Qualcomm is once again shaking up the PC processor market with its latest Arm-based chip, the Snapdragon X2 Elite. Following the success of the Snapdragon X1 Elite two years ago—which replaced Qualcomm’s less impressive 8-series chips—the X2 Elite series promises to take performance to an entirely new level. Leading the pack is the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, an 18-core powerhouse designed to challenge Intel’s Panther Lake and AMD’s next-generation Strix Point processors.
The X2 Elite Extreme boasts a total of 18 cores: 12 high-performance “prime” cores capable of 4.4GHz sustained operation and 5.0GHz boost, paired with six performance cores running at 3.6GHz. It also integrates 48GB of DDR5x memory, though Qualcomm allows flexibility, offering either on-package memory or standard off-chip configurations. Other Snapdragon X2 variants rely on an external DDR5 DRAM interface, configurable by PC manufacturers with memory capacities up to 128GB.
Qualcomm’s approach to testing this chip mirrors the method used with the X1 Elite. Rather than allowing journalists to perform independent benchmarks, the company provided test laptops preloaded with benchmarking software. Reporters could monitor results in real-time, but all testing was strictly supervised: laptops remained plugged into wall power, with no unplugging allowed, and Qualcomm controlled cooling, power settings, and silicon authenticity. While this approach limits independent verification, Qualcomm insists the X2 Elite performs identically on battery power.
The preliminary numbers are striking. Across multiple benchmarks, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme outperformed last-generation mobile processors from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm itself, establishing a new high-water mark for Arm-based PC performance. While full reviews and broader testing will be needed to confirm these results in real-world scenarios, early indications suggest Qualcomm is once again a major contender in the high-performance PC market.
