Qualcomm to Take on Apple Silicon Chips With Snapdragon X Series for PCs

[MacRumors]

Qualcomm today outlined its plans for its next-generation chips designed for PCs. The Snapdragon X series is set to come out in 2024, and Qualcomm claims that it will mark an "inflection point for the PC industry" thanks to the "next-level performance" brought by the new chips.

Snapdragon X chips will use the Qualcomm Oryon CPU, which is built on the chip technology that it got when it purchased Nuvia. Founded by ex-Apple chip designers, Nuvia designed custom Arm-based chips that are expected to bring Apple silicon-like performance to PCs with improved power and efficiency.

In addition to improved efficiency, Qualcomm's upcoming PC chips include on-device AI processing and 5G connectivity.

As noted by The Verge, Arm has sued Qualcomm and Nuvia for violating the licensing agreements for Arm processor designs and architecture. Arm claims that licenses provided to Nuvia are not valid now that the company has been sold to Qualcomm.

Article Link: Qualcomm to Take on Apple Silicon Chips With Snapdragon X Series for PCs

 

[marzbarz]

lol good luck I guess

 

[Prof.]

Competition is always welcome.

 

[Analog Kid]

Game on!

This is what I've always felt Intel should worry about. Apple is merely a proof of concept. Qualcomm is a potential competitor.

This is where it gets interesting...

 

[Wildkraut]

Not gonna work out, simply because there is no Windows Software for it, no games, no x686 support for all kind of software. Also no NVIDIA or AMD Graphics, etc.

 

[MacLawyer]

Intel will fight this tooth and nail. Wonder if it will have onboard GPU like Apple silicon.

 

[macintologist]

Competition is good but without the vertical integration of hardware and software will this ever match Apple silicon power/efficiency?

 

[jz0309]

"take on" Apple - no, they're taking on Intel and AMD ... competition is a good thing

 

[citysnaps]

Qualcomm for sure has a lock on modern digital communications systems engineering and modem design (going back decades) - and loads of patents to go along with that.

With respect to modern SOC cpu/gpu/etc computer chip design, well, that remains to be seen.

 

[mashdots]

Not gonna work out, simply because there is no Windows Software for it, no games, no x686 support for all kind of software. Also no NVIDIA or AMD Graphics, etc.

I was thinking about that and I wonder . . . do you think this is going to be something Google tries to take advantage of? Breathing life into chromebooks to try and compete in a computer market for serious people?

 

[paul4339]

They need to find a way to scale out (to drive down costs) large volumes fast… Apple done this by making the decision to move their entire Mac line and iPads getting economies. Hopefully Qcom will be able to get Windows to run on it.

 

[klasma]

Not gonna work out, simply because there is no Windows Software for it, no games, no x686 support for all kind of software. Also no NVIDIA or AMD Graphics, etc.

A lot of Windows software works thanks to the x86 emulation, but it’s not fast, and it eats up the ARM efficiency gains. Drivers and games are a problem. Those ARM laptops aren't exactly cheap either. Yeah, I don't see it happening either, but they'll keep trying.

 

[sunny5]

Qualcomm already too close to Apple Silicon in terms of CPU and they already outperformed GPU with Gen 2 compared to A17 Pro. Gen 3 will be way better.

What happened to Apple in terms of chip development?

Laugh all you want cause that's the truth and fact: Qualcomm is now almost better than Apple Silicon on a same lithography and GPU already outperform Apple. Facts hurt you, huh?

 

[klasma]

I was thinking about that and I wonder . . . do you think this is going to be something Google tries to take advantage of? Breathing life into chromebooks to try and compete in a computer market for serious people?

Google is trying to do that: https://blog.google/products/chromebooks/chromebook-plus/
But it’s only interesting for people who don't need or want to run Windows software, and who don’t mind being bound to the Google cloud and web apps ecosystem.

 

[corinthos]

Wow, here come the PC version of MacBooks, with the thermals, performance, and battery life, PLUS 5G!

