Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme: 18 cores and 48GB on-package

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme demo unit pairs an 18-core CPU with 48GB of LPDDR5X on-package over a 192-bit bus. The early numbers look good—just remember these are reference systems.

In Qualcomm’s showcase, the slim 16-inch reference laptop used 1TB storage and that unusually wide on-package memory configuration. Vendor demos are never the final word, but bandwidth clearly helps some CPU/GPU and AI tasks. The real questions: battery-normalized performance, app compatibility under Windows-on-ARM, and GPU driver stability.

If you’re tracking ARM PCs, start with our Windows on ARM compatibility checklist, then read our take on whether NPUs are the point—or the problem. For a sanity check on positioning vs Apple Silicon, see Apple M-series vs Snapdragon X: what actually matters. Until we test shipping laptops, treat these figures as directional.

Related reading

• Windows on ARM compatibility checklist
• NPUs: the point—or the problem?
• Apple M-series vs Snapdragon X: what actually matters

Sources

• Tom’s Hardware — Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme early benchmarks