TL;DR
Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon X2 Plus processors at CES, offering 6- and 10-core SKUs built on a 3nm process with up to 4 GHz clocks, LPDDR5x support and an 80 TOPS NPU. The company says the chips deliver sizable efficiency and performance gains over prior Snapdragon designs and compares favorably to some Intel parts, but Arm Windows laptops still account for well under 1% of commercial PC sales.
What happened
At CES Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X2 Plus family aimed at budget and mainstream Windows laptops. The line includes a 10-core and a 6-core SKU with maximum clocks up to 4 GHz, support for high-speed LPDDR5x memory and an NPU rated at 80 TOPS for local AI tasks. Qualcomm says the X2 Plus is built on a 3nm process and uses third-generation Oryon CPU cores that it claims boost single-core performance by up to 35% and multi-core by 17% versus prior Snapdragon X chips; the Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU are also presented as substantially faster. Qualcomm asserts the platform requires 43% less power than its predecessor, enabling multi-day battery life in some use cases, and in its own Geekbench testing the 10-core X2 Plus outperformed certain Intel chips at roughly 25 watts of platform power. Pricing and OEM availability will be set by laptop makers.
Why it matters
- Offers another Arm-based option to challenge Intel and AMD in the laptop processor market.
- Improved power efficiency could extend battery life in mainstream laptops, a key buyer consideration.
- An 80 TOPS NPU enables more local AI features and qualifies X2 systems for Microsoft Copilot+ features.
- Adoption remains limited in enterprises, so performance gains may not immediately shift corporate buying patterns.
Key facts
- Snapdragon X2 Plus comes in two SKUs: 10-core and 6-core models.
- Maximum clock speed for X2 Plus SKUs is up to 4 GHz.
- Chips support LPDDR5x memory and are manufactured on a 3nm process node.
- Hexagon NPU is rated at 80 TOPS, consistent across X2 and X2 Elite processors.
- Qualcomm claims X2 Plus uses 43% less power than its immediate predecessor.
- Qualcomm reports Oryon CPU core improvements: up to 35% faster single-core and 17% faster multi-core versus prior Snapdragon X CPUs.
- Adreno GPU is claimed to be 39% faster and the Hexagon NPU 78% more performant compared with earlier Snapdragon X Plus parts.
- In Qualcomm’s internal Geekbench 6.5 testing the X2 Plus 10-core chip was presented as 52% faster than a current-generation Intel part at around 25 watts platform power.
- All Snapdragon X2 processors qualify as Microsoft Copilot+ PCs and support local Windows AI features such as Recall and Windows Studio Effects.
- IDC data cited: Arm laptops using Qualcomm chips accounted for about 0.65% of commercial PC sales (roughly 1 million of 153 million units) between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025.
What to watch next
- How X2 Plus real-world performance compares to Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake CPUs — not confirmed in the source.
- OEM pricing and configuration decisions for X2 Plus systems, and whether mainstream models land at expected price points — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether enterprise procurement shifts toward Arm Windows devices as OEMs ship more X2-based laptops — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- NPU: Neural Processing Unit, a specialized processor designed to accelerate machine learning and AI tasks locally on a device.
- TOPS: Trillions of operations per second, a unit used to express the inference throughput capability of NPUs and other AI accelerators.
- LPDDR5x: A low-power, high-speed type of DRAM commonly used in mobile and thin-and-light devices to improve performance and efficiency.
- SoC: System on Chip, an integrated circuit that combines multiple components—CPU, GPU, NPU, memory controllers and I/O—on a single chip.
- Microsoft Copilot+ PC: A class of Windows PCs that meet Microsoft’s hardware requirements for enhanced local AI features and on-device Copilot functionality.
Reader FAQ
When will laptops with Snapdragon X2 Plus be available?
Not confirmed in the source.
How much will X2 Plus laptops cost?
Not confirmed in the source; Qualcomm says OEMs will set prices.
Do X2 Plus systems support Microsoft Copilot+ features?
Yes. Because X2 chips provide an 80 TOPS NPU, Qualcomm says X2-based PCs qualify as Microsoft Copilot+ devices.
Are enterprises adopting Arm laptops in meaningful numbers?
Adoption has been limited: IDC data cited in the source shows about 0.65% of commercial PC sales used Qualcomm chips in the period referenced.
SYSTEMS 3 Qualcomm is determined to cut a slice out of Intel's PC pie with latest Snapdragon chips Enterprises have been slow to adopt Arm laptops so far Avram Piltch…
Sources
- Qualcomm is determined to cut a slice out of Intel's PC pie with latest Snapdragon chips
- Meet Snapdragon X2 Plus, Qualcomm's push to make AI …
- Qualcomm Takes Massive Leap With New Snapdragon X2 …
- Snapdragon X2 Elite Pushes AI-PC Performance to New …
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