Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite vs Apple M3 and Intel Core Ultra

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

At least for the lower power SKU, Qualcomm’s comparison of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite with the most recent Intel Core Ultra and Apple M3 processors appears quite promising. With 23 W, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite beats the Apple M3 SoC, Core Ultra 7 155H, and Ryzen 7 7840U in Cinebench 2024.

Qualcomm released the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite’s initial benchmarks in October, showing it outperforming the Apple M2 series, AMD Zen 4, and Intel’s 13th and 14th generation processors. Multiple online benchmarks show how well the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite compares to Intel’s latest Core Ultra processors and the Apple M3 series.

Prior to moving forward, it is crucial to note that Qualcomm supplied the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite benchmarks, and as a result, media outlets were not permitted to conduct any independent testing on the chip. Thus, approach the findings with a fair amount of scepticism.

Intel Core Ultra vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

In the Geekbench 6 single-core test, Qualcomm claims that the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite outperforms the Core Ultra 7 155H by an astounding 54% when both chips have the same power draw. The former uses 65% less energy while matching the performance of the Core Ultra 7 155H. In the multi-core Geekbench 6 benchmarks, these performance differences decrease to a remarkably impressive 52% and 60%, respectively.

Comparing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite to the Core Ultra 9 185H, PCWorld reports that, when both CPUs are using the same amount of power, the ARM chip has a 51% and 41% advantage in the Geekbench 6 single-core and multi-core benchmarks, respectively. The Snapdragon X Elite consumes 65% and 58% less energy than the Intel chip in single-core and multi-core benchmarks.

Let’s get down to business. According to Just Josh on YouTube, the 23 W Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite scores 2,786 and 13,881 on Geekbench 6 for single and multi-core processing, respectively. In the single-core and multi-core categories, the performance is 22% and 11% better than the Core Ultra 7 155H.

With single-threaded and multi-threaded scores of 2,921 and 15,136, respectively, the 80 W Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite outperforms the Core Ultra 9 185H by 15% and 7%, respectively.

Apple M3 vs Snapdragon X Elite

The results of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite are inconsistent when compared to Apple silicon. In the multi-core Geebench 6 test, the lower power Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (23 W) variant shows 16% faster performance than the base Apple M3 SoC with a score of 13,881 vs 11,981, while Apple’s chip leads by 12% in the single-core category with a result of 3,119 vs 2,786.

Additionally, it is claimed that the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite performs worse in single-core and multi-core tests with a multi-threaded delta of up to 10.5% than the 11- and 12-core versions of the Apple M3 Pro .

Notwithstanding, the 11-core M3 Pro appears to lose ground to the 23 W Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in the Cinebench 2024 multi-threaded benchmark, which gauges maximum CPU performance.

Regretfully, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite doesn’t appear to be making much use of the extra power consumption; raising the wattage to 80 W only results in a 5% and 9% improvement in the SoC’s single-core and multi-core Geekbench 6 scores. In the multi-core test, this performance boost is only sufficient to match the 12-core Apple M3 Pro, as the M3 Max utterly destroys the Snapdragon X Elite with a whopping 40% advantage.

Snapdragon X Elite productivity

Although the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite’s fast performance is impressive, the main selling point of the chip and the reason Windows users are enthusiastic about the SoC is its massively improved efficiency. Qualcomm claims that the SoC will live up to its promise, at least with regard to the 23 W version.

According to Just Josh’s data, the Snapdragon X Elite, which has a power limit of 23 W, receives 41 points when the Cinebench 2024 score is compared to the watts used. With the exception of the base M3, this score surpasses all other chips in the comparison, including the Apple M3 Pro.

Once more, the 80 W Snapdragon X Elite looks pretty bad, performing far worse than the M3 Max and seemingly less efficient than the Core Ultra 9 185H.

In summary, at least when it comes to lower power limits, the Snapdragon X Elite appears to be a significant improvement for Windows laptops in terms of efficiency. All that’s left to do is wait and see if independent testing validates Qualcomm’s findings and how the SoC-powered laptops stack up against their competitors from Apple, AMD, and Intel.

Future of Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core Ultra and Apple M3

Though it’s difficult to predict the future of technology, the following gives an idea of how the Snapdragon X Elite, Intel Core Ultra, and Apple M3 might compete:

Snapdragon X Elite

Put Efficiency First

Efficiency appears to be a major selling point for Qualcomm’s X Elite. Future developments in thermal performance and power management should result in laptops with longer battery lives and cooler operating temperatures.

Enhanced AI Capabilities

Impressive AI capabilities are already present in the X Elite. For applications such as machine learning, content creation, and image and video editing, they may see even more powerful Neural Processing Units (NPUs).

Software Interoperability

An important area that needs work. A larger audience may find the X Elite more appealing if compatibility with current software and developer tools are given more attention.

Intel Core Ultra

Reaction to the Rivals

It is probable that Intel will enhance its Meteor Lake architecture in order to rival X Elite’s efficiency gains. Power management and performance-per-watt ratios could both see improvements.

Pros of x86 Compatibility

Probably, Intel will make use of the extensive software library designed for the x86 architecture. This is still a compelling selling point, particularly for business users who need a certain piece of software.

Combining with the Ecosystem

Anticipate a sustained emphasis on the smooth assimilation of current Intel technologies, such as Thunderbolt and Optane memory.

Apple M3 Chip

Sustained Innovation

Apple has a reputation for pushing the envelope with its proprietary ARM-based chips. Improvements in the fabrication process (possibly switching to 2nm), core architecture, and integration with the Apple ecosystem are all to be expected.

Pay attention to user experience

Apple puts the user experience first. Expect better iOS/macOS compatibility, battery life, and performance.

AI and ML

Apple may invest heavily in the M3’s AI capabilities, possibly focusing on security and privacy on-device processing.

Specification of Snapdragon X Elite, Intel Core Ultra, Apple M3

Feature	Snapdragon X Elite	Intel Core Ultra	Apple M3
Architecture	ARM	x86	ARM
Process Node	3nm	4nm	N/A
Cores (Max)	16	12	8 (Base)
Power Consumption	Lower (Claimed)	Standard	Standard
Benchmarks (vs M3)
– Multi-Core	+16% (Lower Power)	N/A	Baseline
– Single-Core	N/A	N/A	-12% (Basee