Qualcomm is continuing its push into the Windows laptop market. Initial benchmark results for the Snapdragon X2 Elite show an unexpectedly strong increase in performance compared to the Snapdragon X Elite and remarkable results in direct comparison with Apple’s M5. Although this is still pre-production hardware with early drivers, the measured values paint a clear picture: Qualcomm’s second generation of the X Elite platform could be a real turning point for ARM-based notebooks.
- Up to 48 percent more performance compared to the Snapdragon X Elite
- Victory in 3 out of 5 benchmarks against Apple’s M5 with only 5 W higher power consumption
- Significantly improved CPU and GPU performance in creative workloads
Snapdragon X2 Elite with massive leap in performance compared to its predecessor
The Snapdragon X2 Elite shows the greatest progress compared to its direct predecessor. In Cinebench 2024, the new chip achieved 1,432 points in the multi-core test, putting it around 49 percent ahead of the Snapdragon X Elite. The gap is also clear in practical applications: In Blender, Handbrake and DaVinci Resolve, render and export times are reduced by several minutes in some cases. These results underline the fact that Qualcomm has not only improved peak performance, but also efficiency in real-world workloads.
It is particularly noteworthy that all tests were carried out with a power consumption of 31 W. This puts the Snapdragon X2 Elite only around 5 W above the Apple M5, which was operated with a maximum of 26 W in the benchmarks. Despite this comparatively low additional consumption, Qualcomm has managed to clearly distance itself from its predecessor and even overtake Apple in several disciplines. The measurements were taken by Hardware Canucks, who were allowed to test the chip in an early ASUS Zenbook prototype. Accordingly, there is a certain amount of room for optimization until the market launch.
Duel with the M5: Snapdragon X2 Elite shows strengths and limits
A direct comparison with Apple’s M5 reveals a differentiated picture. While the M5 is clearly ahead in the Cinebench single-core test with 200 points, the Snapdragon X2 Elite turns the tables in the multi-core benchmark and overtakes the Apple chip by more than 24 percent. Qualcomm’s SoC also clearly stands out in Blender and Handbrake, which is particularly relevant for creator workflows under Windows.
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However, the Snapdragon X2 Elite suffers a clear defeat in DaVinci Resolve. Here, the M5 remains faster by a wide margin, which points to Apple’s highly optimized media engines and software adaptations. Overall, Qualcomm still wins three out of five benchmarks, which can be seen as a respectable success in view of Apple Silicon’s previous dominance. It is important to note that neither final drivers nor final firmware were used. Battery runtimes have also not yet been tested, as experience has shown that Windows updates and optimizations play a major role here.
Conclusion: Snapdragon X2 Elite as a serious alternative
The benchmark results to date paint a surprisingly positive picture of the Snapdragon X2 Elite. With a performance increase of up to 48% compared to the Snapdragon X Elite and several victories against Apple’s M5, Qualcomm shows that ARM-based Windows laptops are becoming increasingly competitive. Price and availability have not yet been officially confirmed, but the first devices are expected later this year. If the results are confirmed in the final hardware, Qualcomm should noticeably increase the pressure on established platforms.
