Snapdragon X2 Plus is the new challenger in Qualcomm’s war against the x86 architecture on Windows

On the occasion of CES 2026, the announcement of the platform Snapdragon X2 Plus marked a crucial moment in Qualcomm’s strategy for the PC market.

With the introduction of this new family of processors, the company throws down a new gauntlet to the x86 architecture, aiming to conquer the Windows 11 Copilot+ laptop market.

The brand’s stated goal is to “transform the user experience for professionals and creators”, offering devices that combine high performance, constant connectivity and battery life that lasts over several days.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus official, what changes compared to the Elite model?

The technological foundation of this revolution is the third-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU. This new ARM64-compatible architecture iteration has been designed to deliver a huge performance leap, optimizing energy efficiency to allow users to stay unplugged longer without sacrificing system responsiveness.

However, the real step change vs the past lies in on-device AI capabilities. The platform includes a NPU (Neural Processing Unit) Qualcomm Hexagon capable of delivering 80 TOPS (trillions of operations per second).

This is almost double the 45 TOPS of the previous Snapdragon X Elite/Plus generation, a figure that enables next-generation “AI-agentic” experiences and AI-assisted multitasking.

• How is it to use a laptop with Snapdragon X? Better than I expected!

Variants at a glance: 10-core vs 6-core

Delving into the technical details from the official specs, the Snapdragon X2 Plus line splits into two main variants, identified by codes X2P-64-100 and X2P-42-100, which differ substantially in core configuration and cache management.

The more powerful version, the 10-core model, is structured with 6x Prime Core and 4x Performance cores, offering a maximum multithread frequency of 4.0 GHz and a total cache of 34 MB.

Conversely, the 6-core variant retains the 6x Prime Core but removes the Performance cores, reducing total cache to 22 MB, while maintaining the same peak multithread frequency.

The differences widen when looking at the graphics subsystem. Although both versions mount a Qualcomm Adreno X2-45 GPU, their operating frequency varies drastically: the 10-core model pushes the GPU up to 1.7 GHz, while the 6-core version stops at 0.9 GHz.

This clearly positions the 6-core model as a solution oriented toward maximum efficiency and portability, while the 10-core version aims to handle heavier workloads.

It’s interesting to note that, despite these differences, Qualcomm has chosen not to downscale the NPU: both variants retain 80 TOPS, democratizing access to advanced AI features regardless of the device price tier.

The comparison with the X2 Elite series and the old generation

The following comparison table reveals that the X2 Elite series pushes the bar much higher, offering configurations up to 18 cores (in the X2E-96-100 model) with clock speeds up to 5.0 GHz and a 53 MB cache. Additionally, the Elite series boasts a higher memory bandwidth, reaching up to 228 GB/s versus the 152 GB/s of the Snapdragon X2 Plus.

However, the generational leap compared to the Snapdragon X1 series is clear. While the old X1 Plus series offered an NPU limited to 45 TOPS and lower GPU frequencies, the new X2 architecture raises the bar across the board.

	Model number	CPU cores	CPU max frequency	Cache	GPU max frequency	Part Number	NPU	Memory type supported	Memory bandwidth
Snapdragon X2 Elite	X2E-96-100	18	Up to 5.0 GHz	53 MB	Up to 1.85 GHz	X2-90	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 228 GB/s
	X2E-94-100	18	Up to 4.7 GHz	53 MB	Up to 1.85 GHz	X2-90	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 228 GB/s
	X2E-90-100	18	Up to 5.0 GHz	53 MB	Up to 1.70 GHz	X2-90	85 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
	X2E-88-100	18	Up to 4.7 GHz	53 MB	Up to 1.70 GHz	X2-90	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
	X2E-84-100	12	Up to 4.7 GHz	34 MB	Up to 1.70 GHz	X2-85	85 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
	X2E-80-100	12	Up to 4.7 GHz	34 MB	Up to 1.70 GHz	X2-85	85 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
	X2E-78-100	12	Up to 4.0 GHz	34 MB	Up to 1.35 GHz	X2-85	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
Snapdragon X2 Plus	X2P-64-100	10	Up to 4.04 GHz	34 MB	Up to 1.7 GHz	X2-45	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
	X2P-42-100	6	Up to 4.04 GHz	22 MB	Up to 0.91 GHz	X2-45	80 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 152 GB/s
Snapdragon X Elite	X1E-00-1DE	12	Up to 4.3 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.50 GHz	X1-85	45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1E-84-100	12	Up to 4.2 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.50 GHz	X1-85	45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1E-80-100	12	Up to 4.0 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-85	45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1E-78-100	12	Up to 3.4 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-85	45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
Snapdragon X Plus	X1P-66-100	10	Up to 4.0 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-85	45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1P-64-100	10	Up to 3.4 GHz	42 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-85	Up to 45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1P-46-100	8	Up to 4.0 GHz	30 MB	Up to 1.40 GHz	X1-45	Up to 45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
	X1P-42-100	8	Up to 3.4 GHz	30 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-45	Up to 45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s
Snapdragon X	X1-26-100	8	Up to 3.0 GHz	30 MB	Up to 1.25 GHz	X1-45	Up to 45 TOPS	LPDDR5x	Up to 135 GB/s

Connectivity and Security for the Modern Era

Beyond compute power, the Snapdragon X2 Plus platform aims to be a complete connectivity hub. Native support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 is native, guaranteeing high data transfer speeds and low latency.

For mobility, the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF system is present, enabling downloads up to 10 Gbps, freeing the user from the need for fixed Wi-Fi networks.

On the security front, the platform integrates Snapdragon Guardian technology and the Microsoft Pluton processor, offering chip-to-cloud protection that includes automated presence detection and advanced biometric authentication, essential features for the enterprise market this chip targets.

“Professionals and creators today want to do more, create more and push the boundaries of generative AI and long-lasting performance. The Snapdragon X2 Plus platform offers power, efficiency and intelligence to surpass their ambitions, making every experience more responsive and personal” said Kedar Kondap, SVP and GM of the Computing and Gaming division at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.