Imagine this, if you will, a PC that doesn't have an Intel or an AMD processor, but is
actually pretty good.
Just imagine it. Although Windows on ARM has been around for a while, the performance just hasn't been
good enough for it to be an attractive option. But now we're seeing the Snapdragon X processors from Qualcomm starting to hit the market,
going head to head with Apple's M series. Qualcomm is even claiming the Snapdragon X Elite soundly beats Apple's M3.
So can this chip make Windows laptops a compelling buy for folks that might be otherwise considering
a Mac? And why do we even need an ARM chip for Windows anyway?
Well one of the biggest advantages of ARM is that ARM chips tend to be more power efficient
than those using the long-serving x86 architecture, which is a big part of the reason you see
it used so often in phones, where battery life is a key concern.
This isn't universally true, as it's certainly possible to have ARM chips that use lots of
power like in some supercomputers. But keep in mind that x86 was introduced way back in 1978 as a desktop platform, where
power consumption wasn't nearly as big of an issue.
But using a different architecture that focuses on efficiency means that compatibility and
performance can suffer. And those are indeed big reasons why Windows on ARM has struggled to gain popularity in
the marketplace. So how is Snapdragon X different?
Well, similar to when Apple first unveiled its M-series Apple Silicon to the world, Qualcomm
is hammering home the point that testing shows it's faster than Intel's laptop chips,
specifically faster than their current Core Ultra 7 offering.
Combined with their performance comparisons to the Apple M3, it's a pretty clear signal
that Qualcomm and Microsoft aren't content to let Apple run away with the performance
crown. The Snapdragon X lineup is built on a 4nm process and has between 10 and 12 high-performance
cores depending on the model, similarly to the Apple M3 Max, which is built on a 3nm
process. Despite these similarities, there's one specific area where Microsoft is hoping Snapdragon
X will clearly beat Apple. It won't come as a surprise to many of you that Microsoft is leaning on Snapdragon X
to give it a big advantage in the AI space. Qualcomm already has experience building neural processing units, or NPUs, into its
previous chips, and the Snapdragon X lineup has NPUs that can deliver 45 trillion operations
per second, or TOPs. Microsoft's effort to get AI-enabled Windows features into everyone's hot little hands
is currently taking the form of a lineup of PCs the company is calling Copilot Plus,
which require NPUs that can deliver at least 40 TOPs.
And Snapdragon X is technically the first to market with that level of performance,
even when you include Apple Silicon. Of course, this doesn't mean that Intel and AMD aren't trying to play catch-up,
with both companies looking to release compatible CPUs later this year.
And it also doesn't mean that everyone will necessarily embrace AI features.
The overall sentiment around AI-driven tech right now is relatively mixed, and there doesn't
yet appear to be a killer app that would compel people to run to their local Best Buy
in droves for a Snapdragon X laptop to run it.
But even if AI isn't your bag, it does appear that Snapdragon X represents a pretty significant
leap forward compared to the underpowered ARM laptop chips of yesteryear.
Although emulating native x86 apps still comes with a performance penalty, just as
it does on Apple, the more powerful hardware should make emulation less of a pain.
Although early reviews suggest it still struggles in some applications.
But the more exciting news on this front is that with this big push for ARM, we're seeing
more native ARM versions of software being developed.
Notably, Adobe has released popular programs for creatives like Photoshop and Lightroom
on ARM, which could end up boosting the appeal of a chip like the Snapdragon X as a true
competitor to Apple Silicon, as MacBooks have been targeted at creators for quite a long
time. There's even been some impressive gaming results, according to some reviewers.
Even though the Snapdragon X isn't really being marketed as a gaming chip, for us,
the bigger implication here is that emulation performance of non-ARM programs might end
up being a pleasant surprise, even shortly after launch.
However, one very important caveat is that unlike Apple Silicon, there isn't one company
controlling the whole hardware and software stack, meaning hiccups may be more likely.
So while we're excited about what Snapdragon X can do, I wouldn't necessarily run out
to be one of the first people to buy one of these new laptops when they hit store shelves
this month. Instead, maybe I'd wait a bit and see what independent reviewers have to say, and yes,
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