HP, one of the world's leading PC makers, is reportedly planning a bold strategic move for its upcoming EliteBook X G2 laptop lineup. These laptops will be offered with processors from all three of the semiconductor industry's heavyweights, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, within a single chassis family. The approach gives business customers access to the three biggest CPU (central processing unit) architectures on the market today under one premium, business-class product line. The multi-chip strategy is designed to pair thin, light hardware and enterprise-grade security with a far broader range of platforms than earlier EliteBook X generations ever offered.
HP EliteBook X G2 Offers Three Processor Options in One Shared Design
An internal roadmap from HP ahead of the CES 2026 tech show, obtained by Windows Latest, details three nearly identical models: the EliteBook X G2a, G2i, and G2q. The main difference between them is the "brain" inside, which is a Ryzen AI 400, a Panther Lake Core Ultra, and a Snapdragon X2-series processor, respectively. It is a significant step toward giving end users more choice without changing the overall design language.
The EliteBook X series is the top tier of HP's business laptop portfolio. It is known for combining a thin, light build, strict enterprise-grade security features, and what HP markets as next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. For context, the current generation on the market includes the EliteBook X G1a with an AMD Ryzen AI processor and the EliteBook X G1i with an Intel Core Ultra chip. With the upcoming G2 generation, however, HP is expanding from two suppliers to a three-way architecture model.
According to the leaked documents, the new systems will be impossible to tell apart by eye. Two of the upcoming models, the EliteBook X G2a and G2i, follow HP's existing naming convention and are tied to the next-generation platforms from AMD and Intel. Specifically, the G2a will use AMD's Ryzen AI 400 series, positioned above the Ryzen AI processors currently found in the EliteBook X G1a. The G2i, meanwhile, will pair with Intel's Panther Lake Core Ultra platform, a major update to Intel's latest architecture that goes well beyond the Core Ultra chips powering today's G1i.
The shift is expected to bring new neural processing units (NPUs) along with updated CPU and GPU blocks, heavily optimized for AI-assisted workflows in Windows 11. However, the leaked information does not yet include detailed spec sheets, such as core counts, thermal design power (TDP) ranges, or specific product codes (SKUs).
Qualcomm Joins the Lineup, and What It Means for Businesses
The most notable change in the EliteBook X G2 family is the arrival of the EliteBook X G2q, which brings Qualcomm into HP's enterprise product line. The "q" suffix in the leaked documents appears to indicate a Qualcomm-based configuration, and the device will most likely use a Snapdragon X2-series chipset. Offering a Snapdragon X2 option gives HP an Arm-based alternative alongside its traditional x86 models. That is especially appealing to customers who prioritize long battery life and workloads optimized for Windows on Arm.
All three EliteBook X G2 variants are reportedly physically identical, with no external marker to distinguish the AMD, Intel, or Qualcomm versions. This suggests HP is treating the CPU choice as an internal configuration option, letting businesses deploy a fleet of EliteBook X G2 laptops that look uniform even when they mix different processor architectures across regions or departments.
For organizations weighing how quickly to adopt new NPUs or Arm-based Windows systems, the AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm options in the G2 family offer an excellent solution. They can evaluate how each platform performs in real-world work while keeping the rest of the hardware consistent and easy to manage.