 

[APCX]

Qualcomm already too close to Apple Silicon in terms of CPU and they already made better GPU with Gen 2 compared to A17 Pro. What happened to Apple in terms of chip development?

Hi, just wondering if you could retract your claim that “Art Is Right” didn’t test the Razer laptop plugged in. He confirmed he did, so it would be great if you could just correct that now.

 

[erikkfi]

Sure they are.

Sure they will.

Sure they do.

 

[Wildkraut]

I was thinking about that and I wonder . . . do you think this is going to be something Google tries to take advantage of? Breathing life into chromebooks to try and compete in a computer market for serious people?

Nah, it kinda works for Chromebooks, because it’s a limited additional cheap consumption device.

Windows Devices (PCs) are used for so many things, and a Qualcomm CPU without x686 arch support, or at least a clever Rosetta like emulator won’t be accepted by end users. Simply because under Windows almost every user uses a special niche or professional software, which won’t be available for this CPU. Missing AAA Games and missing hardware expansion comes on top.

All you’ll see is Android Apps and Games Support.

 

[NT1440]

The world does not move to ARM until something dramatically changes in Windows land. Given the majority of money in PC sales are enterprise, I don’t see how that happens.

I would wager that Windows Enterprise is going be its own entity specifically for business sales, and consumer Windows will be the only way to gravitate to ARM over the next decade.

There’s no easy way to pull this bandaid off in PC land.

 

[The_Gream]

I think people are really missing on reading the last paragraph of the article.

If Arm is able to null and void the license because of the buyout, then Qcom would ether have to drop the goal, change it to fit into their own current ARM deal or expect to get hit again with another suit for royalties.

Even if Arm loses the first round they could hold up Qcom when their license runs out later.

 

[topcat001]

Don’t care about Windows or use it (although it’s important for mass production) but it would be exciting to run Linux (my 90% OS) on this hardware, assuming it happens.

 

[Rigby]

I was thinking about that and I wonder . . . do you think this is going to be something Google tries to take advantage of? Breathing life into chromebooks to try and compete in a computer market for serious people?

They are trying that with their new Chromebook Plus standard ... which is based on x86 CPUs.

I think it will be really difficult for Qualcomm to break into the PC market. They don't have Apple's advantages (existing computer platform that they control top to bottom) nor x86's huge ecosystem, and by 2024 they will have to contend with Intel's Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake and AMD's new 7000 series APUs (which are all supposed to be highly energy efficient). And both Intel and AMD have CPUs with AI acceleration this year. A year earlier Qualcomm might have had better chances.

 

[sack_peak]

I want them to succeed to bring more competition to Windows laptops where the sole players are Intel, AMD & Nvidia.

I want more Android chip makers making PC chips as well.

Intel, AMD & Nvidia would then be cornered to legacy x86.

Excluding Macs 2022 global shipments of PCs was 263.7 million.

Android chip makers shipped 944.6 million smartphones for the same year.

This may be PCs vs mainframes moment all over again.

Mainframes exists for legacy customers and are refreshed that often.

So Microsoft, get your act together for 2024 Windows 12 on ARM.

What Windows PC user not want a ARM PC with 6G in the 2030s?

 

[sw1tcher]

I want them to succeed to bring more competition to the x86 laptop industry where the sole players are Intel, AMD & Nvidia.

I want more Android chip makers making PC chips as well.

Intel, AMD & Nvidia would then be cornered to legacy x86.

Nvidia makes x86 CPUs? When did Nvidia get an x86 license? I know they have their Grace CPU, but I believe that's an Arm based architecture.

 

[rp2011]

Intel will fight this tooth and nail. .

Hopefully!
We need strong competition. Let's remember what happened when Intel had a virtual monopoly. Stagnation.

And even with a monopoly, they still blew it!
They even had the nerve to beg the US government for welfare to give them a boost after Apple and others started to bail on them.