Qualcomm Unveils Affordable Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core CPU Ahead of IFA 2024
In a move expected to shake up the technology landscape, Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU, a more affordable variant of the company’s 10-core Arm-based laptop processors launched earlier this year. Built on the same 4nm process technology, this new chipset is equipped with the same Oryon CPU cores as Qualcomm’s other X series processors and supports on-device artificial intelligence (AI) applications and features.
The octa-core Snapdragon X Plus chipset boasts eight of Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU cores with 30MB CPU cache, along with support for up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The X1P-42-100 variant has a peak clock speed of 3.2GHz and a 1.7 TFLOPS Adreno GPU, while the X1P-46-100 chip has a slightly higher clock speed of 3.4GHz with a faster 2.1 TFLOPS GPU.
What sets this chipset apart is its ability to support PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD or UFS 4.0 storage, as well as up to 36-megapixel cameras with support for 4K HDR video capture via Qualcomm’s Spectra ISP. The Adreno GPU also supports up to three external displays at 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU is capable of 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for on-device AI features on compatible applications.
The Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF system on the processor enables support for mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G networks with up to 10Gbps download speeds. The Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 mobile connectivity system brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, while computers equipped with this chipset can also be equipped with up to three USB 4.0 ports.
Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset is capable of delivering up to twice the amount of battery life than its closest rival – the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor. However, it is currently unclear how the chip fares against Apple’s power-efficient M2 chip.
The new Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU-powered laptops will be available starting today from OEMs including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. According to Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon, pricing for these laptops will start at $799 (roughly Rs. 67,100) ahead of the IFA 2024 event in Berlin. With its impressive features and capabilities, the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU is poised to make a significant impact in the technology landscape.
