Qualcomm will release the Snapdragon X Plus chip alongside the Snapdragon X Elite processor in mid-2024. Like the X Elite, this chip will feature Qualcomm's custom integrated CPU, Qualcomm Oryon, which promises faster CPU performance than competing processors while consuming less power.

The Snapdragon X Plus features a 10-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU and 45 TOPS NPUs. As such, the company claims the X Plus will feature "industry-leading on-device AI capabilities."

The first laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite are expected to be released starting in 2024. If Qualcomm's claims are true, this AI-focused chip could give processors like the Intel Core Ultra and Apple M3 a shot in the arm.

Here's everything we know about the Snapdragon X Plus.

The first laptops with Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite chips will begin shipping in mid-2024. Qualcomm has not disclosed which manufacturers will produce these laptops. Nevertheless, partners such as Lenovo and Microsoft are expected to be involved. [The price of Snapdragon X Plus notebooks varies by manufacturer.

The Snapdragon X Plus is manufactured in the same 4nm process as the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for mobile devices. The chip has 10 high-performance cores capable of achieving 3.4 GHz; the CPU memory architecture has a bandwidth of up to 135 GB/s and a total cache of 42 MB.

According to Qualcomm, the X Plus is up to 10% faster than the Apple M3 chip and 54% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU in Geekbench multi-threaded CPU performance. In the same benchmark test, the company's chips also consume 54% less power than Intel's processors.

In the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme graphics benchmark, the Snapdragon X Plus' Adreno GPU is 36% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and consumes half the power. If this is true, the X Plus' integrated GPU would provide better graphics performance than Meteor Lake's Xe Graphics.

Like the X Elite, the Snapdragon X Plus supports 120Hz 4K displays and HDR10. It also supports triple UHD (4K) and dual 5K at 60Hz. Laptops with Qualcomm CPUs should be quite capable if you have or want to set up multiple monitors.

At a recent Qualcomm event, we tested the performance of the Snapdragon X Plus with the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark test. The results are as follows.

Multi-core performance came a little closer to the competition, but the higher-performing M3 Pro and M3 Max still circled around the low-end Snapdragon X Plus. But Qualcomm's chips are faster than the M3s in the latest MacBook Air and iMac.

The X Plus is aimed at the mid-market for Windows laptops and competes fairly closely with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in the Asus Zenbook Duo. However, the Ultra 9 185H in the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra has the advantage.

We will need to run our own lab tests to see if they match Qualcomm's internal benchmarks. If what we see is accurate, the X Plus could deliver decent gaming. However, it is doubtful that it will perform as well as the best gaming laptop PCs.

Like the Snapdragon X Elite chip, the Snapdragon X Plus is built to handle AI-driven tasks more efficiently than a standard CPU or GPU. As such, it is a direct competitor to Intel's Meteor Lake and Apple's M3.

The Snapdragon X Plus' AI engine runs on an upgraded Hexagon NPU capable of 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second). While this is not as high as the X Elite's 75 TOPS, it is higher than the Meteor Lake's 34 TOPS. laptops with the X Plus (and X Elite) should be able to crunch through AI-driven tasks without draining the laptop's battery.

With Qualcomm's bold talk about its Snapdragon X chips, it remains to be seen whether laptops with these processors will deliver the performance and battery life the company claims. With all the promises we hear about what AI can deliver, it would be nice to see a machine that can actually deliver the goods in that regard.

As for the Snapdragon X Plus chip, it is likely to be found in lower-end laptops due to its lower specs compared to the X Elite. Therefore, customers can choose between two AI-driven Qualcomm PC processors. However, they will have to wait until the middle of this year to test these laptops themselves.

We will update this page with the latest Snapdragon X Plus news as it becomes available, so stay tuned.