Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme are designed for Windows PCs

Qualcomm unveiled its second-generation processors for Windows PCs—the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. The company claims these are the “fastest and most efficient chips for Windows,” capable of competing with Intel and AMD.

Both new products are manufactured using a 3nm process and are based on third-generation Oryon cores. The top-end version, the X2 Elite Extreme, features up to 18 cores, 12 of which operate at up to 4.4 GHz, while two can accelerate to 5 GHz—a first for ARM-based processors in laptops. Qualcomm promises up to 31% higher CPU performance compared to the previous X Elite at the same power, or 43% lower power consumption.

The graphics subsystem with a new 1.85 GHz GPU delivers up to 2.3x better performance per watt, and 18 MB of Adreno High Performance Memory cache has been added for gaming. For AI tasks, a Hexagon NPU with 80 TOPS performance is included—37% faster and 16% more power efficient than the previous generation. Qualcomm calls it the most powerful NPU for laptops.

The company claims that the X2 Elite Extreme delivers up to 75% faster CPU performance compared to competing chips at the same power consumption. This allows the platform to scale not only to Ultrabooks but also to more powerful laptops with a TDP exceeding 50 W.

For content creators, Qualcomm promises tangible performance gains: 28% faster editing in Photoshop, 43% faster export in Lightroom, and significant improvements in Premiere. Razer has partnered with the company, confirming support for its Synapse software on Windows on Arm, although a gaming laptop based on these chips has not yet been announced.

The first devices based on the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Extreme are expected in the first half of 2026. Qualcomm also hinted that this development could coincide with Google’s plans to merge Android and ChromeOS into a single PC platform.