We might just be living in a new ‘Golden Age’ of silicon, and the Snapdragon X2 is shining very brightly indeed since its debut at last year’s Snapdragon Summit.
With up to 18 cores, a 3nm process, and the third generation Oryon CPU included, it offers around 35% increases in single-core task performance, ramps up efficiency tasks, and does it all while maintaining better battery life — the dream for laptops.
It’s also built with AI in mind, with 80 TOPs (trillions of operations per second) being processed through the Hexago NPU (neural processing unit), helping it dovetail nicely with Copilot+ in simplifying complex tasks that would otherwise have taken a whole bunch of brain power (or a much larger PC).
And, now that it’s out in the wild, you can save big money on some fantastic Snapdragon X2 laptops at Amazon for Prime Day, and other retailers, too.
The best Snapdragon X2 laptop deals
Why the Snapdragon X2 Elite?
In many ways, the Snapdragon X2 Elite is future-proofing Windows laptops since its arrival this year. The X2 Elite pulls together just about everything a modern-day laptop needs, and supercharges it.
Take the Oryon CPU, for example, which offers speeds that are 35% faster for single-core tasks, and can run up to 31% faster for efficiency tasks. Not only does it power your workday without breaking a sweat, but it sips battery while doing so, meaning it can keep going without a charger nearby - finally freeing you from bulky laptops and needing to sit near a power outlet.
The X2 Elite also features a redesigned Adreno GPU for another significant performance gain of more than double, meaning it’s ideal for creative work like photo, video, or music editing on the go. You can even play video games on it, something rare for an ARM-based processor. In fact, it’s the first chip of its kind to hit a 5GHz boosted clock speed.
Then there’s connectivity, with Wi-Fi 7 supported, and Bluetooth 5.4, so you can be guaranteed you’re getting the best possible download speeds (provided your network environment supports it, of course).
Finally, it wouldn’t be a 2026 chip without a nod to AI, and the X2 Elite does more than just tip the cap. With 80 TOPS, it almost doubles the prior X Elite chip, meaning it handily meets the requirement to be a Copilot+ laptop with all the goodies that comes with that designation - like being able to ask questions about your Excel file, minimise noise for your mic on a call, or process huge tasks on-device.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.
