snapdragon G Series chips that are specifically designed largely for Android gaming handhelds — Snapdragon G1 Gen 2, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G3 Gen 3.

On top of that, Qualcomm gave a glimpse at upcoming handhelds from partner OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) like AYANEO, ONEXSUGAR, and Retroid Pocket that are powered by these new chips.

Let's take a look at the specs for these three new Snapdragon G Series chips, before looking a bit at the recently revealed handhelds that they'll be in.

One of these handhelds, in particular, has a pretty crazy, customizable design with pivoting controllers and a detachable screen that is nothing like I've ever seen before. It makes me think of a Transformer in some ways.

New Snapdragon G Series specs

Let's start things off by looking at the new Snapdragon G Series specs.

• Snapdragon G3 Gen 3:
  • CPU: Qualcomm Kryo, 8 cores - 1 prime, 5 performance, 2 efficiency (30% performance increase)
  • GPU: Qualcomm Adreno A32 (28% performance increase)
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 | Optional: Qualcomm X61 5G Modem-RF System (Sub 6 Ghz support, up to 2.5 Gbps download, up to 900 Mbps upload)
  • Display: FHD+ 120Hz
  • Gaming features: Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing, Unreal Engine 5 Lumen Global Illumination + Reflections support, Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0
• Snapdragon G2 Gen 2:
  • CPU: Qualcomm Kryo, 8 cores - 1 prime, 4 performance 3 efficiency (2.3x performance increase)
  • GPU: Qualcomm Adreno A22 (3.8x performance increase)
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 | Optional: Qualcomm X61 5G Modem-RF System(Sub 6 Ghz support, up to 2.5 Gbps download, up to 900 Mbps upload)
  • Display: FHD+ 120Hz
  • Gaming features: Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0
• Snapdragon G1 Gen 2:
  • CPU: Qualcomm Kryo, 8 cores - 2 performance, six efficiency (80% performance increase)
  • GPU: Qualcomm Adreno A12 (25% performance increase)
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 | Optional: Qualcomm X61 5G Modem-RF System (Sub 6 Ghz support, up to 2.5 Gbps download, up to 900 Mbps upload)
  • Display: FHD+ 120Hz

What can we expect from new Snapdragon G Series?

Two years ago, in 2023, I reported on the original Snapdragon G Series line. As you'd hope with any new product, these latest chips greatly improve upon the previous ones.

In a press release, Qualcomm explains that the flagship Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is the first chip in the series to support Unreal Engine 5's Lumen Global Illumination and Reflections system, which shows one way that it will offer nicer graphics than the others.

The company also states that the flagship "Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 features 30% faster CPU performance and 28% faster advanced graphics capabilities, as well as greater power optimizations and energy efficiencies" for an even better gaming experience.

Snapdragon G Series-powered handhelds are great for Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW

While I'm excited about the upcoming Xbox gaming handhelds and tend to focus a lot on Windows PC gaming handhelds like ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 8 AI+, Android handhelds are also a fantastic way to enjoy games.

This is especially true in my case when I take advantage of Xbox Cloud Gaming or my NVIDIA GeForce NOW subscription. I can allow the games to be run on distant, powerful servers, so the device I use doesn't have to be as beastly as a gaming laptop or PC gaming handheld.

That also tends to make Android gaming handhelds a whole lot less expensive than PC gaming handhelds or consoles.

When Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon G Series chips, various manufacturers had the green light to reveal the handhelds they've been creating with this silicon.

So, what Android handhelds are going to take advantage of these new Snapdragon G Series chips? Let's take a look at three that I find interesting for very different reasons.

ONEXSUGAR dual-screen handheld with hinged controllers

Of the handhelds that will be powered by new Snapdragon G Series, this dual-screen one is arguably the most interesting and complex.

Plus, it reminds me of the Transformer toys I played with in the 90s.

The ONEXSUGAR is a dual-screen handheld with hinges that allow the controllers to pivot to different locations. That smaller screen is also detachable.

Rather than showing two different handhelds, the image above shows two of the same handheld models, just in different positions.

It's a wild design that, if built sturdy, could afford some convenient multitasking. Although, I'm also concerned about how breakable the moving parts might be.

This handheld is powered by the most powerful Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, so it's possible it could offer some really nice gaming sessions.

Pricing and configurations have not been announced at the time of writing. It will be available for preorder in May 2025.

AYANEO Pocket S2 with better battery and higher resolution

Knowing how prolific AYANEO's launch schedule usually is, I wasn't surprised to see Qualcomm mention the new flagship AYANEO Pocket S2 as a device that holds a Snapdragon G3 Gen 3.

In a clip from AYANEO, the company states that this device offers a larger 6.3-inch 2K ultra-clear display and longer battery life compared to the original Pocket S.

So, if you're already a fan of the sleek, phone-like Pocket S design, then this should be an even better version.

The AYANEO Pocket S2 will be available in March 2025, but pricing is not yet known.

Additionally, AYANEO is also releasing the AYANEO Gaming Pad, which is also powered by Snapdragon G3 Gen 3.

This handheld reminds of of the PlayStation portal due to it having a large display in the center and two controller halves on the side.

The display is an 8.3-inch LCD and supports up to 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

It also has an "Esports-grade Turbo Fan Cooling system" and a "high-capacity battery for long gaming." More details are likely to come out in the near future.

It's unclear how much the AYANEO Gaming Pad will sell for but it will be available in May 2025.

Retriod Pocket Classic in a 90s rainbow of colors

Last, but not least, there's the Retroid Pocket Classic with its throwback GameBoy design powered by the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2.

It also has 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5,000maAh battery, and a 1080x1240 AMOLED display.

The GoRetroid website shows that pricing starts at $119.00 but goes up to $129.00 if you choose a configuration with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

• RELATED: AMOLED vs other display types

This sweet device comes in a number of nostalgic colors, including Atomic Purple, Kiwi, Teal, PKM Yellow (with a royal blue back), and others.

I feel like I'm back in the '90s at the start of the Pokémon craze just looking at these.

Each device offers four back buttons for better compatibility with modern games. Additionally, the Classic 6 design, with its Super Famicom homage, is the only one that offers six buttons instead of the usual four.

You can preorder these in March 2025.

A new generation of Snapdragon-powered handhelds

It's pretty obvious to me that gaming is constantly evolving toward mobility. Over the last few years, this has become very apparent, with more companies pushing into console handhelds, PC handhelds, or Android handhelds.

While players may prefer one platform over another, there's no denying that mobile is the most used gaming platform of them all. As much as I love them, PC and console don't even come close.

Thanks to online services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and others, it's easier than ever to enjoy your favorite titles on an Android device.

As technology improves, I'm sure there will be more and more similarities between portable Android devices, consoles, and PC handhelds.

So, even if you're not a huge fan of Android gaming, it's always good to see gaming technology advancing.

Whenever someone says that gaming on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs is horrible, I always take exception. I've written first-hand experience that shows this just isn't the case.

There is one roadblock though; Anticheat. Today, Epic Games and Qualcomm have announced a collaborative effort to upgrade Easy Anti Cheat to support Snapdragon X later this year.

"Hundreds of today’s multiplayer games—including Fortnite—rely on Easy Anti-Cheat to counter hacking and cheating in multiplayer PC games. In addition to releasing Windows on Snapdragon anti-cheat support for Fortnite we will bring this support to developers through an Epic Online Services SDK release. This will enable developers using Easy Anti-Cheat to bring this compatibility to their own games. "

Unsurprisingly, the first title to go live is also the biggest. It's also the one that makes the most sense. Epic Games' megahit, Fortnite, will be going live with Snapdragon X support for Easy Anti Cheat later this year. There's no more specific information than that on when, but it's in progress.

This is huge for a number of reasons, not least one of the most played games on the planet becoming available on Snapdragon X-powered PCs. Fortnite is traditionally one of the easier games to run on lower-powered hardware, so it's a good fit.

It's also, as Epic says, the perfect way to battle test that it actually works.

"Battle-testing Windows on Snapdragon anti-cheat support with Fortnite will help ensure smooth implementations in other games."

Fortnite is, after all, a controlled test environment that Epic has the best access to. In addition to Fortnite, Epic will release an SDK update for other developers to add support into their own EAC implementations.

Gaming on Snapdragon X is, in some regards, akin to gaming on the Steam Deck. The two aren't apples for apples, but both share an issue with anticheat software. Steam OS is based on Linux, and so Windows-based anticheat doesn't just magically work.

The situation over there has improved a lot, despite holdouts, and the likes of Riot Games' Vanguard, and Activision's Ricochet, are unlikely to ever work on Linux due to their kernel-level activity.

Epic Games has been very proactive though and supports Steam Deck, and will soon support Snapdragon X for Windows. Whatever your feelings about the company, you cannot deny the effort the boffins there are putting in to open up gaming to as many folks as possible.

I've been really impressed with gaming performance on both the Snapdragon X Elite and the Snapdragon X Plus, both with and without using Microsoft's Auto SR upscaler. Even being a first-gen product, the performance is there.

Lots of stars need to align, not least Qualcomm pushing regular graphics driver updates and Microsoft expanding support for Auto SR. But anticheat is a massive roadblock to playing some of the most popular games on the planet, so the impact here is real. It has to start somewhere, and the ball is now officially rolling.

Each detail that emerges about the next-gen Snapdragon X Elite makes the processor more exciting. The latest report states that the second-gen Snapdragon X Elite will likely have 18 cores, a massive jump from the current-gen Snapdragon X Elite's core count of 12.

The Snapdragon X Elite launched to much acclaim, especially when compared to previous Snapdragon chips that powered Windows PCs. Several of the best AI laptops run on Snapdragon X Elite processors and the processor received praise for its performance and efficiency.

But the second-gen Snapdragon X Elite is expected to be dramatically better than its predecessor.

New details come from WinFuture, which cited documents that refer to the SC8480XP. That processor has 18 cores, according to that document.

The document also states that the Qualcomm SiP (system on package) will have 48GB of SK hynix RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Qualcomm is also reportedly testing an all-in-one cooler with a 120mm radiator.

There are still critical details missing about the next-gen Snapdragon X Elite, such as the breakdown of high-performance cores or other cores. We also do not know the clock speed of the processor.

