Qualcomm recently unveiled its latest Snapdragon X series of processors designed for Windows on Arm laptops. The lineup consists of four chipsets, with three falling under the Snapdragon X Elite tier and the fourth being the Snapdragon X Plus, aimed at more budget-friendly Windows laptops.
Qualcomm's Plans for Snapdragon X Plus Lineup
Industry insider Kamila Wojciechowska has hinted at potential future developments within Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus lineup. There are talks of a more powerful variant in the works, known as the X1P-42-100, which is set to feature eight Oryon CPU cores, an increase from the six cores found in the X1P-64-100. Interestingly, the X1P-42-100 is rumored to omit the four efficiency cores present in its predecessor.
Enhanced Performance with Fewer PCIe Lanes
While the X1P-42-100 promises improved performance, it is noted to offer fewer PCIe lanes compared to the X1P-64-100.
Here is a table showcasing the specifications of all the SoCs in the Snapdragon X line:
| SoC | Performance Cores | Efficiency Cores | Turbo | GPU Frequency | Video Hardware | PCIe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X1 Elite (X1E-84-100) | 8x Oryon – 3.8GHz | 4x Oryon – 3.8GHz | 4.2GHz | 1.5GHz | 4K 60 fps encode, 4K 120 fps decode | 8+4 lanes of PCIe |
| X1 Elite (X1E-80-100) | 8x Oryon – 3.4GHz | 4x Oryon – 3.4GHz | 4.0GHz | 1.25GHz | 4K 60 fps encode, 4K 120 fps decode | 8+4 lanes of PCIe |
| X1 Elite (X1E-78-100) | 8x Oryon – 3.4GHz | 4x Oryon – 3.4GHz | – | 1.25GHz | 4K 60 fps encode, 4K 120 fps decode | 8+4 lanes of PCIe |
| X1 Plus (X1P-64-100) | 6x Oryon – 3.4GHz | 4x Oryon – 3.4GHz | – | 1.25GHz | 4K 60 fps encode, 4K 120 fps decode | 8+4 lanes of PCIe |
| X1 Plus (X1P-42-100) | 8x Oryon – ? | – | – | ? | – | 4+4 lanes of PCIe |
The X1P-42-100 is anticipated to have limitations in video encoding and decoding capabilities, reportedly capped at 4K/30 FPS encoding and 4K/60 FPS decoding. In comparison, the X1P-64-100 is expected to support 4K/60 FPS encoding and 4K/120 FPS decoding. Specific details regarding the CPU clock speeds and GPU specifications of the X1P-42-100 are currently undisclosed.
Qualcomm's Future Plans Beyond X Series
In addition to the X series, Wojciechowska's leaks suggest Qualcomm is developing a server-grade chipset codenamed "SD1." This processor purportedly features 80 Oryon cores on a 9470-pin LGA socket and is manufactured using TSMC's 5nm (N5P) production process.
The leak also indicates that the SD1 chipset will support 16 channels of DDR5-5600 RAM, offer 70 PCIe 5.0 lanes, and have the capability to run two chipsets simultaneously. Moreover, Wojciechowska mentions that the SD1 will integrate Compute Express Link (CXL) 1.1, although details about the silicon remain unclear at this stage.
