The Snapdragon X Elite: A Groundbreaking Processor for Windows Laptops
The Snapdragon X Elite is the latest innovation from Qualcomm, a significant step up in the competition in the Windows laptop space. This processor promises to deliver unparalleled performance and power efficiency, making it an exciting development in the world of PC hardware.
As we learned at the recent Snapdragon Summit, the Snapdragon X Elite is not just a processor, but a platform that combines CPU, GPU, and NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capabilities to create a powerful AI-powered device. The X Elite features a 30% faster CPU, 25% faster GPU, and a 98% faster NPU compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
But what does this mean for users? With the Snapdragon X Elite, you can expect enhanced performance, improved power efficiency, and a significant boost in AI capabilities. The processor's AI features, such as image generation, chatbots, and stable diffusion, will be available on both Windows and Android platforms, making it a game-changer for device manufacturers.
One of the most exciting announcements from the Snapdragon Summit was the ability to use 200-megapixel sensors to do on-sensor cropping. This technology, combined with Stable Diffusion, allows users to generate what would be on the outside of an image directly on their phone, something currently only possible with desktop software like Photoshop.
The future of PC hardware looks bright with the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Both processors are expected to ship later this year and into next year, respectively, bringing significant improvements to Android flagships in 2024. With Qualcomm's continued innovation, it's clear that we're on the cusp of a revolution in PC hardware.
The Importance of AI for Device Manufacturers
One of the most significant takeaways from the Snapdragon Summit was the importance of AI in device manufacturing. The ability to do AI tasks locally on devices is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. With the rise of Stable Diffusion and other AI-powered tools, users can expect to see more AI-enhanced features in their devices.
The Value-Add of NPU
The introduction of an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a significant development in PC hardware. The NPU allows for faster and more efficient processing of AI tasks, making it possible to perform complex operations on-device. This has significant implications for device manufacturers, who can now offer more advanced AI features without the need for cloud-based services.
A New Era for PC Hardware
The Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 represent a new era in PC hardware. With these processors, users can expect enhanced performance, improved power efficiency, and a significant boost in AI capabilities. The future of device manufacturing is looking bright, with Qualcomm leading the charge in innovation.
A Thank You to Qualcomm
Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to Qualcomm for inviting me out to the Snapdragon Summit and sponsoring this video. It's clear that they are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in PC hardware. I look forward to seeing how their innovations will shape the future of device manufacturing.
The Beach: A Perfect End to an Exciting Day
As I sit here reflecting on the Snapdragon Summit, I'm reminded of my time at a beach a few days ago. The sun was shining, the waves were crashing, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of saltwater. It's moments like these that remind me of the importance of taking a step back and appreciating the beauty in the world around us.
And so, as I conclude this article, I'll leave you with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future of PC hardware. With Qualcomm leading the charge, it's clear that we're on the cusp of something special.
WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- This is the Snapdragon X Elite,and it is the biggestthing to come to Windowsin a very long time.So Qualcomm were verygracious to invite me outto the Snapdragon Summit in Maui this yearand sponsor this video.The flagship is certainlythe Snapdragon X Elite.What you're looking at hereis a chip which can go head to headwith any other laptop chip on the market.We're talking about on the PC side,we're talking about on the Mac side,and that's an impressive accomplishment.So not only are you lookingat these incrediblypowerful Orion CPU cores,so the Snapdragon X Elite isgoing to have 12 CPU cores,two of which can boostup above four gigahertz.So to put a lot of this in the context,let me read you some of the benchmarksthat Qualcomm areclaiming for this X Elite,because it is truly impressive stuff,especially considering we'retalking about a processorwhich is not going to be shippinguntil the middle of 2024.so keep that in mind,we are very early here.So going against Intel,they took the Orion CPUversus a Core i7-1360P,and they delivered twicethe CPU performanceat the exact same power,and it doesn't stop there.They also put it headto head with Apple's M2.So for multi-threaded,we've got 50% higher peakmulti-threaded performancecompared to the standard M2,and when you look at thesingle-threaded performance,it is significantly betterthan even the M2 Max.We're talking about 3,227 versus 2,841.So again, not only singlethread is significantly better,at least according to Qualcomm,than anything Apple's shipping right now,but it also beats the standard M2in multi-threaded benchmarks.Now, the main caveat here would just bethat they're comparing it tothe currently available M2.Even so, that is a largegap in performance,and it is significant, becausethose M series processorshave really been toutedas such a huge leapover the existingcompetition, and they are,and this is basically claimingto be a almost equallyhuge leap over that.Probably the most interesting one hereis the comparison withAMD's Ryzen 9 7940HS,a chip that has quitegood integrated graphics.Here, we're talking about80% more performanceat the same power level.So I mean, how you're gonnause that graphical poweris gonna be a little different,since this is, of course,an ARM-powered device,so gaming is not reallygoing to be the strong suit.Now, the only downside I can think of hereis the app