WinFuture is a reliable outlet and has shared several reports over the years that later proved accurate. It's important to note that all leaks should be taken with a grain of salt.

Plans can always change, meaning information that was accurate at one point may later prove to not align with devices that ship to consumers.

Snapdragon PCs skipping a generation

The Oryon V3 cores that will be inside the next-gen Snapdragon X Elite are not the same cores seen in the latest smartphone processors from Qualcomm.

Qualcomm is skipping the V2 Oryon cores when it comes to Snapdragon PCs. Those V2 Oryon cores are seen in the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Considering the V2 Oryon cores are impressive already, the jump to V3 Oryon cores should result in a large generational leap for PCs.

The next-gen Snapdragon X Elite is expected to be a major improvement in terms of both design and performance.

The future of Snapdragon X chips

Last year Qualcomm and Arm battled in court about Snapdragon X processors. The case centered around claims that Qualcomm made the Snapdragon X chips without proper licensing.

I don't want to dive into the entire legal battle, which ultimately resulted in Arm withdrawing its threat against Qualcomm and the future of Snapdragon X chips being secured. Instead, I want to focus on a specific aspect.

During the case, Qualcomm claimed that 1% or less of its Oryon CPU core design was based on Armv8 technology.

As we move further away from Qualcomm's acquisition of Nuvia, we will likely see the company shift even further away from the initial Arm designs. That appears to be a good thing, since the V3 Oryon cores are expected to be much better than the first generation.

While details on the chips are scarce, the next generation of Snapdragon X Elite processors look rather promising. They should compete with Apple's M4 processor, though we'll have to find out more details before we see how the second-gen Snapdragon X Elite stacks up to the M4 Pro.

Qualcomm earned another victory in its legal battle with Arm Holdings. The two tech giants have been in a dispute surrounding licensing agreements that could have theoretically ended in the destruction of all Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon chips inside. Qualcomm won two important parts of the case last December. This week, Qualcomm shared that Arm has withdrawn its threat to terminate its licensing agreement with Qualcomm.

During an earnings call this week, Qualcomm shared the following update:

"The jury’s verdict vindicated Qualcomm’s CPU innovations and affirmed that Qualcomm’s contract with ARM provides a license for Qualcomm’s products containing our proprietary Oryon CPUs in industries such as smartphones, automotive, next generation PCs, IoT, and datacenter. In addition, Arm recently notified us that it was withdrawing its October 22, 2024 notice of breach and indicated that it has no current plan to terminate the Qualcomm Architecture License Agreement."

Qualcomm and Arm found themselves in a game of legal chicken late last year. Arm threatened to cancel its licensing agreement with Qualcomm, which would have had major implications for both companies as well as several industries. Qualcomm chips with Arm licenses are used in millions of devices around the world, including many popular smartphones and PCs. Those chips are also used in datacenters, IoT, and manufacturing.

The case between Arm and Qualcomm centered around the latter's Snapdragon X processors. Those chips were built on tech licensed from Arm, but Arm claimed Qualcomm did so without proper licensing. Qualcomm countered, claiming that licensing agreements made by Nuvia, which was purchased by Qualcomm in 2021, still applied. Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is also built with Oryon tech that stemmed from the Nuvia acquisition, so the end of a licensing agreement between Arm and Qualcomm could have affected smartphones as well.

In December, a jury determined that Qualcomm created its Snapdragon X chips with licensing from Arm. But December's ruling only covered two out of three claims from Arm, which left the door open for an extended legal battle. While there may be more legal proceedings in the future involving Arm and Qualcomm, this week's news should be considered a win for the latter. It also means consumers can assume Snapdragon powered PCs will remain on store shelves.

Snapdragon-powered PCs had a strange 2024. Many of the laptops received positive reviews, but overall sales did not meet expectations. It appears the market shifted in December, however, as highlighted by Qualcomm during its most recent earnings call. This week, the company shared a few pieces of information that indicate Snapdragon-powered PCs are gaining popularity.

Specifically, Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X chips inside sold well in the $800+ market.

"While we are still in the early phase of the transition to Copilot+ PCs, we are pleased with consumer reception for our Snapdragon X Series, which has exceeded our expectations," said Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. "According to Circana, in December, Snapdragon X Series had more than 10% share of the greater than $800 Windows laptops in U.S. retail."

That stat has some specific caveats, such as only covering laptops rather than all PCs. It also is limited to sales in the United States. That 10% only applying to laptops over $800 also narrows the scope, but that price point is rather interesting. PCs with Snapdragon X processors offer better value than many devices that run on Intel or AMD chips. At first glance, that would suggest Snapdragon PCs would do better in the budget space than the mid-tier or premium segments, but Qualcomm hasn't targeted that price range yet. That will come with the Snapdragon X that aims to shake up the $600 laptop market.

Laptops with a Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus fall into higher price tiers but rate well in terms of performance and value. The best Windows laptop on the market right now is the Surface Laptop 7, which runs on a Snapdragon processor and starts at $999.99. The best laptop from CES 2025, the ASUS Zenbook A14, also runs on a Snapdragon X processor. That device will have an $899 version available later in March and the $1,099.99 model is available now.

It appears Qualcomm saw some victories to wrap up 2024, and it will be interesting to see if the trend continues in 2025.

Have Copilot+ PCs turned a corner?

Qualcomm only launched its Snapdragon X chips last year. As the company indicated in its recent earnings call, Copilot+ PCs are still in their infancy. But things did not start out well for Snapdragon X chips and Copilot+ PCs. Only 720,000 PCs with Qualcomm processors sold in Q3 24. That led to just a 0.8% share of sales in that quarter. At the time, Qualcomm chips were said to only power 1.5% of all Windows PCs.

The figures shared by Qualcomm do not cover the same exact categories as the stats we saw for Q3 24, but it appears that the company's PC efforts are trending in a positive direction.

Qualcomm also highlighted improvements for the app compatibility for Snapdragon-powered PCs. "The broader app ecosystem continues to expand, with Snapdragon-native apps now including 20 of the most popular VPNs, 50 of the most popular security and cloud storage apps as well as new applications for creators," said the company.

With the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus hitting their stride and the Snapdragon X on the way, there will be a much larger selection of laptops with Qualcomm chips in 2025 than in previous years. "We have now over 80 design wins launched or in development across the X series, and we're targeting commercialization of more than 100 devices," said the company during its earnings call.

Qualcomm has announced its new Snapdragon X chip in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. The new chip is the fourth addition to the Snapdragon X Series of Windows on Arm PC chips. The processor is aimed at “students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers,” with laptops starting in the $600 range.

The Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) chip is a slightly toned-down Snapdragon X Plus design with the same 8-core count but maxes out at 3.0 GHz (CPU) with no boost and 1.7 TFLOPS (GPU). Meanwhile, the Snapdragon X Plus series ranges from 3.2 to 3.4 GHz with boosts up to 4.0 GHz for one SKU, and the GPUs range from 1.7 to 3.8 TFLOPs.

However, the new Snapdragon X chip boasts the same 45 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU), making it a full-fledged Copilot+ PC and AI PC with access to advanced AI functionality.

Since Qualcomm first announced its Snapdragon X Elite chip, I have noted that this platform is not a single processor, meaning the company can scale up or down via core count and clock speed. Qualcomm is focusing on the latter for CES 2025, and it’s an excellent move. Windows laptops in the sub-$800 range have typically suffered from terrible performance due to Intel and AMD’s lackluster performance in that range.

In addition to sporting 8-cores at 3.0 GHz, Snapdragon X also features optional 5G support, Wi-Fi 7, speedy 8448 MT/s LPDDR5x RAM, a "Sensing Hub" that offers human presence detection, USB4 (40Gbps), and Bluetooth 5.4, which are all advanced features typically found in more expensive Windows laptops.

How does Snapdragon X compare to other Snapdragon X chips?

Snapdragon X Plus comes in four versions ranging from 8 to 10 cores and varies in speeds with boost for short durations. The new Snapdragon X chip features 8 cores, a slightly lower clock speed, and no burst. Its GPU matches the lower-tier Snapdragon X Plus (XIP-42-100).

In my limited time with early hands-on experience with the Snapdragon X, Windows 11 felt very responsive and was certainly a big step up over some of Intel’s older budget chips.

In the table above you can see all eight of the Snapdragon X Computer Platform chips and how they compare to each other with the new Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) at the bottom.

How does Snapdragon X compare to Intel?

While I need to do our own benchmarks, Qualcomm compared its Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) chip to Intel’s early 2024 Core 5 120U (10 cores, up to 5GHz) processor.

Qualcomm used a reference-design laptop for its chips and a Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7440) for Intel, which costs $750 and has 8GB of RAM.

The short version is that Snapdragon X appears to be 2x more powerful than the same-class Intel Core 5 while using 2x less power.

Qualcomm claims its chip is 163% faster (at iso-power) in Geekbench 6.2 single-core and 157% faster (at iso-power) in multi-core performance. Moreover, Qualcomm notes that Intel’s Core chip requires 168% (single core) and 240% (multi-core) more power at iso-performance compared to the new Snapdragon X.

Likewise, the Qualcomm GPU is claimed to be 319% faster at iso-power than the Intel Graphics GPU, which also requires 258% more power (at iso-performance) compared to the Snapdragon X.

Qualcomm also notes that the Intel Core 5 120U and AMD Ryzen 5 7540U budget processors have zero support for an NPU, whereas Snapdragon X’s 45 TOPS NPU makes it a true AI PC.

The company also shared some other benchmarks, noting that in Google Chrome, the Snapdragon X chip gets 2.2x performance per watt vs. Core 5 and 2.8x the performance per watt in Microsoft Office.

Why is Snapdragon X a big deal?

While plenty of Windows 11 laptops are in the $600 to $700 range, their performance has always been poor due to Intel’s non-aggressive strategy in that market segment. Battery life was also never a strong point.

Moreover, despite tech media focusing on laptops costing $1,000 and more (ooh, shiny!), the overwhelming number of laptops sold yearly is solidly in the $600 to $800 range. Indeed, according to Grand View Research, "The USD 501 to USD 1000 segment held a market share of 35.8% in 2022 and is expected to dominate the market by 2030."

The reason? A combo of "consumers seeking laptops suited for personal and professional uses," Windows 10 support ending, and, you guessed it, because processors in this range are getting better, letting people do more without spending more.

