Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core chipset launched for affordable PCs: Check features, devices and more

Qualcomm introduces the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset ahead of IFA 2024, offering a budget-friendly option for laptops with advanced AI and connectivity features.

Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset, offering a cost-effective option for laptops. (Qualcomm)

Qualcomm unveiled its Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset on Wednesday, just before the IFA 2024 event in Berlin. This new chipset offers a cost-effective alternative to Qualcomm's earlier 10-core Arm-based laptop processors. It utilises the same 4nm process technology and includes Oryon CPU cores, enabling on-device artificial intelligence (AI) features.

Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core Chipset: Key Features

The Snapdragon X Plus chipset features eight Oryon CPU cores and a 30MB CPU cache, which is 12MB less than the more advanced X Plus models. It is a powerful processor capable of supporting a massive 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The X1P-42-100 model operates at a peak clock speed of 3.2GHz and features an Adreno GPU with 1.7 TFLOPS of performance. If you need even more power, the X1P-46-100 variant offers a slightly higher clock speed of 3.4GHz and a more powerful GPU with 2.1 TFLOPS of performance.

This chipset's Adreno GPU supports up to three 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate. The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU can handle 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for AI tasks on compatible applications. The Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chip also supports PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD or UFS 4.0 storage, 36-megapixel cameras, and 4K HDR video capture via the Spectra ISP.

The Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF system enables support for mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G networks with download speeds up to 10Gbps. Additionally, the FastConnect 7800 system provides Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. In addition, the chipset supports up to three USB 4.0 ports. Qualcomm claims this chip can deliver up to twice the battery life compared to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, though its performance against Apple's M2 chip remains unclear.

Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core Chipset: Availability

Laptops with the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset will be available starting today from OEMs such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon announced that pricing for these devices will start at $799 (approximately Rs. 67,100).