New Chip Innovations: A Game-Changer for Copilot+ PCs

The first Copilot+ laptops are now available, featuring Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon X chip. Initial reviews were delayed, but early feedback has highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of these new processors. Recent leaks suggest Qualcomm has more to offer, raising optimism for the Arm-based Copilot+ PCs. What’s the latest? It appears there may be additional models of the chip that we haven't yet encountered.

Currently, reviews of the Asus Vivobook S 15 are in, but this model represents just one of several variants within the Snapdragon X Elite family. According to information from the Adreno GPU driver, there could be not just six, but ten distinct models of the Snapdragon X. Notably, three of these are Plus versions, whereas we have previously seen just one.

As reported by VideoCardz, the unreleased chips may include the X Elite X1E-76-100, which is likely to be a 12-core model, similar to other Elite variants. Additionally, there are updates in the Plus series, with new models such as the X1P-62-100, X1P-42-100, and X1P-40-100 making their appearance. While specific specifications are still under wraps, it’s reasonable to assume that the Plus variants could feature 10 cores instead of 12.

Based purely on their names, the X1P-62-100 is expected to be the second-most powerful 10-core chip, while the X Elite X1E-76-100 could serve as the entry-level option among the 12-core chips. Although clock speeds present intriguing possibilities, we still don’t know when, or if, these speculated chips will launch in actual laptops.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite will compete against processors like the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel Lunar Lake in fulfilling Microsoft’s Copilot+ program requirements. The challenge lies in the fact that Qualcomm’s chips are Arm-based, requiring a different instruction set. While early emulation efforts have shown promise, many reviews indicate that certain applications, particularly games, do not perform optimally on these devices—an area in which Microsoft is actively working to improve.

On a brighter note, these new processors seem to deliver excellent battery life and efficiency. It remains to be seen if these rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips will come to fruition.