Additionally, the fact that Copilot+ PCs won't be just for "premium" users will massively help expand AI in PC software for everyday users. The AI revolution will be for everyone; forget "trickle down."

By choosing an Arm-architecture laptop that uses Snapdragon X, consumers should experience satisfying performance, especially compared to Intel and AMD options.

Likewise, battery life should be markedly better with little or no fan noise.

In short, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X will, at the very least, cause some disruption in the budget-focused PC market, which could lead to more engaging competition from Intel or AMD. That’s always a good thing for consumers.

Which PC makers are adopting Snapdragon X?

So far, Acer, ASUS, Dell Technologies, HP, and Lenovo are all releasing laptops with the Snapdragon X Series (including Plus and Elite), but we'll have to wait until later this week to learn which companies are announcing new Snapdragon X laptops at CES 2025.

(Spoiler: What is likely the "Windows Central best Windows laptop at CES 2025" also features the Snapdragon X.)

Broadly speaking, Qualcomm notes that "Snapdragon X Series continues to gain traction with now over 60 designs in production or development with more than 100 coming by 2026 from leading OEMs ..."

Who is Snapdragon X for?

Qualcomm claims Snapdragon X is ideal for “students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers.”

When will Snapdragon X Windows laptops be available?

You won’t have to wait long, as some Snapdragon X laptops start shipping in January 2025.

How many external displays does Snapdragon X support?

The Snapdragon X's Adreno GPU supports up to 3 external UHD (3840 x 2160) displays simultaneously with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Could Microsoft use Snapdragon X in its Surface Go line?

While we cannot confirm or deny whether it’s happening, Microsoft could definitely use Snapdragon X in its more affordable Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 4 in 2025, assuming Microsoft is going to make those PCs.

The performance jump between the previous models and Snapdragon X would be massive.

Surface Go 3 used an Intel Core i3-10100Y (from 2021), and Surface Laptop Go 3 relied on an Intel Core i5-1235U (from 2022). Neither had great performance (though Surface Laptop Go 3 started approaching OK performance).

Personally, I'd love to see this Qualcomm chip in the Surface Go series. It'll be a game-changer for these otherwise outstanding PCs.

Will Snapdragon X laptops have a fan?

As always, OEMs have full control over the Snapdragon X’s power profile and can design systems that require a fan for cooling, no fan (but vented aka passive cooling), or a sealed system with no fan. Such decisions depend on how aggressively the OEM wants to make its laptop for performance.

What comes next?

Expect to hear more about Snapdragon X this week at CES 2025 as we conduct deep dives with Qualcomm and get hands-on experience with new laptops featuring the silicon.

2024 was the year of AI, but was it the year for AI PCs? Sales figures and an expert analyst paint a different picture when it comes to AI personal computing. Semiconductor analyst Daniel Newman said that the "bad news is the AI PC and AI smartphone “supercycle” has more or less been a bust." When that b-word gets thrown around, it can cause panic among investors and general consumers and create a bleak picture, but Newman's comments need to be placed in context. Luckily, he did that for us with a lengthy post on X.

So, are AI PCs a bust? Was the hype for Copilot+ PCs overblown? Do people even want AI PCs? There's a lot to digest here.

Wibbly wobbly AI PCs

In Doctor Who, the Tenth Doctor described time as "a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff" to explain the complexities of time itself. I'm not the word sleuth the writers of Doctor Who are, and me delivering a similar line would not hold the gravitas of David Tennant's Doctor, but I would argue that Copilot+ PCs and AI PCs have a similar level of complexity.

In a sort of "all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are square" situation, our collections of the best AI laptops and the best Copilot+ PCs have little overlap. A major factor in that difference is that until recently, all Copilot+ PCs ran Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, including the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. There are now Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs, such as the ASUS Zenbook S 14, and AMD Copilot+ PCs are a thing as well, but for the majority of 2024, only Snapdragon PCs held the moniker.

So, while it is true that Qualcomm only had a 0.8% market share of PCs sold in Q3 of 2024 and just 720,000 PCs sold in that time had Snapdragon X chips, those facts do not paint a full picture of the demand for AI PCs. Some people can't use Windows on Arm PCs because of app compatibility. Even those who can use Arm PCs for their workflow may be cautious due to reviews. Tech enthusiasts may know every app they use and will ever use, but I know a lot of people who see "not all apps work" and just write a device off completely.

Windows on Arm

Analyzing AI PCs in 2024 is impossible without addressing Windows on Arm. Microsoft has spent years improving the computing experience on PCs powered by Arm chips. Windows 11 version 24H2 improved the OS's performance on Arm-based devices, and Microsoft's Prism emulation technology makes non-native apps run better on Arm PCs. The list of the best native Windows on Arm apps grows monthly and includes big names such as Google Chrome, Adobe Photoshop, Davinci Resolve, and Blender.

If you're a Windows on Arm enthusiast, 2024 was the best year the platform has ever seen. But "best-ever" and "good enough for everyone" are different things. Some apps still do not work well on Windows on Arm. Some enterprise IT admins and users can't even consider Arm PCs because of certain legacy apps or programs that don't play nicely with Windows on Arm. There are creators in the same boat.

Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs

Luckily for those who want an AI PC running on a non-Arm processor, Intel and AMD are here. It took a while, but non-Arm Copilot+ PCs are here and promise full app compatibility and AI features.

"It's hard to deny the killer appeal of a comparable x86-64 chip from Intel, especially if it can compete with the phenomenal battery life metrics delivered by the Snapdragon X platform," said our Ben Wilson when discussing the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor inside the ASUS Zenbook S 14.

Full app compatibility in an AI PC is a strong prospect that could turn heads in 2025 as devices like the Zenbook S 14 become more common. Another huge factor is that PCs with Intel's latest chips can get a battery life similar to Snapdragon X-powered systems.

"I expected to see an impressive number as Intel had set its sights on achieving significant leaps in power efficiency, but seeing the Core Ultra 7 258V match and even surpass the multi-day lifespan of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips is incredible," said Wilson. Those figures were from synthetic benchmark results, but they show the potential of the chip.

Of course, AI PCs powered by Intel and AMD processors have been around for a while, but it was not until recently that they could be marketed as Copilot+ PCs. That moniker requires a system to meet certain requirements, such as having an NPU with at least 40 TOPS of performance. Copilot+ PCs get access to exclusive features not available on other AI PCs, such as Windows Recall, Click To Do, Live Captions, and real-time translation. Those features are now in testing on Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs.

Since we didn't get Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel and AMD chips until late this year, we'll have to wait to see how the landscape changes. Now that there are options with Qualcomm, AMD, or Intel chips, there's a chance that AI PC sales will take off in 2025.

AI or upgrades?

Another factor in all this is if people actually want AI PCs. If someone purchases a Surface Pro 11, it may just be because they love the device and its form factor. The fact that it's a Copilot+ PC with some AI features may not even be a thought in their purchasing preference.

IDC reported that AI is not a driving factor in purchasing PCs, at least not at the moment. AI PCs that are sold are often sold due to other reasons, such as those devices having the latest internals and premium specs.

In our Surface Pro 11 review, our Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Rubino, explained that the device "blows every past Surface Pro away and competes with the best Windows laptops." The PC also gets 10 hours of real-world usage, has an "amazing" OLED display, and has "the best cameras and mics you'll find on any Windows laptop." Those all sound like things people would want in a 2-on-1 regardless of any AI features.

Rubino also said the Surface Pro 11's "AI is underbaked." The hardware is there, and there is a path for powerful AI tools, but at the moment, there are few must-have AI features on Windows 11.

Are Copilot+ PCs Dead on Arrival?

Copilot+ PCs were not dead on arrival but did not have the launch many hoped for. The "total disaster" of the Copilot+ PC launch on Microsoft's side, including the delay of exclusive features, dampened the platform's impact. The Copilot+ PC name being reserved for Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered PCs running Windows on Arm did not help the rollout either. Technical definitions of what is or isn't a Copilot+ PC and the fact that not all AI PCs are Copilot+ PCs also muddied the waters for shoppers.

Microsoft, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD have laid the groundwork for Copilot+ PCs to do well, but we have not seen that translate into real-world success yet, at least not to the level Qualcomm hoped to see.

The true test for Copilot+ PCs will be in 2025. In that year, we'll need to see people choosing to purchase Copilot+ PCs en masse and on purpose rather than just grabbing devices with the latest specs. If we're having the same discussions about Copilot+ PCs next December as we're having now, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD may need to press the panic button.

The fate of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X processors got some good news tonight, as a jury found that the company properly licensed its chips from Arm Holdings, according to Reuters. Although the actual court case resulted in a mistrial, this fight between Arm and Qualcomm may not be over yet.

Because of today's result, the case could go to trial again (only the parts that pertain to Nuvia could go to trial again, but not the rulings in favor of Qualcomm; seeing as Nuvia no longer exists a retrial appears to be a moot point at this time). However, Judge Maryellen Noreika, who presided over the case in the U.S. federal court in Delaware, had a better suggestion for both companies: Work it out in mediation. Noreika made this assertion under the belief that if the case went to trial again, there would be, once again, no clear victory.

From Reuters reporting on the verdict:

Just earlier today, we reported that Qualcomm expected to save up to $1.4 billion by reducing its reliance on Arm. Those numbers are in question, but today's verdict favors Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon's bet on buying Nuvia in 2021.

Nuvia was started by ex-Apple and ex-Arm employees who originally sought to design all-new Arm-based chips for servers. However, Qualcomm swooped in with $1.4 billion to change their mind (and direction), instead making high-end processors for Windows PCs that could compete against Apple.

During the trial, Qualcomm claimed that 1% or less of its Oryon CPU core designs are based on Armv8 technology.

We also learned that only 720,000 PCs with Qualcomm chips were sold in Q3 2024, which appeared to be purely negative news. Qualcomm aims to capture 50% of the market within five years, but holding just a 0.8% share of sales in Q3 2024 is a weak beginning. Reportedly, Qualcomm chips power only 1.5% of all Windows PCs.

Following the verdict, Arm Holdings is down 1.75%, and Qualcomm is up 2% and climbing in after-hours trading.

