Qualcomm announced today the launch of two innovative processors—the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Extreme—tailored specifically for Windows PCs. The company asserts that these are the fastest and most energy-efficient chips ever developed for the Windows platform. Both processors are fabricated using a cutting-edge 3nm manufacturing process and incorporate the third-generation Oryon CPU, which can be configured with up to 18 cores. This includes 12 cores operating at 4.4GHz, with some cores capable of being overclocked to 5GHz. This marks the first time an Arm-architecture CPU has achieved such high frequencies.

Qualcomm reports that, when compared to the previous-generation Snapdragon X Elite, the new processors deliver a 31% boost in CPU performance at the same power consumption level, or a 43% reduction in power consumption while maintaining the same performance. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme has demonstrated power consumption exceeding 50W in tests, highlighting its scalability for larger PCs and its suitability for a broad spectrum of devices, ranging from ultra-thin notebooks to high-performance machines.

In terms of graphics processing, the new 1.85GHz Adreno GPU offers a significant increase in performance per watt, up to 2.3 times higher than its predecessors. The new 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU, specifically designed for AI tasks, provides a 37% increase in performance along with a 16% reduction in power consumption, which Qualcomm proudly refers to as the "fastest NPU in a notebook."

Qualcomm underscores that the enhanced energy efficiency of these new processors will enable "multi-day battery life," potentially satisfying the power demands of "two full workdays." For content creators, the new chips excel particularly well in Adobe software, offering a 28% faster photo editing speed in Photoshop, a 43% faster file export speed in Lightroom, and similar performance improvements in Premiere Pro video analysis.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Extreme are projected to hit the market in the first half of 2026.