Qualcomm marks its foray into Windows PCs with next-gen AI chips

Qualcomm has announced its entry into the PC processor market with its Snapdragon X series chipsets. These new chips — Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus — are designed specifically for Windows PCs and promise to usher in a new era of “Copilot+ PCs” with advanced AI capabilities and extended battery life.

“The PC is reborn,” Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon said while making the announcement at Computex 2024. “Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built with AI integrated throughout the system and can deliver multi-day battery life.”

Qualcomm, so far, has been primarily focusing on making chips for mobile devices under its Snapdragon brand.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite offers up to 2.6 times the NPU performance per watt compared to competitors like the Apple M3 and up to 5.4 times compared to the Core Ultra 71. Furthermore, the Qualcomm Oryon CPU in  Snapdragon X Elite promises up to 51% faster CPU performance at ISO power, matching peak PC CPU performance at 65% less power, the statement added.

“The Qualcomm AI Hub allows developers to deploy a data model within five minutes on devices powered by Snapdragon chips, whether on their own or from Qualcomm Technologies’ growing collection of pre-optimized, ready-to-use AI models. The new Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows provides the ideal hardware platform for these developers, with an accelerated Snapdragon X Elite chipset and a popular, stackable form factor,” Aron added.

Big PC makers joining the bandwagon

Leading PC manufacturers like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Microsoft voiced their support for the Snapdragon X Series for Copilot+ PCs, highlighting the potential for a new era of intelligent personal computing.

“The PC is being Reborn, and it’s changing what consumers can expect from their devices,” Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft said. “Copilot+ PCs represent an inflection point for our entire industry. And it’s only possible because of the collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies.”

The initial set of over 20 Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors are available for pre-order now and can be purchased from major retailers starting June 18, the statement added.

“We’re excited to extend our relationship with Qualcomm Technologies into Copilot+ PCs,” said Jason Chen, Chairman and CEO of Acer.

There’s no doubt the AI PC revolution is here with promises of unlocking new levels of productivity and efficiency,” Sam Burd, president of Client Solutions Group at Dell Technologies said on the development. “Dell is all-in on this AI PC era, evidenced by our comprehensive portfolio of AI PCs which now includes devices powered by Snapdragon X Series. Users can benefit from extraordinary performance, battery life, and new AI experiences to take back time in their day and focus on the tasks that matter most.”

This move by Qualcomm has the potential to significantly shake up the PC landscape. With promises of faster performance, longer battery life, and innovative AI features, Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs could be a game changer for Windows users.