Windows has had a tough time successfully using ARM to make good quality laptops, and this was only further solidified when Apple released their own ARM-based MacBooks that outperformed Windows 11 in nearly every metric. However, recent benchmark results using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip have surfaced, which suggest Windows could finally beat Apple at ARM laptops.
The Snapdragon X Elite benchmarks, which Windows Latest found on Geekbench, show two different products: a Lenovo 83ED and Qualcomm ZH-WXX. Lenovo scored high, with a Single-Core Score of 1,682 and a Multi-Core Score of 11,392. Qualcomm also scored well, with a Single-Core Score of 2,574 and a Multi-Core Score of 12,562. Both of these beat out the M1 and M2 chips for MacBook and come close to beating the M3.
Both use new SKUs for Snapdragon X Elite, leading to speculation that Qualcomm is getting ready to release multiple laptops using these chips. With scores like the ones above, it means that Windows 11 may finally have an ARM-based laptop that could give MacBook a run for its money.
Windows 11 is beefing up its ARM laptops using the Snapdragon X Elite
Windows got thoroughly spanked by MacBook and the M1, M2, and M3 chips. These chips using ARM showed off what the technology was capable of producing, including longer battery life and better performance. While Microsoft also released laptops using ARM, the results were much less impressive. Its models were pricier, had limited compatibility with programs, and were less powerful than laptops using x86. All in all, the Windows ARM laptops simply weren’t worth getting excited about compared to MacBook.
ARM-based laptops come with plenty of perks since the technology is mainly used for smartphones and tablets. Features prominent on these devices, like long battery lives and quick reboots, can be found on ARM laptops if implemented correctly. They’re also less demanding than x86, meaning they have tons of potential.
However, there is one huge hurdle that Qualcomm will need to face, and that’s app compatibility. Because the architecture for ARM is different than x86, you can’t run programs designed for one on the other. If Microsoft wants to see good apps available for ARM laptops, it needs to push developers towards ARM instead of x86.
It will be exciting to see if the Snapdragon X Elite can take Windows 11 to a place that can rival MacBook M chips. So far, the results for ARM laptops using Windows have been very disappointing, and they’re not worth switching to the technology if you’re not interested in Apple products.
However, given the recently released benchmarks, if the new Snapdragon X Elite chips can produce these impressive results, it may cause a surge of users to switch to the new architecture. This would also incentivize more developers to make ARM apps, as they’ll see more users. It’s a win-win situation all around if Qualcomm can pull it off.