The fate of Snapdragon X (Nuvia cores) was on the table

Had Qualcomm been found liable for not properly licensing the tech from Arm, it could have been forced to cease selling its Snapdragon X processors, resulting in companies like ASUS, Acer, Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Lenovo pulling their products from their shelves. Moreover, it couldn’t release further iterations of the chip, whether scaled up or down, for future products.

Now that the jury found Qualcomm innocent, Arm loses much bargaining power in hopes of reaching a big financial payout from Qualcomm.

Of course, Arm could appeal and ask for a new trial, kicking the whole escapade down the road into 2025, but it seems more likely that the companies will come to a mediated agreement in which Arm gets more money, and Qualcomm gets a promise of no more lawsuits.

Interestingly, Qualcomm is expected to kick off Gen 2 of its Snapdragon X processors in mid-2025, although that chip is expected to deviate even further from Arm’s designs, making Arm’s case even weaker.

As I wrote in May 2024, right when the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors were launching, ARM64 and AI are driving a 'Great Reset' in the Windows PC industry, a transformation unlike any witnessed in the past three decades. That is still the case going into 2025 when I expect even more shakeups from the top Windows OEMs.

Windows laptop makers don’t seem too concerned with Arm and Qualcomm's ongoing rivalry. Over 20 laptops launched with Qualcomm’s new processors in 2024, and Windows Central expects to hear of even more Qualcomm-based PCs at CES 2025 in early January in Las Vegas.

Qualcomm purchased chipmaker Nuvia in 2021 for $1.4 billion. Now, it's been revealed that Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon was a driving force in convincing the Qualcomm board to make the purchase, arguing that the move could save the tech giant as much as $1.4 billion per year. That claim came from the ongoing Arm vs. Qualcomm trial, which centers around Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X processors.

Court documents first reported on by Reuters show Qualcomm's leaders believed the company could save $1.4 billion in Arm fees annually by purchasing Nuvia. "It justified the acquisition," said Amon of the potential savings.

Amon's testimony included a recollection of when Qualcomm first considered purchasing Nuvia. Before the 2021 purchase, Qualcomm felt technology purchased from Arm was falling behind Apple. Fittingly, the potential solution to the situation was Nuvia, which was founded by former Apple engineers. Qualcomm first tried to convince Nuvia to develop computing cores for Qualcomm, but that did not happen. That led Qualcomm to purchase Nuvia instead.

But at the time, Nuvia did not have a finished product. The company was also focused on servers, not laptops or phones (a fact that has led to the ongoing court case). Amon told the Qualcomm board that purchasing Nuvia could save Qualcomm up to $1.4 billion per year. Those savings would come from Qualcomm being able to rely on its own core designs rather than licensing designs from Arm.

Based on the launch of the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus, which derive from Nuvia technology, Amon's claim to the Qualcomm board may have been overly optimistic. But we're still in the early days of Snapdragon-powered PCs. We could see a major uptick in sales in the future, especially if the 2nd Gen Snapdragon X Elite meets expectations.

The verdict of the Arm vs. Qualcomm case could come as early as today, December 20, 2024. But it will likely be a while before this case is solved. Even after a ruling is made, there is the chance the battle could be extended through appeals.

Will Qualcomm have to destroy its Snapdragon X chips?

The Arm vs. Qualcomm case could result in Qualcomm having to destroy any chips that are based on Armv8 technology, though that outcome is unlikely. Arm believes the dispute covers all "derivatives" and "modifications" of chips made with Armv8 tech.

Arm claims that Qualcomm should have renegotiated its licensing deal with Arm after purchasing Nuvia. That argument centers around the fact that Nuvia's license was for server SOC (system-on-a-chip) designs. Qualcomm is accused of using Arm designs originally obtained under one license to create laptop chips.

Qualcomm claims that 1% or less of its Oryon CPU core designs are based on Armv8 technology, but Arm's argument would render that point moot.

I'm not a legal expert, but I don't think Arm actually wants all Nuvia-based chips destroyed. I believe Arm's leaders want to settle the disagreement with Qualcomm with a payment made by the latter or by a renegotiation of terms between the companies. Whether that will happen is, of course, why there's an ongoing legal battle rather than an agreement between the companies.

Qualcomm relies heavily on Arm licenses to make smartphone chips and processors for PCs. Arm makes money licensing its designs to Qualcomm. Terminating that relationship could prove to be an example of cutting off one's nose to spite the face.

Qualcomm's silver lining

I imagine Qualcomm's legal experts have other ways they'd prefer to spend their holidays than battling in the courts with Arm. I also think it's safe to guess Qualcomm executives would have liked to see Snapdragon-powered PCs take off in 2024. But there is a bit of a silver lining to all this. Because Snapdragon-powered PCs only have a reported market share of 1.5%, the money involved in the current court case is much smaller.

When it was revealed that only 720,000 PCs powered by Qualcomm chips were sold in Q3 24, that seemed like strictly bad news. Qualcomm has ambitions to reach 50% market share within five years, and having just a 0.8% share of sales in Q3 24 was not a strong start. Qualcomm chips reportedly power just 1.5% of all Windows PCs. Again, that's not a great start.

But if Qualcomm-powered PCs took off the way the company expected the court case between Qualcomm and Arm would be around billions of dollars, not millions of dollars. Arm argues that it misses out on $50 million in annual revenue because, in the opinion of Arm's leaders, Qualcomm did not renegotiate its licensing deal when required to do so.

Considering that Qualcomm's CEO sold the move to the company board by claiming Qualcomm could save $1.4 billion in Arm royalties each year, $50 million in alleged losses by Arm seems rather small compared to what it could have been.

The battle between Qualcomm and Intel just got another friction-filled chapter. Shortly after Intel co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus claimed Arm PCs with Snapdragon processors have high return rates, Qualcomm shared an official statement refuting Intel's claims.

“Our devices continue to have greater than 4+ stars across consumer reviews and our products have received numerous accolades across the industry including awards from Fast Company, TechRadar, and many consumer publications. Our device return rates are within industry norm,” said a Qualcomm representative to CRN.

Qualcomm's statement came in response to Holthaus claiming that retailers face high return rates when selling Arm PCs.

“If you look at the return rate for Arm PCs, you go talk to any retailer, their number one concern is, ‘Wow, I get a large percentage of these back,’ because you go to set them up, and the things that we just expect don't work,’” said Holthaus.

Arm PCs have been around for years, but they have pushed their way into the limelight in 2024 thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors. The Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus are much better than previous chips that went inside Arm PCs, creating competition with Intel. Windows 11 now works better with Arm as well, thanks to work by Microsoft. Running apps through emulation is also better because of Microsoft's Prism emulation software. Arm computing has also gained many significant native Arm applications in 2024.

Holthaus acknowledged that work but cited hurdles Arm computing still has to overcome, stating, “If you look at the investment in Arm, you look at the work that Microsoft's done, there's been a very large push to make Arm ubiquitous in the PC, and there's some real challenges to Arm being ubiquitous in the PC."

Without official word from retailers, it's impossible to determine which tech company is correct in this case. I don't think stores will be eager to share return figures related to some of their biggest clients either, though there's always a chance more details will emerge.

New Intel CEO

Intel's Holthaus wasted little time in her new role to take a jab at one of the company's main competitors. Holthaus was named co-CEO of Intel in the aftermath of former CEO Pat Gelsinger retiring suddenly. Gelsinger was reportedly under pressure to step down or be removed, and the executive chose the former. That left a vacancy that is being temporarily filled by Holthaus and David Zinsner. While both co-CEOs are serving on an interim basis, Holthaus has received a new permanent role as "CEO of Intel Products."

The Gelsinger retirement came to a head on December 2, 2024 when the former CEO announced his retirement. The move capped off a tumultuous year for the company that included a loss of $1.6 billion in a recent quarter, the company having to lay off over 10,000 employees, and Intel Foundry Services continuing to struggle. Holthaus and Zinsner now have to hold things down while Intel attempts to right the ship.

It's important to note that while Intel has genuine struggles that need addressing, the company is still strong in several areas. Intel Foundry Services lost $7 billion in 2023 and has not done well in 2024. That's forced Intel to look into spinning off Intel Foundry. There is a potential future in which Intel sees much greater success after figuring out a way to fix the situation created by its floundering Intel Foundry, but there are many questions that need to be answered before that could happen.

What you need to know

• Qualcomm's interest in acquiring Intel appears to be cooling, according to a report by Bloomberg.
• Qualcomm purchasing Intel would have been one of the largest acquisitions ever in the technology industry.
• Intel has struggled recently, including a $1.6 billion net revenue loss in a recent quarter, a 51% drop in stock value this year, and the company having a $50 billion debt.

When reports emerged claiming Qualcomm wanted to acquire Intel, it sent shockwaves through several industries. The potential deal would have been one of the largest tech purchases in history and would change the entire landscape of chipmaking and computing. Now, it seems that deal may not happen at all. Bloomberg reports that Qualcomm's interest in acquiring Intel has cooled.

The news is not that surprising, though it is still significant. When reports emerged stating Qualcomm was interested in acquiring Intel, it was made clear that a deal was "far from certain."

Bloomberg's sources cited the complexities surrounding the potential purchase as a reason interest from Qualcomm may have weakened. The report also explained that Qualcomm could potentially look to acquire specific parts of Intel rather than the entire company.

To say Intel has struggled recently is an understatement. The company reported a $1.6 billion loss recently and announced that it would lay off over 10,000 employees. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said the layoff news was "painful" to share and noted it would be more painful to read. But an empathetic statement likely did little to reduce the sting felt by those affected.

"Our revenues have not grown as expected—and we've yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI," Gelsinger said at the time. Our costs are too high, and our margins are too low. We need bolder actions to address both—particularly given our financial results and outlook for the second half of 2024, which is tougher than previously expected."

Intel specified that almost all of its losses stem from its Intel Foundry business. Intel does not foresee that business becoming profitable until 2027.

Intel's current market value is $107 billion but the company's stock has fallen close to 51% this year. The struggles of the company have resulted in $50 billion of debt. That debt is one fact that increases the complexity of a potential purchase of Intel by Qualcomm.

Would Qualcomm be able to acquire Intel?

It's difficult to predict if Qualcomm would be able to purchase Intel, even if the two companies agreed to terms to make a deal happen. The acquisition would be one of the largest tech deals in history and would have had to clear several regulatory hurdles. Like any deal in this category, Qualcomm's hypothetical purchase of Intel would need to be approved by bodies in the United States, China, the European Union, and other areas. Those who followed the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft will remember how complicated the process can be, though it's worth noting that the deal did go through in the end.

