Qualcomm Claims Snapdragon X Elite 21% Faster Than Apple's M3 Chip

[MacRumors]

Chipmaker Qualcomm has claimed that its new Snapdragon X Elite PC processor is 21% faster than Apple's latest M3 chip in multi-core performance, although questions remain about its thermal profile.

Demoing PCs with the new chipset, the San Diego manufacturer told Digital Trends that the Snapdragon X Elite records a multi-core Geekbench score of 15,300, whereas Apple's M3 obtains a score of 12,154. What Qualcomm did not mention however is the Snapdragon-powered machine's power consumption as a benchmarking vector, which is an important indicator of efficiency performance.

Qualcomm's upcoming range of 2024 Windows PCs are expected to be offered in different thermal design profiles. The performance-focused 80W profile runs faster but generates more heat and requires active cooling (fans), while the efficiency-focused 23W profile is made to be used in thinner laptops with passive cooling systems. For comparison, Apple's base M3 MacBook Pro houses a single fan, similar to the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro, but the M3 Pro and M3 Max use dual-fan designs to allow the additional cores to reach maximum performance under load.

The Snapdragon X Elite was announced in late October, just before Apple announced its new MacBook Pro lineup powered by M3 series chips. Despite the claims of better performance offered by the Elite chip over Apple silicon, Qualcomm conceded that "hardware... is the only thing we can control," and therefore the user experience between the rival machines is "not going to be the same," because "they're running macOS and we're running Windows."

Article Link: Qualcomm Claims Snapdragon X Elite 21% Faster Than Apple's M3 Chip

 

[akbarali.ch]

M3 sweetness was short live it seems. But, are there laptops available in shops with these chips?

 

[YKApple]

Oh it actually exists!

 

[gpat]

So underwhelming on Qualcomm's part.
Why are you going to hype your product so high if you're going to underdeliver and you know it?

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

windows 🤢

 

[andrewxgx]

80W to compete with M3?
M3 is like 20W when under heavy load IIRC
80W is estimated TDP of M3 Max

 

[Sorinut]

There is no M3 air, yet, but I won't buy a laptop with a fan ever again. I waited 25 years for a fanless computer.

Good luck with that at 80w, Qualcomm.

 

[u65403]

M3 Max scores 21 049, so Qualcomm still has quite a ways to go.

 

[danbalsh]

Competition is good, be interested to see real-world performance differences.

 

[adamw]

Thermal Profile is important. Qualcomm's chip is likely missing many of the other GPU optimizations and features that Apple's M3 chip family supports, plus they are comparing it to the base M3 chip, not the M3 Pro, M3 Max, or the soon to be released M3 Ultra for performance. And what about Apple's built in GPUs, Media Encoders, Neural Engine, and other custom chip features on Apple's M3 series of chips, that may be missing on Qualcomm's chip? They are comparing Apples to Oranges!

 

[Will Co]

Let's get all the facts, Qualcomm. Show us the processing and GPU scores INCLUDING the thermal profile at the same time. Otherwise, you're comparing Apples to Oranges. See what I did there?

 

[toto75]

Is it faster than M3 Pro and Max though?

 

[Populus]

Is this the chip where the guys from Nuvia had been working on? If so, it will be interesting to see what’s capable of. Although I must admit that an 80W SoC seems a bit excessive… EDIT: Nevermind, I just read that the M2 Max already has a TDP of 80W

As I usually say, competition is good!

 

[Strider64]

I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of speed in exchange for more manageable thermal temperatures that don't demand as much power for cooling.

 

[ItsASpider]

So underwhelming on Qualcomm's part.
Why are you going to hype your product so high if you're going to underdeliver and you know it?

A 20% performance benefit is "underwhelming"? Come on now.

 

[neilw]

Until there are systems out that can be tested and compared, these claims are meaningless.

 

[apparatchik]

The M3 will be coming to fanless iPads and Macbook Airs, can the Snapdragon Elite achieve those numbers without a fan?

How does it compare with the rest of the M3 family, with what TDP and at what price points?

Will we see a Mini-PC with this chip going against the M3 Mac Mini at $500?

Will there be shipping systems with it soon, or are they really going against the M4 family?

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Competition is good, be interested to see real-world performance differences.

I hope their claims are true, as you are right. It just makes Apple work harder for their next design, and we consumers will benefit.

 

[gpat]

A 20% performance benefit is "underwhelming"? Come on now.

It's massively weaker if ran at same TDP.
80W TDP is irrelevant as Apple has other parts for that job.

 

[lkrupp]

Here we go again. MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS! It all seems so childish. Sounds like they’re marketing to 15 year old boys. And Apple is no better with their claims of superiority. I don’t buy Apple products because of benchmarks, I buy Apple products because of macOS, iOS, iPadOS and I’m certain I’m in the vast majority.

 

[Swissfashion]

Hey Qualcomm, show us the results of a PC laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite and a MacBook Pro with a M3 Max running a 30 minute benchmark only on battery.

 

[wood1208]

What a dumb comparison. Anyone(Intel,AMD,Nvidia,Samsung,Chineses companies, etc) can create a faster processor but the art with engineering is high performance at lower power consumption is the differentiator.

 

[JCCL]

Great to hear Qualcomm is catching up. Could only lead to stronger PC offerings and compel Apple to continue to improve. Both are great outcomes in my opinion.

 

[scorpio vega]

Here we go again. MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS! It all seems so childish. Sounds like they’re marketing to 15 year old boys. And Apple is no better with their claims of superiority. I don’t buy Apple products because of benchmarks, I buy Apple products because of macOS, iOS, iPadOS and I’m certain I’m in the vast majority.

Unfortunately there are grown men and women who literally somehow go crazy over this.
Points to any Android release of a smartphone for them to boast about specs that Apple does not have lol

 

[CarAnalogy]

Competition is good, be interested to see real-world performance differences.

Indeed.

Just as big a question is how Microsoft is coming along with Windows on ARM. Their Qualcomm exclusivity deal has already set them back at least five years.