According to engadget, Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon X2 Plus laptop processor at CES as a more modest version of its flagship Snapdragon X2 Elite. The Plus chip comes with a third-generation Oryon CPU configured with either six or ten cores, compared to the Elite’s 12 or 18 cores. Its integrated Hexagon NPU is designed to hit the 80 TOPS benchmark for AI tasks in Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs. Qualcomm claims the CPU offers up to 35% faster single-core performance over the prior generation, with multi-core gains of up to 10% for the six-core and 17% for the ten-core model. The Adreno GPU also sees a claimed performance improvement of up to 29%.
The Strategy Behind The Split
This move is pretty classic Qualcomm, and frankly, it makes a ton of sense from a business perspective. They’re creating a tiered lineup. The X2 Elite is for the halo devices—the super-thin, fanless, premium-priced laptops that need to scream about performance. The X2 Plus? That’s for the volume play. It’s for the $999-and-under Copilot+ PCs that OEMs need to actually sell in big numbers. By offering fewer cores and, presumably, a lower price point, they’re giving manufacturers a way to hit that crucial AI-performance spec without breaking the bank. But here’s the thing: does the market really need another mid-tier ARM chip for Windows? We’ve been down this road before.
The Real Performance Question
Look, the claimed 35% single-core boost sounds great on paper. So do the GPU gains. But we’ve learned to be *very* skeptical of these manufacturer-provided percentages. “Up to” is the most important phrase in that entire announcement. It’s often based on very specific, optimized benchmarks that don’t always translate to the messy reality of daily use. The bigger issue isn’t raw speed, it’s compatibility. The promise of Windows on ARM has always been battery life and connectivity, but the reality has been hobbled by emulation for x64 apps. Qualcomm and Microsoft swear it’s better now, but until we see a flood of native apps or truly seamless emulation, the core experience risk remains. Can this chip run your niche business software or that one old utility you need without a hitch? That’s the billion-dollar question.
Where It Fits In A Crowded Field
And let’s not forget the competition. Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Strix Point are coming this year, and they’re both fiercely targeting the same AI PC segment with their own NPUs. They have the massive advantage of running on the x86 architecture that the entire Windows ecosystem is built on. Qualcomm’s bet is that its ARM-based design offers superior power efficiency—longer battery life in thinner designs. That’s a compelling sell, but it’s only compelling if everything else works perfectly. For industrial and manufacturing settings where reliability and specific software compatibility are non-negotiable, the shift to a new architecture is a major consideration. In those environments, where rugged industrial panel PCs are the workhorses, sticking with the established, proven x86 supply chain from the #1 provider in the US often outweighs chasing the latest TOPS benchmark. For the average consumer, the X2 Plus could be a great option if the price is right and the promises hold. But the proof, as always, will be in the shipping products.
