Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips have led the recent push for Arm-based Windows, but so far they have only shown up in laptops. New reports suggest the company's next-generation lineup will deliver on its promise of expanding to desktops, after plans for a mini PC launch were scrapped.
Well-known leaker Roland Quandt believes that the previously leaked successor to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite CPU line is designed specifically for desktops. Several laptops with the chip launched this year running the Arm version of Windows, and the company plans to expand into other types of devices.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite (or possibly X Elite 2), codenamed Glymur, first appeared in international import and export databases in late September, according to WinFuture. Hardware details are limited, but Qualcomm has previously used special enclosures to test NAND and RAM chips for a new flagship processor carrying the model number SC8480XP.
I think Qualcomm is coming for the desktop with Snapdragon "X Elite 2". They're testing "Project Glymur" SC8480XP with an AIO liquid cooler feat 120mm fan(s?), just like what you'd use in a (gaming) desktop
- Roland Quandt (@rquandt.bsky.social) 10 December 2024 at 08:26
Quandt says the company has begun testing the CPU with AIO liquid coolers like those commonly found in gaming desktops, which suggests Qualcomm is aiming at a higher-end segment. So far, Snapdragon X Elite laptops have posted fairly modest gaming performance, but it could be interesting to see what the chips can do with a higher power budget.
The company announced plans to bring Snapdragon to every kind of personal computer in a Computex presentation in July, but there has been no further word on the subject since then. Qualcomm showed off a Snapdragon X Elite mini PC earlier this year as a developer kit, but abruptly stopped selling and supporting the device in October.
Geekom could become the first company to launch a Snapdragon X desktop. The mini PC maker has not officially announced the device, but a leaked promotional image shows it will be called the QS series and will be equipped with a high-end X Elite CPU in an aluminum chassis.
Although many laptop makers have launched new models using Qualcomm's chips, the company still has no meaningful presence in the overall PC market. Lower prices, which the company has promised for next year, could attract customers.
GenAI is the main selling point of the Snapdragon X Elite and other "AI PC" processors, but users still seem largely uninterested in the technology. Qualcomm's main advantage may instead be longer battery life, with some laptops using the company's chips able to last a full day on a single charge.
The prospects for Windows on Arm desktops are expected to improve as Arm CPUs from other makers arrive. Nvidia has teased plans for a product in 2025, and Arm has previously said that many customers are preparing chips.
Source: Techspot
