Cheaper Copilot+ PCs are coming with Qualcomm's 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip
It uses the same NPU from the company’s 12-core and 10-core AI silicon.
Qualcomm is moving to make AI PCs more affordable. Following the company’s 12-core Snapdragon X Elite and 10-core Snapdragon X Plus, it unveiled a toned-down eight-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus on Wednesday. The chip includes the same Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) from the higher-end variants, capable of 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for powerful on-device AI.
The 4nm AI-focused chip has a custom Qualcomm Orion CPU built for “mainstream” (i.e., cheaper) Copilot+ PCs. Its eight cores can reach speeds of up to 3.2GHz, with single-core performance at up to 3.4GHz. Qualcomm says it enables days-long battery life in laptops.
The chip includes an integrated Adreno GPU, which supports up to three 4K 60Hz monitors or two 5K 60Hz displays. It supports an internal display of up to UHD 120Hz with HDR10.
The chart below shows how the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core’s specs compare to other AI chips in the line:
“Copilot+ PCs, powered exclusively today by Snapdragon X Series platforms, launched the new generation in personal computing, made possible by our groundbreaking NPU,” Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon wrote in a press release. “We are now bringing these transformative AI experiences, along with best-in-class performance and unprecedented battery life, to more users worldwide with Snapdragon X Plus 8-core. We’re proud to be working with our global OEM partners to restore performance leadership to the Windows ecosystem.”
The first PCs with the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus include laptops from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and others. They’ll be available starting today.