Extreme version for the highest demands
The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is aimed at ultra-premium Windows PCs and is designed for particularly complex workloads such as data analysis, professional media production, or scientific applications. It combines up to 18 CPU cores with clock speeds of up to 5,0 GHz (on up to two cores). It is powered by the 3rd generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, which, according to the manufacturer, is up to 75 percent faster than the competition while consuming the same amount of power.
The Adreno GPU has also been redesigned, offering 2,3x better efficiency per watt compared to the previous generation. The Hexagon NPU delivers 80 TOPS AI performance, making it the fastest NPU in laptops today.
X2 Elite for premium PCs
The standard Snapdragon X2 Elite variant is designed for high-end notebooks and is primarily intended to accelerate multitasking and creative applications. Compared to the previous generation, Qualcomm promises up to 31 percent more performance while simultaneously consuming 43 percent less power. It also uses the 80 TOPS NPU, which can run AI functions in parallel with traditional workloads.
Manufacturing, platform and connectivity
Both processors are built using the 3nm process and support LPDDR5X memory with up to 128 GB capacity. They also feature the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF for cellular speeds of up to 10 Gbps and the FastConnect 7800 module with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. For business users, Qualcomm integrates the new Guardian technology, which enables out-of-band management similar to Intel's vPro.
Market launch from 2026
The first devices with Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme are expected to hit the market in the first half of 2026. Notebooks and mini PCs from various manufacturers are expected, with initial announcements possibly as early as CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Source: Qualcomm
