Qualcomm announces Snapdragon X2 Elite, 18-core SoC for PC

Qualcomm has just set a new benchmark for mobile computing with the announcement of its Snapdragon X2 Elite platform for PCs. Unveiled here in Maui, Hawaii (Editor’s Note: Qualcomm flew us here for free with accommodations), the X2 Elite series boasts up to 18 cores using the third-gen Oryon CPU architecture, and a multi-core speed of up to 5.0 GHz boost frequencies, making it one of the fastest ARM-based chips for Windows PCs in 2025.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite comes in three (3) configurations, with the top-end Extreme X2E-96-100 featuring 18 total cores, 12 prime cores running up to 4.4 GHz, and six performance cores at 3.6 GHz. Each chip is aided by a powerful Adreno GPU (up to 1.85 GHz for the Extreme variant) and a hefty 53MB cache, enabling seamless multitasking across up to three 5K 60Hz monitors. There is API support for DirectX 12.2 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, delivering next-level graphics and rendering fidelity.

Specifically designed for AI PCs, the X2 Elite is packed with the latest Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, capable of up to 80 TOPS of AI processing — rivaling even desktop-class accelerators. This empowers next-gen Copilot PCs to run multimodal content creation, AI-driven media editing, and agentic AI tasks such as smart assistants and contextual workflows, all with faster responsiveness and reduced latency.

The Snapdragon X2 features the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF with peak download speeds of 10 Gbps, along with Wi-Fi 7 delivering up to 5.8 Gbps, and dual Bluetooth support for seamless wireless audio with Snapdragon Sound.

Despite its raw power, Qualcomm claims the X2 Elite can deliver true multi-day battery on a single charge, supported by hardware-based workload optimization across CPU, GPU, and NPU. The platform includes advanced security backed by Qualcomm SPU supporting Microsoft Pluton, plus Snapdragon Guardian tech for remote manageability and automatic biometric authentication.

With the X2 Elite platform, Qualcomm is posing a serious challenge to x86 of Intel/AMD and Apple’s M-series. Expect more laptops, NUCs and all-in-one PCs to carry the Snapdragon X2 Elite series later this 2025.