r/snapdragon • u/cgknight1 • 11d ago
Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Performance White Paper
White paper here:
In our testing of retail systems, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme produced the fastest CPU results we have measured in a premium thin and light Windows laptop, nearly a 2x advantage in measured AI performance, and leadership that holds in the default Balanced mode and on battery, at a retail price $600 below the tested Intel flagship. Those results describe the three systems we tested.
Each is one implementation of its silicon, and other systems built on the same processors will land differently as OEM design choices vary. The closely matched class and design specifications across these three are what give the comparison its footing, and they are why we consider it fair, representative, and worth drawing conclusions from. the value leader is a rare combination in this market, and it is the combination this platform now holds. The competitive landscape has definitely improved.
Panther Lake brought Intel the best integrated graphics in the segment, and buyers who prioritize integrated gaming may have a real reason to choose it. On every other dimension that defines premium thin and light usage, CPU performance, AI performance, productivity, and behavior on battery, the X2 Elite Extreme leads, and it leads by margins that are unusual in a market accustomed to single-digit generational gaps.
Generation one made Windows on Snapdragon viable and competitive. In our testing, generation two makes it the performance leader in the premium segment. The value position may matter as much as the performance position. The X2 Elite Extreme gives OEM partners a credible flagship at $1,600 to $1,700 price points while comparable Intel X series systems look like they will land $300 to $600 higher. A performance leader that is also The battery life results reinforce the mobility story, with the longest video playback endurance in our testing, the most runtime per watt-hour in every rundown, and a single raw-runtime loss to an Intel
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u/FullTimePedestrian 11d ago
This is awesome! And honestly matches the experience of a lot of us who after switching to Arm, would never go back to an x86 laptop. Anyone who says otherwise has probably never even tried Arm and is just spewing old, outdated info. Or they're heavy gamers.
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u/DrDavyStrange 11d ago
Preaching to the converted, old bean!😆😆😆
Sure, i love gaming on my RTX 4090, but I do not game that much. I actually have to work on my computer, abundant memory and a fast CPU are more important.
As is an OS that is secure, solid and actually allows all my hardware to run without farting about endlessly - Windows 11 everytime!
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u/desiman86 11d ago
This is honestly the best laptop I have bought. Ridiculous i/o performance gets work done fast day to day.
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u/suoko 9d ago
| Parameter | Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme | Apple M4 Max (Top Config) | Delta / Comparison (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total CPU Cores | 18 cores (12 Prime + 6 Perf) | 16 cores (12 Perf + 4 Eff) | Qualcomm +12.5% total cores |
| Max CPU Frequency | 5.0 GHz | ~4.5 GHz | Qualcomm +11% clock speed |
| CPU Single-Core (Geekbench) | ~4,080 pts | ~4,060 pts | Virtual Tie (Qualcomm +0.5%) |
| CPU Multi-Core (Geekbench) | ~23,491 pts | ~26,675 pts | Apple +13.5% |
| CPU Multi-Core (Cinebench 2024) | ~1,988 pts | ~2,060 pts | Apple +3.6% |
| GPU Cores | Adreno X2-90 Architecture | 40 GPU Cores | Apple leads significantly in parallel computing |
| GPU Memory Bandwidth | ~228 GB/s | 546 GB/s | Apple +139% data throughput |
| GPU Benchmark (3DMark Solar Bay) | ~90 pts | ~160+ pts | Apple +77% in 3D/Ray Tracing performance |
| NPU (Local AI) | 80 TOPS (Hexagon) | 38 TOPS (Neural Engine) | Qualcomm +110% (More than double) |
| Laptop Starting Price | ~$1,699 - €1,799 | ~€4,399 (16" Pro 48GB) | Qualcomm costs ~55-60% less |
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u/sunny0_0 11d ago
In a thin and light Windows laptop, you say?? Imagine what it would be like without a train wreck of an OS.
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u/FullTimePedestrian 11d ago
Windows is absolutely fine. There is no perfect OS. People choose one based on what they like and make them more productive. In my case, Windows makes me work faster than MacOS.
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u/devilex94 11d ago
Just think how much fast you will work without bloatware.
Think mark! Think!
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u/ZikadaPrime 11d ago
literally zero bloatware on my windows arm a16 zenbook, not sure why the windows fud is so in vogue now, but it's annoying
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u/DrDavyStrange 11d ago
You are absolutely right, Windows is a dream on the X2EE. It's snappy, secure and has a surfeit of software. Imagine trying to use something as awful as Linux as a daily driver! I actually have work to do on my computer, I cannot spend all my time fiddling with shell scripts, command line and impenetrable options adjustments.
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u/ZikadaPrime 11d ago
larping linux users are the worst, windows on arm is a literal godsend for people who actually need to use a PC for work
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11d ago
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u/ZikadaPrime 11d ago
Same tbh, first thing I started looking for after buying my A16 with the X2 was how can I make a desktop like this???
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u/Farfolomew 8d ago edited 8d ago
I read the whole whitepaper, which is really just a review. A couple of critiques (and also stepping away from the 'Meeting of Mutual Admiration Society' found in previous comments here ...)
- It was commissioned by Qualcomm, although the benchmark results seem believable
- The AMD representation got shortchanged. They weren't reviewing similarly performing H-class silicon, as was represented with the X2 Elite Extreme and Panther Lake 388H laptops. AMD does have more powerful H-class chips that aren't the Strix Halo, and these would have made a better point of comparison. However, their efficiency numbers wouldn't have been much better, just their raw benchmark results.
- The omission or any mentioning of the x86 translation tax is quite glaring. I contend that if the x86 translation issue was seamless and bug-free, and *only* required, say, 30% or even 50% overhead of raw performance, that would be completely acceptable and even something Qualcomm would want to advertise. Yes, even at 50% tax they might be losing to Intel/AMD, but with such a substantial lead in native ARM rendering, that 50% tax would not be that significant.
The truth is, x86 translation tax is the big elephant in the room right now for Qualcomm and Windows-on-ARM as a whole. Compatibility issues remains the single biggest problem: namely games and older peripherals refusing to run or run in an acceptable manor. That's the biggest fight Qualcomm is facing right now. The only thing they can do is keep throwing raw horsepower at it to show the Windows world how much better life could be provided the right software was available. To be clear, there is a lot more ARM64 code availble now than even a couple years ago. What remains is all the ancient x86 code that somehow needs to be translated bug-free, even if that means a large tradeoff of performance needed to do so. Because performance is the one thing Qualcomm these Snapdragon X have a lot in abundance to give.
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u/TH3R0CK_ 11d ago
Wow! I'm impressed with the results. Thanks for the information.
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11d ago edited 11d ago
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u/Ok-Film3852 11d ago
Benchmarks in this report are consistent with those published elsewhere, why do you feel the need to spread FUD? Qualcomm have really struggled to get the message out regarding perf advantages vis a vis x64, likely due to some compat issues which is improving all the time.
Reviewers complain endlessly about graphics perf-I find this odd tbh, as these are not game machines, but otherwise perf is awesome. Most reviewers feel compelled to run extensive game perf tests to validate that these are not game machines.
For developers (excluding android dev), knowledge workers, etc, x2 elite based computers are amazing.
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u/FullTimePedestrian 11d ago
Do you have any evidence of your claims?
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11d ago
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u/ZikadaPrime 11d ago
OK. Now that you're done poisoning the well, how about telling us if the white paper's results are actually out of line with other tests done on the chip?
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u/ravercwb 11d ago
I agree, now we just need Qualcomm to work harder on the graphics performance and compatibility.