Qualcomm has announced new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and Snapdragon X2 Elite processors designed for premium Windows PCs, targeting high performance and energy efficiency for advanced workloads and artificial intelligence applications.
Processor features
The newly unveiled chips form part of the Snapdragon X Series portfolio and are aimed at a market segment seeking powerful processing capabilities, AI integration, and extended battery life. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is tailored for ultra-premium PCs and is able to address agentic AI tasks, intensive data analytics, professional-grade media editing, and scientific computing.
The platforms are underpinned by the latest 3rd Generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, claimed to offer up to 75% faster CPU performance than competitors at ISO power. In terms of graphical workloads, the processors feature a new Qualcomm Adreno GPU architecture, delivering a reported 2.3 times improvement in performance per watt compared to previous generations.
Key to the AI proposition is the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, which is equipped for 80 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of AI processing. Qualcomm asserts this is the highest AI performance of any neural processing unit in a laptop, underpinning concurrent AI experiences in the category of Copilot+ PCs.
Multitasking and efficiency
Alongside the peak model, Snapdragon X2 Elite is positioned to handle robust multitasking across demanding resource-intensive applications relevant to productivity, creativity, and entertainment in the premium PC space. The company states performance is up to 31% faster at ISO power, while drawing as much as 43% less power than its predecessor. The platform’s 80 TOPS NPU is also designed to support simultaneous Copilot+ and related AI experiences.
The processors are designed to be integrated into thin and light PCs, with full functionality delivered even when the devices are not connected to external power. Both new processors target what Qualcomm describes as “multi-day battery life,” supporting users who require longevity in mobile and portable settings.
Market positioning
Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., highlighted the company’s ambitions for these new offerings.
“Snapdragon X2 Elite strengthens our leadership in the PC industry, providing legendary leaps in performance, AI processing and battery life to enable the experiences that consumers deserve. We continue to push the boundaries of technological innovation, introduce breakthrough products that set new industry standards and redefine what’s possible for PCs.”
Qualcomm has forecast that devices incorporating the Snapdragon X2 Elite platform are expected to be available in the first half of 2026. The emphasis on AI capability, sustained performance, and reduced energy consumption sets these chips to compete directly in the premium Windows PC segment where advanced computing needs are prominent.
Technical summary
The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, in particular, is engineered for workloads expected by professional content creators, producers, and researchers, accommodating tasks from on-device AI processing to complex analytics. The company also highlights its ability to support these functions both when the device is plugged in or operating on battery.
For users and businesses seeking premium PCs, the new Snapdragon X2 Elite aims to provide efficient multitasking, swift responsiveness, and support for AI-powered functions in a portable, energy-efficient format. Qualcomm stresses that the design of these chips supports inherent future-proofing for emerging AI applications and multi-purpose professional and personal computing demands.