Qualcomm is expected to build a new model into its Snapdragon X series targeting the computer market. The new addition, which will probably be called the Snapdragon X Plus, is anticipated to be revealed at the IFA 2024 conference on September 9. This means that Qualcomm is trying to expand its market share in the PC processor market and release more capable but cheaper chips for both consumers and companies.
According to a recent report by Gizchina, this processor is aimed at entry-level gaming laptops with a nice balance of performance and price. It is claimed that the initial notebooks based on this new processor could cost around $700, which means that it could reach a large audience of users, including gamers on a tight budget.
Snapdragon X1P-42-100 Details
The integrated GPU in the Snapdragon X1P-42-100 may not be the most powerful compared to other current Qualcomm Snapdragon X1, However, it is believed to have promising competency in regards to gaming. The built-in Adreno GPU offers up to 1.7 TFLOPS for graphics processing. This might not align well with the high-end gaming laptops that may come with dedicated GPUs. However, for full-fledged integration, this still provides a fairly adequate amount of power, in part for the proposed price range.
Apart from gaming, the Snapdragon X1P-42-100 will provide optimized performance support for artificial intelligence (AI). The AI performance of the chip is as robust as other Snapdragon X processors, courtesy of the 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of AI computing power. This level of performance assures that the chip is capable of handling a wide range of artificial intelligence exercises like real-time image analysis, voice recognition, and other machine learning procedures.
Also, it is worth adding that the Snapdragon X1P-42-100 has the possibility of working with multiple external displays at the same time. The chip is also able to support up to three external 4K devices that can work at a 60Hz frequency. This capability is particularly useful for users who need to use several monitors in their workflow, gaming, or entertainment purposes.
Snapdragon X Series Comparison
To give a better understanding of how the Snapdragon X compares to its predecessors, here is a table comparing the major specs across the Snapdragon X series.
| Platform | Part Number | Cores | Total Cache | Max Processor Frequency | CPU Acceleration | TFLOPS | NPU TOPS | Memory Type | Transfer Rate |
| Snapdragon X Elite | XIE-00-1DE | 12 | 42MB | 4.3GHz | 4.3 GHz (Dual Core) | 4.6 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
| Snapdragon X Elite | XIE-84-100 | 12 | 42MB | 4.2GHz | 4.2 GHz (Dual Core) | 4.6 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
| Snapdragon X Elite | XIE-80-100 | 12 | 42MB | 4.0GHz | 4.0 GHz (Dual Core) | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
| Snapdragon X Elite | XIE-78-100 | 12 | 42MB | 3.4GHz | None | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
| Snapdragon X Plus | XIP-64-100 | 10 | 42MB | 3.4GHz | None | 3.8 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
| Snapdragon X Plus | XIP-42-100 | 8 | 30MB | 3.4GHz | None | 1.7 | 45 | LPDDR5x | 8448MT/S |
As pointed out above, the Snapdragon X Elite series is characterized by higher core counts and increased clock speeds. With these features and functions added, it makes it more fit for intensive use. The Snapdragon X Plus series, however, is a bit less powerful but is still quite comparable to others, especially in its 45 TOPS AI benchmark, tied with the Elite series. The Snapdragon X Plus also offers a lower-cost solution compared to its competitors. All in all, the 8 core of the XIP-42-100 model considers the price factor as well as the performance.
The Snapdragon X Plus, especially the Snapdragon X1P-42-100 model is Qualcomm’s recent attempt to push further into the PC segment. The flexibility of gaming, AI, and the support of multiple displays makes the Snapdragon X1P-42-100 both attractive for consumers and manufacturers. Cristiano Amon, the Qualcomm CEO, in the past, indicated the plan to announce laptops with the Snapdragon chip at relatively low prices around $700, thus indicating that the company wants to make high-performance computing available to anyone and everyone. This is expected to make it even more cheap hence giving it a chance in the entry-level gaming laptops market.