Qualcomm's upcoming budget-friendly Snapdragon X Plus chip, aimed at powering affordable Windows on Arm PCs, is showing mixed results in early benchmark tests. While the new 8-core processor demonstrates respectable CPU performance, its GPU capabilities fall significantly short of expectations.
CPU Performance: Holding Its Own
The Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100, featuring 8 Oryon CPU cores, shows promising results in CPU-focused tests:
- Single-core performance is only about 5% behind its 10-core sibling
- Outperforms some AMD Ryzen 9 and Intel Core i9 chips in Geekbench 6 single-core tests
- Multi-core performance is roughly 20% lower than the 10-core variant, as expected given the core count difference
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| Cinebench 2024 benchmarking scores of the Snapdragon X Plus demonstrating its CPU capabilities |
GPU Performance: A Significant Weakness
However, the GPU benchmarks reveal a major shortcoming:
- 3DMark Time Spy score of 916 graphics points - nearly 40% lower than the 10-core version
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p:
- Low settings: Only 18 FPS
- High settings: Unplayable 12 FPS
This level of graphics performance is particularly disappointing considering the $700 price point. For comparison, an M1 MacBook Air at the same price can manage 30 FPS in similar scenarios.
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| Benchmark comparison of GPU performance for Snapdragon X Plus against other systems, illustrating the significant shortfall in graphics capabilities |
Target Market and Use Case
Despite the weak gaming performance, Qualcomm appears to be targeting a specific market segment:
- Users primarily running web-based applications
- Those interested in trying AI PC features
- Consumers valuing exceptional battery life (with some reviewers reporting weekly charging)
The Bigger Picture
The Snapdragon X Plus aims to bring Windows on Arm experiences to a more affordable price point. While it may struggle with gaming and graphics-intensive tasks, its focus on efficiency and AI capabilities could still find an audience.
As Intel prepares to launch its Lunar Lake chips later this year, it will be interesting to see how they compare in terms of performance and power efficiency. The battle for budget-friendly, AI-capable laptops is just beginning to heat up.