Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X Series of PC processors, aiming to enter the mid-range PC market. The new chip, built on a 4nm fabrication process, promises “multi-day” battery life and robust performance at an affordable price point.
However, software compatibility issues with Windows remain unresolved. Despite this, Qualcomm is pushing ahead with its processors in an effort to gain ground on rivals AMD and Intel.
In the PC market, Qualcomm still has a long way to go, capturing only 0.8% of Q3 2024 sales. The company’s new chip, Snapdragon X, will power Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs, set to launch in Q1 at around $600. This chip features an Oryon CPU with eight cores clocked up to 3GHz and a neural processing unit (NPU) for AI acceleration.
Other notable features include Bluetooth 5.4 compatibility and support for Wi-Fi 7. The chip can power up to three external UHD monitors running at 60Hz. PC manufacturers adopting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Platform will receive additional technologies like the A/V suite and proprietary image processing.
As part of its plans, Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are expected to release laptops powered by Snapdragon X in the coming weeks. According to Peter Burns, senior director of product marketing at Qualcomm, over 60 Copilot+ PC designs are now available or in development, with a remarkable 3X increase in native Windows apps for Snapdragon in 2024.
Qualcomm has also announced plans to bring desktop PCs powered by its Snapdragon X Series processors to market in 2025. This move is seen as a significant milestone in the company’s PC journey, enabling developers to create more efficient and powerful applications with NPU-accelerated features.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/06/qualcomm-brings-its-snapdragon-x-chips-to-more-affordable-windows-laptops-and-desktops