Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X chip for PCs will fight Apple's M-series processors

Qualcomm has been continuously improving on its Snapdragon SoCs for a while now, with some stellar mobile PC solutions powered by 5G connectivity. Still, now the company is better positioning itself in the PC chip business with the introduction of the new Snapdragon X Series.

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The new Snapdragon X Series is an important step for Qualcomm, after its $1.4 billion acquisition of Nuvia in early 2021. Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X processor will feature their in-house Oryon CPU, which is the important part: that is the first in-house chip that the ex-Nuvia team has had an influence on and baked into the new Snapdragon X Series.

• Is it faster than Apple M2 silicon? Yes it is, according to report from SemiAccurate, which says Qualcomm's new Oryon CPU performs "slightly more than the Apple M2 cores" that are inside of Apple's newer MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks on the market.
• Are next-gen Apple M3 chips faster than Qualcomm Snapdragon X? Yes, they are... they're releasing in 2024 however. Apple's new M3 processors are still a little while away, leaving Snapdragon X and its Nuvia-influenced technology, beating the Apple M2 for now.
• It's not just the Oryon CPU, what about the GPU and NPU? Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X processor has an upgraded GPU and NPU, as well as delivering "accelerated on-device user experiences for the new era of generative AI".

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chips will be an "infection point for the PC industry, all thanks to enhanced performance capabilities," explains the company, as well as enhanced efficiency. This means next-gen Windows laptops powered by Snapdragon X, will have even better battery life... maybe stepping towards the gigantic life of the M2-powered Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops.

• Read more: Qualcomm acquires Nuvia for $1.4 billion, ex-Apple engineers in tow
• Read more: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx: the real rival to Intel for the PC

Snapdragon X will have an upgraded CPU, GPU, NPU, improved AI, power efficiency, battery life, and improved 5G capabilities. Well, it sounds kinda exciting to see Qualcomm better fight Apple's mighty impressive M2 series of chips, which could line up perfectly with Windows 12 operating systems hitting laptops in 2024.

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What does the Snapdragon X series mean? Qualcomm explains:

• The X identifier distinguishes our PC platforms from other Snapdragon product categories.
• The premium design celebrates this monumental leap forward in computing, and the user experiences it will enable.
• A clear, simplified tiering structure helps users navigate our platform capabilities from mainstream to premium.
• All while leveraging the global brand equity of Snapdragon.