Qualcomm Unveils Affordable Snapdragon X Plus Chip Series for Copilot+ PC Laptops

Qualcomm has expanded its Snapdragon X series with the introduction of the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus, aimed at making Windows 11 on Arm laptops more affordable. Previously, Snapdragon X processors came in 12-core and 10-core configurations, selling at $999 and above. However, the new 8-core variant pushes the entry price down to $700.

The Snapdragon X Plus features the same neural unit with 45 TOPS performance, akin to the high-end X Elite version but utilizes a slightly simplified GPU and lower CPU clock speed to achieve this price reduction. Two versions of the 8-core X Plus are available: one with a 1.7 TFLOPS GPU and another with a 2.1 TFLOPS GPU. To contrast, the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus achieves a 3.8 TFLOPS GPU performance.

Performance tests have shown that despite its budget-friendly nature, the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus excels in benchmarks, outpacing Intel's Core Ultra 5 125U, AMD's Ryzen 8460U, and holding its own against Apple's M2 in multi-core performance while supporting outputs to three external displays. Furthermore, Qualcomm asserts this new chip delivers 61% faster CPU performance at a lower power consumption compared to Intel's Core Ultra 7 155U.

Announced ahead of IFA 2024 in Berlin, the chipset features an octa-core CPU built on the Oryon architecture for enhanced power efficiency and battery life. Frontline laptop brands including HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung are launching devices equipped with the new chipset today.

"With the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core, we are now enabling transformative AI experiences, superior performance, and outstanding battery life to a broader audience," said Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm. The 8-core chips come in X1P-46-100 and X1P-42-100 variants, offering up to a 4 GHz and 3.4 GHz single-core boost clock frequency respectively. Fabricated with a 4nm process, they support up to 64GB of RAM, UFS 4.0, NVMe Gen4 storage, and advanced wireless standards like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

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