Qualcomm Unveils Entry-Level Snapdragon XPlus, Paving the Way for Lower-Priced Windows 11 PCs

Qualcomm Unveils Entry-Level Snapdragon XPlus, Paving the Way for Lower-Priced Windows 11 PCsQualcomm has quietly launched a new SKU for its Snapdragon X processor series, dubbed the "X1P-42-100," aimed at reducing the cost of Copilot+PCs running Windows 11. Currently, the cheapest Snapdragon X-powered PC starts at $999, still a hefty price tag for many users

Qualcomm Unveils Entry-Level Snapdragon XPlus, Paving the Way for Lower-Priced Windows 11 PCs

Qualcomm has quietly launched a new SKU for its Snapdragon X processor series, dubbed the "X1P-42-100," aimed at reducing the cost of Copilot+PCs running Windows 11. Currently, the cheapest Snapdragon X-powered PC starts at $999, still a hefty price tag for many users. Qualcomm had previously promised to bring down the cost of PCs using its processors, and this new entry-level Snapdragon XPlus is a key step in fulfilling that promise.

The new X1P-42-100 is the first octa-core processor in the series, featuring fewer cores and a lower clock speed compared to the previous 10-core models. While the single-core clock speed remains the same as the 10-core Snapdragon XPlus X1P-64-100, the maximum multi-threaded frequency is reduced by 200MHz.

Another notable difference lies in the graphics processor. According to Qualcomm's provided SKU comparison sheet, the new X1P-42-100 boasts a graphics processor output of 1.7 TFLOPS, significantly lower than the 3.8 TFLOPS output of its 10-core counterpart, which is more than twice as powerful. This disparity will directly result in a noticeable performance drop for graphics-intensive tasks, making this processor potentially unsuitable for users seeking a smooth experience in the latest PC games.

However, the X1P-42-100 retains the NPU performance consistent with other chips in the series, offering 45 TFLOPS of processing power. Memory support also remains the same, with LPDDR5X at 8448MT/S.

Here's a simple specification comparison table of the X1P-42-100 against other Snapdragon XPlus chips:

| Feature | X1P-42-100 | X1P-64-100 |

| --------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |

| Core Count | 8 | 10 |

| Clock Speed | Same single-core, 200MHz lower multi-threaded | |

| Graphics Processor Output | 1.7 TFLOPS | 3.8 TFLOPS |

| NPU Performance | 45 TFLOPS | 45 TFLOPS |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5X, 8448MT/S | LPDDR5X, 8448MT/S |

Currently, only two ASUS models are known to have adopted the new Snapdragon XPlus X1P-42-100 processor. However, more models are expected to follow suit in the future.

Qualcomm is undoubtedly feeling the pressure from Intel and AMD, with both companies poised to release AI-powered chips. As a result, we can anticipate this current generation of ARM-based Windows PCs becoming more affordable.

Qualcomm's introduction of the entry-level Snapdragon XPlus processor, aiming to lower the cost of Windows 11 PCs, will provide users with more options and further drive the adoption of ARM-based Windows PCs.