Qualcomm is aiming to redefine the Windows PC landscape with its Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, and early benchmarks suggest it’s a serious contender. While Intel has demonstrated resilience with its latest Core Ultra series and Apple continues to push boundaries with its silicon, Qualcomm’s new chip is showing significant performance gains, particularly in multi-core tasks.
A Significant Step Up, But Apple Remains a Force
Testing conducted by Hardware Canucks on a pre-production ASUS Zenbook A14 2026, running a non-final software build, reveals a substantial 49% performance increase in multi-core Cinebench 2024 results compared to the previous generation Snapdragon X Elite. This improvement extends to competition with Intel, and Apple. The Snapdragon X2 Elite outperformed Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H by 47% and Apple’s M5 by 24% in the same multi-core benchmark.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite also demonstrated a 55% performance gain over an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. However, the single-core performance story is more nuanced. While the X2 Elite showed a 35% improvement over its predecessor, it lagged behind Apple’s M5 by 35% in single-core Cinebench 2024 tests. Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H and Core Ultra 9 288V showed smaller leads of 12.3% and 14% respectively.
These results highlight a key distinction: Qualcomm has made significant strides in multi-core performance, closing the gap with competitors, but Apple’s M5 continues to hold a considerable advantage in single-core processing. This is a critical area for responsiveness and many everyday tasks.
Gaming Performance: A Continuing Challenge
While the CPU performance gains are impressive, the Snapdragon X2 Elite’s gaming capabilities remain an area for improvement. In testing with Cyberpunk 2077 at Full HD+ resolution, medium settings, low crowd density, and using AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR3) in performance mode, the X2 Elite achieved approximately 40 frames per second. This is a substantial improvement over the Snapdragon X Elite’s 22 FPS, but falls short of the 57 FPS delivered by the Apple M5, 46 FPS by the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, and 31 FPS by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
This suggests that while Qualcomm is making progress in graphics performance, it still has ground to cover to compete with the leading processors in the gaming space. The tested configuration was a 31W model, and it remains to be seen how performance will scale with different power limits.
Context and Competition
Qualcomm’s push into the Windows PC market with its Snapdragon X Elite in 2024 marked a turning point, offering a compelling alternative to traditional x86 processors. However, Intel responded with its Panther Lake (Core Ultra 3 series) processors, demonstrating that x86 architecture still has considerable potential. Apple, meanwhile, continued to refine its Apple Silicon chips, with the M5 showcasing impressive single-core performance and graphics capabilities.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite represents Qualcomm’s attempt to address the shortcomings of the first-generation X Elite and further challenge the established players. The chip’s architecture focuses on efficiency and integrated capabilities, aiming to deliver a balance of performance and battery life. The upcoming “Gorgon Point” processors from AMD will likely add another layer of competition to this evolving landscape.
The benchmarks suggest Qualcomm is on the right track. The X2 Elite delivers a noticeable performance boost over its predecessor and is competitive with Intel in multi-core workloads. However, Apple’s M5 remains a formidable opponent, particularly in single-core performance and graphics.
It’s important to note that these benchmarks were conducted on pre-production hardware and software. Performance is likely to improve as drivers and firmware are optimized closer to the official launch, expected in the first half of . The final performance of Snapdragon X2 Elite-powered laptops will depend on a variety of factors, including thermal management, memory configuration, and software optimization.
the Snapdragon X2 Elite represents a significant step forward for Qualcomm in the PC processor market. While it doesn’t outright surpass all competitors, it positions Qualcomm as a serious contender, offering a compelling alternative for users seeking a balance of performance, efficiency, and integrated features.
