Qualcomm recently revealed remarkable benchmark results on May 28th, highlighting the AI capabilities of their Snapdragon X Elite processor’s Hexagon NPU. The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100's NPU achieved a score of 1787 in the UL Procyon AI test, far outstripping its competitors: the M3 (898 points) and Ultra 7 155H (480 points).
Significant Efficiency Gains
Qualcomm asserts that the Hexagon NPU operates with much lower power consumption than its rivals. Specifically, it shows a 22% reduction compared to the M3 and a 31% enhancement over the Ultra 7 155H.
Qualcomm has awarded the Snapdragon X Elite the title of “highest NPU performance per watt,” indicating an energy efficiency that is 2.6 times better than the M3 and an astonishing 5.4 times better than the Ultra 7 processor. Although these tests were carried out on Qualcomm reference designs and particular laptops, the results underscore the X Elite’s potential for efficient AI processing.
Real-World Application Potential
Qualcomm also demonstrated the GIMP + Stable Diffusion 1.5 raw image processing capabilities of the Snapdragon X Elite. In this scenario, the NPU provided 3 times the speed compared to the Core Ultra 7 155H, suggesting its promise for practical applications.