Many believe that the current chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Linda Khan, would stop Qualcomm from acquiring Intel. But with the recent election of Donald Trump in the United States, there's a good chance Khan is on the way out of her role with the FTC. A new appointee could open a pathway for Qualcomm to purchase Intel, but that still doesn't mean a deal would happen.

Any deal that involved Qualcomm acquiring Intel would also be complicated when it comes to the nuts and bolts of the purchase. Intel has a $50 billion debt that would need to be taken care of.

Perhaps Qualcomm's leadership felt it was not worth the effort to go through a long legal battle that could result in a deal falling through. There's also a chance that Qualcomm's leaders did not see a clear path to a deal that they and Intel's leaders would approve. The mention of complexities by Bloomberg's sources did not shed a ton of light on specifics.

In a Bloomberg Television interview last week, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said, "right now, at this time, we have not identified any large acquisition that is necessary for us to execute on this $22 billion [goal]." Amon spoke of Qualcomm's aim to generate an additional $22 billion in annual revenue by the 2029 fiscal year.

Assuming Amon was being forthright and not holding cards close to his chest, Qualcomm's leaders may not see Intel as necessary to achieve the goals of Qualcomm.

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What you need to know

• Google has announced Drive for Desktop ARM64 support.
• The updated app is currently in open beta, but lacks “Outlook Meet plugin.”
• Google Drive is a “make or break” app for many people who want new Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors.

Even more good news has arrived for those running new or older Qualcomm-based Windows laptops (Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite): Google has finally shipped a working beta of its popular Drive for Desktop app just in time for the best Windows on Arm laptops this holiday season.

The refreshed app was announced on the Google Drive help page (via Thurrott). It is functionally the same as the x86-64 version, except it currently lacks the Outlook Meet plugin (which few people tend to use).

From the Google Drive announcement:

This is a beta version and may contain bugs. It should be used with non-production data only. Alternatively, ensure that your data is backed up separately.

Google also stated the requirements for its Drive for Desktop app, most of which is pretty obvious:

• Windows 11 Required: The beta version of Google Drive for desktop is compatible exclusively with devices running Windows 11.
• Microsoft WebView2 Required: This component is typically included with Windows 11; however, if it is missing or was previously removed, our installer will prompt you to download and install it.

Users can download the setup package right from Google here.

Google Drive is a big deal for ARM64 and Windows 11

When Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon X platform and all the new laptops shipping with powerful but efficient chips, many questions remained about app compatibility. Since then, many significant apps have come on board, including Telegram, Vivaldi browser, Davinci Resolve, Adobe Illustrator, and Slack. For even more, see our list of the best Windows on Arm apps.

However, Google Drive was not one of them and was one of the few apps that couldn’t run in compatibility/emulation mode. We heard from many Windows 11 users that Google Drive for Desktop support was critical to their daily usage and one of those apps that make or break the entire experience.

Now that Google Drive for Desktop is here, at least in beta form, Microsoft and Qualcomm have one less headache when people protest about switching to ARM64.

Indeed, another sore spot, Windows 11 ISO packages, was missing until a few days ago when Microsoft made an ISO package for Windows 11 for Arm64-based PCs available to download. Google also recently announced that its Quick Share file-sharing app is headed to Windows on Arm.

Qualcomm is expected to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January in Las Vegas. It’ll be interesting to see if it reveals any more software momentum, advances, and hints at the Gen 2 of the Snapdragon X processor platform.

Tech giants continued to battle this week. Arm canceled its license with Qualcomm, which could have long-lasting effects on smartphones and computers. The feud between the CEO of Salesforce and Microsoft Copilot also got a new chapter. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Nadella made an astronomical amount of money, thanks in large part to Microsoft's success in AI.

It's been a busy week in the land of Microsoft and Windows, and we have the latest news stories summarized right here. Catch up on the latest drama, plus the biggest deals and spiciest reviews right here.

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Arm cancels Qualcomm license

Arm canceled its licensing agreement with Qualcomm as part of an ongoing legal dispute between the two tech giants. If the cancelation stays in place, it could have a massive effect on the smartphone and PC industries. The cancelation is the latest part of an ongoing saga that began in 2021 and that centers around processors such as the Snapdragon X Elite. That processor and other chips in the same family power many of the best AI laptops.

Qualcomm has 60 days to comply with Arm's demands, but the conclusion may take a different shape.

The end result of this corporate clash could be catastrophic for Windows on Arm PCs, though I'm not sure how likely the worst-case scenario is. Qualcomm and Arm have been in a legal battle for around three years, and the latest maneuvers and statements could very well be tactics that result in a new licensing agreement. Then again, Jerry Hildenbrand argued in a piece for Android Central that "Qualcomm needs Arm more than Arm needs Qualcomm."

It appears unlikely that either side will back down voluntarily. Following initial reports of the license cancelation, both companies issued statements.

Arm offered the following:

"Following Qualcomm’s repeated material breaches of Arm’s license agreement, Arm is left with no choice but to take formal action requiring Qualcomm to remedy its breach or face termination of the agreement. This is necessary to protect the unparalleled ecosystem that Arm and its highly valued partners have built over more than 30 years. Arm is fully prepared for the trial in December and remains confident that the Court will find in Arm’s favor."

Qualcomm later shared:

"This is more of the same from ARM – more unfounded threats designed to strongarm a longtime partner, interfere with our performance-leading CPUs, and increase royalty rates regardless of the broad rights under our architecture license. With a trial fast approaching in December, Arm’s desperate ploy appears to be an attempt to disrupt the legal process, and its claim for termination is completely baseless. We are confident that Qualcomm’s rights under its agreement with Arm will be affirmed. Arm’s anticompetitive conduct will not be tolerated."

Perhaps I've grown jaded as I've gotten older and covered years of tech giants arguing over billions of dollars. I just want the best Copilot+ PCs to be excellent devices that push competition from Intel and AMD while also standing on their own as devices. I don't especially care which billion-dollar corporation gets more money, as long as everyday users get more choices when shopping.

Microsoft CEO makes millions

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a letter with shareholders recently. While much of the letter focused on AI and Microsoft's successes, the main takeaway for many was the compensation figure for Nadella. The executive received a package worth $79.1 million for the last year, most of which is in the form of Microsoft stock. Many criticized the figure, since Microsoft laid off quite a few employees over the last 12 months.

It's always unfortunate to see hard-working people lose their jobs, and those affected by Microsoft layoffs are no exception. But Nadella's compensation is tied to company performance, and Microsoft became the world's most valuable company recently. While there's certainly a place for debate regarding the compensation of executives and how it compares to the salary of employees and the stability of jobs within companies, it's not surprising to see Nadella earn so much.

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Salesforce CEO calls out Microsoft again

If you've been craving a battle between tech giants, the CEO of Salesforce is here to deliver. Mark Benioff, who has been critical of Microsoft and Copilot recently, tossed more shade Microsoft's way. Shortly after claiming Copilot is "just the new Microsoft Clippy," Benioff said Microsoft is in "panic mode." Those comments came in response to Microsoft announcing Copilot agents, which automate tasks and compete with Salesforce's Agentforce.

Benioff shared the following on X (formerly Twitter):

"Microsoft rebranding Copilot as ‘agents’? That’s panic mode. Let’s be real—Copilot’s a flop because Microsoft lacks the data, metadata, and enterprise security models to create real corporate intelligence. That is why Copilot is inaccurate, spills corporate data, and forces customers to build their own LLMs. Clippy 2.0, anyone? Meanwhile, Agentforce is transforming businesses now. Agentforce doesn’t just handle tasks—it autonomously drives sales, service, marketing, analytics, and commerce. With data, LLMs, workflows, and security all integrated into a single Customer 360 platform: This is what AI was meant to be."

I agree there are valid criticisms to be shared about Microsoft's Copilot branding, but Benioff is off base here. Microsoft did not rebrand Copilot as agents. Microsoft literally announced "Copilot agents." If Microsoft was moving away from Copilot branding, the tech giant would not use Copilot in the name of its new agents.

Reviews

Our experts ran a ton of devices through the ringer this week, getting hands-on experience with the latest laptops, CPUs, and games. The Razer Game Room earned the best score of the week, though several pieces of hardware received high marks.

"Razer has been making some of the best RGB-lit gaming accessories for years, but I still didn't expect the new Razer Gamer Room and its Aether family of products to be so immediately competitive with the biggest smart home lights players," said our Zachary Boddy. "Razer isn't targeting the budget end of the market, but each Aether product exudes quality in both setup and use."

The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 made a strong case to be among the best AI PCs as it went through testing. "The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 packs AMD's latest Ryzen AI chipset for incredible real-world performance, battery life, and AI capabilities," said Boddy. "On top of that, actual Thunderbolt 4 ports and HP's Wolf Security suite make this AMD laptop more versatile and secure. All the magic is on the inside, though, as the OmniBook Ultra 14's design is average and its IPS LCD display is bland."

With seven reviews the catch up on, there's sure to be a device or game worth a closer look.

Deals

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What you need to know

• A new report suggests Arm Holdings PLC is ending a contract with Qualcomm Inc. that allows the firm to build chip designs based on Arm technology.
• The cancelation notice lasts for only 60 days, and escalates an on-going dispute between the UK-based chip architecture giant Arm and US chip maker Qualcomm for processors that are in everything from TVs to smartphones to Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs.
• If the cancelation goes through, it could upend the smartphone industry, given that Snapdragon processors power the vast majority of Android smartphones and tablets, as well as emerging Arm-based Windows PCs like the Surface Pro 11.
• Qualcomm and Arm have been in a legal dispute for a couple of years now, and this is the latest escalation in a battle that shows no signs of slowing down.

Oh boy, I didn't have this one on my bingo card to write up at 3AM.

UK-based chip architecture giant Arm Holdings PLC is sensationally killing a licensing agreement with Qualcomm Inc. in the United States, according to a report from Bloomberg. It's the latest escalation in a legal feud that has dogged both companies for the past couple of years, which began when Qualcomm acquired chip design startup Nuvia back in 2021. Arm alleged that the acquisition amounts to a breach of contract and trademark infringement, given that Nuvia had an existing agreement with Arm for chips based on its patented technology. Arm's position is that Qualcomm acquired their Nuvia licenses, violating Arm's terms of agreement. Qualcomm has counter-sued, arguing that Arm's terms and conditions do not require renegotiation.

