In the rapidly evolving landscape of laptop processors, Qualcomm’s latest offering, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, has emerged as a formidable competitor to Apple’s M4 chip. This development marks a significant milestone in Qualcomm’s journey to rival Apple’s dominance in the high-performance laptop market.
Qualcomm’s Leap Forward
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is built on a cutting-edge 3nm process and boasts an 18-core configuration, comprising 12 prime cores and 6 performance cores. This architecture allows the chip to achieve clock speeds up to 5.0 GHz, a notable advancement in ARM-based processors. Additionally, the chip supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory with a bandwidth of 228GB/s, catering to the demands of intensive computing tasks. ([windowscentral.com](https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/qualcomm/snapdragon-x2-elite-extreme-announcement-2025?utm_source=openai))
Benchmark Comparisons
Early benchmark results have placed the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in direct competition with Apple’s M4. In Geekbench 6.5 tests, Qualcomm’s chip achieved a single-core score of 4,080 and a multi-core score of 23,491. These figures are closely aligned with those of the M4 Max, indicating that Qualcomm has effectively closed the performance gap that previously existed. ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/qualcomms-18-core-snapdragon-x2-elite-extreme-dominates-in-first-benchmarks-18-cores-and-48gb-of-on-package-memory-on-a-192-bit-bus-look-tough-to-beat?utm_source=openai))
Graphics and AI Performance
The Adreno GPU integrated into the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme delivers substantial improvements, with up to an 80% increase in graphics performance over its predecessor. This enhancement is evident in 3DMark Solar Bay benchmarks, where the chip outperformed competitors by up to 61%. On the AI front, the Hexagon NPU achieves 80 TOPS, facilitating advanced on-device AI capabilities and surpassing many existing solutions in the market. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/qualcomms-most-powerful-cpu-ever-will-target-amds-ryzen-ai-395-with-128gb-onboard-lpddr5x-memory-while-intel-has-only-32gb-integrated-memory-to-contend-with?utm_source=openai))
Market Implications
The introduction of the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme signifies Qualcomm’s commitment to advancing ARM-based processors for Windows laptops. By matching, and in some areas exceeding, the performance of Apple’s M4, Qualcomm positions itself as a serious contender in the high-end laptop segment. However, with Apple’s M5 chip anticipated in the near future, the competitive landscape is set to remain dynamic. ([pcgamer.com](https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/processors/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-x2-the-first-5-ghz-arm-cpu-its-biggest-advance-in-pc-gaming-and-the-chip-that-might-finally-make-gaming-on-arm-an-actual-thing/?utm_source=openai))
Conclusion
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme represents a significant achievement in processor development, challenging Apple’s M4 in both performance and efficiency. As the tech industry continues to innovate, consumers can expect a broader range of high-performance laptops, fostering a more competitive and diverse market.
