• News/
  • https://www.zdnet.com/article/next-gen-windows-pc-may-surpass-m4-macbooks-thanks-to-this-chipset-heres-whats-coming/

Next-gen Windows PC may surpass M4 MacBooks thanks to this chipset - here's what's coming

ZDNet
·
Cesar Cadenas
·
Published Sep 24, 2025
·
Updated

At its recent Summit 2025 event, Qualcomm took the stage to announce its next generation of laptop chipsets: the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. I've been closely following Qualcomm's journey through the laptop industry since the company launched the first generation of Snapdragon hardware back in 2024. These chipsets perfectly balance performance with energy efficiency, allowing host computers to last all day long. Judging from preliminary information, the second generation is bringing improvements across board. Also: Qualcomm patches three exploited security flaws, but you could still be vulnerable Much of the data we have only pertains to the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, so it'll be our main focus. According to Qualcomm, the platform will consist of the new third-generation 18-core Oryon processor, a revamped Adreno GPU, and an 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU providing an extra boost to performance. All this is paired with LPDDR5 RAM to ensure lightning-fast processing speeds. To further emphasize how much of an upgrade the Elite Extreme is, Qualcomm also detailed benchmark results comparing its future hardware to competing chipsets. The results are interesting because they show the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is significantly better than Apple's M4 chipset. Also: You can get the M4 MacBook Pro for $300 off - one of the lowest prices we've seen For example, in the Geekbench 6.5 multi-core test, the Elite Extreme peaked at 23,491 points, whereas the M4 only hit 15,...

Read full article

Affected Software

2 affected components
Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme
Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the main topic of this article?

The article discusses Qualcomm's announcement of its next generation laptop chipsets, the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.

2

What security implications are discussed?

The article does not explicitly mention security implications related to the new chipsets.

3

What products or software are affected?

The products affected are the next generation Windows PCs incorporating Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chipsets.

4

When was the Snapdragon X2 Elite chipset announced?

The Snapdragon X2 Elite chipset was announced at Qualcomm's Summit 2025 event on September 24, 2025.

5

How might the new chipset impact competition with MacBooks?

The article suggests that the Snapdragon X2 Elite chipsets may enhance Windows PCs' performance and competitiveness against M4 MacBooks.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203