Thus far, Qualcomm and Arm have been negotiating over the use of Arm's processor architecture in designs of processors like the Snapdragon X Elite, which powers Microsoft's range of Copilot+ PCs and other Windows on Arm laptops. Arm's technology is particularly crucial in energy-efficient computing device designs, including devices like smartphones, tablets, and even televisions.

More traditional x86 processors have gradually fallen out of favor owing to their energy requirements, which is why Microsoft has begun exploring developing Windows for Arm-based devices over the past few years. The Surface Pro 11 is part of that effort, although this latest dispute could have dire consequences for the entire program. Copilot+ PCs are a relatively nascent market, but the dispute has potentially huge ramifications for the global mobile market: A large swath of Android phones and tablets are powered by Qualcomm chips.

Qualcomm will reportedly have 60 days to comply. As Qualcomm suggests — and as we noted before updating this article — this may underline the fact that this is simply a tactic to strongarm (sorry) the firm into an out-of-court agreement. It doesn't look as though Qualcomm is ready to capitulate, however.

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The partnership between Qualcomm and Arm revolutionized the entire world

Qualcomm and Arm were once best buddies who worked arm-in-arm (again, sorry) to curate a cultural shift in computing that has impacted most every aspect of human life. Almost everything has compute in it these days, and manufacturers are more than ever turning to Arm to boost their energy efficiency. Snapdragon processors were at the forefront of that for a long time, but times are changing.

Arm canceled Nuvia's contracts already as mentioned, and has demanded that Qualcomm cease and desist developing Nuvia chips based on Arm's technology, while also demanding the destruction of all of its existing stock. So far, it doesn't seem as though Qualcomm has complied, pending its counter-suit which argues that it hasn't breached the original contracts.

There are billions at stake in this latest dispute, given that Qualcomm's nearly $40 billion annual revenue comes almost entirely from chips built on Arm standards. Qualcomm announced the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite just recently. It's packed full of home-grown Oryon cores instead of Arm's Cortex offering, but those Nuvia cores still have Arm licenses attached when you put them under a microscope. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is expected to appear in next year's devices like the Samsung Galaxy 25, as well as next-gen offerings from OnePlus and others that typically opt for Qualcomm options. For Arm to completely kill Qualcomm's license to build chips on these designs will potentially rock the smartphone industry. Qualcomm is no stranger to litigation of this type, and it may be bullish enough to think it can muddle through regardless.

The semiconductor industry remains incredibly volatile for a variety of reasons. The tech industry's frenzy to be at the forefront of the AI craze has led to a gold rush of sorts for all types of chips. Manufacturers of all shapes and sizes, including Microsoft, have explored building their own chips and products to that end. Arm has historically only licensed its instruction sets to chip makers, but has begun pursuing the creation of full designs to offer manufacturers directly, potentially competing directly with companies like Qualcomm. Qualcomm has its own Oryon platform with Nuvia that it's gradually developing, which at least for now, still relies heavily on Arm licenses.

The old-guard x86 champs over at Intel and AMD have a ton of issues of their own to deal with, but the competition from Arm-based options has forced them to put bigger a focus on energy efficiency in recent years. Intel's new Panther Lake chips continue to focus on efficiency, and Intel and AMD are increasingly working together to bolster x86 and fend off the challenge from the Arm-based army (sorry).

What happens next may require the input of a legal expert, rather than an insomniac games writer who just happened to be awake when this news broke. It'll be interesting to see how the markets react when they open up tomorrow, that's for sure.

What you need to know

• At its annual Snapdragon Summit event in Hawaii, Qualcomm has briefly teased some performance figures for its 2nd Gen Oryon CPU.
• The (admittedly slightly vague) graph charts the CPU performance of the chip against the current version, as well as AMD and Intel's competition.
• The TL;DR seems to be that we can expect significant performance gains, but at a much lower power, scoring more efficiency wins for users.

It's that time of year again where Qualcomm hosts a big shindig out in Hawaii and talks about its latest and greatest. While we haven't gone this year (Hawaii is pretty far away, after all), and much of the focus has been on mobile, PC fans aren't completely left out.

Among all the talk about the current generation Snapdragon X Elite and how it's fared against the old guard in AMD and Intel, is a nugget of exciting information on what's coming next.

On stage at the event, Qualcomm showed off a graph that, frankly, has my mouth watering. You can see it courtesy of my old pal Tomi, aka GadgetsBoy, who did make the long trek to Hawaii.

So, what can we draw from this? Not much, but enough to get excited. The graphs only show one benchmark, Geekbench, and for single-core performance. But there are still some juicy tidbits to pull from it.

For one, the 2nd Gen Oryon (the CPU part of the Snapdragon X Elite) uses much less power than what's currently out there. Qualcomm says it requires 57% less power, which is remarkable for a single generation leap. But beyond that, the single-core performance being reported is not only higher than Intel and AMD's competing chips, but also at significantly lower power. The killer detail here is that the 2nd Gen Oryon benchmark was run on Android, not on Windows, since Oryon is now going into phones as well. But nevertheless, it paints quite the picture.

Comparing to the Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 256V (seriously, who comes up with these names?), Qualcomm is making bold claims. It's said to have 62% higher performance at the same power, which in this case looks to be about 6W. But it's also able to match the Intel chip's peak performance using a whopping 190% less power. And in this case, Qualcomm is talking about a phone, remember.

Of course, this is a Qualcomm graph, at a Qualcomm event, referencing a single benchmark on a chip that we have no information about with regard to laptops. So apply the regular caution. However, it does set an interesting tone before these things actually do appear. Battery life to performance is already fantastic on the first generation Snapdragon X Elite, and all the signs point towards Qualcomm taking this up a few notches with the successor. Batteries aren't getting any bigger, so the more life we can squeeze out of them, the better.

The big play here is that using a 2nd Gen Snapdragon X Elite would appear to be not only a leap forward in performance, but also in the type of battery life we can expect while still getting most, if not all, of that performance. Either way, I'm already looking at my watch, wondering when we're going to see these chips out in the wild.

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What you need to know

• Qualcomm announced an affordable Snapdragon X Elite developer kit at Build 2024 earlier this year.
• The device was supposed to ship in June, but faced major delays that only saw the first (small) batch of units ship to developers just days ago.
• Now, Qualcomm has announced that it is canceling the developer kit, and will issue refunds to all buyers, including the lucky few that received one.

In what can only be described as an embarrassing PR disaster for Qualcomm, the highly anticipated $900 Snapdragon X Elite developer kit that was first announced on stage at Microsoft's Build 2024 conference earlier this year has been canned, just days after the first units began shipping to those who ordered one.

Qualcomm let customers know in an email:

"The Developer Kit product comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence and so we are reaching out to let you know that unfortunately we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely."

Those who have placed an order will be getting a full refund, including the lucky few who actually received the developer kit. Qualcomm says those who received one do not need to return it for the refund. Unfortunately, any outstanding orders will be canceled meaning if you don't have one yet, you'll never get it now.

Originally, Qualcomm intended to launch the Snapdragon X Elite developer kit in June, with orders opening on the same day that Copilot+ PCs became available. However, that date came and went and Qualcomm failed put the developer kit on sale. It wasn't until a month later when pre-orders would finally go live on Arrow, with a shipping estimate of just a couple of weeks.

Those who did place an order quickly found out that the developer kit wouldn't be shipping in the estimated time. In fact, it wasn't clear when the developer kit would ship. Those who placed an order when pre-orders first opened in July were left in the dark, with no accurate ETA from either Qualcomm or Arrow.

Many developers who placed an order documented their frustration with the process. Some developers that have received the device have already reviewed the hardware — Jeff Geerling called it a missed opportunity due to the hardware.

Over the summer, Qualcomm faced a number of issues around manufacturing the developer kit. The hardware was originally supposed to ship with a HDMI port, but this was removed at the very last minute. Additionally, it looks like Qualcomm failed to pass FCC regulation before units began shipping, and the few that did reach customers are labelled with a warning that says the device cannot be resold and is not FCC certified.

Ultimately, it appears building PC hardware isn't so easy, even for a chip maker like Qualcomm. Now, it will be up to OEMs to step in and fill the shoes of a developer kit, likely with mini PCs powered by Snapdragon X SoCs. Perhaps Microsoft will refresh its Windows Developer Kit 2023, which originally launched in 2022 with the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3.

The cancelation of the Snapdragon X Elite developer kit means the very top-end X Elite SoC (the X1E-00-1DE) with a higher 4.3GHz boost frequency is no longer available, as the developer kit was the only hardware on the market with that chip. That will likely make these highly sought after.

via xda-developers.com

What you need to know

• A new report claims Qualcomm has approached Intel about a possible takeover of the company in recent days.
• The report claims a potential buyout or deal is "far from certain" at this stage.
• The news comes as Intel cuts thousands of jobs, recently reporting a $1.6 billion loss.

Qualcomm has approached Intel regarding a potential takeover of the company, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal published earlier today. A deal is said to be "far from certain," but it seems discussions on the matter are at least on the cards.

A takeover of Intel would be huge news and a sign of just how bad things have become for the x86 giant in recent years. Most recently, the company reported a $1.6 billion loss and announced that it would be laying off over 10,000 employees in a bid to cut costs. The company has also been slow to compete with recent silicon advances from Apple Silicon and Snapdragon X in the mobile space.

Intel has also had issues with recent desktop chips. 13th-Gen and 14th-Gen chips were discovered to be susceptible to permanent damage due to too much voltage being supplied to the CPU, resulting in the company extending the warranty on these chips by two additional years.

Qualcomm has recently entered the PC market with Snapdragon X, which launched earlier this year to high praise after a close partnership with Microsoft, which led to the platform having a Copilot+ PC exclusivity window of around six months. It was the first time Windows on Arm became a truly viable alternative to Windows on Intel and AMD.

