With the PC market expected to reach $247.10 billion by 2028 as growth picks up, mid-range segment — largely dominated by Windows — will continue to play a pivotal role. Both AMD and Intel have been eyeing a piece of this lucrative segment, with now Qualcomm throwing in its hat in the ring. The company is bringing in its Snapdragon X chipset to mid-range Windows PCs, as it looks to substantially increase the 0.8% (Q3’24) PC market share it currently holds. Earlier, the company launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for premium smartphones in October last year – with AI remaining the focal point of it.
Qualcomm unveiled the PC oriented Snapdragon X at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. This chip is built on a 4nm fabrication process and is specifically designed for mainstream and budget laptops. Despite not offering the same performance as the X Plus or X Elite processor variants, the new Snapdragon X chip features an identical design. It comes with Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU, featuring an 8-core count and a maximum clock speed of 3.0GHz.
The San Diego, California-based company claims that the Snapdragon X delivers 163% faster performance at ISO power compared to its rivals. Additionally, it contains a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), designed to speed up tasks related to artificial intelligence (AI). The Snapdragon X is part of Microsoft’s Copilot+PC lineup of AI-powered PCs. This means it can run Microsoft’s built-in AI apps, like Recall and Click to Do and more.
The Snapdragon X chip is compatible with LPDDR5x RAM, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, USB 4 (40Gbps), and includes the option for 5G connectivity. The chips are also said to be capable of powering up to three external UHD (4K) monitors at 60Hz. The new Snapdragon X offers multi-day battery life, providing up to 2x longer battery life compared to rivals. While streaming Netflix, the new test PC with Snapdragon X lasted 106% longer than a comparable Intel Core i5 notebook, according to the company.
The company highlights that devices powered by the new chip will be priced at around $600. For comparison, the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips are featured in laptops priced at $1,000 and up, and $800 and up, respectively. The PCs powered by the Snapdragon X chip are expected to be released by major manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell Technologies, HP, and Lenovo in Q1 2025.
“Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives,” Qualcomm said in a press release.
The company is focusing on the widely popular mid-range PC segment, as it appears to be losing market share to competitors like AMD and Intel. According to industry reports, Qualcomm held only 0.8% of the PC market in Q3 2024. Meanwhile, the company claims that 60 laptop designs powered by the Snapdragon X series are in production or development. Meanwhile, more than 100 such devices are expected to be released by 2026.
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