Qualcomm launches new AI chip! Used for mid-range models priced at only $600

Qualcomm launched its new system-on-chip Snapdragon X at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, targeting the mid-range PC market. The company stated that this chip is manufactured using a 4-nanometer process and can provide battery life of "multiple days" along with powerful performance, including support for running the latest artificial intelligence software, with PCs priced as low as $600.

Qualcomm indicated that Snapdragon X will be configured in a range of Microsoft Copilot+PCs, equipped with AI-driven tools and applications. These Copilot+PCs are expected to be available in the first quarter of this year, priced around $600.

According to reports, Snapdragon X is equipped with Qualcomm's Oryon CPU, featuring 8 cores and a maximum clock speed of up to 3GHz. Additionally, the chip integrates a neural processing unit (NPU), which is said to accelerate AI workloads.

Qualcomm promotes the key advantage of its products as the ultra-long battery life of devices based on its chips. Qualcomm stated that its chips have been optimized from the design stage for small battery-powered devices, making them more efficient than the smaller versions of desktop chips offered by competitors.

Other highlights include compatibility with Bluetooth 5.4, support for Wi-Fi 7, and the ability to support up to three external UHD (4K) displays running at 60Hz. PC manufacturers using the Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform (including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo) will also gain additional features such as Qualcomm's audio and video suite and proprietary image processing technology.

The company stated that PC manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo will launch laptops based on this new product early this year. Among them, Lenovo's new ThinkCentre neo 50q QC and IdeaCentre Mini x (1L, 10) both use Snapdragon X series processors, although the specific configurations vary slightly. The ThinkCentre neo 50q QC is equipped with Snapdragon X Plus or Snapdragon X, depending on the configuration, while the IdeaCentre Mini x (1L, 10) uses Snapdragon X Plus.

Snapdragon X Plus was launched last spring, following the release of Snapdragon X Elite in October 2023. Qualcomm also introduced a lower configuration and cheaper variant of X Plus in September 2023.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has been pushing Qualcomm's entry into the PC market, positioning it as an important pillar to reduce the company's reliance on smartphone chips. For a long time, Qualcomm has dominated the high-end smartphone market However, so far, Qualcomm has not posed a significant threat to market giants like Intel and AMD in the PC chip market. According to a recent industry report, Qualcomm only holds a 0.8% share of the PC market in the third quarter of 2024. Moreover, compatibility issues with Windows software based on Qualcomm chip architecture still need to be resolved.

However, Peter Burns, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Qualcomm, stated to the media last week:

"Currently, there are over 60 designs of Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon that are either on the market or in development."

"In 2024, the number of native Windows applications on the Snapdragon platform has tripled."

"The new mini and small desktop PCs mark an important milestone for our PC business. Developers can now leverage the design options and unprecedented energy efficiency of the Snapdragon desktop platform to build more efficient and powerful applications for Windows on Snapdragon, with NPU acceleration capabilities."

Earlier on Monday, Intel announced the launch of new chips and claimed to have regained an advantage in battery life. However, Qualcomm questioned this, stating that its chips can maintain full performance even when laptops are unplugged, while devices using competitor processors need to reduce performance to save power