Of course, if Qualcomm really is attempting a takeover of Intel, it would need to be approved by regulatory bodies worldwide. NVIDIA attempted to acquire Arm in 2020 for $40 billion, but the move was rejected after significant regulatory challenges. A buyout of Intel would almost certainly face similar struggles. 

As noted in the WSJ article:

"A deal is far from certain, the people cautioned. Even if Intel is receptive, a deal of that size is all but certain to attract antitrust scrutiny, though it is also possible it could be seen as an opportunity to strengthen the country’s competitive edge in chips. To get the deal done, Qualcomm could intend to sell assets or parts of Intel to other buyers."

Still, it's interesting to hear that Qualcomm is eager to step into this space. The company is onto a winner with Snapdragon X, and taking over Intel would squash its biggest rival in the Windows space.

We first described it as one of the most exciting Copilot+ PCs of 2024, and I've finally had an opportunity to get my hands on ASUS' new ProArt PZ13.

It's exciting for a few reasons, chiefly because it's the first real comparable rival to Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 and secondly because it features Qualcomm's brand-new 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip variant, expanding the native Windows on Arm category.

The ProArt PZ13 follows our review of ASUS' traditional clamshell VivoBook S 15 with the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite and promises to be another exciting AI PC for testing.

Can it stand up to Microsoft's latest Surface Pro and, to a further extent, Apple's new range of iPad Pro tablets for creators on the move? I'm putting the ASUS ProArt PZ13 Copilot+ PC through its paces to find out for my review.

This review was made possible with a review unit provided by ASUS. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.

• ASUS ProArt PZ13 (Snapdragon X Plus) $1,099.99 at Best Buy

ProArt PZ13: Price, availability, and specs

At the time of writing, the ProArt PZ13 is not available on ASUS' official US store. However, it can be purchased for $1,099.99 at Best Buy via in-store pickup or shipping. Those with a My Best Buy membership might benefit from more purchase options, so check first.

There are no customization options for the components inside, so what you see is what you get. Matching my review sample provided by ASUS, the PZ13 includes Qualcomm's new 8-core variant of its Snapdragon X Plus processor, the X1P-42-100, with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM that users can't upgrade manually and a built-in Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (Neural Processing Unit) rated at 45 TOPS for AI workloads.

However, the internal storage uses a generous 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) from Western Digital, the ultra-fast WD SN740, loaded with Windows 11 Home, built natively for Windows on Arm. The out-of-box experience (OOBE) is relatively clean, featuring a couple of ASUS companion apps and the Capcut video editor.

Built to a military-grade (MIL-STD 810H) standard, the PZ13 comes with an IP52 water and dust-resistant rating alongside a pre-packaged magnetic keyboard case and front cover. However, while my sample included an ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus, these are sold separately, currently listed for $69.99 at Amazon.

The front 5MP camera uses an IR sensor for Windows Hello compatibility, while the rear 13MP camera handles basic photography and 4K video recording. Besides a dual pairing of USB-C 4.0 ports and microSD card reader, the PZ13 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard and Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless peripherals and accessories. ASUS recommends using the included 65W AC adapter but supports charging with other compatible USB-C power sources.

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ProArt PZ13: Design & setup

The ProArt PZ13 comes in recycled (and recyclable) cardboard packaging, with the AC power adapter stored in a separate section along with a microSD to full-size SD card adapter and support for the same optional ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus as the Zenbook Duo (2024). It's subtle and clean, with reflective badging on the front of the box and not much else. By far, the most surprising first impression was just how heavy this Copilot+ PC is, at 3.35lb (1.52kg) when fully assembled.

Separately, the ProArt PZ13 tablet weighs 1.93lb (877g), so it's the keyboard cover that mostly contributes to an extra 0.82lb (373g) heft with 0.60lb (274g) felt by the magnetic rear kickstand cover. Fortunately for ASUS, the magnetic covers are gorgeous and functional, with the detachable keyboard and touchpad automatically putting the PC into sleep mode when it's closed.

Yes, the kickstand is built into the rear cover and not the device itself, but the magnets are strong enough to hold it in place. A circular cutout for the rear camera is positioned next to a soft material stylus strap, which helps remove the rear case if you ever need to. Still, I'm used to working with a 2.86lb (1.30kg) Surface Pro X and 14-inch laptops like the 3.15lb (1.43 kg) Lenovo Slim 7i 14 (Gen 9) so the ProArt PZ13 feels heavy.

Booting into Windows 11 24H2, the most striking default setting is a 250% scale for the display, causing nine pre-pinned app icons to span the entire taskbar, which auto-hides itself. I can understand it from the perspective of easing a user into a touch-only experience, but dropping the number to 200% felt much more manageable and gave me more real estate for navigating the operating system.

After that, I noticed a permanent ASUS logo edited into the rainbow ribbon Copilot+ PC wallpaper variant, as if the ProArt and manufacturer branding weren't enough already. It's easily changed, as anyone comfortable with personalizing Windows 11 will know, and a creator-focused device pairs best with a user who will probably change their wallpaper before anything else.

Besides seeing the MyASUS companion app and AI-powered StoryCube media management apps on the taskbar upon my first boot, the ProArt PZ13 isn't lightyears away from a stock install, though Windows Recall isn't listed anywhere in Settings despite the 45 TOPS NPU inside. There aren't any annoying startup apps to disable and nothing pre-installed that I would consider egregious bloatware besides the TikTok-centric video editor CapCut, but I'd always recommend DaVinci Resolve to budding editors, anyway.

Installing a gamut of patches from Windows Update and the latest versions of each pre-installed app from the Microsoft Store didn't take long, and the MyASUS app handled firmware hotfixes. The only Microsoft software I removed was OneDrive, as I had no real need for it on a sample machine and didn't want my personal files on the ProArt PZ13, but everything else remained the same. Checking the speakers with some video and music provided almost no bass response but a decent playback quality overall.

Finally, ASUS' ProArt Creator Hub required a mandatory update upon its first launch. It's similar to the MyASUS companion app in that it offers system diagnostic information, like CPU temperature and memory usage, but with a few extra creator-focused features. A color control menu handles gamut presets for sRGB, DCI-P3, and Display P3, which ensure accurate hue and temperature representation when editing images or video.

I didn't need any special connectivity steps for the snap-on keyboard cover, and some close inspection shows that the F12 key opens the ProArt Creator Hub, and F8 opens Windows 11's emoji picker, with F4 handling the keyboard backlight brightness level. There's nothing left to set up besides removing an explanatory sticker showing touchpad shortcuts and charging the ProArt PZ13's battery to 100%, which exposes a curious omission.

Since I charged and depleted the battery so often, I remarked on the lack of a power status LED, with nothing to show that the PZ13 was charging. Connecting it to AC power when the battery is completely dead leads to a few seconds of inactivity before a standard charging icon appears on the screen. Before that, however, there's no way to confirm that the laptop is actually receiving any power. It's a strange feature to pass on, leading me to regularly check that the adapter was actually plugged in.

Finally, all ports are located on the left side, though only a single USB-C 4.0 port is consistently accessible, which could be expanded with a Thunderbolt 4 or 5 dock. A second USB-C and microSD slot are available once a rubber strip is lifted out of the way, but if the ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus is stored in the material loop attached to the magnetic front case, all ports are frustratingly half-blocked. Volume controls are over on the right, with a power button on the top-left side and cooling vents off to the right, explaining why ASUS didn't have many other options for stylus storage.

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ProArt PZ13: Keyboard, touchpad, and pen

Analyzing ASUS' keyboard cover for the ProArt PZ13 without drawing comparisons to Microsoft's Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is practically impossible, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so let's roll with that angle. Measuring roughly 6mm in thickness, it attaches to the tablet with an extremely familiar set of centered gold pins and two plastic notches that keep its position aligned.

You get a diagonally-measured 5.78in (14.7cm) Precision touchpad, which, thankfully, matches the 16:10 ratio of the screen so the mouse accurately moves to follow your finger. There are preset gesture shortcuts, with a vertical movement on the left side controlling volume while the right side controls screen brightness, and a horizontal swipe along the top can control media playback or move the text typing cursor.

The only shortcut I genuinely dislike enough to deactivate is a diagonal drag-in from the top-right section of the touchpad that opens the ScreenXpert window management tool. It's useful if you have an external display connected, and creators almost certainly will at some point, but the floating icon lingers, albeit semi-transparent, on the desktop and becomes irritating.

Typing on the skinny keyboard case is fine, offering nothing particularly exciting but managing to avoid feeling weak or flimsy. Its keys respond with a deep membrane thud, and there aren't any uncomfortable hot spots from any internal components since it's a totally separate accessory. The arrow keys are frustratingly slim, leaving gaps above the left and right, but that's more of a personal irk than a downside.

While the ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus came with my sample, it's not a standard accessory for the ProArt PZ13 and is sold separately for $69.99 at Amazon. Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to use with the color-accurate OLED panel, at least with art-centric apps. Adobe's ARM-native Photoshop behaved the best in my testing overall, making this 2-in-1 a well-suited PC for Adobe Creative Cloud when editing photos and images. On the other hand, Cocreator for Paint remains little more than a novelty. It's a fun way to test the stylus if nothing else.

However, the material strap designed to hold the ASUS Pen 2.0 ends up being more of an annoyance than any kind of convenience, half-blocking the USB-C ports and microSD card slot. It's tricky to remove from this stiff sleeve, and I quickly lost interest in the concept of using it regularly. Comparing this to Microsoft's (albeit expensive) Pro Flex keyboard with space to hold the Surface Slim Pen made me wish ASUS could have found a similar solution with the included kickstand case.

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ProArt PZ13: Display

The ProArt PZ13's 60Hz OLED display is as color-accurate as ASUS claims, scoring between 99% to 100% for Adobe RGB and 100% accuracy for sRGB (web) and DCI-P3 (cinema) color gamuts. For creators, this is exactly the kind of result they want to see because it means the colors on the screen properly represent what is stored in the image, artwork, or webpage. There's no way to change the refresh rate from 60Hz, and this is the highest it'll reach.

Again, you can target sRGB, DCI-P3, and Display P3 gamuts in the ASUS ProArt Creator Hub app, but the out-of-the-box experience is accurate for colors. The lowest measurable brightness hit only 4 nits, while the top-end reached 388 nits. It's not quite as bright as Microsoft's Surface Pro 11, but the focus is undoubtedly on color accuracy, and the PZ13 delivers that.

