Qualcomm is launching a major offensive in the laptop market with the Snapdragon X. This is well received by Linus Tech Tips. We explain what this is about and what excites the YouTube giant so much.
Who is Linus Tech Tips? With more than 15 million subscribers, Linus Tech Tips
(named after its creator, Linus Sebastian) is one of the largest tech channels on YouTube. Recently, Linus faced allegations, which you can read more about here on MeinMMO:
This sounds very steep; aren’t AMD and Intel the market leaders? In the video from Linus Tech Tips, it is about the new family of mobile processors from the US manufacturer Qualcomm. Until now, these were primarily known for high-end cores in smartphones.
The Snapdragon X is designed as a combination of CPU (traditional processor) and GPU (graphics) as well as a new NPU (Neural Processing Unit for AI) specifically for laptops with Microsoft’s Copilot+. This puts it in direct competition with products from AMD and Intel as well as with Apple and their MacBooks.
Linus does not talk about traditional PCs or consoles (non-mobile) in this case.
What does Linus find so great about the Snapdragon X?
Linus is particularly excited about the following features of the new processor:
Compatibility
According to Linus and these lists, the Snapdragon X already boasts a wide compatibility at launch.
- Compatible games on Snapdragon X, via worksonwoa
- Common software running on Snapdragon X, via Qualcomm
But Windows runs on it, right? Yes, Windows works on a Snapdragon X, but not the regular version. A so-called ARM version is used. ARM is a different type of hardware that is commonly used in laptops and smartphones.
What does that mean in everyday life? Software must be specifically written, ported, or otherwise made compatible for ARM. In everyday usage, most users and players likely would not notice this anymore, at least that is suggested by the lists of compatible software and games.
Anyone who wants to read more on this topic and learn about the advantages of the ARM architecture over traditional x86 can find that for example on redhat.com.
Battery efficiency
According to Linus Tech Tips, the new laptop models with Snapdragon boast battery longevity that significantly surpasses the competition. Current Intel devices reach about 15 hours, while a selected model from HP with the new processor from Qualcomm achieves almost 26 hours.
Webcam
The webcam stands out due to better integration into the architecture of the system and is generally more comparable to smartphone cameras. It is directly connected to the CPU, instead of USB 2.0 like in x86.
AI features
Thanks to the NPU, Snapdragon X is the first hardware to meet all requirements for Microsoft’s Copilot+. This allows various tasks to be performed directly on the hardware instead of through the cloud.
Are Intel and AMD now obsolete (in mobile)?
Ultimately, as of June 12, 2024, it cannot be answered how good the Snapdragon X really is. There have only been a few independent tests of the hardware that can be considered comprehensive (missing drivers, pending Windows updates, etc.). However, the general tone of the video, as well as statements on performance and runtime, align with initial impressions from others.
A longer article on Tomshardware, for example, goes into detail about the Snapdragon X and shows itself quite impressed. Heise also judges positively and praises especially the performance that is on par with current x86 systems.
Snapdragon X seems to be a strong competitor for Intel and AMD. But whether Intel and AMD will really become unnecessary (in the mobile segment), as Linus suggests in his video title, remains to be seen. The tests will show, especially when the two hardware giants follow suit.
In a very special way “mobile” is this interesting art project that we present to you in the following video:
For those who like the style of Linus Sebastian and his team at Linus Tech Tips, we have another article here. Because aside from hardware, the YouTube channel also deals with software. Some time ago, they looked at various cleaning tools and came to interesting conclusions, especially regarding the marketing of the providers.
