Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme: 18-core ARM chip going after the AI PC crown

In the race for the AI PC crown, the headlines so far have belonged to Intel, AMD and Apple.
Qualcomm has spent years trying to bring Windows laptops over to ARM, but previous generations of Snapdragon chips were always “almost there, but not quite”.

With the new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip, unveiled at Snapdragon Summit 2025, Qualcomm is sending a clear message – this is no longer just about battery life, it’s about raw power. Early benchmark results suggest that in many scenarios this chip beats current Intel, AMD and Apple M4 chips in multi-core and AI tests, while still promising multi-day battery life in thin and light laptops.

Render of the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip on a motherboard

Illustration: Qualcomm press / adapted for InfoHelm.

What does Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme bring to the table?

The main weapon of the X2 Elite Extreme is its aggressive combo of many cores + high clocks + a strong NPU:

  • 18 CPU cores – 12 “Prime” + 6 “Performance” cores based on the Oryon architecture
  • boost up to 5.0 GHz on the Prime cores – the first ARM consumer processor to hit this clock speed
  • manufactured on TSMC’s 3 nm process
  • up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory with around 228 GB/s bandwidth and about 53 MB of cache
  • a Hexagon NPU delivering around 80 TOPS of AI performance (INT8)

In other words, Qualcomm has stopped aiming only at the “silent, efficient laptop for email and browsing” and is openly targeting the high-end Windows machine segment for:

  • AI assistants (Copilot+ and similar),
  • photo and video editing,
  • developers who want a local LLM,
  • users who want MacBook-class performance, but on Windows.

Benchmarks: does it really “crush” Intel, AMD and Apple?

The first tests come from Qualcomm reference laptops (so, ideal conditions chosen by the manufacturer, which is worth keeping in mind). In those scenarios, X2 Elite Extreme looks impressive:

  • Geekbench 6.5 single-core: around 4,080 points – in the same ballpark or slightly below Apple M4/M5, ahead of many Intel/AMD mobile chips
  • Geekbench 6.5 multi-core: around 23,491 points – significantly above current Intel Core Ultra 9 and AMD Ryzen AI chips, and even above Apple M4 in multi-core
  • 3DMark Solar Bay (GPU): up to ~60% better performance than some AMD/Intel mobile competitors and the previous Snapdragon X generation, with support for modern graphics APIs and ray tracing
  • AI benchmarks (Procyon AI, Geekbench AI): the 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU scores 5–7x better than the previous generation in some tests

Of course, there are important caveats:

  • the tests are based on Qualcomm demo configurations – independent benchmarks on shipping laptops are still to come;
  • Apple still holds a lead in single-core performance in some scenarios (especially with the M5), which means certain apps will still run fastest on macOS devices;
  • future chips like the next-gen Apple M-series or Intel/AMD 2026 flagships are not part of these comparisons.

Still, the message is clear: X2 Elite Extreme is no longer “second league” – it’s a serious contender for the fastest mobile chip on the market in certain workloads.

Why does this matter for the AI PC era?

Until now, the idea of an “AI laptop” mostly meant:
a somewhat stronger NPU, Copilot or another assistant, and occasional acceleration in photo processing.

With an 80 TOPS NPU, 18 cores and high memory bandwidth, Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is aimed at serious on-device AI processing:

  • running local LLMs and multimodal models (text + image) directly on the device,
  • offline transcription, translation and summarization of video/podcasts,
  • AI-assisted photo and video editing in real time,
  • advanced “copilot” scenarios inside Windows without constantly sending data to the cloud.

At the same time, Qualcomm is sticking to its old mantra of multi-day battery life in Windows laptops. The ARM design, integrated modem, efficient NPU and advanced power management should enable:

  • thinner and lighter devices,
  • performance that doesn’t fall off a cliff on battery power,
  • machines that can run for days on a single charge in “mixed” use (Office, browser, video, AI assistants).

Naturally, independent tests will have to confirm all this – but if even half of the marketing promises hold up, Windows on ARM can finally become a real alternative to the x86 world, not just an exotic experiment.

When are the first laptops coming – and who should care?

According to Qualcomm, the first laptops with Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips should arrive in the first half of 2026, mostly in the premium segment above $1,000.

This is especially interesting for:

  • creators and developers who need AI tools to run smoothly and locally,
  • users who want MacBook-style performance and battery life, but in the Windows ecosystem,
  • companies looking towards on-device AI for privacy, cost and latency reasons.

Conclusion

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is not just another Snapdragon chip – it is Qualcomm’s most serious attempt yet to:

  • challenge Intel and AMD in the Windows world,
  • close in on Apple Silicon in performance and efficiency,
  • and redefine what “AI PC” means in practice, not just in marketing brochures.

Whether it will really “steamroll” the competition in real-world conditions depends on:

  • independent testing of finished laptops,
  • pricing and availability,
  • and, maybe most importantly, on how well Windows on ARM works with the actual apps people use every day.

For now, one thing is certain: the race for the AI PC crown has never been more interesting – and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme has just become one of the key players.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available information and early benchmark tests. Real-world performance and battery life may differ on final devices.