4K videos look gorgeous, particularly with HDR enabled, though it automatically deactivates when away from AC power unless the setting is changed in Windows. Outside of Windows 11's OS defaults, an automatic screensaver from ASUS activates to protect the OLED panel from potential burn-in if sleep settings are adjusted away from their defaults. ASUS Lumina OLED panels continue to be impressive, and I have no complaints about the PZ13's display when used with touch or a stylus. Great stuff.

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ProArt PZ13: Camera quality

ASUS doesn't go too deep into the dual-camera pairing in its advertising for the ProArt PZ13, outside of claiming it "unleashes your creative self." I had excited notions of spending a full day outside with it, filming, editing, and rendering video to test its creative capabilities on the go, but that was quickly shuttered when I discovered how disappointing the rear camera quality is.

Including a trial membership for the third-party Capcut video editor seems targeted at those who shoot video on smartphones, which is where I'd recommend staying because I wouldn't even shoot B-roll footage on the PZ13.

The front camera is fine, at least in line with the bump in the quality you can expect from Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chips over traditional x86-64 variants, but Windows Studio Effects doesn't do much to pretty up the overall lackluster images. It's disappointing enough that I wonder why ASUS included the rear camera in the first place, especially when there's not much use outside of snapping professional-centric captures of documents and whiteboards. Here, the ProArt PZ13 is beaten out by Apple's cameras on its iPad Pro (via Tech Radar) for those who need them for video creation.

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ProArt PZ13: Performance & benchmarks

When analyzing the raw performance of the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 processor inside the ASUS ProArt PZ13, it's clear that the reductions have, to no surprise whatsoever, dropped its rankings below the flagship 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip. It's still placed relatively well among Intel's 16-core "Metor Lake" Core Ultra 7 155H and 12-core Ultra 7 155H with rapid-fire, burst processing data in Geekbench 6 but far below the Snapdragon X-Elite-powered Surface Pro 11 and two models of Apple's latest iPad Pro.

That puts the $1,099.99 ProArt PZ13 only $100 away from its flexible competitor, the Snapdragon X Plus-based Surface Pro 11 featuring the more powerful 10-core X1P-64-100 variant, which sells for $1,199.99 at MSRP, but you'd need to spend $1,499 to get the equivalent OLED screen on a Surface Pro 11, with a bump to the Snapdragon X Elite. Matching ASUS' 1TB storage offering would raise the price for an 11-inch M4 iPad Pro to $1,599, but you won't be running any Windows apps on that, neither ARM-native or x86-64 emulated.

Sustained stress tests in Cinebench 2024 helped demonstrate the ProArt PZ13's cooling capabilities, as the internal fan keeps the CPU at a reasonable temperature and reduces the need for performance throttling. It's a decent result, showing no real change in placement from the burst-processing tests of Geekbench 6, so there's no danger of this 2-in-1 laptop becoming sluggish when it's under stress from intensive apps.

The only exception is AMD's ROG Ally X handheld, which I included here to demonstrate how gaming devices prioritize CPU cooling, even in an ultra-compact form, due to their regular exposure to constant stress. Of course, the ProArt PZ13 isn't advertised as a gaming device in any marketing, so I'm comparing apples to oranges. Still, seeing how modern chips handle sustained stress with raised temperatures is always interesting, and the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus manages just fine.

The solid-state drive inside the ProArt PZ13 is a Western Digital SN740, exactly the same as ASUS uses in the Zenbook Duo (2024). It performs brilliantly here, with read speeds sneaking slightly over 5MB/s for ultra-fast boots into Windows after a hard reset and general snappiness when browsing your files and folders. Write speeds come close to parity at 4.9MB/s, exhibiting the same performance as Lenovo's dual-screen Yoga Book 9i (Gen 9).

Testing the AI capabilities of the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus with Geekbench's AI benchmark scores 1,822 (single), 1,466 (half), and 4,841 (quantized) with ONNX (Open Neural Network Exchange) CPU settings.

It's a new type of test, so comparisons are tricky with such a shallow result pool, but running the same test on Lenovo's Slim 7i 14 (Gen 9) shows Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H processor score 2,008 (single), 829 (half), and 2,830 (quantized) under the same settings. Again, it's all new data and concluding these numbers is extremely difficult, given the complex nature of AI computing, but the results are here for the sake of future comprehension and comparisons.

Can the ASUS ProArt PZ13 play games?

The only vague mention of gaming in ASUS' marketing for the ProArt PZ13 is in Microsoft's Copilot+ PC branding with Automatic Super Resolution support. Otherwise, it never alludes to this 2-in-1 as any kind of gaming machine. Still, it's interesting to test ARM-native games, like the latest World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion running with around 40 to 60 FPS, the former mainly exhibited in busy areas.

I wouldn't recommend it as your daily driver, but it works well enough if you need to log in for a few daily quests. If you're serious about portable gaming on Windows, look towards an ASUS ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go for a far better solution. Otherwise, Valve's Steam Deck is your cheapest option if you're comfortable with emulation. Long story short: yes, it can play some games, just like the Surface Pro 11, but it's far from the best way to play.

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ProArt PZ13: Battery, thermals, and noise

Keeping the ProArt PZ13 at 63% brightness to match 150 nits as closely as possible, I used it to write a significant amount of this review and for browsing the web during my downtime. Paired with experiments in filming and editing video alongside drawing and editing images with the ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus, it gives me a reasonably realistic average for battery life when generating a battery report in Windows 11.

To promote complete drainage of the ProArt PZ13's battery, I also left a 4K video streaming from YouTube while I wasn't actively using it. It all led to an estimated average of 12 hours and 4 minutes, which is a little higher than the 10 hours and 8 minutes delivered by Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 in our review, but during my most active days, 10 hours feels closer to reality for the PZ13.

ASUS advertises "21 hours of FHD video playback" and "17 hours of web browsing," which certainly feels optimistic, but anything close to 12 hours should be considered a good score. If I were to do absolutely nothing stressful with the ProArt PZ13 and binge-watch Netflix or YouTube, I'd believe the 17 to 21-hour metric, but that feels like an unusual use case for a creator-centric device. So, 10 to 12 hours is the most realistic estimate for this ARM-based 2-in-1.

While the ProArt PZ13 does feature an internal fan for air cooling, it doesn't activate for anything below 70°C, and the Snapdragon X Plus processor seemingly performs comfortably at these passively cooled temperatures. Pushing the components into a more stressful scenario with sustained benchmark testing in Cinebench 2024 sees the fan kick into gear and the highest recorded temperatures hitting 45.7°C around the side vents and the rear camera module. It's warm, but generally, it's not an issue since the keyboard and touchpad are separate. Otherwise, the tablet remains around 29.5°C in a 20°C room.

As it hits its highest temperatures, the PZ13's internal fan kicks into high gear, and noise levels rise to around 47.5 dBA, almost that of a refrigerator, which isn't too annoying. During most tasks, including streaming video, the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chip operates comfortably without the fan, and there's nothing audible above a whispered 33.9 dbA. It's a relatively quiet device, even under the heaviest loads, and I'm left with a positive impression of how much the ARM-based processor can handle without needing significant airflow.

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ProArt PZ13: The competition

Quick links

• (New) Surface Pro 11 OLED (16GB/512GB) at Best Buy for $1,499
• (New) Surface Pro Flex Keyboard w/ pen at Best Buy for $449

In case it isn't obvious by now, the only real competitor for the ASUS ProArt PZ13 is Microsoft's Surface Pro 11, and vice versa. Sure, there are other 2-in-1 laptops with removable keyboards, like Lenovo's Yoga Book 9i and, to a certain degree, ASUS' own Zenbook Duo, but the primary rival is clear. Pairing a single-screen experience with a stylus pen and magnetic keyboard case has recalls the age-old "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" feeling, and it's too easy to recommend the Surface Pro 11.

You can get close to the overall experience with the ProArt PZ13 by getting an OLED screen compatible with the ASUS Pen 2.0. However, there isn't anywhere convenient to store the stylus outside of a material loop on the side of its magnetic case. It doesn't hold a candle to the dedicated cutout in Microsoft's Pro Flex keyboard, but it is cheaper by an incredible degree. The overall vibe for the ProArt PZ13 is "Surface Pro 11 but cheaper," which is undoubtedly appealing. However, if you value camera quality, Apple crushes with its new iPad Pro models in a trade-off where you lose access to proper desktop applications.

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ProArt PZ13: Scorecard

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ProArt PZ13: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want an affordable alternative to the Surface Pro 11

Packed with a budget-grade Snapdragon X processor but still boasting a gorgeous OLED touchscreen and stylus support, ASUS throws in a keyboard case for no extra charge, and the experience is similar.

✅ You're focused on creating images and digital art

As the ProArt name suggests, the PZ13 excels best with apps like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and the color-accurate screen comes in clutch for editing real-life images or painting artwork from scratch.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You want to shoot, edit, and render video

While native support for Windows on Arm is improving, the lack of a dedicated GPU, combined with Qualcomm's weakest Snapdragon X Adreno iGPU and a pair of disappointing cameras, rules out on-location video production.

❌ You want a lightweight 2-in-1 device

At 3.36lb (1.52kg) with the magnetic keyboard case attached, the ProArt PZ13 borders on becoming a burden when traveling, especially compared to the Surface Pro 11 at 2.73lb (1.24kg) with its Flex Keyboard and Slim Pen.

While it doesn't provide a perfect solution for all creators, the ProArt PZ13 at least suits its namesake: artists. With an additional ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus, its OLED screen makes for a color-accurate canvas, and the all-day battery life survives even through lengthy 4K video streaming if you're looking for inspiration elsewhere. It won't take the best AI laptop crown away from Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 but offers a more affordable alternative to those who care primarily about the vibrant Lumina OLED screen.

Video creators will need to keep a dedicated camera or capable smartphone with them during travels, as the built-in rear camera can't stand up to even simplistic B-roll shots, and the combination of a weighty construction and glare-prone screen makes the PZ13 better suited to staying indoors. Overall, however, it's a well-built device with a fantastic design and a generous price tag. ASUS continues to prove that it has some of the best OLED panels in the business, and Qualcomm's 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip makes this ARM-based Copilot+ PC a fantastic option for the right audience.

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