On Wednesday, Qualcomm launched its newest Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU, ahead of the IFA 2024 event taking place in Berlin. This latest Snapdragon chip is a more budget-friendly version of Qualcomm’s earlier 10-core Arm-based laptop processor and is built using the same 4nm process technology. It includes Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU cores, also used in its other X-series processors, with built-in support for AI-driven applications and features.
Highlights of the Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core
The Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor includes eight Oryon CPU cores and 30MB of CPU cache—12MB less than the higher-end X Plus variant—and supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Two versions are available: the X1P-42-100, with a maximum clock speed of 3.2GHz and a 1.7 TFLOPS Adreno GPU, and the X1P-46-100, which reaches 3.4GHz and delivers a faster 2.1 TFLOPS GPU. The Adreno GPU supports up to three external displays at 4K resolution and 60Hz, while the Hexagon NPU handles AI tasks at 45 TOPS for optimized on-device applications.
Additionally, the processor is compatible with PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD and UFS 4.0 storage, and it supports up to 36-megapixel cameras with 4K HDR video capture through the integrated Spectra ISP.
Connectivity and Battery Performance
The integrated Snapdragon X65 5G modem-RF system supports both mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G networks, allowing for download speeds up to 10Gbps. The FastConnect 7800 platform brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 capabilities, and up to three USB 4.0 ports are supported. Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU offers up to twice the battery life compared to its closest competitor, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor. However, performance comparisons with Apple’s M2 chip remain untested.
Availability and Pricing
Devices featuring the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset are available starting today from manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. Ahead of IFA 2024, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon announced that laptop prices featuring this chipset will start at $799 (around Rs. 67,100).
