Qualcomm unveils new PC chips to take on Intel, AMD
**Qualcomm Unveils New PC Chips to Take on Intel and AMD**
*By Akash Pandey | Sep 25, 2025, 10:18 AM*
Qualcomm has launched its second-generation Snapdragon X2 Elite processors, introducing the X2 Elite and the X2 Elite Extreme models. The company claims these are “the fastest and most efficient processors for Windows PCs,” setting a new benchmark in performance and power efficiency.
**Tech Upgrades and Performance Enhancements**
Manufactured using a cutting-edge 3nm process, the new chips promise up to 31% faster CPU performance compared to their predecessor, the Snapdragon X Elite. Alternatively, they can maintain similar performance levels while consuming up to 43% less power, demonstrating a significant leap in energy efficiency.
GPU performance per watt also received a major boost, improving by 2.3 times thanks to a new 1.85GHz GPU. On the CPU front, the Snapdragon X2 Elite chips incorporate the third-generation Oryon CPU with up to 18 cores. Some cores can reach speeds as high as 4.4GHz, with two cores hitting an unprecedented 5GHz — a first for an Arm-based PC processor.
Additionally, Qualcomm integrated a new 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU dedicated to AI tasks, delivering 37% better performance while consuming 16% less power.
**X2 Elite Extreme: A Direct Challenge to Intel and AMD**
Qualcomm has described the Elite Extreme variant as a “legendary leap in performance.” It claims the chip can achieve up to 75% faster CPU performance than competing processors at the same power level. This positions the X2 Elite Extreme to compete with some of the most powerful, albeit power-hungry, laptop chips on the market, such as Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H and AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
The company also promises impressive “multi-day battery life,” addressing a key concern for mobile computing users.
**Enhanced Gaming and Creative Workflows**
The Snapdragon X2 Elite chips feature a dedicated 18MB high-speed cache, called “Adreno High Performance Memory,” designed to improve gaming performance on Arm-based PCs.
Creators using Adobe software stand to benefit significantly as well. Qualcomm claims the new chips enable 28% faster photo editing in Photoshop and 43% faster exports from Lightroom. Video editors will also see accelerated video analysis in Adobe Premiere, enhancing productivity for creative professionals.
**Looking Ahead: PC Expansion and Android Compatibility**
Qualcomm is currently testing the X2 Elite Extreme at power levels exceeding 50W. This indicates a strategic shift from focusing solely on thin and light laptops toward powering larger, more powerful PCs — a major step forward for Snapdragon processors.
However, the company has not yet confirmed whether these new chips will be part of its much-rumored partnership with Google on Android for PC. For now, Windows remains the primary platform targeted by the Snapdragon X2 Elite series.
—
With its latest innovations, Qualcomm is clearly positioning the Snapdragon X2 Elite processors as a formidable alternative to Intel and AMD in the high-performance PC market, promising notable gains in speed, power efficiency, and creative workflow acceleration.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-x2-elite-extreme-chips-for-windows-pcs/story
