Qualcomm launches Snapdragon

The American giant Qualcomm took advantage of CES 2025 in Las Vegas to unveil its new Snapdragon X processor, intended to democratize Windows PCs on ARM architecture. The announcement marks an important step in Qualcomm’s strategy to compete with Intel and AMD in the entry- and mid-range laptop market, with devices expected as early as early 2025.

The Snapdragon X complements the existing range including the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus. It stands out for its aggressive pricing positioning, targeting Windows PCs starting at $600. According to Qualcomm, this chip is based on ARM architecture. It is engraved in 4 nanometers, integrates 8 Oryon CPU cores clocked up to 3 GHz, as well as an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) offering performance of 45 TOPS, thus allowing manufacturers to offer Copilot+ PCs at affordable prices.

Promising performance against Intel

Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon The manufacturer highlights the artificial intelligence capabilities of its chip, which should allow the execution of more than 50 native AI experiences on Windows 11, including popular VPN, security and cloud storage applications.

The first PCs equipped with Snapdragon chip, thus expanding its offering beyond laptops.

A challenge for the Windows on ARM ecosystem

Despite the promises of performance and power efficiency, the success of the Snapdragon X will largely depend on the compatibility of Windows applications with the ARM architecture. Qualcomm will have to convince developers to adapt their software to take full advantage of its chip’s capabilities, a significant challenge in the face of Intel and AMD’s historic domination of the PC market, as the Prism emulator is still far from the mark .

With more PCs in production or development, Qualcomm seems determined to establish itself as a major player in the Windows PC market. It remains to be seen whether this offensive on the entry-level segment will effectively make the use of Windows on ARM commonplace and convince consumers to take the plunge instead of turning to… Apple or Linux. To put an end to Intel.

XS