Qualcomm’s latest chips are here, and they’ve got some serious power. The Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus are designed to take on Intel and AMD in the laptop market. Expect these new laptops to start arriving around the end of the first quarter of 2026.
The X2 Elite boasts impressive specs with up to 18 CPU cores, while the budget-friendly X2 Plus comes with 10 and 6-core options. Qualcomm claims these chips can outperform Intel’s low-power Lunar Lake chips in both performance and efficiency. Interestingly, they retain the same 80 TOPS neural processing unit as their high-end counterparts, positioning them as the “world’s fastest NPU for laptops in its class.”
Pricing Uncertainty Amid Market Shifts
Pricing could be a wild card. Unlike previous years, Qualcomm hasn’t pegged specific price points yet. Their earlier announcements hinted at prices as low as $600, but the global RAM shortage is affecting costs right now. The X2 Elite’s pricing started around $1,000, with the Plus and other options following suit. It’s anyone’s guess how these models will compare when they officially hit the shelves.
Enhanced Performance and Graphics Support
The X2 Plus may not boast the same power as the Elite, but it still shows promise. Qualcomm mentions up to 39% better GPU performance compared to older models. However, this performance upgrade may not make it great for gaming. The Elite chips claim up to 2.3 times the performance gains, leaving the Plus somewhat lacking in that department.
Qualcomm is working to improve graphics driver support, committing to quarterly updates. They currently support over 1,400 games, which cover approximately 90% of popular titles, making it to gamers’ advantage.
Flexibility in Design and Future Support
The chips can operate effectively across various power levels, primarily filling the range typical for ultra-thin laptops. There’s even a possibility for fanless designs, and mini PC adaptations could surface soon. While Windows remains the primary OS focus now, Qualcomm hinted that more options might come in the future, particularly around the 2026 Game Developers Conference from March 9 to 13.
