Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon X Plus Chip for Budget-Friendly Devices

Qualcomm has announced a new lower-end chip model called the Snapdragon X Plus, designed for budget-friendly devices, sharing similarities with the flagship Snapdragon X Elite. The X Plus features 10 CPU cores, a base frequency of 3.4 GHz, and an integrated GPU rated at 3.8 TFLOPs. The company claims that the X Plus's multi-threaded performance surpasses Apple's M3 and can match the performance of Intel and AMD chips while using 65% less power. All Snapdragon X chips share the same basic Oryon CPU architecture and neural processing unit, ensuring compatibility with Microsoft's rumored requirements for "AI PCs."

Key Takeaways

• Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Plus chip has 10 CPU cores, lacking clock-speed boosting compared to the Elite model.
• The X Plus has a 3.8 TFLOPs integrated GPU, showcasing favorable multi-threaded performance compared to Apple M3, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, and AMD's Ryzen 9 7940HS chips.
• Both Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips share the same Oryon CPU architecture, 4nm manufacturing process, and neural processing unit (NPU), meeting Microsoft's rumored requirements for "AI PCs."
• The X Plus chip is designed for cheaper devices, with similar architecture and NPU to the flagship Elite, but with reduced CPU cores and TFLOPs.
• "AI PCs" are expected to run a version of the Copilot generative AI assistant and an AI-focused revamp of Windows Explorer, with Microsoft releasing a smaller language model, Phi-3-mini, tailored for on-device processing.

Analysis

Qualcomm's launch of the Snapdragon X Plus chip is likely to impact various organizations and countries involved in the tech industry. The chip's competitive pricing and performance capabilities could affect Apple, Intel, and AMD's market share in the budget-friendly device segment, leading to potential revenue fluctuations for these tech giants. Additionally, Microsoft's rumored requirements for "AI PCs" could influence the adoption of Qualcomm's chip, impacting the PC market. In the long term, this move may prompt further innovation in low-power, high-performance chip designs, potentially reshaping the landscape of budget-friendly devices and AI-focused computing.

Did You Know?

• Snapdragon X Plus Chip: This is a new lower-end chip model announced by Qualcomm, designed for budget-friendly devices. It features 10 CPU cores, a base frequency of 3.4 GHz, and an integrated GPU rated at 3.8 TFLOPs. The chip is designed to offer favorable multi-threaded performance and reduced power consumption compared to other leading chip models from Apple, Intel, and AMD.

• Oryon CPU Architecture and NPU: Both the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips share the same Oryon CPU architecture and neural processing unit (NPU). This ensures compatibility with Microsoft's rumored requirements for "AI PCs", which are expected to run a version of the Copilot generative AI assistant and an AI-focused revamp of Windows Explorer.

• AI PCs and Phi-3-mini: Microsoft is rumored to be releasing "AI PCs" that will run a version of the Copilot generative AI assistant and an AI-focused revamp of Windows Explorer. Additionally, Microsoft is expected to release a smaller language model, Phi-3-mini, tailored for on-device processing.