compatibility.So of course, not all Windows appsare compiled for Snapdragon and for ARM.It's getting better, sothey announced a few thingshere at the summit,including DaVinci Resolveis actually getting updatedfor Snapdragon support.There is a compatibility layer for appsthat are not fully optimized,much like which we saw on the Apple side,where they had the Rosettalayer to do the same thing,and theoretically, it'sgetting improvements.They were a little bit vague.I don't have the exact detailson how much better it's getting,but even for apps that are not optimized,they should be running better,and then there's justthe sheer brute forceof having a processor andGPU that is this powerful.They'll be able to pushthrough some of that.But the real story hereis going to be appsthat are being developedspecifically for Windows on ARM.And when you talk aboutthese Snapdragon processors,there's gonna be a wholelot of people, I think,who are gonna be buyingthese expecting not only the 5G,but that great performanceand that great battery life.I mean, if you're waitingfor a catch, keep waiting.I don't see a whole lot of thingsthat are gonna go wrong here.Now, of course, I still wanna get handson final shipping hardwareto see what these devices look like,but they should be targetingquite thin form factors.In fact, there actually are somethat will theoretically be availablein fanless configurations,so it's rare to see in the PC industry,something hit all of them, right?We're talking about great CPU performance,great graphics performance,great neural performance for AI tasks,and great battery life.And you can get it with 5G.So let me talk about AI.Now, that might be aphrase that you are tiredof hearing about, butbelieve me when I saythat it is not going anywhere,and there actually aresome legitimately cool,exciting announcements about it here.So first and foremost, on-device AI.Almost every AI chatbotand image generation toolthat you're using right nowis running in the cloud.Now, there are advantages to that.Obviously, you can have as much horsepowerin the cloud as you want,but the downsides thereis that anything you'resending to the cloudis gonna be shared withwhatever company you're usingand whatnot, there could be some concerns.And also the speed.If you've ever used something like ChatGPTor Bing or whatever, you canknow that's a little bit slow.Well, what's nice aboutthis newest generationof Snapdragon, and this is bothon the actual mobile side with 8 Gen 3as well as on the PC sidewhen it comes to X Elite,is the fact that you canactually do AI generationof images, you can dochatbots and stuff locallyon your device.Something you're gonnabe hearing a lot aboutin the next few years is anNPU, a neural processing unit.Now, a lot of these Qualcomm slidesand stuff they're talking about,they put it right alongsideyour CPU, your GPU and yourNPU, but what is an NPU?Well, put simply, it is a neural processorthat is specifically meantfor AI-related tasks.So while your CPU has its place,while your GPU has its place for graphics,the neural processor isused for a lot of thingsalready on your device.Certain tasks like helping you, you know,figure out the autocompleteon your keyboardor helping to tune the videoas you've got a very bright background,you gotta reign the highlights inand you're sort of processingmultiple frames and whatnot.Like, there's certainlyuses for an NPU today.On top of that, you canuse it for creation.So using Stable Diffusion, for example,you could generate an imagein less than a second.You know, this is stuff that,when I was playing aroundwith Stable Diffusion on aPC even like, six months ago,it would take me sometimes 20, 30 secondsto get that same image.It all feels ethereal.I'll completely admit,it's one of those thingsthat just you're like,oh, AI this, AI that,but it's here, it's coming,it's not going anywhere.And that's actually oneof the big takeawaysfrom the Snapdragon Summit,something that really hasbeen an an eye-opener.It's one thing to seeall these announcementsand see how quickly that the AIrevolution has been moving,but it's another thing tosee the practical benefits.It's another thing to seewhat you can do today,what you'll be able to dotomorrow with the devicethat you already carrywith you all the time.It's a value add, it's somethingadditional that you can do,and I think that that'sa really powerful thing.There's also Snapdragon 8 Gen 3,which is the SoC that you're going to findin pretty much all the majorAndroid flagships in 2024.We're talking about a 30%faster CPU, 25% faster GPU,and a 98% faster NPU comparedto the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.Now, this might not beas exciting as X Elite,but for everyone who usesa flagship Android device,this is a very healthy improvement.There's some cool demos here,including using 200 megapixel sensorsto do on-sensor cropping,as well as being ableto zoom out of an imageafter the fact.This would be using StableDiffusion to essentially generatewhat would be on the outside of an imagedirectly on your phone.Something that you could dowith, say, Photoshop today,but being able to do it onyour device is very cool.This is coming soon.We're talking aboutSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 devicesthat have already been announced hereat the Snapdragon Summitand will start shipping herelater this year andcertainly into next year.So expect a healthy improvementfor Android flagships in 2024.Put all this together,and it has been a veryexciting Snapdragon Summit.To summarize all of this,what we're looking atis Snapdragon X Elite,a significant step up whenit comes to the competitionin the Windows laptop space.Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is goingto be a very welcomeimprovement on the mobile side,and a ton of AIimprovements that are comingto both platforms, Windows, Android,like, it's an exciting time.So I wanna give a hugethank you to Qualcommfor inviting me out hereand sponsoring this video,and let me know in the comments belowwhat you think about the announcements,because to me, I feel likewe're gonna be looking backat this moment much theway that we looked backon a certain otherdevelopment in the PC spacea couple years ago and go, oh yeah,remember before we had ARM everywhere?See you next time.I'm gonna go appreciate the beach.
