Qualcomm Brings 3nm Snapdragon X2 Elite CPUs, Might Power Future Galaxy Books

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Qualcomm announced a bunch of new products and updates at Snapdragon Summit 2025. While the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, expected to feature in Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, made most headlines, the company also unveiled a couple of PC processors. The Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme could power Samsung’s future Galaxy Book Edge laptops.

Qualcomm announces new Arm-based PC processors

Both the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme are built on TSMC’s 3nm process node and use Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU cores. The lineup includes:

• Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core): Six prime CPU cores + six performance CPU cores
• Snapdragon X2 Elite (18-core): Twelve prime CPU cores + six performance CPU cores
• Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (18-core): Twelve prime CPU cores + six performance CPU cores

Clock speeds are equally impressive. The 12-core X2 Elite chips can reach 4.7GHz dual-core boost, while the other two can go as high as 5GHz, setting new benchmarks for Arm-based laptop CPUs. Compared to last year’s Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm promises 31% faster performance or 43% lower power consumption, depending on workload.

On the graphics side, the Adreno GPU inside the X2 Elite Extreme runs at 1.85GHz, while the standard Elite models reach 1.7GHz. These GPUs support DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenCL 3.0, enabling compatibility with modern PC games and creative apps. They can also drive three external 5K 60Hz monitors or three 4K 144Hz displays, offering flexibility for both productivity and entertainment setups.

AI is another highlight. Each chip integrates an NPU capable of 80 TOPS. Qualcomm claims these are the fastest AI chips in the laptop industry. Combined with 53MB cache memory, these processors are optimized for on-device generative AI tasks, productivity tools, and creative workflows.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite lineup supports LPDDR5x RAM, with the standard models offering a 128-bit bus (152GB/s bandwidth), while the Extreme variant steps up to a 192-bit bus (228GB/s bandwidth). Storage options include PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs, UFS 4.0, and SDUC/SDXC cards, ensuring support for high-speed data workflows.

Connectivity is equally future-ready with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G support, and three USB 4.0 Type-C ports. Qualcomm also brings support for aptX audio, 4K video capture at 30fps, and 8K video playback at 60fps—a rare feat for laptop-class chips.

Samsung’s next-gen Galaxy Book Edge could be among the first adopters

The Snapdragon X2 Elite family will debut in spring 2026, with major PC makers expected to adopt the platform. Samsung, which already embraced Qualcomm’s chips in its Galaxy Book Edge series, is likely to equip upcoming Edge-branded laptops with the new processors. The company hasn’t officially confirmed anything yet, but expect leaks in the coming months.

Written by

Sumit Adhikari

Sumit, a life-long Samsung user, is passionate about technology and has been professionally writing on tech since 2017. He’s a mathematics graduate by education and enjoys teaching basic mathematics tricks to school kids in his spare time. Sumit believes in artificial intelligence and dreams of a fully open, intelligent and connected world.

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